Week in Review: The top stories in phones, AI, computing, and more

Apple goes down a robot rabbit-hole, but AI is where the action is Created for {EMAIL} | [Web Version]( April 5, 2024 CONNECT WITH TECH RADAR  [Facebook]( [X]( [Instagram]( [Youtube]( [Tech Radar]( [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [WEBSITE]( [] Welcome to the Week in Review [] Welcome The sci-fi future we dream of always seems just around the corner. From The Jetsons to Back To The Future to Minority Report, we’ve been sold a shiny world of flying cars, robot butlers and self-aware computers, but for better or worse we’re not there yet. On the AI front, though, we’re getting close. Very close. Just this week we had another amazing new Sora demo from Open AI that has to be seen to be believed, plus the arrival of a voice synthesizer that’s not currently available to try because the company is worried that it’s too convincing. And we can expect much, much more in the near future – from Apple, among others. Among the articles I've picked out this week, you can read our Senior News Editor Mark Wilson’s thoughts on how the company could win with Siri AI. What of robots? Well, again let’s look to Apple – which has supposedly been exploring a home robot as its next ambitious project, following the shelving of the Apple Car. This is not a new idea – Amazon, Google, and Sony have all tried robotics with varying degrees of success – but if Apple gets involved it'll be big news, simply because it’s Apple. But, says Editor at Large Lance Ulanoff, there’s no reason to think Apple will take us any closer to the sci-fi future – for now at least, AI looks like a much safer bet on that front. Marc McLaren, Global Editor-in-Chief [] The week in Apple [] [Reasons to be optimistic about Siri's iOS 18 reboot]( Siri could get some major improvements this year (Apple) [Reasons to be optimistic about Siri's iOS 18 reboot]( All the indications are that Siri will get a significant AI-heavy upgrade when iOS 18 arrives later this year – and TechRadar's Senior News Editor Mark Wilson thinks this might be the moment when Apple starts to catch up to Google and Microsoft in the AI race. [Read the full story]( [] - [Trust me: Apple will get no further with robots than it did with cars]( [] - [We got the iPad update we needed, not what we wanted]( [] - [Apple might build spatial computing right into your Mac's screen]( [] The week in AI [] [ChatGPT takes on Google with an account-free version]( You no longer need an account to use ChatGPT (Daniel Chetroni / Shutterstock) [ChatGPT takes on Google with an account-free version]( You no longer need to register for an account to take advantage of the smart responses offered by ChatGPT – and its developer OpenAI will be hoping it makes the AI bot as popular a destination as Google when it comes to getting information online. [Read the full story]( [] - [Google Search could soon charge you for AI-powered results]( [] - [The first OpenAI Sora music video is a psychedelic trip]( [] - [OpenAI's voice synthesizer copies your voice from just 15 seconds of audio]( [] The week in phones [] [How Android could beat the iPhone with satellite texting]( Using satellite messaging on the iPhone (Future) [How Android could beat the iPhone with satellite texting]( Hidden code spotted in the beta version of Google Messages suggests that the satellite messaging feature expected to arrive with Android 15 could beat the iPhone version, by enabling you to text anyone over satellite, rather than only the emergency services. [Read the full story]( [] - [The Galaxy S23 touchscreen issue gets a temporary fix]( [] - [Google's 'AirTags for Android' could be arriving very soon]( [] - [The Galaxy S25 chipset could come with extra Google AI included]( [] This week's top deals picked by TechRadar's experts [] - [Best Buy weekend sale: save on laptops, TVs, headphones and more]( [] - [Galaxy Z Flip 5 gets an AI upgrade, and it's a record-low $899 at Amazon US]( [] - [Sony's brilliant WH-1000XM4s drop to a record-low £199 at Amazon UK]( [] The week in computing [] [The next big Windows 11 update takes a step closer]( Windows 11 continues to evolve (Future) [The next big Windows 11 update takes a step closer]( You may not be familiar with the codename, but the Windows 11 24H2 update is expected to be a big one – and while it's still a few months off for consumers yet, it just passed through an important stage in being officially approved by Microsoft. [Read the full story]( [] - [Microsoft's latest brainwave for Edge is one we hope Chrome copies]( [] - [The new Razer Blade 18 just went on sale, but you'll need deep pockets]( [] - [Google finally agrees to delete incognito browsing data it's been storing]( [] The week in entertainment [] [The best new movies and shows to stream this weekend]( Colin Farrell stars in Sugar (Apple TV Plus) [The best new movies and shows to stream this weekend]( Wondering what to watch this weekend? The latest streaming arrivals include Ripley on Netflix – a new take on Patricia Highsmith’s murder mystery novel – while Sugar and Música begin streaming on Apple TV Plus and Prime Video, respectively. [Read the full story]( [] - [The Disney Plus password crackdown is starting in June]( [] - [The Fantastic Four MCU movie villain has all but been confirmed]( [] - [Invincible season 2 ending explained (includes spoilers)]( [] More of this week's top stories [] - [Meta teases its next big hardware release: its first AR glasses]( [] - [Elon Musk muddies the waters again with a fresh take on blue checks]( [] - [Wordle will eventually run out of words – here's what the NYT could do next]( [] - [Google Podcasts is now officially gone – we've picked the best alternatives]( [] - [Here's why Samsung has built the world's most secure smart fridge]( Sharing TechRadar with your network keeps the quality of content high and these newsletters free. 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