Hey there, tech lovers! Got the itch for some AI smarts on your iPhone? Apple’s CEO Tim Cook has been hinting at it for a while, and a new report from AppleInsider spills the tea on what iOS 18 might hold.

Here’s the gist: Siri’s about to get a major upgrade! Imagine being able to ask your trusty assistant to analyze and summarize those long text threads in Messages. Pretty cool, right? This brainpower comes courtesy of Apple’s very own large language model (LLM) called Ajax. Remember all those research papers Apple published about on-device AI processing for iPhones? This report lines right up with that!

AppleInsider says Ajax can handle basic stuff on your phone itself, but for trickier questions, it might need to consult a server – that’s where rumors about partnerships with Google or OpenAI come in. Intriguing!

But wait, there’s more! Apple’s all about keeping your data safe, so expect privacy warnings before Ajax dives into your Messages or Safari history. During their recent earnings call, Cook himself reassured everyone that Apple is “very bullish” on AI and has some “exciting things” brewing. He even mentioned that Apple has some “advantages” that’ll make their AI features stand out, especially when it comes to privacy. Sounds promising!

Apple’s got an event next week where new iPads are expected to be the stars, but for the juicy AI details, we’ll likely have to wait until their Worldwide Developers Conference on June 10th. Mark your calendars, tech enthusiasts, this could be a game-changer!

Google announced on Thursday that its passkeys have been embraced by over 400 million Google accounts, facilitating authentication over 1 billion times in the past two years. Heather Adkins, Google’s vice president of security engineering, highlighted the simplicity and security of passkeys, which rely solely on a fingerprint, face scan, or PIN, making them 50% faster than traditional passwords.

These passkeys have surpassed legacy forms of two-factor authentication, such as SMS one-time passwords (OTPs) and app-based OTPs combined, in terms of usage for authenticating Google Accounts. Additionally, Google is expanding its Cross-Account Protection feature to encompass more apps and services, providing alerts for suspicious activities linked to a user’s Google Account.

Furthermore, Google plans to support the use of passkeys for high-risk users as part of its Advanced Protection Program (APP), offering additional security for individuals vulnerable to targeted attacks. While APP previously mandated the use of hardware security keys as a second factor, it will now allow enrollment with any passkey alongside hardware security keys or as the sole authentication method.

Google integrated passkeys into Chrome in December 2022 and has since made the passwordless authentication solution default across all platforms for Google Accounts. Several prominent companies, including 1Password, Apple, Microsoft, and WhatsApp, have also adopted passkeys.

Passkeys function by generating a cryptographic key pair, comprising a private key stored on the device and a public key shared with the corresponding app or website. This unique key pair ensures that passkeys are specific to the intended platform, mitigating the risk of phishing attacks.

While passkeys offer enhanced security and convenience, concerns have been raised regarding their potential use by companies to monopolize user credentials within their platforms. Critics argue that this approach prioritizes corporate interests over user experience and freedom.

Despite these concerns, Google remains committed to advancing passkeys as a robust authentication solution, emphasizing their effectiveness in combatting phishing and enhancing user security.

Apple’s atrial fibrillation (AFib) history feature on the Apple Watch has achieved qualification from the FDA under its Medical Device Development Tools (MDDT) program, marking a significant milestone as the first digital health technology feature of its kind to receive such recognition.

Since 2022, Apple Watch has provided support for AFib History, allowing users diagnosed with atrial fibrillation to access an estimate of the frequency of irregular heart rhythms. This feature utilizes pulse rate data collected by a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor to identify episodes consistent with AFib, offering users a retrospective estimate of AFib burden—measuring the amount of time spent in AFib during past Apple Watch usage. It is intended for individuals aged 22 years or older who have received a diagnosis of atrial fibrillation.

Prior to its public announcement by Apple, the AFib History feature received FDA clearance in the United States after undergoing validation in a clinical study. The MDDT program, under which the feature obtained approval, serves as the FDA’s mechanism for qualifying tools that medical device sponsors may employ in the development and evaluation of medical devices.

