OpenAI (MacRumors, Reddit): Today we’re introducing ChatGPT Atlas, a new web browser built with ChatGPT at its core. […] With Atlas, ChatGPT can come with you anywhere across the web—helping you in the window right where you are, understanding what you’re trying to do, and completing tasks for you, all without copying and pasting or […]

Crispy Crunchy Computerware (Mastodon): I wanted to go back to a simpler time. I wanted a music app that gives me easy access to my music – organized the way I want – and provides a comfortable, peaceful environment to listen to it. I wanted an app that provides an abundance of useful tools, but […]

Mark Gurman, reporting for Bloomberg last week:

The executive, Ke Yang, is leaving for Meta Platforms Inc., according to people with knowledge of the matter. Just weeks ago, he was appointed head of a team called Answers, Knowledge and Information, or AKI. The group is developing features to make the Siri voice assistant more ChatGPT-like by adding the ability to pull information from the web. [...]

The new Siri is being developed as a joint effort between Apple’s artificial intelligence and machine learning group, known as AIML, and the Siri engineering team now overseen by Craig Federighi’s software organization. Within AIML, Yang was regarded as the most prominent executive working on the new Siri initiative. His exit ranks among the biggest departures from Apple’s AI organization this year — a period marked by a steady exodus of top researchers building the company’s AI core models.

Roughly a dozen members of that team — known internally as Apple Foundation Models — have departed, including its founder and lead scientist, Ruoming Pang. He and a number of others also joined Meta, which is building a new group called Superintelligence Labs.

I am reminded of a piece Guy English wrote back in 2012, “Three Things That Should Trouble Apple”, and that I’ve long thought his third item, “People”, ought to have been the first:

Ultimately, the retention of talent will be Apple’s Achilles’ heel.

The smartest people will always want to be working on the smartest thing. Sometimes that comes together in one amazing project. iOS has been that project for this decade.

If there’s a problem for Apple it’s that they’ve already invented the future. It’s a done deal. The best and brightest engineers and product managers may move on to other ventures. Less likely to succeed, of course, but that’s less of an issue for them given the rainfall of AAPL gains. We’ll have to see what happens.

Lauly Li and Cheng Ting-Fang, reporting for Nikkei Asia:

Production orders for the iPhone Air have been cut nearly to “end of production” levels, despite it only becoming available in China last week, due to weak demand in other markets, multiple sources briefed on the matter said.

Under the initial production plan, the iPhone Air accounted for roughly 10% to 15% of overall new iPhone production this year, said two sources familiar with the plan. The model is seen as strategically paving the way for the first foldable iPhone, expected to debut in 2026, three people with knowledge of the matter said. Nikkei Asia earlier reported that Apple has high hopes for the launch of such a phone next year.

Apple has told multiple suppliers to largely reduce component and electronics module orders for the iPhone Air, two people with direct knowledge of the situation said. One supply chain manager said production orders for the iPhone Air from November onward will be less than 10% of the volume compared with September. Another supplier executive said they received a similar notice from Apple. [...]

By contrast, demand for the iPhone 17 model and iPhone 17 Pro has exceeded expectations. Apple has increased production orders for the baseline iPhone 17 by about 5 million units and also added orders for the high-end iPhone 17 Pro, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the matter.

I don’t understand the argument that the iPhone Air “paves the way” for a foldable iPhone next year. Either the iPhone Air is a desirable iPhone that can stand on its own or it isn’t. I firmly believe it is. Apple obviously did too. If they didn’t they wouldn’t have shipped it. There was no reason to ship the iPhone Air “in preparation” for a foldable iPhone next year if they didn’t think the Air would be a success on its own. They could have just started with the foldable next year.

One thing that’s weird about these reports of low sales numbers for the iPhone Air is that it doesn’t seem like Apple is advertising it at all. If I were Joz, I’d be advertising the hell out of it. I’ve been watching a lot of sports on commercial TV since September, and I haven’t seen a single ad for the Air. Tons of commercials and billboards for the orange iPhone 17 Pro, but zip for the Air.

Also, as I just wrote Monday and have repeated oft before, take these numbers with huge grains of salt. Whether the numbers are from “research firms” or supply chain sources, they’re not from Apple, and sales numbers that aren’t from Apple have often proved to be way wrong.

Reason enough to be rooting for the Blue Jays. Put this man in the Hall of Fame already. For chrissake his name is Donnie Baseball.