In this episode of Tech News Weekly, Mikah Sargent and CNET's Abrar Al-Heeti talk the latest developments in self-driving tech, Sonos' work on a new streaming box, an AI-assisted Beatles song winning a Grammy, and the current state of Meta's Quest platform according to developers.

- Uber is expanding its partnership with Waymo, allowing people in Austin to summon a Waymo robo-taxi through the Uber app. Abrar shares her experiences with self-driving cars and discusses the evolving relationship between Uber and Waymo.

- Sonos is reportedly working on a new streaming box codenamed "Pinewood," which includes an HDMI switch to address inconsistencies in smart TV firmware and software. The device is expected to cost between $200 and $400, and it aims to provide a full-featured streaming sound setup.

- An AI-assisted Beatles track, "Now and Then," won the Grammy for Best Rock Performance, sparking conversations about the role of AI in music and art. The US Copyright Office has stated that AI tools used to assist in the creative process don't undermine the copyright of the work.

- Developers are struggling with declining sales and visibility on the Meta Quest app store, despite record revenue for Meta Reality Labs. Meta's focus on its own Horizon Worlds app seems to be at the expense of traditional VR games. Some developers find it more profitable to sell on other platforms like Steam and PlayStation VR.

Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Abrar Al-Heeti

Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly.

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This episode sees Mikah Sargent walking through the newly announced Apple Invites app. This event invitation tool allows one to invite friends and family to an occasion (like a BBQ) even if the recipients don't have an iPhone. Importantly, a user needs to have an iCloud+ subscription in order to create an event.

Host: Mikah Sargent

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In this episode of iOS Today, hosts Mikah Sargent and Rosemary Orchard dive into a comprehensive comparison of popular note-taking apps for iOS, examining their unique features and use cases. They also discuss Apple's surprise launch of a new event planning app called Apple Invites.

• Apple Notes: New iOS 18 features including Math Notes, collaborative note-taking capabilities, and family wish list sharing functionality
• Freeform: Apple's infinite canvas app that enables collaborative brainstorming, room planning, and freeform content organization with drawing support
• Bear: A beautiful Markdown-based notes app with custom keyboards and nested tags, available with a free tier and subscription options
• Obsidian: A powerful, customizable note-taking app with community plugins and the ability to create personal wikis
• Drafts: An advanced text editor that creates new drafts automatically, featuring powerful actions, custom themes, and extensive widget support
• Notion: A versatile workspace tool with templates for various use cases, featuring databases, calendars, and collaborative features

News

• Apple launches new "Invites" app requiring iCloud+ subscription to create invitations. It features shared photo albums, weather information, Apple Music playlist integration, and Apple Intelligence for custom backgrounds

Feedback

• Question about limiting group chat notifications in driving focus mode
• Request for help with continuous reading of non-Kindle ebooks using iOS accessibility features
• Discussion of potential workarounds including sending content to Kindle and exploring alternative solutions

Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Rosemary Orchard

Contact iOS Today at iOSToday@twit.tv.

Download or subscribe to iOS Today at https://twit.tv/shows/ios-today

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