We'll always remember this as the week AI became Apple Intelligence. No seriously, Apple hijacked the hottest trend in technology – artificial intelligence – and made it its own. That may sound like so much smoke and mirrors, but Apple is doing AI differently: putting it local but also making it seamlessly (and securely) cloud based.
It's an approach we have not seen elsewhere and TechRadar covered it exhaustively from our headquarters and on the ground where Jacob Krol (Managing Editor, News) and I covered the keynote and sat through many background briefings to learn some surprising details.
Even though Apple Intelligence was the star, the biggest cheers of the keynote come for Calculator on the iPad (granted, Math Notes is very cool) and nod recognition on your AirPod Pros. Overall, every platform is getting some very big updates. Dev betas are out now but you may be test driving public ones as soon as next month.
Once again, it looked as if Apple was the center of the tech universe. In truth, there was a lot of activity elsewhere, including some new generative AI video engines that are already approaching OpenAI Sora quality (I said “approaching,” not “meeting” or “beating”). Read about them and then maybe try one out yourself to create some nightmare-fuel videos.
Microsoft's week wasn't as awesome as Apple's. The Windows and Surface company is still grappling with the Windows Recall blowback and has made a series of adjustments to the technology and how it will or won't be included in the upcoming AI PCs.
Meanwhile, the gaming world got a big boost with new Xboxes (no disc drives!) and a lot of game previews including Star Wars Outlaws which may be right up my space pirate-loving alley. Sticking with entertainment, a pair of my favorite shows are back: The Boys and House of the Dragon. Of the two, The Boys is my favorite. It’s edgy, weird, and a lot more topical than some people initially thought. That Vought character is particularly familiar.
On second thought, maybe I'll just watch House of the Dragon.
Enjoy this walk back through the week that was mostly Apple's and don’t forget to check out our TikTok channel for some great videos from the event.
Lance Ulanoff, Editor-at-Large
The Week in Apple
There were lots of announcements at WWDC 2024 (Apple)
Apple's WWDC keynote is one of the highlights of the tech calendar, and this year's was bigger than most. As widely predicted, Apple CEO Tim Cook used the occasion to reveal Apple Intelligence, the tech giant's very own AI suite, and much more besides.
iOS 18 is finally official and arriving later this year, and there are a host of new features to look forward to: they include scheduled messages, enhanced message effects, emails that auto-sort, and new customizations for Control Center and the home screens.
The latest generative AI tool to open its doors to the masses is Dream Machine – and while its video output is limited to five seconds at the moment, anyone can use it free of charge, and we've managed to get it to produce some quality, realistic-looking clips.
In May Microsoft proudly announced a new Windows 11 feature called Recall for searching your PC back through time – but after a backlash from users unhappy at having their every action recorded, Recall is now being put back into a testing phase.
Make sure you're treating dad with one of the best deals possible this weekend: we've got a round-up of all the biggest discounts from the web's major retailers, so you can find a gift that's both perfect for your father and great value for money as well.
Microsoft might have better luck with the white series Xbox Series X that's just been unveiled at the Xbox Games showcase, alongside several other models. This is a digital-only console that will set you back $349.99, with international pricing to come.
Looking for something to stream this weekend? You’ve got three (!) hugely popular shows to choose from. The Boys, House of the Dragon, and Bridgerton are all back on our screens to enjoy (if you’re not spending your weekend watching Euro 2024).
