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Los Angeles Times
15 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
Apple loses fourth AI researcher in a month to Meta's superintelligence team
Apple Inc. has lost its fourth AI researcher in a month to Meta Platforms Inc., marking the latest setback to the iPhone maker's artificial intelligence efforts. Bowen Zhang, a key multimodal AI researcher at Apple, left the company on Friday and is set to join Meta's recently formed superintelligence team, according to people familiar with the matter. Zhang was part of the Apple foundation models group, or AFM, which built the core technology behind the company's AI platform. Meta previously lured away the leader of the team, Ruoming Pang, with a compensation package valued at more than $200 million, Bloomberg News has reported. Two other researchers from that group — Tom Gunter and Mark Lee — also recently joined Meta. AFM is made up of several dozen engineers and researchers across Cupertino, California, and New York. In response to the job offers from Meta and others, Apple has been marginally increasing the pay of its AFM staffers, whether or not they've threatened to leave, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the moves are private. Still, the pay levels pale in comparison with those of rivals. Spokespeople for Apple and Meta declined to comment. Apple shares declined as much as 1.5% to $210.82, reaching a session low in New York trading. The stock was already down 15% this year through Monday's close. The departures have thrown Apple's models team into flux. Pang played a central role in defining the department's road map and research direction, and multiple people within AFM now say its future is unclear. Additional engineers are actively interviewing for jobs elsewhere, according to the people. Another team member — Floris Weers — left for a startup in recent weeks. The AFM team is critical to Apple's broader AI strategy. The group's work underpins the Apple Intelligence platform, which launched last year. But now the company is considering a shift toward using more third-party models. Some Apple executives see its homegrown models as a stumbling block to catching up with AI rivals, the people said. And the uncertainty over whether to outsource the technology has hurt morale at the company and helped fuel the attrition. Meta, meanwhile, is aggressively staffing up. The Facebook owner has offered gigantic compensation packages to AI talent across Silicon Valley, luring away workers from Apple, OpenAI and Anthropic. In recent months, Apple started considering a move away from AFM models for a new version of its Siri voice assistant. The work includes powering Siri with OpenAI's ChatGPT or Anthropic PBC's Claude models. The company is simultaneously working on a competing version based on new AFM models. While a final decision hasn't been made, Apple's exploration of outside options has triggered unease within AFM. Internally, executives have sought to reassure the team members, saying their work remains important to Apple's AI strategy. They have told engineers that the company is committed to in-house model development, part of a broader desire to own critical underlying technologies, as the company has done with chips in recent years. But Apple's own policies have made it harder for its AI team to keep up with competitors. The company has a longstanding commitment to privacy and generally favors handling AI tasks on devices — rather than in the cloud — so the data doesn't have to be processed somewhere out of the users' control. That approach limits AI capabilities because phones aren't as powerful as data centers. Apple Intelligence mostly relies on an on-device model with 3 billion parameters, a measure of complexity and learning capacity. Competitors, in contrast, offer cloud-based systems with a trillion-plus parameters. Apple does have its own cloud model, but that's in the range of 150 billion parameters. The AFM group is now overseen by Zhifeng Chen and reports to Daphne Luong, head of AI research at Apple. She answers to John Giannandrea, senior vice president of AI. Gurman writes for Bloomberg.
Digital Trends
15 minutes ago
- Digital Trends
iPad: Everything you need to know
In the consumer electronics industry, some products define an entire category, owing to their sheer excellence and lasting presence. They are far and few, though. The iPad is one such product, and it has continued to blaze its path for nearly a decade and a half. It has gotten faster, slimmer, and more popular than ever. For most shoppers out there, the first choice for buying a tablet is often an iPad. Over the years, Apple has diversified the iPad family to cover everything from a budget browsing and video streaming machine to a premium mainstream computing machine for demanding workflows. What is the Apple iPad? At its heart, the iPad is a large-screen device that fills the gap an iPhone can't. Watching videos, playing games, or reading books — the larger canvas is suited for both work and play. Given the firepower under the hood, you can pair it with a computer and get serious work done with ease. Recommended Videos It technically runs software that was first developed for a smartphone, but optimized to work on a bigger screen. It runs the same apps, but over the past few years, it has gained its fair share of exclusive productivity tools. From video editing in Final Cut Pro to running AAA games such as Death Stranding, the iPads can handle it all. What's the newest iPad? The latest Apple tablet is the 11th Gen baseline iPad, which starts at $349 in the US. It was introduced in March this year, alongside the new iPad Air with the M3 silicon inside. This one is available in 11-inch and 13-inch sizes, starts at $599, and comes in Wi-Fi and Cellular models. The latest iPad Pro, available in similar size options, and the mini version, went on sale in 2024. Our latest iPad reviews At Digital Trends, we have tested every current-generation iPad available across the mainline, mini, Air, and Pro families. The entry-point iPad, surprisingly, has emerged as the biggest winner after the iPadOS 26 update. Aside from a new design language, the update has also added some missing productivity features, such as Stage Manager, to the most affordable Apple tablet. The iPad mini is smaller, but it packs more firepower and actually doubles as a fantastic secondary screen and a serious gaming powerhouse. The iPad Air strikes a fine balance between power-packed performance and affordability. On the other hand, the iPad Pro is simply the pinnacle of tablet engineering, both in terms of looks and hardware capabilities. Every iPad variant explained As mentioned above, Apple offers its iPads in different sizes and at diverse price points, which means you can pick the one that best suits your needs. Let's start with the smallest slate in the group. A hot favorite among tablet fans who prefer one-handed usage, the