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The 8 Best Coffee Subscriptions of 2024, Tested by Us

CNET News - Mon, 09/30/2024 - 06:17
If you love a good quality cup of coffee and the reliability of always having some waiting in your kitchen, a coffee subscription may be just the thing for you.
Categories: Technology

Reminder: Disney Plus, Hulu and ESPN Plus are about to see a scary price hike in October

TechRadar News - Mon, 09/30/2024 - 06:09

Disney's impending price hike that is set to impact its ad-free and with-ads tiers on Disney Plus, Hulu, and ESPN Plus is happening soon. Now that October is around the corner, customers will have to make the decision to either pay more to continue streaming or cancel their subscription.

Disney Plus, ESPN Plus, and Hulu are all expected to get more expensive on October 17, 2024, which means that you if you want to continue being signed up to one of the best streaming services you'll have to pay extra to stay subscribed.

What should we expect from October's price hike? It's happening again. I'm so tired......... from r/Anticonsumption

As mentioned above, it will come into effect from October 17 and effects Disney Plus, ESPN and Hulu, so it's worth checking to see how your subscription will be effected – otherwise, you'll no longer have access to the best Disney Plus movies and best Disney Plus shows or the best Hulu movies and best Hulu shows.

In a recent update to subscribers (see Reddit post above), Disney said: "Your payment method on file will be charged unless you cancel before your next billing cycle on or after October 17, 2024." So you'll want to make adjustments before that cut off point to avoid the hike.

Here's the list of how each tier will be affected in mid-October again:

  • Disney Plus Basic (with ads) moves from $7.99 to $9.99 a month
  • Disney Plus Premium (without ads) moves from $13.99 to $15.99 a month
  • Hulu with ads moves from $7.99 to $9.99 a month
  • Hulu without ads moves from $17.99 to $18.99 a month
  • ESPN Plus moves from $10 to $11.99 a month

If this price hike is the final straw and you want to make the most of your last weeks, we recommend looking at everything new on Hulu in October and everything leaving Hulu in October, so you can make the most of your subscription.

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These 2 iPad Pro Features Should Come to the iPhone

CNET News - Mon, 09/30/2024 - 06:00
Commentary: A sleeker design and a camera with improved document scanning would make the iPhone a better productivity device.
Categories: Technology

Epic Games Is Suing Samsung Now

WIRED Top Stories - Mon, 09/30/2024 - 06:00
After suing both Apple and Google over app store payment policies, Fortnite developer Epic Games now has its sights on Samsung.
Categories: Technology

Loads more PS5 Pro enhanced games have been spotted on the PlayStation Store

TechRadar News - Mon, 09/30/2024 - 05:58

If you were holding out for some more details on the PS5 Pro games list then you’re in luck. A number of previously unknown PS5 Pro enhanced titles have been confirmed via the PlayStation Store, which now displays a “PS5 Pro Enhanced” label on certain games.

As spotted by an eagle-eyed Reddit user, the special label that denotes a PS5 Pro enhanced game is now out in the wild. According to the user, the full list of games where it currently appears is as follows.

  • Alan Wake 2
  • Assassin’s Creed Shadows
  • The Callisto Protocol
  • The Crew Motorfest
  • Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster
  • Demon’s Souls
  • Dragon Age: The Veilguard
  • Dragon’s Dogma 2
  • Dynasty Warriors: Origins
  • EA Sports College Football 25
  • EA Sports FC 25
  • Empire of the Ants
  • Enlisted
  • F1 24
  • Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
  • The First Descendant
  • Fortnite
  • Gran Turismo 7
  • Hogwarts Legacy
  • Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered
  • Horizon Forbidden West
  • The Last of Us Part 1
  • The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered
  • Lies of P
  • Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
  • Madden NFL 25
  • Marvel Rivals
  • Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater
  • Mortal Kombat 1
  • My Little Universe
  • Naraka: Bladepoint
  • No Man’s Sky
  • Pro Baseball Spirits 2024-2025
  • Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
  • Redacted
  • Resident Evil 4
  • Resident Evil Village
  • Retrieval
  • Rise of the Ronin
  • Rogue Flight
  • Spider-Man Remastered
  • Spider-Man Miles Morales
  • Spider-Man 2
  • Spine: This is Gun Fu
  • Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
  • Star Wars Outlaws
  • Stellar Blade
  • Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown
  • Towers of Aghasba
  • Until Dawn
  • Warframe
  • War Thunder
  • Wolverine
  • World of Warships: Legends
  • cyubeVR
  • Kayak VR Mirage

That's a total of 56 games, with two being exclusive to PSVR 2. Although a few of these were already confirmed to be part of the PS5 Pro enhanced library by Sony, there is some new information here.

