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MacworldFollowing the announcement Tuesday that an incredible WWDC 2025 event will run from June 9-13, Apple fans are rightfully excited to know more about the big software updates coming this year. As always, the biggest of all is iOS 19, the next major iteration of the iPhones operating system, and a number of screenshots making the rounds purport to show the visual changes and new features we can expect. But one pundit has warned that these are not representative and should be treated with caution.Posting on X (formerly Twitter) Tuesday, the Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, a reputable source of Apple intel, warned that, while exciting for Apple watchers, the iOS 19 images in circulation are not representative of what we will see at WWDC 2025.They look to be based on either very old builds or vague descriptions, Gurman commented, missing key features. Expect more from Apple in June. He did not elaborate on what those key features might be.To illustrate the point, Gurman made another post shortly afterward and included an old pre-announcement image of iOS 7, a software update that was famous for its dramatic and controversial revamp of iOSs aesthetic. That was the year, readers may recall, when skeuomorphism died. But the leaked image still has the old quasi-realistic icons for apps such as Newsstand (wooden shelves), Camera (a camera lens), and Photos (a sunflower) rather than the more symbolic icons they would get by the time iOS 7 came out, and still have, with some tweaks and with the exception of the now-defunct Newsstand, to this day.This was a real iOS 7 image from six months prior to its announcement, the writer explains. Obviously the actual thing was very different.Gurman doesnt specify any particular screenshots, but hes probably talking about Jon Prosser. The leaker and YouTuber, having demonstrated a mockup of the iOS 19 Camera app earlier this month, showed off what he claimed was a screenshot of iOS 19 Messages in the Genius Bar podcast on Tuesday, and was generally dismissive about the much-anticipated redesign across the OS. Let me just say that Im not impressed by the Home Screen, Prosser said, arguing that iOS 19 does not and probably will not meet peoples high expectations. He also called out Gurman by name and claimed his predictions were faulty.In fairness, Prosser does very briefly point out (in an alarmingly high voice, just before a sponsor break) that things could be added before launch, largely matching Gurmans argument. But this is a single and rather sarcastically delivered line in what is otherwise an almost entirely negative analysis of the major disappointment that is iOS 19.So turn that frown upside down, Jon! iOS 19 might still be great. Well find out in June when Apple showcases iOS 19, as well as iPadOS 19, macOS 16, and many more software updates. But until then, dont get too caught up in screenshots or rumorsthey might not tell the whole story.

MacworldVision Pro has been a flop, plain and simple. By most accounts, it is not even close to meeting Apples own meager internal sales expectations. And worse, it is out of the public consciousness entirely, to where even Apple fans often forget about it.Better, cheaper hardware is one way to breathe more life into spatial computing, but since thats not coming soon, Apple needs to double down on software. VisionOS 2 felt like visionOS 1.4 than a major step up, probably because it came so soon after the headsets release.VisionOS 3, which will be announced at WWDC on June 9 and released later this year, is the first real opportunity for Apple to fully address feedback from actual customers and developers. If they want us to start strapping on the headset every day, these are some of the things we want to see.Work smarterMy biggest issue with the Vision Pro is that its just bad at anything that isnt 3D video or mildly interactive entertainment. When it comes to productivity, and that includes not just business spreadsheets but also taking notes, managing my calendar, or researching which coffee grinder to buy, its awful.Its difficult to run multiple apps at the same time without difficult context-switching between them, and the windows all take up way too much space. Entering text is slow and painful. You can hunt and peck with your eyes on a virtual keyboard or use voice transcription, which never works as well as it should. Of course, you can always use a Bluetooth keyboard, but moving your hands between interacting with the visionOS interface and down to the keyboard is tiresome. And the video passthrough struggles enough in low light that it can be hard to see your keyboard clearly.Why not add a follow option here to make windows follow the user?FoundryObviously, this isnt an easy problem to solve, but its pretty damning that the best way to be productive with your Vision Pro is to use it as a virtual display for a Mac, which is the device youre actually being productive with.One productivity problem that does seem easy to solve is the need to chase down an application windows location in physical space (or else reset/rearrange them all). The way Vision Pro anchors a window in space is impressive, but what if I dont want a window to stay in the physical space I set it? What