Reviews for Google's new smart home speaker system, Google Home, have released this morning, bringing a collection of opinions about the newest entry in the wireless Bluetooth speaker category, which Apple is rumored to be entering in the future. Google originally introduced Google Home at its I/O Conference in May, and then officially announced it alongside the Pixel Phone at an event in October.
The first batch of reviews for Google Home appear to mostly align with a single opinion: the speaker is an impressive addition to the home, but in some ways it's less reliable, and its Google Assistant-powered AI doesn't beat Amazon's Alexa in most instances. As is usual with a new product category gaining entries from various companies, the decision rests solely on personal preference of which company each user believes will deliver the best experience, and iterate most consistently down the line.
Images via Engadget
That's the way that Wired began its review for Google Home, which it says can sometimes feel "like sci-fi magic," and other times is simply unreliable. The sci-fi magic comes in with Google Assistant, which Wired says provides smart search results for random inquiries (“What’s the difference between acetaminophen and ibuprofen?”), but other times was "shockingly stupid," fumbling movie release date trivia and other questions.
OWC today introduced its latest product, a Thunderbolt 3 USB-C Dock designed to work with the newly announced MacBook Pro. Designed for users who are concerned about the limited number of ports on the MacBook Pro, OWC's Thunderbolt 3 Dock offers a range of different ports for connecting displays, external hard drives, and other accessories.
The OWC Thunderbolt 3 Dock has a total of 13 ports and it includes full support for Thunderbolt 3 with transfer speeds of up to 40Gb/s. Two Ultra HD 4K displays are supported, or a combination of 4K, HD, and other displays using the DisplayPort port and the Thunderbolt 3 port.
There are two Thunderbolt 3/USB-C ports, each of which can support up to five daisychained Thunderbolt 3 devices. For connecting USB accessories, there are five USB-A 3.1 Gen 1 ports that support USB-A accessories, and two of the ports feature fast charging capabilities for charging the iPhone or iPad.
Other ports include FireWire 800, Gigabit Ethernet, mini DisplayPort, an SD Card reader, an audio combo port for headphones or microphones, and an S/PDIF digital audio port.
"With our critically-acclaimed Thunderbolt 2 Dock and USB-C Dock, OWC defined a new standard in providing more connectivity at a time when new computers were shipping with fewer ports," said Larry O'Connor, Founder and CEO, OWC. "The all-new Thunderbolt 3 Dock is the best expansion solution we've ever made, offering the incredible speed of Thunderbolt 3 technology coupled with 13 ports of connectivity, perfect for getting the most out of the new 2016 MacBook Pro."
Announced last week, Apple's new MacBook Pro models include between two and four USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 ports, eliminating all other ports aside from the headphone jack. Most new MacBook Pro owners will need to purchase adapters and docks to support existing accessories as Apple and accessory makers make the transition to USB-C.
OWC is accepting pre-orders for the Thunderbolt 3 Dock, which is expected to ship out in February of 2017. Customers who pre-order will be able to purchase the dock for $279 and will also receive a free 0.5m Thunderbolt 3/USB-C cable.
Kohl's will begin selling the Apple Watch at 400 of its 1,100 stores across the United States on November 15 as a way to boost its activewear business (via Fortune). Apple's partnership with the retail chain is said to help the Cupertino company reach into areas of the country that don't have Apple Stores or official Apple resellers with Apple Watches, as well as "reach a more modest-income shopper and a wider-ranging clientele."
In total, Kohl's locations will stock 10 different Apple Watch models, but the company didn't go into specifics about which. In the retailer's Black Friday ad, the Apple Watch Series 2 in Space Gray with Black Sport band and Series 1 in Rose Gold with Pink Sand Sport Band are both advertised.
Within the store itself, the Apple Watches will be displayed on stands that measure four feet tall, and the Kohl's staff will be educated on the devices to help customers in purchasing an Apple Watch, which Kohl's sees less like an electronic device and more "as an active and wellness device."
“We’re not launching it as an electronics partner,” Michelle Gass, Kohl’s chief merchandising and customer officer, told Fortune in an exclusive interview at the retailer’s design center in New York City. “We were positioning this as an active and wellness device.”
On Black Friday, customers will be able to receive Kohl's Cash when purchasing an Apple Watch: $105 for a Series 2 and $75 for a Series 1. The retailer hopes that its introduction of the Apple Watch goes over as well as its profits for selling FitBit devices, which is now "a $100-million-a-year business" for Kohl's.