iPad mini stands out with its compact chassis and an 8.3-inch display. It is also the most affordable tablet that can run the full suite of AI features enabled by Apple Intelligence. The mainline iPad is Apple's most affordable tablet, offering an 11-inch screen packed inside an all-metal chassis. It is an ideal choice for streaming, web browsing, and gaming on a budget. Moreover, if you've got a keyboard case or Bluetooth-based peripherals, it can also handle web-based tasks without breaking a sweat. Moving to the iPad Air, it's available in 11-inch and 13-inch sizes. The standout element of this tablet is the processor, the laptop-class M3 silicon, which also powers a wide range of Apple laptops. If you're eyeing a tablet that can handle video editing, sketching, or other graphics-intensive workflows, but don't want to spend over a thousand dollars, the iPad Air is the best choice. Finally, we have the iPad Pro. If budget is not a constraint, this is the best tablet that the industry has to offer. It's the slimmest slate out there, but despite its slim waistline, it also comes armed with up to 16GB of RAM and the latest Apple M4 silicon. It also offers a bunch of other niceties, such as a sharp OLED panel, Face ID convenience, a fantastic set of speakers, and a choice between 11-inch and 13-inch formats. What iPad do I have? If you're pushing an iPad as your daily driver for work and play, but are not sure about the exact model details, we've got you covered. Open the Settings app on your iPad, go to the General section, and then open the About section. There, you will find the model name and number, listed alongside the software version it is running. You can also check Apple's design-based identification guide here. How much does an iPad cost? The most affordable line-up in Apple's portfolio is the baseline iPad, which starts at $349. The iPad mini costs $499 for the Wi-Fi model, while the cellular model will set you back $649 a pop. Apple asks $599 for the 11-inch iPad Air and $799 for the 13-inch model. For the iPad Pro, you'll have to part ways with $999 for the 11-inch version and $1,199 for the 13-inch trim. Which iPad should I buy? Buying an iPad can be a bit daunting, especially when you see at least six different models on the shelf, each with separate WiFi-only and cellular variants. So, let's ease the buying dilemma for you. If you are on a tight budget and want a large screen for reading, streaming, and basic web-based tasks, the vanilla iPad is the right choice. It's also a fantastic solution for students as a note-taking device, attending online classes, and handling assignments. The iPad mini is a rather straightforward sales pitch. For folks who chase the convenience of a compact tablet, this is the best tablet out there. It offers plenty of firepower and can handle even the most demanding games with ease. Additionally, if you're into journaling or want a one-handed digital note-taking device, the iPad mini is an easy pick. Of course, it can handle your reading and binge-watching duties just fine. Next, we have the iPad Air. It's for the buyer segment that prioritizes performance and long-term usage, but doesn't necessarily want to spend a fortune on a tablet. Available in 11-inch and 13-inch variants, the M3 silicon inside the iPad Air offers plenty of firepower for everything from video editing and digital illustration work to demanding multi-app workflows and gaming. For most people, the iPad Air is powerful enough. But if you're looking for a no-compromise, future-proof slate and need the color realism of an OLED for creative tasks, the iPad Pro is where you should put your money. It's the most powerful tablet currently on the market, and also the thinnest. Moreover, the Magic keyboard case for this tablet is in a class of its own, and a total must-have.
TechCrunch
15 minutes ago
- TechCrunch
Skechers is making kids' shoes with a hidden AirTag compartment
Skechers introduced a line of kids' sneakers that contain a hidden compartment where parents can slip in an Apple AirTag. Inside of the heel of the shoe, a small insert can be lifted to reveal the compartment. Then, parents can track the location of their child — or, at least their child's shoes. These shoes don't come with an AirTag, and they don't appear to be an actual collaboration with Apple, but rather, a third-party product that Skechers has developed on its own. The shoes were announced in mid-July to little press, but AppleInsider reported on the product on Wednesday. Apple only advertises its AirTags as products to keep track of items like keys, wallets, or luggage — not human beings. But parents have been using the technology to keep an eye on their kids. Already, there are products like AirTag-compatible bracelets, insoles, pins, or even knock-off Crocs Jibbitz that can fit an AirTag. Perhaps intentionally, AirTags are not designed to be very good at tracking fast-moving things, like a kid on a school bus, for example. Unlike an iPhone with location sharing enabled, AirTags don't have built-in GPS. Instead, they use Bluetooth beaconing technology to quietly signal their presence to nearby Apple devices, giving the owner of the AirTag an estimate of its location. This technology can still be used for nefarious purposes, however. Bad actors have hidden AirTags in people's bags or cars to stalk them, which sparked a class action lawsuit. Apple has instituted some anti-stalking features, such as notifying someone via their iPhone or Apple Watch when an unfamiliar AirTag is traveling with them. Since Skechers only makes this product in kids' sizes, it's unlikely that these shoes could be used to surveil adults against their will — but the continued normalization of this kind of surveillance could have implications beyond childcare. It's possible that Skechers or another shoe brand could make similar products designed for adults with conditions like dementia, who may unintentionally wander away from their caretakers. While those uses may be well-intentioned, these kinds of products could also be used to track adults without their consent. Techcrunch event Tech and VC heavyweights join the Disrupt 2025 agenda Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital — just a few of the heavy hitters joining the Disrupt 2025 agenda. They're here to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don't miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt, and a chance to learn from the top voices in tech — grab your ticket now and save up to $675 before prices rise. Tech and VC heavyweights join the Disrupt 2025 agenda Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital — just a few of the heavy hitters joining the Disrupt 2025 agenda. They're here to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don't miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt, and a chance to learn from the top voices in tech — grab your ticket now and save up to $675 before prices rise. San Francisco | REGISTER NOW