As outlined by the FDA, the Atrial Fibrillation History feature holds the following distinctions:

1. First Digital Health Technology Qualified Under the MDDT Program: This feature provides a non-invasive method for assessing estimates of atrial fibrillation (AFib) burden within clinical studies.
2. Intended Use as a Biomarker Test: It serves as a tool to aid in evaluating estimates of AFib burden as a secondary effectiveness endpoint within clinical studies focused on assessing the safety and effectiveness of cardiac ablation devices for treatment.
3. Utilization Throughout Clinical Studies: The feature can be utilized throughout the clinical study process, both before and after the implementation of cardiac ablation devices, to monitor a study participant’s weekly estimate of AFib burden.

The qualification of Apple’s AFib History feature underscores the growing role of digital health technologies in facilitating medical research and enhancing patient care.

Via MyHealthApple.com

Spotify, one of the leading music streaming platforms globally, operates on a freemium model, offering both free and premium subscription tiers. While the premium tier provides users with an ad-free experience, offline listening, and unlimited skips, the free tier allows users to access the vast music library with occasional ads and certain limitations.

Recently, Spotify made a significant change to its free tier by removing the lyrics feature for non-paying users. Previously, users could view lyrics in real-time while listening to their favorite songs, enhancing the overall music streaming experience. However, with the removal of this feature, free-tier users now face limitations in engaging with the music they love.

The decision to hide lyrics behind a paywall has sparked criticism from users, as it diminishes the convenience and enjoyment of listening to music on the platform. While lyrics were readily available to all users in the past, they are now only accessible to premium subscribers, limiting the interactive elements of music streaming for those on the free tier.

Additionally, Spotify has imposed other restrictions on its free-tier users, such as limiting the number of skips per hour and forcing shuffled playback. These limitations, coupled with the removal of the lyrics feature, have made the free tier less appealing for non-paying users.

The change in Spotify’s free tier underscores a broader trend in the music streaming industry, where platforms are increasingly incentivizing users to upgrade to premium subscriptions by restricting access to certain features. While Spotify’s premium tier offers a superior listening experience, with features like offline listening and unlimited skips, the removal of features from the free tier may push users to explore alternative streaming platforms.

Platforms like YouTube Music and Tidal offer competitive alternatives to Spotify, with their own unique features and benefits. YouTube Music provides users with access to music videos and a vast library of songs, while Tidal is known for its high-quality lossless audio streaming.

In conclusion, Spotify’s decision to remove the lyrics feature from its free tier highlights the ongoing evolution of music streaming platforms and the shifting dynamics between free and premium subscription models. As users weigh the pros and cons of different streaming services, the availability of features like lyrics may play a significant role in their decision-making process.

Microsoft has released a new update, KB5036980, for Windows 11, bringing with it the introduction of ads in the Start menu. This feature, which was initially announced as a Windows Insider beta update 13 days ago on April 12th, aims to enhance the convenience of the Start menu by recommending apps from the Microsoft Store.

According to Microsoft’s announcement in the Windows Insider program, these recommended apps will be curated from a select group of developers, offering users the opportunity to discover new and useful applications available in the Microsoft Store.

It’s important to note that the inclusion of ads in the Start menu is optional and part of a non-security update intended to improve user convenience. Users who prefer not to see these recommendations can easily disable them by navigating to Settings > Personalization > Start and deselecting the toggle labeled “Show recommendations for tips, app promotions, and more.”

In addition to the introduction of Start menu ads, the KB5036980 update also brings improvements to the Recommended Apps section, listing the user’s most frequently used applications. Furthermore, the update includes enhancements to widget icons in the taskbar, aimed at improving visual clarity by reducing pixelation.

Microsoft has been experimenting with native ads across various Windows features, starting with advertisements for Microsoft products in the File Explorer and later expanding to the sign-out flyout menu. With the introduction of ads in the Start menu, Microsoft continues to explore ways to provide users with relevant recommendations while using the Windows operating system.