In September, Macy's announced that it would be the first United States department store to begin selling Apple Watch when the device launched that month. The new Kohl's deal of 400 retail locations is much larger than Macy's, which began selling Apple Watch in 180 of its stores in September.
Canadian carrier Bell has announced that its Fibe TV app is now available on the fourth-generation Apple TV in Ontario and Québec. The app allows Fibe TV subscribers to watch up to 450 channels live or on demand, with the ability to record, pause, and rewind live TV coming later this year.
The app features trending and on demand TV shows, a programming guide for live TV, and search functionality. A dedicated menu for recorded TV shows will be added later this year. Bell's website says the Fibe TV app requires an unlimited internet plan, available as a $15 per month upgrade.
Bell also now sells the 32GB fourth-generation Apple TV for $199 at its stores in Ontario and Québec and through its website.
Fibe TV is Canada's largest internet-based TV service with over 1.3 million subscribers as of September 2016.
The heated debate over whether an iPad can replace a Mac as a day-to-day workhorse shows no sign of abating. One way of evading the crossfire is to plump for both, but to do that you need a bag that can conveniently accommodate the two devices for when you're on the move.
Pad & Quill's Small Briefcase ($219) is one of the Minneapolis company's latest compact leather and canvas solutions for carrying an iPad Pro and a 13-inch MacBook Pro, along with more traditional study/business miscellanea, so we looked at whether it can live up to its billing.
During a quarterly earnings meeting yesterday, Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg briefly commented on the status of the company's mobile app experience, mentioning a belief that "a text box is still the default way we share." As reported by Bloomberg, the CEO said that the next step for Facebook on smartphones is a camera-first experience that changes status updates from simple written posts to dynamic photos and videos.
As it stands, when the Facebook app is opened today users must click on "Photo" at the top of the app to begin a status update, then navigate to the Camera icon among their photos in order to take a picture or record a video. Zuckerberg's vision is one more akin to Snapchat's camera-first user interface, but on Facebook it's described as "a swipe away," hinting that it could be introduced as a new left-to-right swipe, replace the friends list currently in the menu that appears after a right-to-left swipe, or come in from the top of the screen.
Facebook's Olympics update in Canada and Brazil introduced a camera-first experience
"In most social apps today, a text box is still the default way we share,” Zuckerberg said. “Soon, we believe a camera will be the main way that we share.”
The Facebook camera itself will be updated with new features as well, including new augmented reality filters -- like the ones that appeared on Halloween -- and "have many of the same features Snapchat has," according to AdAge. Facebook's move to put itself more in line with Snapchat has stretched into its other apps, including Instagram, and the new camera-first mindset from the social media company is said to be something it's looking to implement in Facebook Messenger (which it's already begunto do) as well as WhatsApp.
For the third quarter, Facebook reported that sales grew 56 percent to $7.01 billion, 84 percent of which was generated on mobile devices. In total, advertising sales account for more than 97 percent of the company's revenue, but CFO David Wehner mentioned that the company will begin "limiting its ad load" so as not to turn away daily users, which rose to 1.18 billion in Q3 2016.
In regards to the new camera-focused update, Zuckerberg said that "it will start to roll out broadly across the world, hopefully sooner rather than later." In a small test in Brazil and Canada, Facebook tried out a Snapchat-like experience in its iOS app over the summer, updating it in those countries with a front-facing camera that appears when users open the app and letting them add various themes and filters onto their selfies inspired by the Olympics.
The creators of discontinued short-form video service Vine have announced a new live streaming app for iOS called Hype.
Hype will have to compete with existing live video streaming platforms including Periscope and Facebook Live, but its creators Colin Kroll and Rus Yusupov are betting on its success because it offers some additional features that the others don't have.
Going in its favor, Hype lets users add media to their live video streams, such as photos, music, and animated GIFs. Users can also play music from their iTunes library and choose themed backgrounds for their streams where text and emojis can be added.
Viewers meanwhile can comment on streams and participate in polls, while broadcasters can favorite comments, offering more interaction than Hype's rival live streaming platforms.
Twitter announced plans to shut down Vine last week. The social media company plans to discontinue the mobile app in the coming months, but did not give a specific timeline.
Hype is a free download for iPhone and iPad from the App Store. [Direct Link]
Elgato today announced the latest product in its line of HomeKit accessories, debuting the Eve Motion wireless motion sensor. The Eve Motion is a small square-shaped accessory that can be put anywhere in your house, indoors or outdoors.
