Sunday, June 16, 2024

Image Credits: Bryce Durbin/TechCrunch

As expected, the biggest headlines this week came from Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference. That's where the company announced Apple Intelligence — a blanket term for AI-powered features that will work across Apple devices and apps, including a more conversational Siri (including ChatGPT), new writing and proofreading tools, prioritized notifications, and personalized emojis.

This might sound relatively underwhelming compared to, say, being able to create movies from text prompts. But that might be the key to making AI exciting to normal people, not just VCs. Apple also says its approach to AI will be distinguished from the competition by a focus on privacy and an awareness of the user's personal context. (One open question: What AI should actually look and sound like.)

Beyond Apple Intelligence, Apple also announced a new Passwords app, the latest versions of macOS and iOS 18, and much more.

Keep reading to catch up on everything TechCrunch has covered this weekend.

Weekend news and opinion

Image Credits: Voodoo

BeReal's acquisition was a best-case scenario: BeReal was acquired by Voodoo for around $537 million this week. That's down a bit from the candid photo-sharing app's most recent valuation, but Rebecca Szkutak talks to Voodoo's CEO and argues that the deal is still a bright spot in the M&A landscape. Read more

Breaking down OpenAI's pricing for ChatGPT: Kyle Wiggers explains all of ChatGPT's pricing tiers, helping readers choose between the free version, ChatGPT Plus, ChatGPT Enterprise, and more. Read more

Clicks offers a BlackBerry-style keyboard for iPhones: Clicks is a new case that adds a keyboard with physical buttons to your iPhone. After trying the case out, Sarah Perez says it's delightful — but maybe not practical for everyday use. Read more

What else we're reading

Image Credits: Getty Images / PM Images

The New York Times examines claims from abortion groups that their accounts and posts are being suppressed by platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. In fact, Amnesty International released a report this week calling on tech companies to explain their rules around abortion-related content. Read more

Meanwhile, The New Yorker explains what nanotechnology has already accomplished in the world of medicine, and what it might do next. Read more