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After a particularly lean week for tech news, it exploded yesterday. We have Google’s next-generation AI model, Gemini 2.0, an avalanche of games that will intrigue us in 2025, MasterClass going all-in on AI, and finally, Apple’s top AI tricks and features, built into the latest iOS update. .
That’s what I want to start with. Many features in iOS 18.2 are only for the iPhone 15 Pro, 16, and 16 Pro, including the smart chip needed to run Apple Intelligence. (Access is also limited to users in the US, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and the UK for now.)
Image Playground, available as a standalone app and through Messages, can generate image suggestions based on your text prompts or the content of your conversations. You can use a photo from your iPhone’s camera roll as a starting point. Note Image Playground cannot produce photorealistic images of people. That’s by design.
Then there’s Genmoji, to create your own custom emoji. Tap the new Genmoji button and enter a description of the character you want to create. You can even type a contact’s name and, contextually, it will ask you if you want to use photos of that person (if you have them in your photos) to generate the emoji.
Both Siri and Writing Tools can now ask ChatGPT for help, although devices will always ask for permission before doing so.
Anyway, let’s get back to creating a full Genmoji library, featuring… me.
-Mat Smith
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Try the lightweight Flash version in the Gemini web app.
Almost exactly a week after OpenAI made its o1 model available to the public, Google is offering a preview of its next-generation Gemini 2.0 model. The company says 2.0 may offer native support for image and audio output. Instead of starting today’s preview by offering its most advanced version of the model, Gemini 2.0 Pro, the search giant is starting with 2.0 Flash. Starting today, the most efficient (and affordable) model is available to all Gemini users. If you want to try it yourself, you can enable Gemini 2.0 from the Gemini web client drop-down menu.
Along with today’s announcement of Gemini 2.0, the company also announced Deep Research, a new tool that uses the long-context capabilities of Gemini 1.5 Pro to write reports on complicated topics.
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It’s a beta test for now.
Microsoft has started a beta test to finally bring cloud streaming to Xbox consoles. Participants in the Alpha Skip-Ahead and Alpha levels of the Xbox Insiders program can start using this feature now on their Xbox Series X|S and even Xbox One consoles. There are still some caveats about this feature. First, it’s limited to Game Pass Ultimate members. Secondly, the game must support cloud streaming. There is a short list of titles in the program for now, but it includes Baldur’s Gate 3, Balatro, Cyberpunk 2077, Animal Well, Stray and the first six Final Fantasy games.
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Ramseybot, participate.
MasterClass is expanding beyond pre-recorded video lessons to offer on-demand tutoring from some of its most popular celebrity instructors. And if you’re wondering how the company has gotten some of the busiest people on the planet to answer your questions, surprise! It’s AI. On Call is limited to two people at launch: former FBI hostage negotiator Chris Voss and UC Berkeley neuroscientist Dr. Matt Walker. In the future, MasterClass says it will feature many more people, including Gordon Ramsay, Mark Cuban, Bill Nye and LeVar Burton.
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