Major Philips Hue update brings 30 new scenes, shortcuts and reboots photo feature
We learned earlier this month that Philips was working on a major update to its Hue app for its smart home lighting system, and the new version has just hit the iOS App Store.
The 3.0 app update is the biggest update to the Hue app since the original release of the 2.0 version. We’ve tried to make it more intuitive and enjoyable for everyday use. Some changes you might hardly notice, while others are hard to miss …
Blind people say technology like Siri and VoiceOver are life-changing
The WSJ has an interesting piece looking at how AI and other forms of technology are transforming the lives of blind people.
Microsoft’s Seeing AI app is one particularly dramatic example – able to do things like identify faces, recognize bank notes, read handwriting and so on – but Apple’s tech is also said to be incredibly valuable …
Second reports suggests Apple plans to drop LCD in next year’s iPhones
While we’re expecting to see three new iPhone models this year, two with OLED screens and a cheaper model using LCD, a new report says that Apple will transition to an all-OLED line-up next year.
Although this is just an unsourced supply-chain report, there are three reasons to give it at least some degree of credibility …
Digitimes claims Pegatron ‘likely’ to manufacture Apple MacBook with ARM chip
Digitimes’ infamous industry sources are reporting today that Pegatron is set to receive orders from Apple to make an ARM MacBook. This follows our story from last week reporting that a similar iPad/MacBook hybrid product is making the rounds at Pegatron.
Sketchy photos show purported 2018 iPhone X ‘prototype’ in new purple and pastel green colors
We would take these images with a healthy dose of skepticism, but a relatively unheard-of publication TechnoCodex is sharing images of what it claims are prototypes of a 2018 iPhone model, ostensibly from a manufacturer in India. The physical form of the phone seen in the photos looks like the back of an iPhone X, with rounded chassis edges and vertically-stacked dual camera with integrated flash, but in two rather striking new colors.
These photos claim that at least one of the 2018 flagship iPhone models will come in violet/purple and pastel green colors. The stainless steel frame is also just about visible, and appears to be a shade of gold — although this could be the normal silver stainless steel band photographed under yellow lighting. It is possible that these new colors are destined for the 6.1-inch 2018 iPhone …
9to5Toys Lunch Break: Anker Accessory Sale, MacBook Pro w/ Touch Bar $1,400, Logitech MX 2.0 Speakers $70, more
Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications. more…
iPhone X Diary: Video performance lags behind photo quality, but it still has one big advantage …
I didn’t take long to put the iPhone X camera to the test, writing last November that I considered its performance equivalent to a $500-600 camera.
In particular, I was blown away by its low-light performance.
The hardware noise reduction does a stunning job. I’m completely blown away by the lack of noise […] That to me is truly stunning quality. There’s no visible grain at all. It’s well exposed (I didn’t adjust this at all). It’s sharp. The colors look great […] This is an absolutely remarkable performance. I’d have had trouble believing that it really was an iPhone shot had I not taken it myself.
I promised then that I’d write a follow-up piece looking at the video performance. That one slipped through the cracks, so I’m rather belatedly correcting that …
Things 3.6 upgrades task manager with Type Travel, full iPad keyboard support
Cultured Code is releasing version 3.6 of its Things task manager, and the new update focuses on iPad users with full support for external keyboards. The goal of Things 3.6 is to make it possible to use the app on an iPad with an external keyboard without having to frequently touch the screen…
Pandora matches Apple Music’s $15/month family subscription
Pandora, which became a full on-demand music streaming service last year, is now matching the $15/month family subscription offered by Apple Music and Spotify …
A city-wide initiative in London means you can now give to street musicians with Apple Pay
London is one of the contactless payment capitals of the world, making it reasonably practical to wander around without cash – which can be a problem for street musicians …