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| 1 | | Apple's WWDC23 website now features the phrase "code new worlds," hinting at a potential reveal of its much-anticipated VR/AR headset. The announcement is anticipated to take place during the event's opening keynote on Monday, June 5. More: - Apple's inclusion of "code new worlds" suggests that developers may be able to build immersive augmented reality and virtual reality content for the mixed-reality headset.
- Meanwhile, the event's invitation design, featuring concentric circles, could allude to the headset's lens arrays.
- Apple has also unveiled its "easter egg" animated AR experience showcasing a rotating Apple logo along with the WWDC date.
Zoom out: - The rumored Apple Reality Pro is expected to be a premium standalone headset with both AR and VR capabilities.
- Priced at around $3,000, it's said to include high-resolution displays, color passthrough cameras, a powerful processor similar to the M2, and a sleek lightweight design powered by an external battery pack.
- It may have its own app store and a separate xrOS operating system, which could allow users to create AR apps using Siri without coding knowledge.
- A late-year launch is anticipated.
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| 2 | | The news: California's right-to-repair bill, SB 244, unanimously passed the state Senate and is now progressing to the State Assembly for further consideration. If approved and signed into law, the bill would offer Californians more access to tools, parts, and information needed to repair their own electronics and other devices, or seek third-party repairs. What it means: The Right to Repair movement advocates for laws that require companies like Apple, John Deere, and Microsoft to provide access to repair tools, parts, and information at a fair price. Advocates argue that supporting the right to repair enhances accessibility for individuals to fix their own devices and equipment, ultimately promoting sustainability and curbing waste. Where to see the impact: The movement is gaining momentum in the U.S. California may soon join Minnesota, Massachusetts, Colorado, and New York in implementing its own rules, albeit with some compromises in New York's version. So far this year, similar legislation covering a broad range of products has been introduced in 29 states, as reported by PIRG. Still: Opponents argue the laws do have drawbacks. Management Science research suggests the laws could cause manufacturers to flood the market with cheap goods, harming the environment, or raise their prices, harming consumers. 
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| 3 | | The National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) has disabled its chatbot, Tessa, after it provided harmful and inappropriate advice to some users. NEDA, the largest U.S. eating disorder-focused nonprofit, had initially planned to replace its phone hotline staff with the AI wellness bot, which was trained on an eating disorder prevention program called "Body Positive." More: - On Tuesday, NEDA took the chatbot offline after activist Sharon Maxwell shared her harmful experience with the chatbot.
- According to her Instagram post, the bot encouraged her to "sustainably" lose weight and engage in unhealthy behaviors such as weighing and measuring herself weekly and working toward a 500-1,000 daily calorie deficit.
- NEDA said it's now investigating the claims and has taken down the bot "until further notice for a complete investigation."
Zoom out: - Tessa was intended to replace NEDA's helpline, which had a small paid staff and relied largely on volunteers.
- The staff, who had unionized due to burnout during the pandemic, were informed that they would be let go on June 1.
- People can still reach for support by texting "NEDA" to 741741 to connect with a human volunteer through the Crisis Text Line.
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| 4 | | Google has quietly ended support for the first-generation Chromecast, meaning the streaming stick will no longer receive any software or security updates. Released in 2013, the dongle has allowed users to cast videos and other content from their mobile devices or Chrome tabs to a larger TV screen. More: - The last software update for the device was released in November 2022 after a three-year hiatus.
- Google has updated a support page to notify users of the discontinuation.
- While the first-gen Chromecasts won't stop working immediately, their functionality is expected to decline gradually as the ecosystem evolves.
- The first-gen Chromecast, with 512MB of RAM and 2GB of storage, became popular for its simplicity and price despite not being Google's first streaming device.
- Google has since released newer models, including a 4K version and the cheaper Chromecast with Google TV, which includes a remote and on-screen menu.
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| 5 | | Apple has released Apple Music Classical as a standalone app for Android, two months after its debut on iOS. The orchestral-only app contains over five million classical music tracks with high-quality audio and spatial audio support. More: - The Android app requires an Apple Music or Apple One subscription.
- A search feature will let users find music based on composer, work, conductor, catalog number, and more.
- The tracks can be streamed in high quality at up to 192 kHz/24 bit hi-res lossless.
- Apple chose to release the app on Android before making it available on its own hardware ecosystem, given the lack of dedicated apps for iPad and Mac.
Zoom out: - The app is a result of Apple's acquisition of Primephonic, a dedicated classical music subscription service.
- The Android version replaces the previous standalone Primephonic app that went away after Apple's takeover.
- Notably, the app incorporates Primephonic's music metadata, search capabilities, playlists, and other features.
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| 6 | | Advertising giant WPP and Nvidia have partnered to launch an AI-powered content engine for creating ad campaigns. The platform enables WPP's creative teams to generate and customize digital content exclusively for clients. More: - The engine, showcased at a recent event led by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, combines 3D imaging software and AI to produce photorealistic images and videos with personalized elements for ad campaigns.
- It allows for quick editing and adaptation of these elements across various markets and digital channels.
- WPP, the world's largest advertising agency, said the platform utilizes generative AI tools and content from Adobe and Getty Images to create the visuals.
- The engine was developed using Nvidia's AI technology and Nvidia Omniverse Cloud, its computing platform for digital twins and 3D workflows.
- AI-assisted marketing currently makes up 45% of global advertising and is predicted to generate over $1.3T in ad revenue by 2032.
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- Former CD Projekt Red developers founded Blank., a gaming studio working on a yet-to-be-named project featuring a "character-driven story from an apocalypse."
- Botatouille, a new chatbot within BuzzFeed's Tasty app for iOS, answers users' queries about recipes and offers cooking tips and more.
- Genealogy company MyHeritage launched a new mobile app called Reimagine, which uses AI to enhance printed photos and animate faces in the images.
- Decentralized exchange (DEX) PancakeSwap has launched a tower defense video game dubbed Pancake Protectors, becoming the first DEX to release its own play-to-earn game.
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Term of the Day Keyword research: Keyword research involves analyzing the words and phrases that people type into search engines to find information relevant to their search query. Question of the Week Should companies take steps to avoid employee burnout, or should it be the individual's responsibility to manage it themselves? Join the conversation |
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 | AI and technology writer | | Beth is a writer and editor at Inside.com covering artificial intelligence and daily technology news. She has written the Inside AI newsletter since 2019. You can reach her at Beth.Duckett@inside.com. | | This newsletter was edited by Eduardo Garcia | |
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