Apple's Spring Software Update; OpenAI's $300B Valuation
Key Takeaways
- Apple released iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, macOS 15.4, and visionOS 2.4 with new features.
- ChatGPT's improved image generation, powered by GPT-4o, is now available for free.
- Nintendo Direct on April 2nd will showcase the new Switch 2 console.
- Amazon launched Alexa+ with delayed features for $20 monthly on Echo Show.
- Microsoft expands AI features on Copilot Plus PCs, including Live Captions.
Software Central
Apple releases iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, macOS 15.4, visionOS 2.4
AI Breakthroughs
ChatGPT's improved image generation now free; OpenAI valued $300B
Microsoft expands AI features on Copilot Plus PCs
On March 31, 2025, Microsoft announced wider availability of AI features on Copilot Plus PCs, including Live Captions, Cocreator in Paint, expanded access to its AI image editor in the Photos app, and testing of Recall, an AI screenshot search feature; Voice Access is also being updated on Qualcomm-powered devices with more descriptive language and translation of 27 languages into Simplified Chinese, with rollout to Intel and AMD devices planned.
Amazon's Nova Act AI agent for online shopping
ChatGPT gains 1M users in one hour; artists' concerns remain
On March 31, 2025, ChatGPT gained one million new users in one hour due to its new image generation feature, causing signup issues; despite its popularity, the AI platform continues to face criticism from artists and creatives regarding the use of their work for training without credit or compensation.
Gadget Mania
Nintendo Direct on April 2nd: Switch 2 reveal?
Nintendo will host a Nintendo Direct presentation on April 2, 2025, at 9 AM ET to showcase their new Switch 2 console; the presentation, streaming on Nintendo's YouTube channel, is expected to detail the console's features, price, and launch date, with leaks suggesting pre-orders might open on April 9th and a June release.
Amazon launches Alexa+ with delayed features, $20/month
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D review: faster, but not for everyone
On March 31, 2025, the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D review highlighted its 16 cores, 4.3GHz base clock speed, 5.7GHz boost speed, and 144MB L3 cache, outperforming the Ryzen 9 7900X by 20% in single-threaded and 33% in multi-threaded Geekbench 6 tests; the $700 processor is not recommended for most users, with the Ryzen 7 9800X3D or 9900X3D suggested as better options.
Deals & Steals
Amazon Spring Sale: Deals on Apple, Dyson, Bose, more
Reported on March 31, 2025, Amazon's Spring Sale includes deals on Apple devices like AirPods and iPads, with discounts up to $100 off, such as AirPods 4 with ANC for $149 and the newest entry-level iPad for $329; other deals include discounts on products from Bose, iRobot, and Dyson, such as the Amazon Fire TV Stick HD for $20 and a Dyson AM09 heater and fan for $300.