Tech News – Page 46 – by Arlin Schaffel

iOS 18.2, macOS 15.2 updates arrive today with image and emoji generation

Apple has announced that it will be releasing the iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2 updates to the public later this afternoon, following weeks of beta testing for developers and users. As with iOS 18.1, the headlining features are new additions to Apple Intelligence, mainly the image-generation capabilities: Image Playground for general images, and "Genmoji" for making custom images in the style of Apple's built-in Unicode-based emoji characters.
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/12/ios-18-2-macos-15-2-updates-arrive-today-with-image-and-emoji-generation/

iOS 18.2 Is Here: Check Out What’s New for Apple Intelligence

This update is critical for Apple to build momentum around its flagship AI product, especially after the first batch of features that arrived in October with iOS 18.1 were a bit of a letdown. Though they had the stellar design and ease of use we expect from Apple, none revolutionized the way we use our devices. I've even found myself wanting to turn off the notification summaries at times because they don't always accurately sum up emails and texts.
https://www.pcmag.com/news/apple-intelligence-what-to-expect-ios-18-2-chatgpt

Itch.io platform briefly goes down due to “AI-driven” anti-phishing report

Itch.io management posted about the domain takedown on social media overnight, complaining of a chain of events that started because "Funko of 'Funko Pop'… use some trash 'AI Powered' Brand Protection Software called BrandShield that created some bogus Phishing report to our registrar, iwantmyname, who ignored our response and just disabled the domain," the post said.
https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2024/12/itch-io-platform-briefly-goes-down-to-ai-driven-anti-phishing-report/

Hate the new iOS 18 Photos app? Here’s how to fix it in a few taps

One of the biggest new features of iOS 18 is a completely redesigned Photos app. Apple calls it the “biggest redesign ever,” and the massive changes have been quite contentious, to put it mildly. Many users have expressed frustration with the new layout, complaining about missing features (some of which aren’t really missing) and difficulty finding what they’re looking for.
https://www.macworld.com/article/2547052/hate-the-new-ios-18-photos-app-heres-how-to-fix-it-in-a-few-taps.html

Google Search May ‘Change Profoundly’ in 2025

AI is Google's main focus, and Pichai, perhaps unsurprisingly, suggested his company's AI models compete well against those from Microsoft. "I would love to do a side-by-side comparison of Microsoft’s own models and our models any day, any time," Pichai said, adding: "They’re using someone else’s models." Microsoft is backing OpenAI, and the two firms have been working together closely to share resources in AI development (and fight lawsuits).
https://www.pcmag.com/news/google-search-may-change-profoundly-in-2025-sundar-pichai-ai

Growl is building the Peloton of boxing

There’s a new connected fitness device in town and it’s called Growl. Inspired by hardware companies like Peloton and Tonal, Growl is building a boxing bag that you can attach to your wall at home. Users can then start immersive, gamified boxing classes from the comfort of their home.
https://techcrunch.com/2024/12/04/growl-is-building-the-peloton-of-boxing/