Bloomberg's Mark Gurman shares exciting insights into Apple's ambitious plans for 2027, marking the iPhone's 20th anniversary. Apple aims to launch a 'mostly glass, curved iPhone' with a seamless design featuring no display cutouts and an under-screen front-facing camera, promising a truly edge-to-edge display. This follows reports of a bezel-less iPhone and patents hinting at a phone encased in glass forming a continuous loop. Beyond the iPhone, 2027 is set to be a breakthrough year with the debut of Apple's first foldable iPhone, smart glasses competing with Meta Ray-Bans, camera-equipped AirPods, and upgraded Apple Watches. Additionally, Apple is developing a home robot with an AI assistant possessing its own personality, reflecting internal research on robotic technology. On the AI front, Siri could be powered by large language models (LLM), supported by new AI-specific chips designed by Apple's Israel-based silicon team, reinforcing Apple's innovation in AI technology and product design.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced that Mexico is suing Google for relabeling the Gulf of Mexico as "Gulf of America" for U.S. users in Google Maps. This followed President Trump's directive during his term. While Google kept the original name for users in Mexico, it changed it for users outside Mexico and the U.S. Sheinbaum emphasized that the United States government does not have the authority to rename the entire Gulf, as it is an international body of water shared by multiple countries. Mexico had previously requested Google to revert the name change, but Google declined. The U.S. House recently passed a bill supporting the name change, and the Trump administration insists that entities respect the new name. Other tech companies like Apple followed Google's lead, whereas some, like MapQuest, resisted the change. Google has not yet commented on the lawsuit.
The United States and China have agreed to a temporary 90-day reduction of tariffs as a part of ongoing efforts to ease trade tensions between the two economic superpowers. The agreement, reached in Geneva, reduces US tariffs on Chinese imports from 145% to 30%, and Chinese tariffs on US goods from 125% to 10%. However, it excludes the May 2nd removal of the de minimis exception affecting small-value imports. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent emphasized the mutual interest in balanced trade and commitment to avoiding economic decoupling. The tariff pause is designed to provide time for further negotiation towards a comprehensive trade deal.
Chinese phone maker Honor has unveiled a new AI image-to-video generator integrated into its upcoming Honor 400 and 400 Pro phones, launching May 22. Powered by Google's Veo 2 model, this tool transforms static images into five-second videos in portrait or landscape mode, taking a minute or two to process. Integrated within the Gallery app, it offers a straightforward experience without text prompts, relying solely on the image for video creation. The AI can produce realistic movements from simple subjects like pets or people, though it sometimes interprets images in quirky ways, such as a rotating vintage car or an overly crowded soccer game scene. Early tests reveal both impressive and amusing results, exemplified by a cat named Noodle depicted with an unusually large tongue.
Google Keep has extended its text formatting features to the web application, nearly two years after these options were introduced on its Android app. This update is currently being rolled out to users of Google Workspace, Workspace Individual, and personal Google accounts. It introduces enhanced customization for text and heading styles in notes. Users will find these new formatting tools under the underlined 'A' icon at the bottom left of the Keep text editor. This toolbar enables text to be underlined, bolded, italicized, cleared of formatting, or converted into H1 or H2 headers. These improvements aim to help users better organize their notes, making information easier to locate and maintain consistency between web and Android versions.
Dr. Max Liboiron, a professor at Memorial University in Newfoundland and a Red River Métis activist, hosts monthly Zoom meetings with Indigenous scientists worldwide. These gatherings offer a space for sharing challenges faced as Indigenous individuals in Western academia. In one meeting, the impact of political changes in the US triggered urgent support efforts for Indigenous scholars and their research funding. Liboiron's unique blend of activism and academic expertise helps Indigenous communities protect their data and cultural sovereignty under complex federal laws recognizing tribal nations as sovereign entities.
I did not expect a TV show called Murderbot to be so relatable. Apple TV Plus's sci-fi comedy follows a group of humans exploring a dangerous planet, backed by a security bot designed for protection. The unique twist is that the story is told from the bot's perspective, experiencing free will for the first time. This sec unit, a hybrid of AI and organic components, disables its governor module to gain freedom, leading to anxiety, awkwardness, and a binge-watching addiction. Despite being built to kill, Murderbot's journey through self-awareness and autonomy is unexpectedly human.
Nearly 200 developers from Activision Blizzard's Overwatch franchise have unionized, creating the Overwatch Gamemakers Guild under the Communications Workers of America (CWA). This move follows the unionization of the World of Warcraft development team and is part of a growing union presence within Microsoft-owned gaming studios. The union, encompassing production, engineering, design, art, sound, and quality assurance workers, aims for enhanced job security, salary, and layoff protections. The unionization effort arises amid past allegations of toxicity and harassment at Activision Blizzard, which Microsoft inherited after acquiring the company in 2023. Over 2,600 workers within Microsoft gaming subsidiaries have joined unions, facilitated by a labor neutrality agreement between CWA and Microsoft signed in 2022.