Post Category → not-labs

Apple Licensing Data for its AI Training

The New York Times reports Apple is in negotiations to license published materials for training their generative AI model. This shouldn’t be a surprise. A few years ago, when image processing was the big thing, everyone thought Apple would fall behind because they weren’t collecting all our images for data processing. Then I saw Craig Federighi explain how Apple could get pictures of mountains and that they didn’t need mine.

This is similar to how Machine Learning requires a data set to train. Again, Apple is looking to buy data as opposed to setting its AI loose on the Internet. I really wish I had a better idea about what Apple is thinking to do with AI.

A Different Take on Apple and AI

William Gallagher is a pretty clever guy, and I enjoyed his take on Apple and AI over at AppleInsider. Based on Apple’s latest paper, they seem (unsurprisingly) interested in looking for ways to run Large Language Models (LLMs) on memory-constrained local devices. In other words, AI without the cloud. We saw this a few years ago with image processing. Apple wants to have the tools while preserving user privacy. Just from speaking to Labs members in privacy-conscious businesses, I expect this will be very popular if it works.

Mac Power Users 724: Catching up with Mikah Sargent

Mikah Sargent returns to Mac Power Users to update us on his Apple hardware, talk about how he prepares for his various audio and video podcasts, and help explain what’s going on with the Matter smart home standard.

This episode of Mac Power Users is sponsored by:

  • 1Password: Never forget a password again.
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Get Your 2024 Focused Wall Calendar (There’s Still Time)

Focused 2024 Wall Calendar

There are a few days left in 2023, so why not get your Focused 2024 wall calendar today?

I’ve had mine for a while now and it looks great. This calendar puts your entire year on the wall so you can see how you’re doing and when you’re busy. I’ve been using them for years, and I find them an excellent way to control the flow of my year.

It’s also been nice for my wife to come into Endor Studios and look at the calendar to see at a glance when I’m available. This would be an excellent tool for anybody working at home or with a team.

We’ve put a lot of work into the design of this calendar over the years, and it’s both functional and attractive.

I always mount mine on foam in the vertical orientation and hang it on the wall.

You can get yours now.

Focused 193: The Problem with Mise en Place, with Justin Khanna

Chef, creator, and entrepreneur Justin Khanna joins Mike and me on this episode of Focused to share focus lessons from the culinary world.

This episode of Focused is sponsored by:

  • ExpressVPN: High-Speed, Secure & Anonymous VPN Service. Get an extra three months free.
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Mac Power Users 723: State of the Platforms (December 2023)

2023 proved to be very busy for Apple, with updated hardware and software shipping, as well as a look at an entirely new platform coming early next year in the form of visionOS. This week on Mac Power Users, Stephen and I take a survey of the company’s year.

This episode of Mac Power Users is sponsored by:

  • TextExpander: Get 20% off with this link and type more with less effort! Expand short abbreviations into longer bits of text, even fill-ins, with TextExpander.
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The OmniFocus 4 Launch

I’ve been using OmniFocus since the first beta. That’s over 15 years in one app. If you know me, you know that’s not usually the thing I do. When it comes to apps, a part of me always feels like I’m missing something just over the horizon. I’ve spent more time than I should have looking at the competition, yet I always end up with OmniFocus. If you’re on the Apple platforms, I don’t know of anything better. That’s even more true with version 4.

  • The whole thing is built on SwiftUI: That explains why it took them a while to get this out the door, but it also assures the future of the app. Easy updates, cross-platform UI, compliance with future platforms (ahem, Vision Pro), and many other benefits come from the Omni Group doing the hard work upfront.
  • Common UI across all devices: With version 4, everything works everywhere.
  • Insanely good automation: Sal Soghian leaving Apple was Apple’s loss and the OmniGroup’s gain.

My hat’s off to the Omni Group on this release. It was a difficult road, but they’ve released a great update. I’ll have more to say on this in future posts.