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| Welcome to the latest Tech newsletter! Here are today's top stories: - Apple will release iOS 17 to the public on Sept. 18.
- France has ordered Apple to pull the iPhone 12 over radiation exposure concerns.
- The U.S. Army has ordered more Microsoft XR goggles.
If you find this newsletter useful, please consider sharing it with your friends and colleagues. Thank you! Beth
p/beth-duckett | |
| 1 | | Apple said it will release iOS 17, its latest software update for the iPhone, for free to the public this Monday, September 18. The update brings major changes to key iPhone apps and services, including new ringtones, the ability to create iMessage stickers from photos, and the ability to leave FaceTime audio and video messages. Additional features include: - Live voicemail transcripts on the Home Screen.
- The ability to set more than one timer.
- A new StandBy mode that acts as a clock/information hub when the iPhone is horizontal and connected to a charger
- The ability to activate Siri without having to say "hey."
- Smarter autocorrect.
- Interactive widgets on the Lock Screen and Home Screen.
- "Check in" location sharing in the Messages app.
- A new Journal app with AI capabilities, which will likely launch later with iOS 17.1 or iOS 17.2.
Related: Q: For iPhone users, are the new features in iOS 17 what you were hoping for? Share your thoughts and join the conversation here. |     | |
| 2 | | France ordered Apple to stop selling iPhone 12 models due to concerns about excessive electromagnetic radiation emissions. Apple disputed the agency's claims, providing lab results from both the company and third parties to support the phone's compliance with specific absorption rate (SAR) limits. More: - The French regulatory agency, ANFR, found that the iPhone 12 emitted excessive electromagnetic waves when in contact with the body.
- In testing, ANFR found that limb absorption rates, such as when holding the phone or keeping it in a pocket, recorded a SAR of 5.74 W/kg, exceeding the 4 W/kg limit.
- The agency ordered Apple to prevent phones in the supply chain from reaching the market. For phones already sold, Apple must issue a software update or face recalls, it said.
Response: - The findings contradict the World Health Organization's stance, which, based on extensive studies, states that no adverse health effects have been linked to mobile phone use.
- Apple said it plans to challenge ANFR's review and work with the agency to demonstrate compliance.
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| 3 | After successful initial testing, the U.S. Army has ordered more of Microsoft's latest HoloLens-based combat goggles. While previous headsets caused nausea and dizziness, the Army tested 20 new prototypes in August for improved comfort, reliability, and low-light performance. More: - The devices, based on the HoloLens mixed reality goggles, offer improved battlefield awareness including night vision, health stats, and infantry position tracking.
- The new pre-production models are reportedly slimmer, lighter, and more balanced.
- During tests at Fort Drum, New York, the latest prototypes showed enhanced reliability, improved low-light sensor performance, and a superior form factor, an Army spokesperson said.
- On Sept. 5, the Army granted a new contract for more and to gauge Microsoft's capacity for large-scale production, without disclosing details like amount or quantity.
Zoom out: - The new models will undergo intensive combat testing from April to June 2025.
- If successful, the Army could spend up to $21.9B to acquire as many as 121,000 of the headsets.
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| 4 | | WhatsApp Channels, its Telegram-like broadcast service, is expanding to over 150 countries. WhatsApp users can now follow channels to receive "one-to-many" private messages from creators, brands, and organizations, such as celebrities and sports teams. More: - The expansion includes new features, such as the ability for users to react to channel posts with emojis and view the number of reactions.
- Users will now see recommendations of accounts to follow. An improved directory allows users to filter channels by country and sort them by newness, activity, and popularity.
- Channel admins can edit their updates within a 30-day window, after which WhatsApp will automatically delete them.
- WhatsApp said new channels include Olivia Rodrigo, the MLB, and Mark Zuckerberg. It plans to open channel creation to everyone soon.
Zoom out: - Channels debuted on Instagram, another Meta-owned company, in February.
- In June, Meta began rolling out Channels on WhatsApp to select organizations in Colombia and Singapore.
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| 5 | | Apple is keeping iPhone 15 prices steady in the United States but raising them in key markets like China, Japan, and India. In China, where Apple claims a 22% market share, Apple raised the prices of higher storage options for the iPhone 15 models. 
What it means: The price hikes in China and India are, in part, due to recent currency depreciation of the Chinese yuan and Indian rupee against the U.S. dollar. Apple is projected to have only a 1% shipment growth worldwide this year. The higher prices, particularly targeting wealthier consumers, could boost Apple's revenue in a tough market, Will Wong, IDC senior research manager, told CNBC. The bigger picture: According to Reuters, the iPhone 15 has received mixed reactions in China, its third-largest market, as it faces competition from Huawei's new smartphone. IDC forecasts a gradual decline in Apple's share in China's premium phone market because of Huawei's growing competition. In H1 2023, Apple had 67% of the market for phones over $600, while Huawei held 15.6% | | | |
| 6 | | Nvidia, Adobe, and six more tech companies have agreed to follow the White House's voluntary commitments for safe, secure, and transparent AI. The remaining companies are IBM, Cohere, Palantir, Salesforce, Scale AI, and Stability AI. More: - The pledges are similar to the voluntary commitments made earlier this year by Microsoft, Google, OpenAI, and other firms to follow AI standards.
- Under this second wave of commitments companies also agree to watermark or label AI-generated content, internally and externally test AI systems before public release, and invest in cybersecurity safeguards to protect model weights.
- They pledge to allow third-party reporting of vulnerabilities, research societal risks, and share information to mitigate risks with government, academia, and civil society.
- One pledge agrees to develop AI systems "to help address society's greatest challenges."
- "The president has been clear: harness the benefits of AI, manage the risks, and move fast – very fast," White House chief of staff Jeff Zients said in a statement.
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- Sony released its latest PS5 update today, which introduces Dolby Atmos support and the option to mute or adjust the volume of the console's startup beep.
- The FAA is giving drone operators an additional six months, through March 16, 2024, to equip their drones with a broadcast module that acts as a "digital license plate," sharing the device's identity, location, and other data.
- Coca-Cola launched a limited edition flavor, Coca-Cola Y3000, with the help of AI technology. The company used AI to determine flavor pairings and profiles and generate images for the product's packaging.
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INSIDE TECH LEADERBOARD (7 DAYS) |
 | AI and technology writer | | Beth is the writer of Inside's AI and Tech newsletters, with a career spanning journalism and editing since 2007. She has written for publications including The Arizona Republic, USA Today, and others, and authored a book on the solar industry in 2016. Reach out to her at Beth.Duckett@yahoo.com. | | This newsletter was edited by Eduardo Garcia | |
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