By John Moltz
July 5, 2024 2:00 PM PT
This Week in Apple: More like bored meetings, amirite?
Phil Schiller has a new role, we get a glimpse into Apple’s fall releases, and why don’t Epic and Apple just kiss already?
Ben Stein: “Schiller? Schiller?”
Congrats to Apple fine fresh Fellow Phil Schiller for landing a cushy gig on the board of OpenAI. Even better for Schiller, he’s just auditing this class.
“Apple Poised to Get OpenAI Board Observer Role as Part of AI Pact”
As an “observer” all he has to do is show up to some Zoom meetings! He doesn’t even have to read the board books! He probably has to put a shirt on, but no one’s gonna know if he’s not wearing pants. Sweet gig.
It’s also sweet for Apple. As Dare Obasanjo notes, Microsoft had to invest $13 billion in OpenAI for the same privilege. Apple paid nothing, it just happens to have the platform OpenAI really wants to be on.
While Schiller is only supposed to only be an observer, maybe he can ask them about this:
“OpenAI’s ChatGPT Mac app was storing conversations in plain text”
Oops. Don’t worry, though. OpenAI is on it.
“We are aware of this issue and have shipped a new version of the application which encrypts these conversations,” OpenAI spokesperson Taya Christianson says in a statement to The Verge.
“Having been made aware of the situation with the cows escaping, we have closed the barn door.”
“We’re committed to providing a helpful user experience while maintaining our high security standards as our technology evolves.”
“We apply the same rigor to security that we do to respecting the copyright protections of web content creators.”
Fall previews
Fall previews are here and I hope you’re looking forward to AI because it’s coming to every iPhone 16.
“Apple Leak Confirms Four iPhone 16 Models With Same A18 Chip”
Assuming Apple has not changed its scheme for model numbers, these recently discovered new numbers indicate all this fall’s iPhones will have the same chip. If Apple has changed its numbering scheme, then chaos reigns and all bets are off.
There is also news about the upcoming revision to the Apple Watch. After a number of miscalled redesigns, the Series 10 will surely be the one to remake the Apple Wa-
“Apple Watch Series 10 may not get a radical redesign after all”
Wha… Why do we even do rumors anymore? What’s the point of anything? I give up. This is ridiculous.
[Gets up. Walks away. Is seen just out of earshot cursing and kicking dirt. Pauses. Takes deep breath. Returns to keyboard.]
OK. OK. Sorry. It’s just…
Anyway.
NCIS EU
Hey, remember that whole thing between Apple and Epic? Turns out it’s still going on. It’s like the NCIS of corporate disagreements.
“Epic Games says Apple stalling launch of its game store in Europe”
Apple? Throwing up roadblocks to Epic? Now I’ve seen everything.
According to Epic, Apple has rejected its store app, saying the labels and buttons look too much like those in the Apple App Store.
Apple? Rejecting an app because of design complaints? Now I’ve seen everything.
“Apple’s rejection is arbitrary, obstructive, and in violation of the DMA (Digital Markets Act), and we’ve shared our concerns with the European Commission,” it said.
Apple? Making arbitrary and obstructive app approval decisions? Now I’ve yeah, OK, we could do this all day, you get the point.
Apple continuesto test the waters of the DMA, possibly trying to see how far it can go before the EU starts fining the company 10 percent of global revenue. But as anyone who’s held their finger one inch away from a sibling they were specifically told not to touch while riding in the back seat of the car knows, all it takes is one bump to find out the hard way whether they meant that threat or not.
[John Moltz is a Six Colors contributor. You can find him on Mastodon at Mastodon.social/@moltz and he sells items with references you might get on Cotton Bureau.]