We now know that Fortnite, Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown, and Warframe will all be receiving a boost on the console. As for what exactly this means, other PlayStation developers have said to expect something along the lines of higher framerates, increased resolution, and the use of new technologies like PSSR.

The PS5 Pro was announced and officially revealed by Sony earlier this month. It costs $699.99 / £699.99 / AU$1,999.95 and is set to release on November 7. PS5 Pro pre-orders are available right now via PlayStation Direct, with it set to come to other retailers on October 10.

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We may have just got a sneak peek at the OnePlus 13 from... OnePlus

TechRadar News - Mon, 09/30/2024 - 05:58

The successor to the OnePlus 12 is expected to break cover at some point in October, and we've quite possibly just been given a glimpse of what's to come – courtesy of OnePlus itself, in an early promotional image.

This picture was posted by OnePlus China president Li Jie Louis (via Android Authority), and if we can trust Google Translate, it shows the next-generation screen coming to future flagship smartphones under the OnePlus brand.

That's not exactly confirmation that this is indeed the OnePlus 13 – but it does seem that it's at least the display set for the upcoming handset. Aside from the screen, all we can really see is a small selfie camera hole, and some thin bezels around the edge.

Well-known tipster Digital Chat Station dropped a hint suggesting this is indeed the OnePlus 13, and mentioned a screen size of 6.82 inches. That would match the OnePlus 12, though presumably the screen would be upgraded in other aspects.

The rumors so far

The OnePlus 12 could be replaced very soon (Image credit: Peter Hoffmann)

We've haven't heard a huge amount about the OnePlus 13 up to this point: there's been talk of an upgrade to a 6,000mAh battery (up from 5,400mAh on the current model), which we're hoping would mean even better battery life.

According to the same source, the OnePlus 13 will stick with the same charging speeds – 100W wired and 50W wireless – but as they still beat most models on the market right now, we're not too disappointed about that.

An upgrade in the camera department has also been mooted. The OnePlus 12 brings with it a triple-lens 50MP wide + 64MP periscope telephoto (with 3x optical zoom) + 48MP ultrawide rear camera setup, so look out for improvements to that.

Li Jie Louis has gone on record as saying there will be a flagship OnePlus launch in October, and it's almost certainly going to be the OnePlus 13. We will of course bring you all the news and details as the announcements are made.

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Meta hit with major fine over password storage

TechRadar News - Mon, 09/30/2024 - 05:56

Meta has been fined €91 million for incorrectly storing social media account passwords in unencrypted databases.

Meta notified the Irish Data Protection Commission it had unintentionally stored the passwords in plain text within its internal systems.

Following an inquiry in April 2019, the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) found that Meta had violated General Data Protection Regulation four times, and has issued the fine along with a warning for the company to improve its security structures.

Not the first time

Storing passwords in plain text is frowned upon for obvious reasons, especially as it makes them vulnerable to attackers if a data breach occurs.

This isn’t the first time the company has been fined for violating GDPR. In January 2023, Meta was hit by a €390 million fine by the DPC for serving personalized ads without the option to opt-out and its data handling practices.

Then in May 2023, Meta was fined the highest possible GDPR fine of €1.2 billion for transferring data from the EU to the US outside of GDPR guidelines. EU data remains protected by GDPR even when moved outside of the EU.

Meta was also fined €265 million by the DPC in 2022 after data that had been scraped from Facebook was leaked on a hacking forum. The leak contained the data of 533 million people across 106 countries.

Speaking on Meta’s most recent fine, DPC deputy commissioner Graham Doyle said, “It is widely accepted that user passwords should not be stored in 'plaintext' considering the risks of abuse that arise from persons accessing such data.”

"It must be borne in mind, that the passwords the subject of consideration in this case are particularly sensitive, as they would enable access to users’ social media accounts,” Doyle concluded.

