Genmoji in iOS 18.2 Beta Make Your Emojis Personal

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What’s up, Tech Squad? Today, we’re diving into Apple’s nostalgic nod to the past with a smart display that’s giving us iMac G4 vibes, Elon Musk’s latest confession about Tesla’s full self-driving struggles, and a pint-sized powerhouse—the iPad Mini 7. Plus, we’ve got the scoop on Instagram’s blurry video problem and how it’s all about those views.

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Apple’s Home Hub: Bringing Retro Vibes Back

Apple’s next big thing isn’t a new iPhone, but it might still look like one… sort of. The tech giant is getting closer to unveiling its new smart home display, a small square device about the size of two iPhones placed side by side. The screen will rest on a circular base, reminiscent of the old-school iMac G4, giving the device some nostalgic flair.

But it’s not just about the looks—rumor has it the base could double as a speaker, effectively turning this gizmo into a HomePod with a screen. The smart display will feature a new OS that supports some familiar apps like FaceTime, Notes, and Calendar. Think of it as a mini control center for your smart home gadgets, while also playing videos, displaying photo slideshows, and more.

A bigger, pricier version with a robotic arm is in the works too, but don’t hold your breath—it’s not expected until 2026. For now, the smaller version should arrive next year, aiming to finally make Apple a true smart home contender.

iOS 18.2 Genmoji: Emoji, But Make it Personal

Apple’s iOS 18.2 beta is dropping some serious AI magic, and the star of the update is Genmoji. This feature lets you break free from standard emoji limits by creating custom emojis using simple text prompts. Want a “taco levitating in a crystal ball” or a “golden retriever with a Frisbee”? Just describe it, and Apple’s AI generates multiple emoji options for you to choose from. You can then save and use your Genmojis across Messages, Notes, and even third-party apps.

While some results may need a bit of tweaking (looking at you, “face with pepperoni eyes”), the creativity boost is undeniable. It’s emoji-making taken to a whole new level of personalization, perfect for making your chats truly one-of-a-kind.

Genmoji isn’t the only new trick up iOS 18.2’s sleeve. There’s also the Image Playground for AI-powered photo editing and new visual intelligence features exclusive to the iPhone 16 lineup. With these updates, Apple’s latest beta is all about putting your imagination front and center.

Tesla’s Full Self-Driving: Musk Hits the Brakes on HW3 Hopes

Elon Musk has finally conceded what many suspected: Tesla’s HW3 computer might not be up to the task of delivering true full self-driving (FSD). During the Q3 2024 earnings call, Musk admitted that while HW4 has significantly more capability, there’s “some chance” HW3 may not reach the safety level required for unsupervised FSD.

This is the first time Musk openly acknowledged that HW3, currently found in millions of Teslas, might not support the autonomous dream sold to customers. Tesla’s ongoing struggle to achieve level 4-5 autonomy has led to squeezing every bit of performance from the HW3’s neural network nodes, yet it still falls short. Musk assured that if FSD can’t be delivered, owners will get a free upgrade to a new computer. But there’s a catch—HW4 has different power requirements and camera configurations, meaning a simple swap won’t cut it.

The bigger revelation? Musk admitted, “We don’t actually know the answer” to what it will take to achieve full autonomy. After years of promising self-driving by the end of the year, it seems the road to robotaxis remains uncertain.

VIDEO: iPad mini 7 Review

Instagram’s Blurry Video Problem: It’s All About the Views

Ever wondered why some of your Instagram videos look sharp while others seem blurry? Turns out, it’s not just your camera skills. Instagram’s video quality actually varies based on view count, as explained by Instagram head Adam Mosseri in a recent video AMA.

Mosseri revealed that Instagram tries to show the highest-quality video possible, but if a video doesn’t get much attention early on, the platform downgrades its quality to save resources. If the video later racks up more views, Instagram will then upgrade it back to higher quality. It’s a resource-saving move designed to prioritize videos from creators who drive more engagement, effectively giving popular videos the VIP treatment.

While Mosseri insists the quality difference “isn’t huge,” smaller creators have raised concerns about being disadvantaged. Meta, Instagram’s parent company, has faced similar criticisms since 2021, when it admitted that the increasing volume of videos made it impossible to keep up with high-quality processing for all uploads.

Bottom line: If your video isn’t looking its best, it might just need more eyeballs.