AI, Mobile, and Eveything Around the Cloud

During COVID, the blood oxygen monitor app on the Apple Watch was invaluable for me and many others worldwide. It helped with preliminary self-diagnosis at the onset of symptoms and monitored our recoveries. I used it daily to check my lung health. However, I lost access to the app when I took my Apple Watch to the Apple Store for a battery update. My watch battery was down to about 74%, and I often used power-saving or airplane mode to extend its life. When I sent it in, Apple returned a different watch instead of the original. On the plus side, the new watch had no scratches from my trip to the Grand Canyon, and the battery was back to 100%, making it feel brand new. However, this unit no longer had a working oximeter app. I wonder when we will get it back. There's not much news, and few seem to be asking about it. I did some research and found that in April, Apple filed an appeal to overturn an International Trade Commission decision (Reuters). Apple argued that Masimo's pat...

I've ran MacOS on my iPad for a couple of years already through the Jump app. It worked great. In fact, it worked so well that I also got it for the PC at work and I have been using it to remotely work off my laptop whenever I need to. Of course, I used an external keyboard and mouse to get the full experience. Touch works but it was not ideal. So, why are iPad Pro users asking Apple to let them run MacOS or have more Mac like experiences on the iPad when touch and an on screen keyboard just does not provide the same experience as MacBook or the iMac with keyboard and mouse. I think these users have a point. I got a new MacBook Air last Christmas but if my iPad had more of a desktop experience (windows, true multitasking), I really think I would have a brand new M4 iPad Pro instead of the Air. But there is still a reason why many people buy a laptop than an iPad or Android tablet. The productivity just is not the same. There is a certain methodology and muscle memory that comes wit...

 The title of this post says it all. I'm skipping the iPhone 16 capable of handling Apple Intelligence and sticking with my iPhone 13 mini. With the timeline of Apple's development, I can afford to wait until iPhone 17 while hanging on to one of the iPhone form factor Apple has realized in recent years.  First, when Apple unveils the final version of its OS platforms (MacOS Sequoia, iOS 18, and iPadOS 18) along with the new iPhone 17, some Apple Intelligence features will not be available on day one. Some will not be available until 2025. Will it be January? February? Or closer to the April/May with the next WWDC just around the corner? I have my MacBook Air to experience Apple Intelligence and I might even get a new iPad that can run Apple Intelligence so I'll be able to keep myself up-to-date on Apple's latest and greatest Apple Intelligence features. Just will not be able to do it on the iPhone. Of course, it is not just about Apple Intelligence. I really like the si...

Apple intelligence will not be coming to the Apple Watch just as it will not be coming to the Apple Vision Pro. That is not only the word on the street but a stark omission from Apple's keynote video for the WWDC. It is a disappointment because Apple Intelligence and the Apple Watch are perfect for each other. And given that Apple has yet to announce the new Apple Watch for this year, I have to wonder if it is the case of Apple Intelligence not being a feature on Apple Watches this year or Apple not saying anything until the new Apple Watch is released in a few months. The issue then becomes when Apple Intelligence will be available for the watch. And equally important is the question of whether the new 2024 watch will be powerful enough to support some form of Apple Intelligence. One of the key requirements for Apple Intelligence seems to be the processor. It is likely that the new Apple Watches will have upgraded processors as the current one is not that big of an improvement ove...

What are the new M4 chips? Presumably, Macs could get the M4 chip tomorrow if Apple decides to pull the trigger on them.  First, let's address the question of why we are even talking about M4 based Macs when the M3 MacBooks were just realized about 7 months ago? Earlier this month, Apple released an all new slate of iPads - iPad Air and iPad Pro. The Air were upgraded to the M2 chip, the same chip that my MacBook Air has now. To the surprise of everyone even though rumors had suggested this weeks ago, the iPad Pro got the M4 chips. Traditionally, the iPad Pro felt like an after thought to the Mac but I am sure that is not really how Apple looks at it.  This would be the first time that the iPad Pro with the M4 chip outperformed the Mac in terms of sheer horsepower - both in the single core and multi-core performance. However, a small segment of the iPad Pro users lament the fact that the performance of the M4 is wasted as the iPadOS 17 does not really take advantage of all the...

At this year's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple is set to unveil major upgrades to its virtual assistant Siri. These enhancements will integrate the company's own advanced AI models across all of Apple's operating systems - iOS/iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS However, Apple remains committed to its walled garden philosophy and curate AI experience for its users.  Right now, there is no indication how Apple plans implement its AI chat version. There is no indication that Apple is planning any chat feature like Gemini or ChatGPT at all. First, a short history about Siri - it was introduced in 2011 along with the iPhone 4S. It has gained popular and use over the years with different iterations. While it has improved over the last twelve years, for many users, the usefulness and responsiveness of Sir has felt it a "once step forward and two step back" experience. The hope among Apple fans and investors is that Siri in 2024 will be vastly improved. It may well ...

The 2016 MacBook sitting off to the side still has some value as I gleefully starting using my MacBook Air M2 that I got for a decent price that includes 16GB of RAM and 512 GB of space. And with a fully working keyboard, and, wow, faster chip, I feel I'm more able to do the projects that I want to do and feel like I have the right tool to do them with.  When I started on this short journey to find a replacement for my aging MacBook, I fully did not expect to get the MacBook Air. Apple did release this laptop back in the summer of 2022. Typically, when I get a new laptop, I pretty much wait just after the latest release. So this was quite unusual for me. For the old me, the latest would be the MacBook Pro with M3. And I spec'd the heck out of the MacBook Pro. I went from just the base $1999 with the M3 Pro all the way up to the M3 Max with 48Gb of RAM. And I was close to pulling the trigger on the base model many times. I would be getting a better and bigger screen. Not to ment...