Via BBC

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The Samsung Galaxy S25 and other upcoming Androids look likely to cost even more than their predecessors

TechRadar News - Mon, 09/30/2024 - 05:43

For a while now, we’ve been hearing that the chip set to power most of 2025's best Android phones could be seriously expensive, and now there’s yet more evidence of this – suggesting that in turn the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S25 line might cost more than their predecessors.

According to leaker Digital Chat Station posting on Weibo (via Android Authority), the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 will cost about 20% more than its predecessor.

Now, we’d take this with a pinch of salt, but this is a leaker with a good track record, and we’ve heard a similar claim about the price of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 elsewhere. On top of which, Qualcomm itself has previously said the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 is likely to cost more than the 8 Gen 3.

How much of a dollar increase 20% would be though is less clear. Today’s leak suggests that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 will cost around $190, but a previous leak – which also pointed to a 20% increase on last year – said the price would be roughly $240.

(Image credit: Qualcomm) Price bumps for many of the best Android phones

Still, an increase of some amount is looking likely, and there’s every chance that price bump would be passed on to consumers, meaning the Samsung Galaxy S25 series, the OnePlus 13, the Sony Xperia 1 VII, and other Android flagships could all cost more than their predecessors.

Interestingly, today’s leak mentions that the MediaTek Dimensity 9400 will also cost about 20% more than the previous flagship MediaTek chipset. Now, that still means a lower total price than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4. But it also means that even if companies considered switched to MediaTek to reduce costs, they might not be able to keep the costs down by as much as a MediaTek chipset usually would.

Still, the good news about the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 at least is that it might be a tremendously powerful chipset, with an early Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra benchmark suggesting it might even have the A18 Pro in the iPhone 16 Pro beat.

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Ten months after its release, the Tesla Cybertruck is finally getting Full Self Driving capabilities

TechRadar News - Mon, 09/30/2024 - 05:31

A select few Tesla Cybertruck owners have taken to the forums to boast about their vehicles finally gaining Full Self-Driving (FSD) capabilities – a technology that was promised alongside the massively delayed truck at launch, but has since taken ten months to arrive.

Posting on cybertruckownersclub.com, one user uploaded a short video of a Cybertruck seemingly driving itself around the city at night, with the user’s hands off the wheel for well over a minute. 

The owner then posted: "Boys and girls, the wait is finally over! It is real! It is here now! And it is spectacular!" alongside the clip.

However, a number of customers have been disgruntled at the length of time they have been forced to wait for technology that was sold as a feature rolled into the limited edition Foundation Series of vehicles.

Earlier this month, Tesla said that Cybertruck would also gain Auto Park functionality, but many models are still lacking the most basic Auto Pilot assisted cruise control, as well as the flashier Actually Smart Summon (ASS) features that some influential Model 3 owners gained access to earlier this month.

(Image credit: Wiki)

However, the company has been biding its time when rolling out the very latest version of the FSD software to ensure it works seamlessly with Cybertruck - generally a much larger and more complex vehicle than anything else in the Tesla stable.

After all, Tesla’s Autopilot features and various levels of 'supervised' autonomous driving modes have come under fire in recent years, with US auto-safety regulators claiming it had identified at least 13 fatal crashes in which the Autopilot feature had been involved since investigations were launched in 2021, according to The Guardian

Despite running on the very latest FSD 12.5.5 (most Teslas are running FSD 12.5.4), there is a caveat that states this remains an "early access" version of the software, meaning not all owners will get it and that there may be some bugs that still require ironing out. As a result, it is largely going out to Tesla employees and Early Access Testers, according to notable Tesla software-tracking website NotaTeslaApp.

There is no word on a wider roll-out of the update, only that it is expected to arrive in the coming weeks for those remaining Foundation Series Cybertruck owners that received Full Self-Driving as part of the limited-edition package. 

Going forward, the technology will likely become an optional extra as it is now when building and specifying other models in the Tesla line-up.

Patience is a virtue... when you are a Tesla owner

(Image credit: Tesla)

Tesla is unique in so much as many of its customers are happy to wait for features that were promised at time of launch to arrive. To compound matters, the company seemingly employs a hierarchy of importance, often rolling out these software updates to VIPs and other influential owners first.

But it is not just software that requires a serious amount of patience and self-restraint from owners, as Cybertruck has also been shipping without wheel covers, with many customers still waiting to receive them.

It is a similar story with the range extender battery, which many customers have paid a non-refundable deposit and joined a waiting list for, but production has been pushed into early 2025, so the wait could well be over a year.