if I want it to follow me as I walk around? Anchoring a window to the user, rather than the environment, should be a quick toggle I can flip on every new window.Walking around with my open apps following me automatically while keeping my hands free is a productivity feature no phone, tablet, or laptop could match.Embrace realityFor a platform that is all about spatial computing, there are far too many apps that are anything but. Many Vision Pro apps, including Apples own, are just big flat floating windows. I dont need an entirely new platform and a $3,500 device to run iPad apps as though they were five feet wide.The notable exceptions are 3D video and games, but I cant understand why the Clock app, for example, is literally a compatible iPad app. How on earth does the Clock app not allow me to hang a virtual clock on the wall, or click a virtual stopwatch in my hand?The Mail app could have a view where you open a virtual mailbox to open to check your messages. Find My could show a little virtual overhead 3D view, like looking down on a model town (even an unpainted one) with the person or device in question highlighted. The TV+ app could let you place a virtual TV set in your home (with various models through the ages) and place a remote in your hand. Photos could put an album of images into an actual virtual photo album object, where you flip pages and scribble in the margins.Why is this the clock app, instead of actual 3D clocks I can place around my environment?FoundryHow cool would it be to be able to map Home app controls to the actual lights, plugs, and switches in my house, so you can seamlessly control those smart home devices as I walk around without opening up an app or window? Even if its not the ideal way to get things done, cool little virtual reality touches would do a lot more to sell the idea of spatial computing than the current floating windows do.Stack the deckIn visionOS, every new application, and every window within an application, is a separate floating billboard hanging in the air around you. With just three or four windows open I have to turn and look in all directions to simply move from one app, or one window, to the next.Contrast that with a Mac screen, where windows layer on top of each other, and switching between applications is a keyboard shortcut or click away. On my MacBook, I often run windows maximized and on separate desktop spaces, where I can switch between them with a multi-finger swipe on the touchpad.I can have a dozen browser tabs and 10 different applications open, and they all occupy the same 27-inch monitor. I can context-switch without turning my head around and moving to see anything, and when I want to not be working, its as simple as not looking at my monitor.Vision Pro needs a solution for this. Apple needs to let multiple applications live in a single window stack that I can flip through the way someone flips through index cards full of notes when giving a speech. And I need a quick gesture that hides everything when I want to pay attention to the real world briefly and brings it all back in an instant.Get serious about funWe get it, Vision Pro a superb 3D video viewing device. But thats never going to be the main draw of a headset, not until Vision Pro is so ubiquitous that two or more people can watch things together in the same space.Apple could start by allowing two people wearing Vision Pro headsets to see the same virtual screen in the same environment. Let me have a movie night with my wife on a virtual beach while we both watch the same giant floating screen up over the waves. I dont want to see her Persona, I want us to be physically present and watching the same thing in the same place.Making Playstation VR controllers compatible with Vision Pro is a great idea, but should be just the start.FoundryPople love VR for gaming, and the gaming situation on Vision Pro is even more dire than it is on the Mac. Theres a relatively small selection of games that fit firmly into the lite mobile fare category and nothing that makes you think this device could possibly cost what it does. So-called real gaming needs controllers. You need to push buttons, pull triggers, and precisely track hand movement and orientation in a way that is beyond the lauded hand-tracking capabilities (and latency) of visionOS.Apple is allegedly considering supporting PlayStation VR controllers on Vision Pro. Thats an awesome idea, and one they should really run withmake it the de facto default gaming controller for Vision Pro. Sell them at Apple Stores. Make it an add-on accessory at the point of purchase. Work with Sony to publish some Playstation VR games on Vision Pro the way they publish some of their Playstation games on Windows PCs. Talk with Valve about making Vision Pro work as a wireless Steam VR headset.And Apple should stop fighting with Microsoft and others over game streaming and let them put an Xbox app on Vision Pro that allows users to play streaming Xbox cloud games on a big virtual TV. The companys principled stance about app stores isnt protecting its customers, its protecting its revenue cut at the expense of making other hardware better for gamers. Vision Pro and visionOS need as much content as it can get, and relaxing the rules on third-party app stores will make it happen.

