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Apple gets serious about generative AI

Apple gets serious about generative AI

Cupertino is recruiting artificial intelligence experts.

Leander Kahney
May 22, 2023

Apple’s taken a lot of flak for falling behind in the generative AI race. Now the company is racing to catch up.

Apple is advertising dozens of job openings for experts in generative AI, the technology behind ChatGPT, Midjourney, Dall-E and other buzzy AI systems.

Presumably, the experts’ first task is to fix Siri, Apple’s notoriously unintelligent AI, but the job listings also talk about building new capabilities on top of Apple’s apps and operating systems.

Given the astonishing power of AI, it sounds like good news that Apple is finally getting in the game.

Also in today’s newsletter:

Here’s a great tip if traveling this summer: how to easily fix skewed photos of landmarks or artwork.
Scrivener is a writing tool that a lot of professional writers rave about. It’s currently 50% off.
Browser tabs are the bane of my life. If they vex you, too, here’s how to manage them.
And here are some handy hidden features in Apple Mail for managing another overwhelming digital technology: email.

— Leander Kahney, EIC.

Job postings hint Apple is developing its own generative AI chatbot

Apple goes on a hiring spree looking for people skilled in generative artificial intelligence, with the goal of making Siri much smarter.

3 Apple TV+ hits are more popular than almost anything else on streaming

Two Apple TV+ series and a film all show up in this week’s lists of the most-watched streaming movies and TV shows.

How to add your driver’s license to Apple Wallet

In several states, iPhone and Apple Watch can carry a digital copy of the user's driver's license in the Wallet app. Here's how.

^{A message from the Cult of Mac Deals team}

Get 50% off Scrivener, the writing tool pros swear by

If you’ve got the itch to pen the great American novel, we have Scrivener on sale now for only $29.99 (half the normal price of $59.99).

Insiders are buzzing about Apple's upcoming headset [The CultCast]

This week on Cult of Mac's podcast: Well-placed sources say Apple's AR/VR headset blew them away. Even the guy who dreamed up the Oculus Rift says it's great. But who is the device for?

6 secret features in Apple Mail

Some people maintain zero unread emails thanks to masterful inbox management. These six Apple Mail tips will help you manage your email.

^{A message from Bluetti}

Save money and help the planet with Bluetti's new trade-in program

With the Bluetti Trade In program, you can upgrade your gear while reducing your impact on the environment.

Sit on your favorite Mac with a Throwboy pillow [Review]

Throwboy pillows are soft, squishy and resemble iconic Apple products. You can decorate your living room with astonishingly accurate facsimiles of fan favorites.

How to manage browser tabs so they don't stress you out

A recent study finds that web browser clutter causes stress for many people. Luckily, Apple offers tools to organize tabs and cut the clutter.

Rotate, skew and crop photos on iPhone

You can precisely rotate and skew perspective on photos from your iPhone, for those times when you don’t realize your picture is slightly to the side or slightly tilted until much later.

Who needs HDMI? This gadget connects Mac or iPad to TV wirelessly [Review]

EZCast Pocket lets Mac or iPad connect wirelessly to an external display. The wireless video adapter takes the place of a cumbersome cable.

Today in Apple history: Newton spins off as its own company

On May 22, 1997, Apple spun off its Newton division. The new company's first job? Selling the MessagePad 2000 PDA.

Developer's Mac Studio rig looks like an Apple ad [Setups]

This setup is all Apple, from the Mac Studio and Studio Display to the Apple input devices and audio gear.

Tweetz o’ the day

no case
no fear
— Eli Rousso · Multi (@elirousso)
4:52 PM • May 21, 2023

This was my biggest barn find ever. We had to use a tractor to get to the top shelves. #retro#retrobarn#barn#apple#retrocomputing
— John Bumstead (@RDKLInc)
11:09 PM • May 21, 2023

Never knew there was a Macintosh laptop clone! This “Outbound Systems” laptop is a real 68030/882 machine, and not some kind of Hackintosh, etc. #retro#retrocomputing
— John Bumstead (@RDKLInc)
3:09 AM • May 21, 2023

One more thing ...

❝

When I got started I was 20 or 21, and my role models were the semiconductor guys. They were out not so much to make money as to change the world and to build companies that could keep growing and changing. They left incredible legacies.

— Steve Jobs, 2000.

Today’s poll

Will generative AI actually improve Siri?

Results from Friday’s poll: Have you used ChatGPT?

Best reader comment from ‘TK’

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