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Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference kicked off at the beginning of the week, with all eyes on the company's newly announced updates. Starting with the introduction of the “Apple Intelligence” AI platform, a host of new features have arrived in the Apple world, including Genmoji and ChatGPT x Siri.
Meanwhile, Elon Musk is facing two lawsuits, the more serious of which stems from former SpaceX engineers who claim he personally ordered their firings over sexual harassment concerns in the workplace.
On the product side, the Light Phone III is as minimalist as ever, but with more features, and it arrives alongside the 4K Insta360 GO 3S, Insta360's smallest camera yet.
Below, Hypebeast has rounded up the top tech news stories of the week to help you stay on top of industry trends.
Apple's biggest announcements at WWDC 2024
apple
Apple's WWDC 2024 saw a variety of big announcements, including its entry into the AI field with “Apple Intelligence.” The Apple AI feature, a built-in assistant on iPhones, iPads, and Macs, will tap into a user's “personal context” to assist with functions like sending emails and texts.
“It's in a personal context, it's private,” Tim Cook told Hypebeast. “People are understandably very concerned about their personal information being leaked. The fact that we're doing it in a private way, and the fact that we're integrating it, those are all big differentiators.”
AI also comes into play with the newly announced AI-generated emojis and ChatGPT partnership, now available via Siri.
Apple also announced a new Mac Virtual Display in visionOS 2, iPhone Mirroring in macOS Sequoia, hand gestures to answer or reject calls while connected to AirPods, Tap to Cash, and new ways to organize your Home screen.
Elon Musk sued by eight former SpaceX employees for sexual harassment and retaliation
Alain Jocard/AFP/Getty Images
Eight former SpaceX engineers are suing Elon Musk.
The employees allege sexual harassment and retaliation, and allege that Musk himself asked to be fired in June 2022 after they sent the company an open letter about sexual harassment, less than a month after Musk reportedly settled misconduct allegations by a former SpaceX flight attendant.
The lawsuit lays out several scenarios in which plaintiffs accuse Musk of “treating women as sex objects to be judged by their bra size, making lewd sexual jokes in the workplace, and repeatedly telling those who challenged the Animal House environment that if they didn't like it they could find a job elsewhere.”
Stay tuned to Hypebeast for more as the story develops.
The Light Phone III introduces some modern features yet remains distraction-free to use.
Light Phone
A few years after the launch of the Light Phone II, the Light Phone III was released.
Featuring a larger OLED display, the Light Phone III once again arrives in a completely matte, minimalist silhouette, but this time introduces an NFC chip that enables Apple Pay-like tap-to-pay transactions.
Other new features include a flashlight, a camera, and longer battery life than previous models.
The Light Phone III retails for $399 and can be pre-ordered from now until July 15th on the label's website.
Insta360 releases smallest 4K camera
Insta360
Insta360 has announced its smallest product yet: the 4K Insta360 GO 3S.
The successor to the action camera brand's GO 3, the GO 3S marks an evolution from the last model with a new “Interval Video” mode, and an updated installation allows for automatic hands-free use.
The MegaView field of view results in less distortion in wide shots, while improved Dolby Vision-Ready provides more detail across a wider dynamic range.
The fully waterproof GO 3S comes in two colors, Arctic White and Midnight Black, and also includes Apple's Find My feature for the first time.
Get the camera now for $399.99 on the Insta360 website.