Again, an off-road Lightbar accessory, which mounts to the top of the windshield and has to be fitted by a Tesla service center, has been promised several times but still not delivered to many customers.

While many early adopters are often happy to wait, feeling part of an exclusive Tesla club, the same rarely applies to the wider buying public. Over-promising and under-delivering has rarely been considered a strong sales tactic.

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How to Renovate Your Home for a Billion Children

WIRED Top Stories - Mon, 09/30/2024 - 05:30
I kept seeing more and more utterly absurd, hugely viral home remodeling videos on TikTok. So I tracked down where they actually come from.
Categories: Technology

Watch out, Microsoft Outlook could soon give away when you're sneakily working from home

TechRadar News - Mon, 09/30/2024 - 05:26

Sneaking in a work from home day could soon be a bit trickier thanks to a new update coming to Microsoft Outlook.

The email provider is rolling out a new feature that will allow users to spot which of their co-workers or colleagues is currently in the office, and therefore possibly free for a quick meeting or able to reply to a message.

The update will use the Work Hours and Location information stored within Outlook to offer up this information, meaning there may be some awkward conversations if your colleagues believe you to be in the office.

Always on

In its entry in the Microsoft 365 roadmap, the company notes that the feature will be "always on", meaning there may be no getting around what it represents as your office presence.

It's not really mentioned exactly how malleable or "smart" the feature is - as employee schedules will undoubtedly change depending on work load or calendars - for example, heading to a conference may mean you are out of the office, or a last-minute customer visit may require a dash away from your desk.

The information will be pinned on the top-right corner of the Calendar surface in Outlook, initially on Windows and web, but undoubtedly rolling out to more platforms soon.

The ability to specify your working location via Outlook was first introduced in December 2021 at the height of the hybrid working boom, as companies and employees alike switched to a new way of working that allowed more flexibility and efficiency when working away from the office.

Google Calendar launched a similar feature in August 2021, allowing users to highlight exactly where they would be working, with the options of home, office, or a specific other location.

Several large companies have recently launched a fightback against hybrid working, claiming having employees back in the office is somehow better for productivity.

Most recently, Dell ordered its global sales teams to work onsite five days per week unless otherwise engaged with customers or partners as part of its plan to "continually evolve our business".

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy recently also ordered all employees to return to full-time in-person working - a move that was met with extreme reluctance, with a survey following the announcement revealing 91% were unhappy with the decision, and 73% were considering moving jobs because of it.

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The results are in: the iPhone 16 Pro Max is Apple’s battery champ

TechRadar News - Mon, 09/30/2024 - 05:07

If you want the best iPhone with the best battery life, the iPhone Pro Max models are usually your best bet. Apple stuffs its most capacious batteries into these devices, and this year is no different – and a recent test has shown exactly the kind of longevity you can expect.

The benchmarking was done by Tom’s Guide, which put the entire iPhone 16 range through its paces. The process involved surfing the web using 5G connectivity and with the display brightness set to 150 nits, and by the end the iPhone 16 Pro Max was the clear winner.

It managed 18 hours and six minutes of browsing, compared to 14 hours and seven minutes for the iPhone 16 Pro, 16 hours and 29 minutes for the iPhone 16 Plus, and 12 hours and 43 minutes for the iPhone 16.

That put the iPhone 16 Pro Max comfortably ahead of Apple’s other iPhone 16 products. In fact, it’s the highest score of any iPhone that Tom’s Guide has ever tested.

(Image credit: Shutterstock / boyhey)

It also romped ahead of almost all the non-Apple competition. Tom’s Guide says that if you’re of the Android persuasion, only the Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro, the OnePlus 12R or the Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate offer longer battery life. In Tom’s Guide’s testing, these phones hit 18 hours and 48 minutes, 18 hours and 42 minutes, and 18 hours and 32 minutes, respectively.

As for Apple’s main high-end phone competition, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra fell well short of the iPhone 16 Pro Max, clocking 16 hours and 45 minutes of battery life, despite having a larger 5,000mAh cell (compared to the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s 4,685mAh).

