News

If you've ever read Who Moved My Cheese? by Dr. Spencer Johnson, you know the moral of the business parable is that change is inevitable and we should embrace it. If you're unfamiliar with it, I suggest you pick up your iPhone and phone a friend for a quick chat. Doing so might remind you how little the Phone app on iOS has changed in almost two decades. It's a comfort that, according to fresh rumors, might soon evaporate, leaving you crying out, "Who moved my cheese?!"We're just a few days away from Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 2025), and the internet is abuzz with rumors about numerous changes coming to virtually every major Apple platform.iOS is naturally chief among them and, thus far, the prevailing rumors have dealt with the look, which may lean toward floating frosted glass objects (yes, like visionOS on the Vision Pro). None of these changes gives me real pause, but Mark Gurman's (Bloomberg) latest prognostication is perhaps a bridge too far: a redesigned Phone app.Gurman is scant on details, but he describes "a new view that combines favorites, contacts, recent calls, and voice mails" in a single view. He does not address the keypad, but I think it's safe to assume that if Apple is touching the other four Phone app elements, it's unlikely they'll leave the Keypad alone.While iPhone call and communication functionality has seen numerous changes over the years, like call hand-off across ecosystem devices, FaceTime, Name Drop for contact sharing, and, most recently, Satellite support, the Phone App itself has barely changed at all.This is a good thing.No dial tone(Image credit: Future)Each year, no matter the scale of change for any given version of iOS, the chief complaint I get is, "Why did they change it?"Most people I've spoken to are not thrilled with recent design and organizational updates to the Photos app or Mail. Sometimes Apple's efforts to streamline apps or make them easier to use result in hidden features or at least moved elements that no average consumer can find (at least those I know).I'm not saying Apple will do away with the keypad, but a change in how the digits are presented, which has more to do with classic analog phones than any digital communication device, is possible. That would be the kind of change that would send iPhone users over the edge.The rumored changes to the app, which appear to revolve around losing the distinct Contacts, Recents, Favorites, and Voicemail elements in favor of a long window of stacked elements, are unlikely to draw many cheers at WWDC and even less enthusiasm when it reaches consumers on new iPhone 17 handsets later this year.There is some good news. Gurman claims the changes will be optional. I wonder, though, if they will be the default. If there's one thing consumers hate more than change, it's having to hunt around to figure out how to reverse it.So, sure, Apple, spruce up iOS and maybe even give the Phone app a polish, but if you have big changes in store, just make sure they're not the default. If not, don't call me, maybe.You might also likeWhat NOT to expect at Apple's WWDC 2025 - three things you definitely won't seeI've used iPads for 10 years – here are the iPadOS 19 features I want to see from WWDC 2025How to watch WWDC 2025: get ready for new Apple Intelligence features, iOS 19, macOS 16 and more

The New York Times is requesting that all ChatGPT conversations be retained as part of its lawsuit against OpenAI and MicrosoftThis would mean that a record of all your ChatGPT conversations would be kept, potentially foreverOpenAI argues that chats with AI should be a private conversationBack in December 2023, the New York Times launched a lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft, alleging copyright infringement. The New York Times alleges that OpenAI had trained its ChatGPT model, which also powers Microsoft’s Copilot, by “copying and using millions” of its articles without permission.The lawsuit is still ongoing, and as part of it the New York Times (and other plaintiffs involved in the case) have made the demand that OpenAI are made to retain consumer ChatGPT and API customer data indefinitely, much to the ire of Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, who took to X.com to tweet, “We have been thinking recently about the need for something like ‘AI privilege’; this really accelerates the need to have the conversation. IMO talking to an AI should be like talking to a lawyer or a doctor. I hope society will figure this out soon.”recently the NYT asked a court to force us to not delete any user chats. we think this was an inappropriate request that sets a bad precedent.we are appealing the decision.we will fight any demand that compromises our users' privacy; this is a core principle.June 6, 2025OpenAI describes the New York Times lawsuit as “baseless”, and in a lengthy post on the OpenAI website titled, ‘How we’re responding to The New York Times’ data demands in order to protect user privacy’, OpenAI lays out its approach to privacy.Brad Lightcap, COO, OpenAI, says that the demand from the NYT “fundamentally conflicts with the privacy commitments we have made to our users. It abandons long-standing privacy norms and weakens privacy protections.”Private investigationsAs more and more people share intimate details of their lives with AI chatbots, which are often taking on the role of a therapist, I can appreciate the need to be able to keep AI conversations private, however, I can also see the NYT’s point of view that if there is evidence that supports its claims against OpenAI then it needs to have access to that data without OpenAI being able to declare it all as too private to share.At the moment, a ChatGPT chat is removed from your account immediately when you delete the conversation, and scheduled for permanent deletion from OpenAI systems within 30 days. The order would mean that even deleted ChatGPT conversations would have to be retained by OpenAI.As a ChatGPT user myself, I’ve always appreciated the ability to be able to remove conversations entirely. If OpenAI is forced to comply with this request, then it’s going to affect pretty much everybody who uses the service, on either a free, Plus, Pro, or Teams (but not Enterprise or Edu account holders).The order also does not impact API customers who are using Zero Data Retention endpoints under OpenAI’s ZDR amendment.OpenAI has said it has appealed the order to the District Court Judge and will inform us when it knows more.You might also likeShould you start a new chat with ChatGPT every time you use it? Here's your guide for when to keep the conversation goingFree ChatGPT users can finally stop re-explaining themselves in every session5 ChatGPT prompts to inspire your creativity