Month: October 2024

Apple announced on Monday its new “Apple Intelligence” tool and a series of other updates is now available for its iPhone, iPad and Mac users. The company released iOS 18.1, an update that includes the company’s artificial intelligence, called Apple Intelligence, for the iPhone 16 and iPhone 15 Pro. It also released software updates for iPad and Mac with Apple Intelligence, and will also be in its latest release on Apple’s macOS Sequoia operating system.

Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a company release: “Apple Intelligence introduces a new era for iPhone, iPad, and Mac, delivering brand-new experiences and tools that will transform what our users can accomplish.” Cook added that Apple Intelligence is generative AI in a way “that only Apple can deliver  .. [the company] is “incredibly excited about its ability to enrich our users’ lives. Apple Intelligence builds on years of innovation in AI and machine learning to put Apple’s generative models at the core of our devices, giving our users a personal intelligence system that is easy to use.”

Apple said that customers will be able to refine language by rewriting, proofreading and summarizing text virtually everywhere they write including Mail, Messages, Notes, Pages and third-party apps, adding that it has partnered with ChatGPT creator OpenAI and its new Writing Tools will be available and also takes advantage of AI.

Monday’s release also included improvements to Siri, including a new look that makes the entire screen glow around the phone’s edges. Siri can answer questions about Apple products, including troubleshooting, and has more natural voices.  Another update with ChatGPT integration and image-generation abilities is also scheduled for later this year as part of iOS 18.2.

Tto install and use Apple Intelligence, customers need an iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max or any iPhone 16 model. To download iOS 18.1, go to Settings > General > Software Update. To sign up for the Apple Intelligence waitlist, go to Settings > Apple Intelligence and Siri > Join the Apple Waitlist.

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The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office has filed a lawsuit on Monday to halt a political action committee run by billionaire Elon Musk from giving away $1 million to registered voters in swing states.

The lawsuit by Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner alleges Musk and his ‘America PAC’ of trying to influence voters in the presidential election by awarding cash prizes, which amounts to an illegal lottery. The filing requests an injunction to block the daily award, which comes just days after the Justice Department sent a letter to the super PAC  warning that awarding $1 million to registered voters could violate federal laws against paying voters.

According to America PAC’s website, the PAC has so far given out sweepstakes-style checks to nine people around the U.S., including four in Pennsylvania. The group notes that the payments are only available to registered voters in seven states, but includes a “special offer” for registered voters in Pennsylvania, offering $100 to petition signers and another $100 to those who referred a signer. America PAC said registered voters are also eligible in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada and North Carolina and Wisconsin. In order to be eligible for the prize residents of the state must be registered to vote and agree to sign a petition, supporting the First Amendment and Second Amendment.

Krasner said in a statement announcing the complaint: “The Philadelphia District Attorney is charged with protecting the public from public nuisances and unfair trade practices, including illegal lotteries. The DA is also charged with protecting the public from interference with the integrity of elections.”

Krasner also accuses Musk of “lulling Philadelphia citizens — and others in the Commonwealth (and other swing states in the upcoming election) — to give up their personal identification information and make a pledge in exchange for a chance to win $1 million. That is a lottery, and it is undisputably an unlawful lottery,” noting lotteries must be regulated by the state. The lawsuit also accused Musk and the PAC of “deploying deceptive, vague or misleading statements that create the likelihood of confusion or misunderstanding,” through the lottery, which violates Pennsylvania consumer protection law.

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Former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance, held a rally on Sunday at Madison Square Garden in New York City MSG, which seats 19,500 people, opened its doors around noon EDT to Trump supporters, many of whom camped outside overnight Saturday, with the event beginning around 5 p.m.

The Trump campaign described the Madison Square Garden rally as “historic” with a star-studded list of speakers including SpaceX’s Elon Musk, retired professional wrestler Hulk Hogan, former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, TV personality Dr. Phil McGraw, and UFC chief executive Dana White; with additional speakers including former Democrats Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., House Speaker Mike Johnson, former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Senior Trump advisors Dan Scavino and Stephen Miller, as well as several of Mr. Trump’s children.

In a surprise appearance, Trump’s wife Melania Trump introduced her husband, marking her first public political speech of this campaign cycle. Mrs. Trump has largely stayed away from campaigning this year, appearing with her husband only a handful of times throughout his latest presidential run. Trump’s speech included topics regarding immigration, his deportation plans, crime and the border.

Meanwhile, Kamala Harris campaigned in Philadelphia, making stops in the western and northern parts of the city included speaking at a church service, visiting a barbershop and stopping at a Puerto Rican restaurant.

A new CBS News poll has the two presidential candidates neck and neck with nine days until Election Day, with Vice President Kamala Harris at 50% and Trump at 49% among likely voters. In battleground states, both are polling at 50%.

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On Sunday, a federal appeals court refused to throw out a lower court order that ordered recently purged voters restored in Virginia, setting up a possible U.S. Supreme Court appeal.  In a court filing Friday, Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin and state Attorney General Jason Miyares, also a Republican, indicated in their motion the state planned to ask the Supreme Court to lift the injunction this week if the appeals court did not do so. U.S. District Judge Patricia Giles ruled on that motion that the move would be too disruptive to administer with just over a week until Election Day.

The decision by the 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals (comprised of Democratic Fourth Circuit Judges Albert Diaz, Toby Heyten and Stephanie Thacker) said they are “unpersuaded” by lawyers for Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin seeking to block an injunction obtained by U.S. Justice Department and civil rights groups.

According to court filings, about 1,600 people were removed from voter rolls in an Aug. 7 executive order from Youngkin. The appeals judges said neither the court nor the parties knew whether the people removed from the rolls “were in fact non-citizens” with at least some “eligible voters” had their registration canceled and didn’t know this was done. The three-judge panel’s order stressed that Virginia officials “remain able to prevent noncitizens from voting by canceling registrations on an individualized basis or prosecuting any noncitizen who votes.”

The ruling now sets up a Supreme Court fight over the purge program with early voting already underway in Virginia. Another federal court on Aug. 16 issued a similar ruling blocking a voter removal program in Alabama.

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