This is todays edition ofThe Download,our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of whats going on in the world of technology.China built hundreds of AI data centers to catch the AI boom. Now many stand unused.Just months ago, Chinas boom in data center construction was at its height, fueled by both government and private investors. Renting out GPUs to companies that need them for training AI models was once seen as a sure bet.But with the rise of DeepSeek and a sudden change in the economics around AI, the industry is faltering. Prices for GPUs are falling and many newly built facilities are now sitting empty. Read the full story to find out why.Caiwei ChenOpenAIs new image generator aims to be practical enough for designers and advertisersWhats new? OpenAI has released a new image generator thats designed less for typical surrealist AI art and more for highly controllable and practical creation of visualsa sign that OpenAI thinks its tools are ready for use in fields like advertising and graphic design.Why it matters: While most AI models have been great at creating fantastical images or realistic deepfakes, theyve been terrible at identifying certain objects correctly and putting them in their proper place. OpenAIs new model makes progress on technical issues that have plagued AI image generators for years.But in entering this domain, OpenAI has two paths, both difficult. Read the full story.The AI Hype Index: DeepSeek mania, Israels spying tool, and cheating at chessSeparating AI reality from hyped-up fiction isnt always easy. Thats why weve created the AI Hype Indexa simple, at-a-glance summary of everything you need to know about the state of the industry. Take a look at the full index here.The must-readsIve combed the internet to find you todays most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.1 The Trump administration has barred 80 companies from buying US techThe list of primarily Chinese firms is forbidden from buying American chips. (NYT $)+ The list included a server maker that buys chips from Nvidia. (WSJ $)+ China disputed claims the firms were seeking knowledge for military purposes. (AP News)2 A DOGE staffer provided tech support to a cybercrime ringAnd bragged about trafficking in stolen data and cyberstalking an FBI agent. (Reuters)+ Elon Musk could use DOGEs cuts to steer contracts towards his own firms. (The Guardian)+ Can AI help DOGE slash government budgets? Its complex. (MIT Technology Review)3 The US government has hired a vaccine skeptic to conduct a major vaccine studyThe long-discredited David Geier will oversee analysis of whether jabs cause autism. (WP $)+ The White House appears to be targeting mRNA vaccines. (FT $)+ Why childhood vaccines are a public health success story. (MIT Technology Review)4 Microsoft has unveiled two deep reasoning Copilot AI agentsThe two agents, called Researcher and Analyst, are designed to do just that. (The Verge)+ How ChatGPT search paves the way for AI agents. (MIT Technology Review)5 Inside the rise of Chinese hackingThe cyber threat posed by the country is increasingly sophisticatedand aggressive. (Economist $)6 Google has instructed workers to remove DEI terms from their workThe company has offered up alternative language to use in its place.(The Information $)7 Synthesia is offering shares to reward human actors for its AI avatarsThe compensation scheme is the first of its kind. (FT $)+ Synthesias hyperrealistic deepfakes will soon have full bodies. (MIT Technology Review)8 Chinas RedNote is working to keep its influx of TikTok refugeesTo do so, itll need to expand its user base outside the Chinese diaspora. (Rest of World)9 This operating system is designed to keep running during civilizations collapseCollapse OS is designed to give us access to lost knowledge in case of disaster. (Wired $)10 No one really knows how long people liveLongevity research is bogged down in bad record-keeping. (NY Mag $)+ The quest to legitimize longevity medicine. (MIT Technology Review)Quote of the dayThere are so many great reasons to be on Signal. Now including the opportunity for the vice president of the United States of America to randomly add you to a group chat for coordination of sensitive military operations.Moxie Marlinspike, founder of secure messaging platform Signal, pokes fun at the fallout surrounding US officials accidentally adding a journalist to a private military group chat in a post on X.The big storyLongevity enthusiasts want to create their own independent state. Theyre eyeing Rhode Island.May 2023Jessica HamzelouI recently traveled to Montenegro for a gathering of longevity enthusiasts. All the attendees were super friendly, and the sense of optimism was palpable. Theyre all confident well be able to find a way to slow or reverse agingand they have a bold plan to speed up progress.Around 780 of these people have created a pop-up city that hopes to circumvent the traditional process of clinical trials. They want to create an independent state where like-minded innovators can work together in an all-new jurisdiction that gives them free rein to self-experiment with unproven drugs. Welcome to Zuzalu. Read the full story.We can still have nice thingsA place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or skeet em at me.)+ Good newsit turns out that fungi are actually pretty good at saving imperiled plants.+ Ever wondered what ancient Egyptian mummy remains smell like? These intrepid scientists found out.+ Kudos to this terrible artist, who is a surprise smash hit.+ Check out this handy guide to walking the path of everyday enlightenment.

