I just rewatched the infamous WWDC24 keynote that introduced Apple Intelligence and a raft of AI features that we are all still patiently waiting for.
While Apple delivered on some of the features it promised — like AI-assisted writing tools and Image Playground — the more ambitious efforts, like the smarter Siri that could understand your personal context and act across apps to get things done, remain MIA.
We will almost certainly get these features in the “smarter” Siri coming later this year, which has the potential to fundamentally reshape the way we interact with our devices — if Apple can deliver.
For the fearless, you can already get a taste of this brave new world by installing OpenClaw. This AI agent can read whatever is on your Mac’s screen and act upon it. It’s been called “AI with hands.”
Our intrepid writer Rajesh Pandey took the plunge and installed OpenClaw on his machine. He says the security issues are overblown! He breaks down how he did it, and what he uses OpenClaw for.
TL;DR: He’s in love. It almost feels like magic!
Also in today’s newsletter:
To preserve their little batteries, AirPods only charge to 80% by default. Personally, I’ll probably lose/destroy/upgrade them long before battery health becomes a concern. Plus, I’d rather they last all day. Here’s how to change the setting to charge them to 100%.
Seriously, it’s worth subscribing to Apple Arcade just for this one game.
🔥 DEAL OF THE DAY: It’s not the biggest discount, but you can snag a dead-simple USB-C charger for iPhone from Belkin for less than $10.
OpenAI’s new ad-supported model is very interesting. For now, ads appear to be pretty well firewalled from user queries. But given ChatGPT’s potential for precision targeting, how long will that last?
Ready to rock? Get a year of unlimited guitar lessons with this new deal on Fret Zealot. (You can learn bass and/or ukulele, too.)
Back in the day, the first color Macintosh seemed like a huge, magical upgrade. But early adopters got royally shafted!
— Leander Kahney, EIC.
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