It works in tandem with other HomeKit accessories, allowing you to create scenes that can be set off using automatic triggers. When placed in an entry way, for example, the Eve Motion can automatically turn on the lights and raise the thermostat when it detects that you've entered the house. It works with the Eve HomeKit app, Apple's own Home app, and with other HomeKit apps that support third-party accessories.
"Motion sensors are an indispensable part of a home automation setup," said Markus Fest, General Manager of Elgato. " With no wires attached, Eve Motion is a versatile trigger for a host of unique and creative scenarios."
Eve Motion connects to a HomeKit setup using Bluetooth and like the rest of Elgato's products, it does not require a bridge. It runs off of two replaceable AA batteries, so it doesn't need to be charged, and it has a 120 degree field of view and a range of nine meters with a response time of two seconds. An IPX3 water resistance means it's resistant to small splashes of water and moisture, but it shouldn't be outside in a torrential downpour.
Eve Motion joins Elgato's other HomeKit-enabled products, including the Eve Energy smart outlet, the Eve Room indoor sensor, the Eve Weather outdoor sensor, the Eve Door & Window door sensor, and the Eve connected Light Switch.
The latest data from market research firm Strategy Analytics claims Android captured a record 87.5% share of the worldwide smartphone market in the third quarter, reflecting the period between late June and late September.
Strategy Analytics director Woody Oh on Android's continued dominance:
Android's leadership of the global smartphone market looks unassailable at the moment. Its low-cost services and user-friendly software remain attractive to hardware makers, operators and consumers worldwide. However, several challenges remain for Google. The Android platform is getting overcrowded with hundreds of manufacturers, few Android device vendors make profits, and Google's new Pixel range is attacking its own hardware partners that made Android popular in the first place.
While most of Android's gains can be attributed to the continued demise of BlackBerry and Windows smartphones, which are now practically non-existent on the market, iOS adoption remains at its lowest levels since mid 2014.
iOS recorded 12.1% market share in the quarter, down slightly from 13.6% in the year-ago quarter, allegedly due to a lackluster performance in China and Africa. That nearly mirrors the platform's 12.2% market share in Q3 2014.
iOS and Android together account for 99.6% market share in what has become a two-horse race over the past several years. Windows Phone is virtually dead, and BlackBerry recently said it is done designing its own smartphones.
Apple today seeded a second version of the initial macOS Sierra 10.12.2 beta, which comes two days after the macOS Sierra 10.12.2 beta was originally seeded to developers.
The build number of today's update is 16C32f, while the original 10.12.2 beta build number was 16C32e, indicating a small incremental update that does not count as a full second beta release.
Because the new beta is not showing up as an over-the-air download in the Mac App Store for developers who have already installed macOS Sierra 10.12.2, it likely only includes minor tweaks and will be provided only to developers who are downloading the beta for the first time.
macOS Sierra 10.12.2 includes the same new emoji and emoji updates that are present in the iOS 10.2 beta, introducing support for Unicode 9 emoji and new profession emoji. Some of the new emoji characters include selfie, face palm, crossed fingers, shark, owl, butterfly, bacon, avocado, and croissant.
Apple has also updated many existing emoji with new artwork, adding detail and making them look brighter and more realistic.
The 10.12.2 update also includes under-the-hood bug fixes and performance improvements to address issues discovered since the release of macOS Sierra 10.12.1.
Update: The macOS Sierra 10.12.2 update is now available as an over-the-air download for developers, but it is still labeled as "Beta 1."
Apple today shared a new television ad on its YouTube channel, designed to show off several key iPhone 7 and 7 Plus features, including the improved waterproofing and the device's speakers.
In the video, a man sets his iPhone to play dramatic music (La Virgen de la Macarena by Arturo Sandoval) while at the pool. He then proceeds to climb up to the high dive, jumping off as the music climaxes. The iPhone is splashed with water during the process, highlighting its water resistance.
The iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus are Apple's first iOS devices with superior waterproofing, offering IP67 water and dust resistance. The two iPhones can withstand being submerged in up to a meter of water for 30 minutes, and are resistant to splashes and accidental spills. Intentional water exposure is still not recommended, however, as Apple's warranty does not cover water damage.
As for the speakers, the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus include one speaker at the bottom of the phone and one speaker at the top of the phone, introducing stereo sound in the iPhone for the first time. The speakers put out twice the volume of the single speaker in the iPhone 6s and have been designed to offer superior sound in both landscape and portrait mode.