Compared to the iPhone 15 range, this year’s iPhones have increased their battery life considerably. For instance, in Tom’s Guide’s testing, the iPhone 15 Pro Max managed 14 hours and two minutes, falling over four hours short of the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

While Tom’s Guide used real-world benchmarking, there’s no guarantee that you’ll see similar numbers from your own iPhone, as these things can vary from user to user and device to device. But it’s certainly encouraging to see how much juice Apple has managed to cram into the iPhone 16 range. If battery life matters to you, you’ll likely be very happy with Apple’s latest efforts.

Categories: Technology

New Tech Makes Roborock's Qrevo Curv an Elegant, Unstoppable Cleaning Machine

CNET News - Mon, 09/30/2024 - 05:00
With a Dual Anti-Tangle System to combat hair tangling and the AdaptaLift chassis to smoothly sail over obstacles, Roborock's Qrevo Curv finally makes vacuuming so hassle-free you can actually forget it's happening.
Categories: Technology

The Pig Butchering Invasion Has Begun

WIRED Top Stories - Mon, 09/30/2024 - 05:00
Scamming operations that once originated in Southeast Asia are now proliferating around the world, likely raking in billions of dollars in the process.
Categories: Technology

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra case leak may give us an idea of the new design

TechRadar News - Mon, 09/30/2024 - 04:53

New phones mean new phone cases as well, and as we count down towards January and the expected launch of the Samsung Galaxy S25 range we've got a leaked look at a case that could potentially be wrapping around the Ultra model.

It comes from well-known tipster Ice Universe, and it corroborates some of the other leaks we've seen up to this point – including the unofficial renders showing off sides and corners that are much more rounded than they are on the current model.

The rear camera array layout is also revealed by the molding of this transparent case, a layout we've previously seen in earlier camera leaks, and which looks pretty similar to the camera array on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra,.

Even if the camera layout is the same, that doesn't mean the cameras themselves won't be improved: a 200MP primary camera, 50MP super-telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom, a secondary 50MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, and a 50MP ultrawide camera are apparently on the way next year.

Familiar looks

S25 Ultra case pic.twitter.com/y6jiIDgcpbSeptember 30, 2024

Elsewhere on this case, everything is where you would expect it to be. We've got the volume buttons, the power button, the gap for the USB-C port down at the bottom, and the grille for the speaker.

In other words, don't expect the Galaxy S25 Ultra to look a whole lot different to the Galaxy S24 Ultra – although alongside the rounded corners, we are anticipating an asymmetrical frame front to back, for a more comfortable hold in the hand.

Other upgrades may well come on the inside: a couple of days ago we heard a repeat of the rumor that the Galaxy S25 Ultra would be getting 16GB of RAM as standard, up from the 12GB of RAM in the current Ultra model.

All will be revealed in January 2025, if Samsung sticks to the same schedule as it did this year. We're once again expecting three models to show up – a standard S25 model, as well as Plus and Ultra versions – likely with a host of AI features on board (which might not be free forever).

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'I'm scared for him': The Penguin viewers are already worried about the fate of The Batman spin-off's most lovable character

TechRadar News - Mon, 09/30/2024 - 04:40

We're just two episodes into The Penguin, but the hit series' audience is already really worried about the potential fate of its most endearing character.

The Batman spin-off has already proven that it doesn't need the Dark Knight to be HBO's latest TV hit, with viewers praising its thrilling and tense 'Scarface meets The Sopranos' storyline, cinematography, and its two leads – Colin Farrell and Cristin Milioti, who have particularly wowed fans as Oz Cobb and Sofia Falcone respectively.

But it's one of The Penguin's key supporting characters who's dominating online discussions after episode 2 – titled 'Inside Man' – and not for good reasons. Indeed, viewers are concerned about Victor Aguilar (played by Rhenzy Felix), Oz's lackey-in-chief, who's felt the wrath of his new boss multiple times throughout the HBO show's early entries.

poor vic after having worked for penguin three days #ThePenguin pic.twitter.com/BF9qFJr9amSeptember 30, 2024

With six more suspense-filled episodes of the popular Max still to go, it's highly unlikely that anything will happen to Victor just yet; after all, there are plenty of other supporting characters who are more likely to bite the bullet before Oz's right-hand man. But, considering that the show's protagonist was ready to "pop a cap" into Victor's skull just 10 minutes into The Penguin's first chapter, plus the fact that Victor is now working for one of the most unhinged and callous individuals in Gotham City, many fans are convinced that he won't make it to the end of this Batman-adjacent series.

