Users of Insteon’s connected home automation products will now be able to control their Sonos speakers directly from Insteon hardware and the company’s iOS app. The feature comes thanks to a new integration with Sonos that the company announced today at CES 2016.

With the integration, users will be able to control their Sonos speakers from the Insteon wall keypads, handheld remotes and sensors, as well as the company’s Hub app for iPhone and iPad. Instead offered some examples of how you can sync your Sonos speakers and music with lighting scenes and more:

Through this integration, music can now play a part in custom Insteon lighting scenes so that while the lights slowly fade on in the morning, gentle music resonates throughout the home and the coffee starts brewing. Alternatively, at dusk, the lights could fade on while users arrive home to their favorite dinner prep playlist.

You’ll also be able to make adjustments by assigning specific functions for Sonos (like volume up and down, for example) to the Insteon wall keypad. Sonos owners can easily control their speakers as they walk in and out of rooms or when they simply do not want the hassle of dealing with an app.

“It’s easy for homeowners to replace normal wall switches with Insteon keypads that can be used to control the existing light, while adding additional buttons for control of Sonos speakers or other lights and appliances throughout the home. Users can also pick up an Insteon wireless remote from the coffee table and instantly enjoy control at their fingertips. Insteon will be offering pre-printed keypad buttons specifically for Sonos related functions, which will make basic sound control even easier for anyone to use and understand.”

The Sonos integration for Insteon will go live some time this week via an update to the company’s iOS app on the App Store.

Filed under: Apps, iOS Tagged: App Store, CES 2016, Control, hub, Insteon, iPad, iPhone, Lighting, remote, Sonos, volume

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Building upon some of its most popular prior Bluetooth audio products, JBL has debuted the fully waterproof Charge 3 ($150) and Clip 2 ($60) speakers, as well as three in-ear headphones: the advanced active noise-cancelling Everest Elite 100 ($199), and two versions of the Under Armour UA Headphones Wireless ($180-$250), one with an integrated heart rate monitor…

Sequel to last year’s splashproof Charge 2+, the IPX7 waterproof Charge 3 speaker can now be submerged in water, and features a new design with a fabric grille and rubberized housing. Still built with stereo speakers and a bass radiator, Charge 3 now promises 15 hours of play time (up from 12) from the 6,000mAh battery, which can alternately be used to recharge a device over USB.

Smaller and redesigned with an integrated triangular carabiner, Clip 3 is the sequel to last year’s Clip+. Like Charge 3, it has been IPX7-waterproofed with a fabric and rubber housing, offering 8 hours of play time. Both speakers can be wirelessly paired with other JBL speakers for amplified sound, or paired with multiple audio sources at once.

Everest Elite 100 is JBL’s latest fully wireless in-ear headphone, and is billed as the “industry’s first in-ear wireless headphones with NXTGen noise cancelling capabilities.” Built with Bluetooth 4.0, Everest Elite 100 allows you to dynamically control the amount of outside noise the earphones let in, using a free downloadable app that can adjust NXTGen noise cancellation independently for each ear. JBL is promising 6 hours of play time for this model.

Co-developed with Under Armour, JBL’s UA Headphones Wireless ($180) and UA Headphones Wireless Heart Rate ($250) have been designed as athlete-friendly Bluetooth headphones. Both versions are IPX5 sweat-proof and have a Twistlock design that’s “guaranteed never to fall out” of your ears, with Flexsoft tips. The basic model uses Bluetooth 4.0 and is solely for audio and calls, with up to 8 hours of playback time; the Heart Rate version has a heart rate monitor that measures from the ear, constantly streaming data during fitness activities. It uses Bluetooth 4.1, and offers up to 5 hours of playback time.

All five products are expected to be available by Spring. Prior-generation versions of JBL’s Clip and Charge are being discounted to clear inventory ahead of the new models’ release.

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Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: Charge 3, Clip 2, Everest Elite 100, JBL, Under Armour

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Best known for its iPhone lens accessories, Olloclip today unveiled Studio ($90), a rail mounting camera accessory case for the iPhone 6, 6s, and Plus models. Studio enables the latest iPhone models to transform into more fully-featured cameras, including a bundle of protection, mounting hardware, and basic grips. It works with Olloclip’s existing, popular lineup of iPhone lenses, which are sold separately…

The 7-piece Studio set begins with a ruggedized, device-specific case — the nicest yet debuted by Olloclip — and continues with 6 additional items: a two-finger grip that aids in stability and eases switches from portrait to landscape orientation, two tripod/grip clips, two cold shoe adapters for LED lamps or microphones, and a kickstand to prop the case up.

Initially available in jet black, the Studio case will ship in early February. Olloclip’s lens lineup starts at $70 and climbs to $120, based on the specific lens package you select.

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Check out more of my reviews, How-To guides and editorials for 9to5Mac here! I’ve published a lot of different topics of interest to Mac, iPad, iPhone, iPod, Apple TV, and Apple Watch users, as well as a personal gift guide for Apple fans, a great gift guide for iPhone users, a detailed gift guide for Mac users, and a separate gift guide for Apple photographers.

Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: Camera, camera accessories, iPhone 6, iphone 6 plus, iPhone 6s, iphone 6s plus, Olloclip, studio

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Apple has announced that the App Store had its best ever holiday season in 2015, setting records for Christmas and New Year’s Day. January 1st 2016 saw $144 million of App Store spending, the best day in App Store history. It beat the previous record set just a week earlier on Christmas Day.

In total, in the two weeks up to January 3, customers spent over $1.1 billion on apps and in-app purchases …

Apple Marketing SVP Philip Schiller said 2016 was ‘one for the record books’.

“The App Store had a holiday season for the record books. We are excited that our customers downloaded and enjoyed so many incredible apps for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple TV, spending over $20 billion on the App Store last year alone,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “We’re grateful to all the developers who have created the most innovative and exciting apps in the world for our customers. We can’t wait for what’s to come in 2016.”

2015 saw the launch of two additional App Stores, for Apple TV and Apple Watch. Coupled with continuing growth in iOS, App Store sales are skyrocketing. In total, $20 billion dollars was spent in the App Store in the last year. This means Apple paid out about $14 billion to developers over 2015. Since 2008, Apple has paid developers $40 billion with app and in-app purchase revenue.

Filed under: Apps Tagged: App Store, records

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One person who definitely didn’t read our PSA on Wi-Fi Assist last September is San Francisco teenager Ashton Finegold. CBS News says that he is blaming the feature on a mobile phone bill for $2,021.07 as he racked up 144GB of data.

It turns out Ashton Finegold’s bedroom is one such place with a weak [Wi-Fi] signal. So while he thought he was still connected to his home Wi-Fi while surfing the web in his room, his iPhone was eating up more than 144,000 MB of data.

The piece notes that Finegold did receive a text message warning from his carrier, which he ignored …

Wi-Fi Assist is an iOS 9 feature that automatically uses mobile data when you have a poor Wi-Fi connection. By default, it is switched on – leading to a $5M class action suit against Apple. Apple issued a support document explaining exactly how the feature works in October of last year.

Image: TekRevue

Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: iOS 9, iPhone, mobile data, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Assist

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The WSJ is today suggesting that Apple is scaling back iPhone orders, noting that iPhone manufacturer Foxconn has been laying off workers and has received a $12.6M subsidy from the Chinese government through a program designed to minimize unemployment.

The piece notes that the subsidy is for Foxconn’s Zhengzhou plant, which is mostly devoted to iPhone production, and says that Apple has also reduced order forecasts for iPhone component makers.

Chinese iPhone factories had some idle capacity in the final two months of the calendar year, when they would typically be racing to chongliang, or “rush quantity,” for Apple, in factory-speak. Some workers at Foxconn’s Zhengzhou factory in inland China were let go on early holiday last month, one of the people involved in the supply said, although the typical new-year holiday season doesn’t start until February.

Foxconn is not the only company to receive government support to protect jobs in the Zhengzhou area, with 134 other companies also receiving support, but the WSJ says that the iPhone manufacturer received more than half of the total, with IDC analyst James Yan linking this directly to iPhone sales.

Zhengzhou is the largest base for iPhone manufacturing, so this should reflect iPhone sales.

Both Foxconn and fellow iPhone assembler Pegatron have seen their share prices fall amid speculation of falling demand for iPhones, as has camera module supplier Largan. Apple’s share price has likewise fallen, in part due to a claim by Japan’s Nikkei newspaper that the company is expected to reduce output well below its initial projections.

The shares are down 13% over the past month. The stock fell 2.5% to $102.71 on Tuesday after Japan’s Nikkei newspaper reported that Apple is expected to reduce its output of iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus handsets by 30% in the quarter ending in March from its original projections.

There have also been reports of flagging sales of the iPhone 6s/Plus as price cuts and deals were offered.

As ever, it’s hard to tell signal from noise where supply-chain reports are concerned. Apple would always expect to see a significant drop in demand immediately following the holiday quarter, and its complex supply chain means that a drop in orders from individual suppliers do not necessarily reflect a reduction in product demand.

Predictably, none of the parties involved were saying much. Apple would only tell the WSJ that it never discusses sales forecasts; Foxconn made a generic comment that “the incentives were provided to Foxconn in recognition of our company’s contributions to maintaining our significant work force at our Zhengzhou facility throughout that year”; and the Chinese government didn’t respond to a request for comment.

We’ll need to wait until January 26 to get a real steer on the current quarter, when Apple will release revenue guidance alongside its holiday quarter earnings report.

Photo: Bobby Yip/Reuters

Filed under: AAPL Company, iOS Devices Tagged: AAPL, Apple Inc, Foxconn, iPhone, iPhone sales, Supply chain

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Apple is readying the launch of a brand new Apple Watch band, a 42 mm Space Black Milanese Loop, suitable for Space Black steel watches. Third-party aftermarket black Milanese loops have been on sale for a while, but this is Apple official — assumedly matching their Space Black Link Bracelet in color and quality.