Apple has thus far produced several ads showing off the iPhone 7, highlighting features like waterproofing, the camera and its ability to capture low-light images, and its longer battery life. The iPhone 7 has also been featured in an ad focusing on the Messages Screen Effects available in iOS 10.
Earlier this year, Apple posted an open casting call for its upcoming original TV show Planet of the Apps, an unscripted series about apps and the talented developers who make them. The show will serve as a "launch pad" and "accelerator" for up to 100 developers, who will receive mentorship from influencers and entrepreneurs such as Gary Vaynerchuk, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jessica Alba, and will.i.am.
Details surrounding the show are still vague, including when it will air in 2017 and how it will be distributed, but the basic premise draws similarities to Shark Tank. Developers will pitch their apps, and those who make it to the final round will meet with top-tier venture capitalists investing up to $10 million over the course of the season, and receive featured placement in the App Store at the end of the show.
Apple accepted applications to be on the show until late September, and we have since learned some of the details about the step-by-step process from a developer selected to be on the show.
The person, who wishes to remain anonymous due to their involvement, said the application process involved four stages:
• First Round: The developer submitted a standard online application on the Planet of the Apps website, including a one-minute video, basic information about the app, and screenshots. Shortly afterwards, he received a phone call from a casting director in Los Angeles, who notified him that he was selected to move on to the next round. The casting director asked him several questions about how he thought of the idea, and why he wanted to be on the show.
• Second Round: The developer was instructed to pitch his app by creating a longer 5-10 minute unedited video that would be professionally edited by the show's staff and then shown to the producers directly. His team was given two weeks to finish this video. The producers provided a checklist of topics to focus on in the video, including how the app works, what makes it unique, how much money desired, and how the money would be used.
In addition, the developers were required to mail in a lengthy application package about the app and an Audition Release granting Apple permission to edit or use the video in any way.
• Third Round: The developer was given one week to sign a lengthy contract covering all of the legal issues behind being on the show, such as accepting equity from investors or Apple. The contract package consisted of forms such as a Participant Agreement, Emergency Medical Release, and App Idea Information Form. The contract was accompanied by another short questionnaire about the app, including how many times it has been downloaded.
In addition, the developer was asked to inform the casting coordinators about his team's availability over the next few months. He said developers will be flown out to Los Angeles on three separate occasions, filming for three days upon each visit for a total of nine days of filming.
• Fourth Round: The developer was subjected to a background check. He said the show's coordinators made it clear that, even at this stage, some of the developers would be selected as standby and would not be guaranteed an appearance on the show. Nevertheless, the show's travel team reached out to the developer to begin the process of booking flights for his team in anticipation of them being accepted on the show.
Principal filming of Planet of the Apps will begin in Los Angeles later this year and may continue until early 2017. The developer who spoke to us believes the first episodes could air around March or April of next year.
Some second and third-generation Apple TV owners have started experiencing a mysterious bug over the last few days, which seems to have essentially disabled the device for a number of users. Affected Apple TV models are only able to display Computers, Music, and Settings, with no other channel options available.
Customers who are seeing the issue have had all of their menu options suddenly disappear, leaving them unable to watch Netflix, Hulu, and other Apple TV channels.
This seems to be a bug that's been around for awhile, but has become more prevalent over the last day or two. MacRumors has received several complaints via email, and there are threads outlining the problem both on our forums and on Reddit.
Restarting the Apple TV, resetting a router, and resetting the Apple TV don't seem to work. A region change offers a temporary solution, but ultimately, the channels disappear again for many users. Some users have partially fixed the issue by changing DNS settings, but this doesn't work for all users. A MacRumors reader describes the problem:
All I see is a computer and settings option. In the settings option I have access to everything except the main menu setting. There's absolutely nothing in there as an option. I've restarted my Apple TV as well as my AirPort Extreme. I've reset the Apple TV and I inserted all the info back in like my iCloud acct etc. it obviously is logging onto the Internet since I was able to connect my iCloud account. One other strange thing is that my iTunes won't recognize the Apple TV when I plug it in directly to my Mac mini via a USB cable. It just doesn't show up. What the heck happened? Apple do you have an explanation for this one?
Not all Apple TV users are affected by the issue, but it appears to be fairly widespread. Only the Apple TV 2 and 3 are impacted -- the fourth-generation Apple TV is functioning fine.
Apple's support staff told a Reddit user that a fix was in the works, and to expect a software update in the near future. A MacRumors reader received similar information, with Apple suggesting a fix would be pushed within the next few hours.
Microsoft today debuted its latest product, Microsoft Teams, which is a chat-based workspace designed for Office 365 users.
