Apple Updates: AR For iOS, a Better Siri, and a Remedy for Tech Addictions
Here's the latest from Apple's annual conference for developers in San Jose, Calif., where the company is announcing software upgrades and new initiatives:
+ As expected, Apple unveiled tools to help iPhone and iPad users manage the time they spend glued to their screens. The new tool, Screen Time, is part of the new iOS 12 mobile operating system. Screen Time shows how much time users spend with each app, how many times they pick up their phones, and which notifications catch their attention. It will also enable users to set limits.
+ The iOS 12 will also include upgrades to the FaceTime app to enable group video chats with as many as 32 people simultaneously. And users can create their own animated emojis that look like them, what Apple is calling a "Memoji."
+ As competition among voice assistants heats up, Apple announced changes to Siri, which will be able to give iPhone users suggestions based on their location and the time of day. If you're running late, the new Siri can suggest you call or send a text to alert your next appointment from the phone's lock screen.
+ Apple will also roll out Siri Shortcuts to help users customize Siri's suggestions and program regular reminders for daily tasks.
+ The Photo app will be redesigned to make searching through images on an iPhone or iPad easier, allowing users to better sort by location, categories, and events. It will also incorporate facial recognition to make it easier to share images with friends.
+ Apple's new iOS 12 mobile operating system will also include a new tool, Measure, that lets users measure the dimensions of objects through their device's camera.
+ The company unveiled its big push into augmented reality with a new file format for AR content ー .USDZ. Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, said it would be integrated with Adobe's Creative Cloud ecosystem and can be easily shared via text message and email.
+ Tim Cook opened the keynote of Apple's annual developers conference by highlighting the 10th anniversary next month of the company's App Store. Cook, Apple's chief executive, said developers have earned more than $100 billion through the App Store since its inception.
+ Apple is expected to focus on software at the developers conference. The company's services ー Music, Pay, and iCloud ー account for about 15 percent of total revenue, up from 10 percent in the fourth quarter last year, as sales of the iPhone are slowing.
+ Watch the keynote [live](https://www.apple.com/apple-events/june-2018/) on Apple's website.
*Check back for updates from the conference, and interviews and live analysis from Cheddar's Hope King ([@lisahopeking on Twitter](https://twitter.com/lisahopeking)) at WWDC 2018.*
A bipartisan bill introduced by U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) aims to tackle the spread of misinformation on social media platforms, as well as the addictive nature of the sites and negative mental health impacts they have on users. The 'Nudge Act' would require studies to find and compile potential interventions that platforms could use to encourage people to think before they share a post, or log off after spending too much time on an app. The FTC would create rules based on these findings, and hold the platforms accountable. But will it work? Jesse Lehrich, co-founder of Accountable Tech, joins Closing Bell to discuss the bill, whether real results and regulations could come from it, and more.
A.I.-based entertainment company, Deedub, recently raised
$20 million in a Series A round, led by Insight Partners. Deepdub uses A.I. technology to automate the dubbing process for foreign-language movies or TV shows, while using actors' original voices. The company says it can take just two to three minutes of data from an actor's voice and transform the voice into a different language. The funding comes as foreign-language films and shows like Netflix's 'Squid Game' have recently become more popular with audiences in the U.S. and around the world. Oz Krakowski, Chief Revenue Officer at Deepdub, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Energy Vault, the company developing sustainable, grid-scale energy storage solutions, is now trading on the New York Stock Exchange following the completion of its business combination with Novus Capital Corporation II. Energy Vault develops sustainable, grid-scale energy storage solutions designed to advance the transition to a carbon free, resilient power grid. Robert Piconi, co-founder and CEO of Energy Vault, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to disucss.
A new mobile app has launched just in time for Valentine's Day. Our.Love bills itself as an A.I.-powered, gamified, relationship wellness app for couples. The app is set in what the company calls the Coupleverse, a virtual world where each couple can build a virtual relationship home as they also build their real-world relationship. Founder and CEO Tal Zlotnitsky joined Cheddar to discuss how the app works. "The concept behind Our.Love is to give people the opportunity to understand where they stand in their relationship through very simple metrics that we provide within the app that will help them in real-time, see where they stand, see where their partner is, and be able to get closer together," he said.
Alyson Wilson, VP of Brand Innovation at Alo Yoga, joins Cheddar News to discuss the yoga apparel company entering the metaverse and teaming up with Spring Studios for New York Fashion Week.
