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.*
Thrive Market is a health-first membership for conscious living, with a mission to make healthy and sustainable living easy and accessible. Nick Green, CEO and co-founder, chatted with Cheddar's Baker Machado about the company's approach and new ventures in 2022. "I grew up outside of Minneapolis, middle class, middle America, and really saw firsthand how hard my mom had to work to put healthy food on the table, on a budget, without a health food store nearby," he said. "Twenty-some years later we looked around and just thought it was crazy that millions of Americans are still struggling with the same thing, and we decided to change it." Recently the brand released a line of organic frozen products and will be introducing new beauty and home brands.
In the ongoing saga of AT&T and Verizon versus airlines over the U.S. rollout of 5G near airports, the telecom giants have agreed to delay some deployments. The decision came after arguments that the technology could pose a threat to the safety and security of flights. However, AT&T countered that airlines had two years to prepare for this rollout date.
In what could be the biggest deal in video games history, Microsoft's purchase of Activision Blizzard underlines the company's aggressive push in gaming and beyond into its long-term vision of being top dog in the metaverse. Adam Hollander, former director of gamification at Microsoft and founder of Hungry Wolves NFT, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss. “Microsoft always plays chess, not checkers," he said, describing the price tag as an opportunity cost. "It's about integrating Activision Blizzard in with Azure and Windows and Xbox and Hololens and Minecraft and everything else that they're doing for the inevitable goal of being the major player in the next phase of the internet."
Telecom giants AT&T and Verizon have agreed to delay activating their 5G services around airports and runways once again. This comes after major U.S. airlines voiced their concern over the rollout of 5G technology, warning of an impending "catastrophic" aviation crisis. Peter Andersen, Chief Investment Officer, Anderson Capital Management joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
Earnings season kicks into high gear this week as big players are on tap to report their Q4 numbers. Goldman Sachs, Procter & Gamble, United Airlines, and Netflix are just a few of the companies we're keeping a close eye on to give us a better idea of how they're dealing with the Omicron variant, inflation and interest rates. David Nelson, chief strategist at Belpointe, gives a preview of what to expect.
Thomas Hayes, Chairman at Great Hill Capital, joined Wake Up With Cheddar to break down what to look for on the economic front in the coming months amid an Omicron surge and planned interest rate hikes.
