News on the sidelines week 9 - 15 February

Apple launches an artificial intelligence tool to move the image based on your description, and Zuckerberg says that the Quest 3 glasses are better than the Apple Vision Pro glasses, more than 1000 applications are available for the Vision Pro, and Apple shares an overview of the privacy and security features in the Vision Pro, and other exciting news in On the Sidelines …

Apple is developing an artificial intelligence tool to help developers

Apple is working on an updated version of a new “smart” Xcode with an AI assistant that suggests and writes code, similar to Microsoft’s Copilot tool. This “AI assistant” will predict and complete blocks of code, speeding up the app development process. But it is still being tested internally, and it could be launched this year. Additionally, Apple plans to add AI features to Siri, Apple Music, Spotlight Search, and more AI features in iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS 15 updates. Some features may be available soon, but others may take years. To fully develop.

iOS 17.4 update disables web apps on the home screen in the EU

With the second beta of the iOS 17.4 update, Apple has made changes to how Progressive Web Apps (PWAs), or what are known as web apps, work on the iPhone in the European Union (EU). PWAs are like apps you can use on your phone, but they're actually websites. With the update, some features of PWAs will not work as before. This change happened; Because Apple was concerned about security and privacy. Without these changes, untrusted websites could access your personal information without asking, they said. So, to keep things safe, Apple had to make these changes. This may only affect a few people, but it's still important.

Apple responds to Meta by imposing a 30% fee on promoted posts

In October 2022, Apple updated its App Store rules. She explained that if social media applications sell “enhanced or promoted” posts to deliver posts to many users from within Apple’s apps, they must use the in-app purchase system in the App Store, and thus Apple gets up to 30% of the sales.

Previously, the user would pay directly to Facebook, but now Apple will take a 30% cut of your payment! This will make boosted posts more expensive.

Boosted posts can be purchased through the web like Facebook.com or Instagram.com to avoid fees from Apple, which wants a cut of everything, and this will mostly affect small businesses that use boosted posts to advertise.

Apple highlights spatial gaming on Vision Pro

Apple highlighted the spatial gaming experiences available on the Apple Vision Pro, describing it as the beginning of a new era of gaming. With more than 250 games available for the headset through Apple Arcade, Apple has focused on 12 exclusive “spatial games” offered through the gaming subscription service. These games are designed to blend digital content with the physical world, taking advantage of Vision Pro's new 6.99D user interface and input system controlled by the user's eyes, hands and voice. Players can immerse themselves in different experiences, such as slicing apples with their hands in Super Fruit Ninja or exploring a golf course in their home with WHAT THE GOLF? Apple has also teased upcoming spatial games like Alto's Odyssey: The Lost City and Gibbon: Beyond the Trees. Apple Arcade offers ad-free games across multiple Apple devices for $19.95 per month, and is also part of the Apple One subscription package, starting at $XNUMX per month.

Apple's latest AI tool can animate an image based on your description

Apple has unveiled a new AI tool that uses large language models (LLMs) to bring still images to life based on text prompts from users. This innovation, detailed in a paper titled “Keyframer: The Possibility of Animation Using Large Language Models,” offers an animation tool called Keyframer, through which you can input a static 2D image, such as a space rocket, and then type a text prompt describing the animation you want. The tool will generate CSS animation code to animate the image accordingly. Users can improve the animation by editing the code directly or making additional prompts. This approach allows designs to be improved iteratively, making animation creation more efficient.

We collaborated with professional motion graphics designers and engineers, who found the tool to be much faster than traditional methods. This development is part of Apple's broader efforts in the field of artificial intelligence. Analysts suggest that generative AI features, including Siri improvements with ChatGPT-like functionality, may be included in iOS 18, marking a significant update for iPhone and iPad.

Zuckerberg: Quest 3 is better than Apple Vision Pro glasses

Meta CEO Zuckerberg recently compared Vision Pro to Quest 3V Video clip on Instagram. He noted that the Quest 3 is much less expensive, offers a wider field of view, a brighter high-quality screen, and sharper motion. He emphasized the comfort of the Quest 3, its lightweight design that is 120 grams less than the Vision Pro, and the lack of wires, making it more convenient for users.

He also praised the content library and more immersive experiences available, the accuracy of hand tracking, and the versatility in allowing users to watch YouTube or play Xbox.

He criticized Apple's sacrifice of comfort and its closed environment for a higher resolution screen.

He concluded his speech by emphasizing Meta's position as an "open model" in the next generation of computing, going beyond Apple's closed model.

The Quest 3 features two 2K ​​LCD displays, weighs 515 grams, and is powered by a second-generation Snapdragon XR2 chipset with Touch Plus controllers.

Apple shares an overview of privacy and security features in Vision Pro

Apple has released a new document detailing the privacy and security measures for the Vision Pro. Some of the key privacy features include:

◉ Where users look before interacting with content is not shared with Apple or third-party apps, and remains on the device.

◉ By default, apps cannot access information about the user's surroundings.

◉ VisionOS does not share information about nearby individuals through apps or Apple.

◉ Personas or user profiles are created and stored on the device, with associated data encrypted.

◉ The optical ID data used to authenticate the iris is encrypted and remains on the device.

◉ Guest user mode allows users to restrict app interactions with others.

◉ Additionally, Apple mentioned other privacy features available on VisionOS, such as Tracking Transparency, Advanced Data Protection, iCloud Private Relay, and Hide My Email. Apple also introduced iMessage call key verification in the beta version of VisionOS 1.1.

Miscellaneous news

◉ TikTok announced that it has released an application for Apple Vision Pro glasses. The app has been optimized to suit the spatial design style of VisionOS, and TikTok promises a more “immersive” viewing experience for short videos.

◉ Greg Joswiak, Apple's marketing director, said there are more than 1000 applications available for Vision Pro. There are also more than 1.5 million iPad apps that are compatible with Vision Pro and can run on the glasses.

◉ Apple is losing another member of its industrial design team. Bart Andre, who has worked at Apple for more than 30 years alongside... Johnny IveHe is one of the last remaining members of the design team who worked with Ive to establish the design aesthetic that Apple became known for during Jony Ive's tenure.

◉ Starting with iOS 17.3 and iPadOS 17.3 updates, you can stream content wirelessly from your iPhone or iPad to a compatible TV in a hotel room via AirPlay, and this feature has been confirmed to be rolled out to hotels in the coming months.

◉ Apple has released the third beta of iOS 17.4, iPadOS 17.4, macOS Sonoma 14.4, watchOS 10.4, and tvOS 17.4 updates to developers. And the launch of the second beta version of the VisionOS 1.1 update.

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