NerdNews

Apple's new live translation feature in iOS 26 allows for real-time translation of conversations in calls, chats, and video, all without sending data to the cloud. The feature is part of Apple Intelligence and works directly on supported devices, providing a more private and secure experience. It supports multiple languages, including English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, and more, with more languages to be added by the end of 2025.

Apple announced iOS 26 at WWDC 2025, featuring a major visual overhaul called Liquid Glass, new core app updates, and AI-powered features like live translation. The update also includes improvements to CarPlay, Messages, and Wallet, as well as new accessibility features. iOS 26 will be available for iPhone 11 and later models this fall.

Apple is revamping its Image Playground feature with a ChatGPT integration, allowing for more advanced AI image generation. The updated app will offer new styles, including Oil Painting, Watercolor, and Anime, and a new 'Any Style' option. The integration is expected to launch with iOS 26 this fall.

Meta is investing nearly $15 billion in Scale AI, taking a 49% stake, and bringing on CEO Alexandr Wang to lead a new 'superintelligence' lab. This move aims to reignite Meta's AI efforts, which have been struggling to keep up with rivals like OpenAI and Google.

Meta AI has introduced video editing capabilities, allowing users to edit short videos using preset AI prompts. The features, inspired by Meta's Movie Gen AI models, are available on the Meta AI app, Meta.ai website, and Edits app. Users can apply 50 presets to edit 10-second videos, with options to change costumes, locations, and styles. The edited videos can be shared directly to Facebook and Instagram.

OpenAI's Sam Altman discusses the potential of superintelligence, claiming it could lead to significant breakthroughs, but critics argue his predictions are overly optimistic. The company has also slashed prices for its o3 model by 80% and plans to expand its availability through a partnership with Google Cloud.

Starbucks is introducing an AI assistant called Green Dot Assist to support its baristas. The AI will be available on iPads in stores and can help with tasks such as looking up drink recipes, troubleshooting equipment, and filling scheduling gaps. The company hopes the AI will save employees time and improve customer experience. Green Dot Assist was built using OpenAI technology hosted on Microsoft Azure and is set to be trialed at 35 Starbucks locations.

A zero-click AI vulnerability, dubbed 'EchoLeak', has been discovered in Microsoft 365 Copilot, allowing attackers to exfiltrate sensitive data without user interaction. The flaw, rated critical by Microsoft, has been fixed server-side, but highlights the potential for new classes of vulnerabilities in AI-integrated systems.

A group of AI researchers, philosophers, and technologists gathered in San Francisco to debate the idea of creating a form of intelligence that could determine the future path of life itself, potentially replacing humanity. The event, called 'Worthy Successor,' explored the concept of 'axiological cosmism,' where the purpose of intelligence is to expand the space of what's possible and valuable, rather than serving human needs.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced the launch of Tesla's robotaxi service on June 22 in Austin, Texas. The service will use Tesla Model Y SUVs with unsupervised Full Self-Driving (FSD) software. Initially, around 10 vehicles will be geofenced to the safest areas of Austin.

Apple's EnergyKit framework allows developers to integrate energy data from the Home app to reduce or shift energy use of devices, potentially laying the groundwork for Apple Home to become a home energy management system.

Samsung's latest smart fridges support multi-voice recognition powered by Bixby, allowing personalized info on the built-in smart displays. The feature can display calendars, photos, or activate custom display modes based on the speaker's voice. It also includes a new way to activate Bixby by double-tapping the fridge's display while it's off.

HP has launched the Dimension, a device using Google's 3D video conferencing technology, Beam. It features a 65-inch light field display, six high-speed cameras, and spatial audio, allowing for realistic video calls without special equipment. The device is meant for enterprise use and will launch in several countries later this year.

Tesla will start offering public Robotaxi rides in Austin on June 22, according to Elon Musk. The company has been testing driverless Model Ys in the city and will initially launch with about 10 taxis, expanding rapidly afterwards. The Robotaxis will be remotely monitored and geofenced to safe areas.

Sam Altman, OpenAI CEO, predicts that AI systems will be able to figure out novel insights by next year. This could lead to significant breakthroughs in various fields, including science and technology. Altman's prediction is based on the rapid progress being made in AI research and development, with several companies, including OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic, working on AI models that can generate new ideas and hypotheses.

Bill Atkinson, co-creator of Apple Lisa and Mac, has passed away at 74. He was a renowned computer programmer who made significant contributions to the development of modern computer interfaces, including the creation of HyperCard, MacPaint, and the Macintosh's QuickDraw. His work has had a lasting impact on the tech industry.

Schneider Electric and Nvidia are jointly developing cooling, management, and control systems for AI datacenters, with support for racks with 1 MW loads and prefabricated modular datacenter pods for rapid deployment of high-density workloads.

SAG-AFTRA has suspended its strike against 10 game studios after reaching a tentative agreement. The agreement includes historic wage increases, enhanced health and safety protections, and industry-leading AI provisions requiring transparency, consent, and compensation for the use of digital replicas in games.

Coco Robotics, a startup building last-mile delivery robots, has raised $80 million in funding. The company's zero-emissions robots can hold 90 liters of groceries or goods and have made over 500,000 deliveries since 2020. The funding round included angel investors Sam Altman and Max Altman, as well as VC firms like Pelion Venture Partners and Offline Ventures.

Apple's iOS 26 update includes features like Call Screening, Live Translation, and group chat polls in Messages. Apple Music gets Lyrics Translation and AudioMix, while Apple Maps improves commute routing. Apple Wallet introduces Digital ID and boarding pass updates.