During his latest visit to China, Apple CEO Tim Cook has praised the country's DeepSeek AI technology, but the resulting claims that this means Apple will adopt it are exaggerated.Tim Cook enthusing in an interview about China's app developers image credit: China DailyCook's China visit has included a stop at Zhejiang University, which is the alma mater of Liang Wenfeng, founder of the DeepSeek AI technology. And according to Bloomberg, Cook has now also visited DeepSeek's home town.However, that's not remotely as significant as it is being portrayed, since that home town is Hangzhou which is where Zhejiang University is based. It's also where Alibaba is located, which is the firm confirmed to be working with Apple on bringing Apple Intelligence to China. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Apple's iPhone 16e with Apple intelligence is already a great value, but T-Mobile can make it even better by cutting the cost down to nothing, and families can save even more with Magenta Status.Get iPhone 16e on T-Mobile Image source: T-MobileT-Mobile has several great offers for new customers, including one that makes Apple's iPhone 16e virtually free for switchers. When you join T-Mobile, on top of the introductory deals, you get benefits that last as long as you're a customer.The current promotion applies to any switcher joining T-Mobile and activating a qualifying line with an eligible trade-in. Get 24 monthly credits toward an iPhone 16e for every line activated up to three, and pay only what you owe in taxes, fees, and the $35 connection charge. Continue Reading on AppleInsider

The Yale Center for British Art will reopen its doors to the public on March 29, 2025. The museum is emerging from a two-year closure dedicated to a major conservation project aimed at preserving the iconic building, which was Louis Kahns final architectural work.Entrance court and skylights. Image credit: Richard CaspoleCompleted posthumously in 1977, the center stands as a key example of Kahns architectural philosophy, emphasizing structure, light, and natural materials. The latest conservation effort, building on over a decade of research and a previous phase of interior refurbishments in 2015, sought to maintain the buildings historic integrity while integrating modern systems and sustainability improvements.Roof and skylight domes. Image credit: Richard CaspoleKey updates include the installation of a new liquid membrane roof and the replacement of 224 original acrylic skylights with polycarbonate domes that enhance durability and energy performance while preserving the vi...

Following our previous look at an opening for aSenior Architect at Robson Forensic, we are using this weeks edition of ourJob Highlights seriesto explore an open role on Archinect Jobs for an Architect/Designer at To Be Done Studio.The role, based in Washakie, WY with the possibility of a remote arrangement, calls for an individual to join To Be Done Studio on a contract basis to work on the Eastern Shoshone Cultural Hub project. Eastern Shoshone or Shoshone heritage is strongly preferred for the role, as is a professional degree or significant experience in architecture, and proficiency in Archicad, Revit, AutoCAD, Rhino, and Adobe Creative Suite.Image courtesy: To Be Done StudioWhy the role interests usThe open role at To Be Done Studio offers us the opportunity to explore the story behind the Eastern Shoshone Cultural Hub project. The cultural center, developed by the Eastern Shoshone Tribe in Fort Washakie, aims to preserve Tribal archives, artifacts, and records current...