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Apple's Spring Software Update; OpenAI's $300B Valuation

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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

On March 31, 2025, Apple launched iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, macOS 15.4, and visionOS 2.4, introducing features like a new Apple News+ Food section, new emoji, AI-sorted Priority Notifications, lossless audio on AirPods Max, and expanded Apple Intelligence to the EU and new languages.

Substack adds TikTok-like vertical video feed

On March 31, 2025, Substack updated its app with a vertical video feed, similar to TikTok, redesigning the Media tab added in 2024; the company aims to compete with Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube in the short-video market.

AI Breakthroughs

ChatGPT's improved image generation now free; OpenAI valued $300B

On April 1, 2025, ChatGPT's improved image generation, powered by GPT-4o, became available for free after initial delays; OpenAI also completed a $40 billion funding round, valuing the company at $300 billion, with SoftBank contributing $7.5 billion.

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

Amazon's new AI agent, Nova Act, designed for online shopping tasks in a web browser, is in research preview for developers as of March 31, 2025; it can perform web searches, make purchases, answer questions, and is claimed to be 75% less expensive than rivals.

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

On March 31, 2025, Amazon launched Alexa+ with fewer features than promised, delaying many functionalities by at least two months; it includes Uber ordering, object identification, and email drafting, costing $20 monthly (included with Amazon Prime) and available only on Echo Show devices.

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.

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