A quick glance at social media sites such as Reddit and X/Twitter reveals how anxious some people are about Victor. On Reddit, aLittleDoober summed up a lot of viewers' thoughts, writing: "I am scared for poor Vic though and think Oz might end up offing him". Their sentiments were shared by other users, including kush125289, who wrote "Vic... [is] definitely dying...", and KindsofKindness, who opined: "I feel pity for Vic. He is gonna get himself killed. I would be shocked if he survived the whole season."

Oz is not Victor friend. The sooner y’all realize that, the better. Vic work for Oz, that’s the extent of their relationship. Also, Oz is a ticking time bomb. At any moment he can react hastily. #ThePenguin pic.twitter.com/zZPBhscraUSeptember 30, 2024

There are some audience members, though, who believe Victor might make it out alive. Geek-Haven888 is one of them, with the Redditor saying "he's either going to be dead by the end of the show or be like a terrifying henchman".

Cig_sg_throwaway was more convinced that Vic will survive, writing: "His arc is to become more street-smart and ultimately proving to Oz he has what it takes to survive the politics of Gotham's underworld", while NitarasDaughter offered up another suggestion: "Even if he does live, he'll most likely end up in Arkham because of everything Oz puts him through."

As the aforementioned embedded tweets, plus post-episode 2 reactions from other X/Twitter users, such as nkajoanofarc and truckerschapeI, show, however, it seems most viewers are fretting over the prospect of Vic being killed. I suspect they'll be delighted to be proven wrong, though, if one of the best Max shows' most lovable characters lives to fight another day.

The Penguin episodes 1 and 2 are out now on Max and HBO (US), Sky and Now TV (UK), and Binge (Australia).

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30-Year Fixed-Rate Mortgage Moves Up: Mortgage Rates on Sept. 30, 2024

CNET News - Mon, 09/30/2024 - 04:37
Mortgage rates split, but one benchmark rate saw an increase. Here's what that means.
Categories: Technology

Best CD Rates Today, Sept. 30, 2024: Don’t Wait to Lock In a High APY. Rates Are Dropping

CNET News - Mon, 09/30/2024 - 04:30
These APYs may be the highest you'll find for some time.
Categories: Technology

30-Year Fixed Refi Rate Rises: Current Refinance Rates on Sept. 30, 2024

CNET News - Mon, 09/30/2024 - 04:30
Refinance rates were mixed, but one key rate increased.
Categories: Technology

Apple's rumored Apple Intelligence-powered smart displays could see it finally crack the smart home market

TechRadar News - Mon, 09/30/2024 - 04:28

Apple’s long-rumored smart-display-powered HomePod devices could have Apple Intelligence features at their core to help control your smart home.

Mark Gurman, Bloomberg’s Apple expert wrote in his Power On newsletter Sunday, ‘Apple is taking another crack at the smart home market.’ This time, we’re expecting two smart display products akin to a HomePod with a screen, capable of running everything Apple Intelligence has to offer.

The new devices have been in the pipeline for a while now with previous reports hinting at ‘a tabletop device code-named J595 that combines a robotic limb with a large, iPad-like display.’ But Gurman says Apple is also working on a ‘low-end smart display’ codenamed J490 aimed at using FaceTime and Apple Home control.

The interesting thing about this report is not the products themselves, as we have been hearing about Apple’s smart displays for a while now, but more so that ‘Apple Intelligence tools will be at the heart of both products, helping the company bring AI into the home.’ Gurman expects the J490 to launch as early as next year as a ‘lower-end companion to the robotic device, which may cost $1,000 or more.’

homeOS

Apple Intelligence for the smart home (Image credit: Apple)

With a new product line comes a new operating system, and Gurman thinks Apple will call it homeOS. He claims tvOS from the Apple TV will be at the basis for homeOS, but expects both OS to ‘ultimately get combined and run on every Apple home device.’

Interestingly these smart display products are collaborations between Apple’s artificial intelligence and home device hardware engineering teams, making it clear that Apple Intelligence is at the heart of these products. Gurman adds, ‘The low-end smart display is designed to run apps like Calendar, Notes and Home, and will include an interface optimized for controlling home appliances and quickly seeing information.’

These rumored Apple-Intelligence powered smart display products could usher in a very exciting future for Apple’s idea of a home and give the company another crack at taking a large slice of the smart home market pie.

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