Apple

We’re expecting a bunch of AI features at WWDC, but phones can only run limited AI functions on-device. How will Apple square the need to process user data off-device with privacy?

According to The Information, the answer might be a “virtual black box.” By using custom M2 chips, it could claim user data remains just as secure as if it were processed on-device. That’s one way to think different.

The Apple TV app is available in Apple’s ecosystem, Windows, and some smart TV platforms, and that’s about it.

But now Apple is seeking an Android engineer to “help build an application used by millions to watch and discover tv and sports.” Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman believes company is preparing to bring Apple TV Plus to Android phones.

Preorders for the Solo Buds, Beats’ most affordable true wireless earbuds yet, start on June 18th. The Solo Buds strip out features like noise cancellation, and their tiny case doesn’t even include extra battery power. But you’re left with a pair of earbuds that should prove very comfortable. As for how they sound, I’ll have a review up sometime next month.

Just a day after an all-too-brief teaser featuring George Clooney and Brad Pitt getting annoyed at each other, comes a much longer trailer that also features them getting annoyed at each other — only this time with more banter and action. Wolfs hits theaters on September 20th, and is expected to stream on Apple TV Plus sometime thereafter.

Hank Green is mad about the price of YouTube Premium, because it’s more expensive than Premium is everywhere else. The reason why is all about buttons and links and app store commissions, and you definitely don’t need Rocket Money to solve this problem, but Green is right about the bigger point here.

The lesson, as always: listen to Hank Green.

Job Simulator and Vacation Simulator have arrived on Apple’s Vision Pro headset, letting you stack up virtual sandwiches or soak up simulated rays. Both VR titles are now optimized for hand and eye-tracking, too.

A report from ZDNet Korea (via AppleInsider) says Samsung is readying new OLED panels for production in late 2025 and are destined for an all-new 2026 iPad mini.

It’s not the most solid rumor, even after the iPad Pro’s OLED upgrade, but it would be great if Apple updated the iPad mini for the first time since 2021.

You can now “Call Arc” inside the company’s iOS app to get answers from its AI search feature. If only it were an actual phone number.

Shazam now supports live activities on iOS, as spotted by 9to5Mac. If you have an iPhone with the Dynamic Island, you’ll see a helpful icon there once you invoke Shazam, indicating that it’s listening. This works even without the dedicated Shazam app.

You already knew your iPhone has Shazam built in, right? Putting that shortcut in the Control Center is one of my favorite iOS hacks.

Marvel says What If...? – An Immersive Story will have viewers (players?) casting spells, fighting battles with Marvel characters, and using the infinity stones. Judging from the trailer, that means making Doctor Strange’s magic sparks with your hands.

This edition of What If...? will be “free for a limited time” when the app is available on May 30th.

Apple Music’s team of experts crowned Lauryn Hill’s The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill as the number one album, followed by Michael Jackson’s Thriller in second and The Beatles’ Abbey Road in third. You can check out the full list of top 100 albums from Apple’s website.

The Unicode Consortium has proposed adding these seven additional emoji to the standardized catalog referenced by iOS, Android, and other devices.

The beta review period for Unicode 16.0 lasts until July 2nd, after which the new emoji should be officially approved. It can, however, take several months for companies like Apple, Microsoft, and Google to make their own designs so don’t expect to see them immediately.

The old discounted education store looked pretty outdated, but it’s been redesigned and now it looks a lot closer to Apple’s mainline digital shop, and it’s much easier to find discounts on specific items.

Maybe a good excuse to go rooting around for gifts for grads?