Latest news with #Jeronimo
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Classic Apple': Why Apple is taking the slow road with AI
Apple (AAPL) hosted its annual WWDC event at its Cupertino, Calif., headquarters on Monday, showing off a variety of improvements across its software offerings, including completely overhauled versions of the operating systems that power its devices. It was a jam-packed show, but one thing Apple didn't provide was a big, splashy AI announcement like its Big Tech peers Microsoft (MSFT) and Google (GOOG, GOOGL) showed at their respective developer conferences last month. Wall Street is keen on seeing Apple prove it has what it takes to compete in the AI race, and a showstopping debut, like its highly anticipated generative AI-powered Siri, could have done just that. Instead, Apple said it is opening up its AI software to its army of developers and served up a number of smaller AI features that augment existing apps and platforms with new, helpful capabilities. And though that might not be the huge blowout news some investors were hoping for, the company's slower, more focused approach to AI could prove to be its best weapon in the AI fight. "Apple's AI strategy, as showcased, leans more towards systemic integration and developer empowerment rather than delivering groundbreaking consumer-facing AI functionalities that have captured market attention," IDC vice president Francisco Jeronimo wrote in a statement. "While this carries the risk of competitors moving faster, it also delineates a potential pathway for Apple to offer differentiated value, likely centered on its traditional pillars of privacy and seamless integration. This is a classic Apple modus operandi," Jeronimo added. Perhaps the most important AI announcement at WWDC was the news that Apple is opening up its on-device language models to third-party developers. While this might not sound all that interesting in and of itself, the move could pay significant dividends in the future. Apple's decision to give its roughly 30 million developers access to its language models is "somewhat akin to a modernized App Store moment," Morgan Stanley's Erik Woodring said. When Apple launched its App Store in 2008, it kicked off a massive explosion in app development that upended everything from delivery and transportation services to e-commerce and social media. It also gave Apple a fresh revenue stream via commissions on in-app purchases. Opening its AI models to developers could likewise help spur developers to create new software options that go well beyond what Apple could produce on its own, driving the development of apps and services that could eventually become household names. Providing access to Apple's on-device models has the additional benefit of saving developers money, since they don't have to pay to access cloud-based AI models. It also ensures users' privacy by keeping their data on their iPhones, iPads, and Macs. "This move to empower developers is strategically important, as it allows Apple to leverage its vast developer community to infuse the ecosystem with AI capabilities and more specialized AI applications while driving innovation," IDC's Jeronimo wrote. Apple's AI updates aimed to be more helpful than the broader Apple Intelligence unveiling at last year's WWDC. They also help put Apple on par with some of Google and Samsung's own AI capabilities. For instance, Apple will now offer live real-time translation across its Phone, FaceTime, and Messages apps. Apple says translated voices will mimic the sound of a person's natural voice. So, if someone on the other end of the line speaks Spanish, and Apple Intelligence is translating it to English, the English translation will sound similar to how the Spanish speaker would sound if they were speaking English. Apple also upgraded Visual Intelligence, the company's visual search app, with the ability to understand content on your device's screen and search for more information about it online using Google, ChatGPT, or other third-party apps. Apple similarly added AI capabilities to its Reminders app and introduced a generative AI-powered fitness coach to the Apple Watch's Workout app to help keep you hustling. The moves, though not revolutionary, help Apple bolster its AI capabilities, ensuring it doesn't fall further behind its competitors. Such iterative improvements will also add up over time as developers integrate AI deeper into apps and services and make it less of a singular product like ChatGPT or Google's Gemini and more of a holistic feature of Apple's operating systems that fades into the background. And that could be just the approach the company needs to take to win out in the AI race. Email Daniel Howley at dhowley@ Follow him on X/Twitter at @DanielHowley. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
04-02-2025
- Yahoo
iPhones Get Their First-Ever Porn App, and Apple Is Not Happy
Apple has had no choice but to approve a pornography app for the first time ever, thanks to an overhaul of app store rules in Europe. But it wants you to know it's not happy about it. The issue isn't just the prurient content. Apple says the door has been opened to easier access for malware. "We are deeply concerned about the safety risks that hardcore porn apps of this type create for EU users, especially kids," said an Apple spokesperson in a statement. "This app and others like it will undermine consumer trust and confidence in our ecosystem that we have worked for more than a decade to make the best in the world." The app, Hot Tub, is not available on Apple's own iOS App Store, but can be downloaded via the third-party AltStore, which can only be accessed on iPhones in Europe. Following the introduction of the Digital Markets Act, the EU demanded last January that Apple open up its famously closed iOS ecosystem to allow iPhone owners access to alternative app stores and apps. AltStore launched on iOS three months later, allowing iPhone users in Europe access to a third-party app store for the first time ever, and initially required a subscription fee. That was until Epic Games, one of the companies that has fought Apple on its app store rules over the years, provided AltStore with a grant to offset the costs of providing its alternative shop front on iOS. One of the apps now available is Hot Tub, which features content from the controversial site Porn Hub. Apple approved the Hot Tub app (it has no other choice, according to EU rules), but the company really wants you to know that it does not actually endorse it -- a crucial difference that both Hot Tub and AltStore have not made clear in their marketing materials. "Contrary to the false statements made by the marketplace developer, we certainly do not approve of this app and would never offer it in our App Store," said the Apple spokesperson. "The truth is that we are required by the European Commission to allow it to be distributed by marketplace operators like AltStore and Epic who may not share our concerns for user safety." Apple is right to be concerned about its reputation among iPhone users, says IDC analyst and vice president of devices Francisco Jeronimo. Beyond the risk of children being able to easily access porn, there is a wider safety risk posed by apps that aren't subject to the same level of rigorous scrutiny Apple uses to determine which apps should be allowed on its own App Store. This opens them up to the risk of malware finding their way onto iPhones -- a threat that Apple has long been able to minimize by maintaining control over the iOS app ecosystem. People whose iPhones end up riddled with malware are unlikely to know or even care whose fault it is, and point the finger at Apple, says Jeronimo. The company's challenge, and its stated priority, is to try to keep users as safe as possible while implementing the changes demanded by European regulators. It's a tricky tightrope for the company to walk. "What we are seeing, and what we will see is that at the end of the day, that regulation will put consumers at risk," said Jeronimo. The European Commission has long talked a big game about its motivation for cracking down on big US tech companies primarily being to improve the experience for European consumers. The benefit of third-party app stores is that they'll supposedly increase consumer choice, but many, including Apple, believe the associated safety risks aren't worth the trade-off. "There's absolutely no benefit, apart from a few companies that will distribute their apps and gain some business," said Jeronimo. The arrival of Hot Tub on the AltStore is just the tip of the iceberg. It's inevitable that more such apps, which may pose a variety of problems and risks, will follow.