Despite no official announcement, this new Apple Watch band appeared on Czech Republic Apple Store website earlier today (following the announcement that the Watch would launch in the region later in month). As of now, it does not appear to be listed in any other Apple Store region. More pictures after the break …

The store listing does not reveal much aside from the photos embedded. The Watch description mirrors the description for the normal Milanese band. The ship date suggests Apple will start selling these officially in a week’s time. Weirdly, the listing also lacks a buy button or price tag. Update: The product has now also been found on the Portugal and Hungary Apple Store websites.

It is unclear whether this band is scheduled to launch worldwide as the product cannot be found in other Apple Online Stores just yet. There is also a small chance that this is a clerical/Photoshop error of some kind. We have reached out to Apple PR for comment, to clarify what is going on.

Yesterday, Apple announced two new Apple Watch models would be available for Chinese New Year — Apple Watch Sports with red bands.

Filed under: AAPL Company, iOS, iOS Devices Tagged: 42 mm, Apple Store, Apple watch, band, Czech Republic, czech slovakia, space black milanese

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Today at CES 2016, Pioneer will unveil an upgraded lineup of NEX series in-dash receivers featuring Apple CarPlay and Siri Eyes Free. Pioneer first brought Apple’s CarPlay infotainment system to cars through aftermarket displays in 2014. This year’s third-generation CarPlay head units from Pioneer include models with both 6.2-inch and 7-inch resistive and capacitive touchscreen displays.

The new models include the flagship AVIC-8200NEX which features a 7-inch capacitive screen and the AVH-4200NEX with a 7-inch resistive screen. AVIC-7200NEX also features a 7-inch resistive touchscreen; AVIC-5200NEX and AVIC-6200NEX have smaller 6.2-inch resistive touchscreens. While all five models support both CarPlay and Siri Eyes Free, the three 7-inch models also work with Google’s Android Auto infotainment feature.

The current lineup of CarPlay displays from Pioneer is already seeing price drops:

AVH-4100NEX ($694.95, reg. $850)
AVIC-5100NEX ($568.88, reg. $950)
AVIC-6100NEX ($697.95, reg. $1,150)
AVIC-7100NEX ($1,099, reg. $1500)
AVIC-8100NEX ($1,199.99, reg. $1700) (displayed above)

Pricing and availability on Pioneer’s new displays likely won’t be shared until later this year. We’ll update with official details from Pioneer later today when the CES show kicks off.

Also check out our initial review of CarPlay and our update to what changed with CarPlay after one year if you want to learn more about the feature. And expect these iPhone apps to work with CarPlay.

Filed under: iOS Tagged: CarPlay, CES, Pioneer

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LifeProof today has announced the expansion of its FRĒ Power iPhone case to the iPhone 6/s Plus. The FRĒ Power case combines the classic waterproof design of LifeProof’s cases with a battery pack, creating one of the most versatile cases on the market.

The FRĒ Power case is IP68 certified, meaning it can be submerged in 2 meters of water for up to an hour. It’s also rated for protection against dirt, snow, dust, and accidental drops. LifeProof says the case can withstand a drop from as high as 6.6 feet. It’s worth noting that since this case is part of the FRĒ lineup, it does offer a built-in screen protector to protect it from scratches and scuffs on the display.

As for the battery aspect of the FRĒ Power, it packs a 3,200mAh pack that is capable of charging the iPhone in its entirety once. LifeProof touts that the FRĒ Power case features Rapid Recharge, which quickly recharges the iPhone 6s Plus and the case itself, as well as Auto Stop Charge for turning the case off when the iPhone reaches a full charge.

While a specific release date is still unclear, LifeProof’s website lists the FRĒ Power as coming soon. It is slated to be available in “Blacktop Black” and “Base Jump Blue” for $149.99.

Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: FRĒ Power, iPhone, iphone 6s plus, LifeProof

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Speck today at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas has taken the wraps off of its foray into the virtual reality market. The popular accessory maker has unveiled the Pocket VR viewer, which features a collapsible design and is compatible with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s.

Speck touts that the viewer’s design is what sets it apart from the competition. The Pocket VR is compact and collapsible and is paired with the CandyShell Grip smartphone case, which offers military-grade protection. Speck says that when the viewer is opened, its lenses provide a “rich viewing experience for 3D concert, virtual retail, and augmented reality.” Yet, while closed, it’s flat and self-contained, making it easier to transport.

Pocket VR is Google Carboard-certified and Speck has partnered with Jaunt, a well-known player in cinematic VR. “Combining Speck’s innovative designs and Jaunt’s world-class content, we’ve created the best possible virtual reality experience for everyday tech users,” said Miles Perkins, VP Marketing Communications at Jaunt.

Speck’s Pocket VR will be available this spring for $69.95. Included in that price is the CandyShell Grip phone case. The main selling point of the Pocket VR is obviously it’s portability, but with the parneteship with Jaunt and being Google Cardboard-certified, the case seems like it will offer the most and some of the best virtual reality content we’ve seen to date. Full press release below:

Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: iPhone, Pocket VR, Speck, viewer, Virtual reality, vr

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