Designed to compete with chat platforms like Slack and HipChat, Microsoft Teams provides a chat interface that integrates with Office 365 apps and services and other third-party services like Zendesk, Asana, Hootsuite, and Intercom.
According to Microsoft, Teams is designed to provide a "modern conversation experience" in the workplace. It supports both persistent and threaded chats, along with public and private conversations. Skype integration allows teams to quickly initiate voice and video conferences, and each digital workspace can be highly customized with emoji, stickers, GIFs, extensions, open APIs, and more.
At Microsoft, we are deeply committed to the mission of helping people and organizations achieve more--and reinventing productivity for the cloud and mobile world is core to our ambition. We built Microsoft Teams because we see both tremendous opportunity and tremendous change in how people and teams get work done.
Teams are now more agile and organizational structures more flat to keep communications and information flowing. With Microsoft Teams, we aspire to create a more open, digital environment that makes work visible, integrated and accessible--across the team--so everyone can stay in the know.
Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, OneNote, Planner, Power BI, and Delve are built into Microsoft Teams, and it supports Microsoft's cross-application membership program, Office 365 Groups, so people can easily move from conversations to collaborating on documents.
Microsoft Teams is designed for Microsoft's enterprise customers, and it includes enterprise-level security with two-factor authentication, single sign on through Active Directory, and data encryption. Teams is available for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and the web.
Ahead of Microsoft's announcement, competing chat platform Slack took out a full page ad in the New York Times welcoming Microsoft to the chat space, offering some "friendly advice," and signaling that it's worried about competition from Microsoft.
In the piece that ends with a warning that "Slack is here to stay," Slack says an open platform, love, and thoughtfulness and craftsmanship are essential to a successful communication product.
One final point: Slack is here to stay. We are where work happens for millions of people around the world.
So welcome, Microsoft, to the revolution. We're glad you're going to be helping us define this new product category. We admire many of your achievements and know you'll be a worthy competitor. We're sure you're going to come up with a couple of new ideas on your own too. And we'll be right there, ready.
A preview of Microsoft Teams is available in 181 countries and 18 languages starting today for Office 365 enterprise customers (Business Essentials, Business Premium, El, E3, and E5). It will officially launch early next year.
Available in black or silver, the Fermata is crafted from aluminum and is designed to house a set of on-ear or over-ear headphones such as Apple's Beats Solo2 and Solo3 wireless models. The headphones rest on a leather-covered hook, which is designed to make sure the headphones don't rub against anything.
The Fermata is more than just a simple stand -- it can also charge headphones. There's a reversible micro-USB connector built into the arm of the Fermata, which can be pulled out to connect to headphones that are charged via USB. When not in use, the charging cable tucks back into the back of the stand.
If you don't have wireless headphones, the Fermata can still serve as a standard stand, as there's an optional accessory that allows you to wind up a headphone cable to keep it out of the way when not in use.
An extra USB port is included at the base of the Fermata, which is able to charge an iPhone or iPad, so you're getting two devices charged from a single outlet. Extra cable is wound into the base of the stand, so there's no clutter of wires on your desk. The Fermata itself charges via a standard wall outlet with an included AC wall charger and a two-meter charging cable.
Twelve South's Fermata headphone charging stand is available for purchase in the United States and Japan starting today from the Twelve South website. It's priced at $79.99. An international version will be available in the future.
Wireless headphone company Bragi today announced an incoming update to its flagship Bluetooth device, The Dash, which will bring with it an all-new way for users to interact with Bragi's "Kinetic User Interface." Coming November 21, Bragi OS 2.2 will introduce users to a beta of "MyTap," which lets them control the headphones through tap-based gestures placed directly on their cheek and not on The Dash itself.
KUI will also bring about gestures like nodding to accept a phone call from a smartphone connected to The Dash, activating Siri with the tap of a cheek, and even various music playback controls. When it begins rolling out on November 21, KUI will only encompass voice assistant controls (for Siri and Google Now), and the other gestures will arrive in future firmware updates.
“The Dash was envisioned as a platform offering a lot of hardware capabilities, but not all of this hardware was used from the beginning. Over time, we can let the software grow and enable more features.” – David Dohmen, Sensorics & Data Science at Bragi
“You are way more accurate tapping your own cheek than an external device. That makes it easier to hit it during activities like cycling or running.” - David Dohmen, Sensorics & Data Science at Bragi
Other parts of the update include "Windshield," which Bragi says will improve listening quality and audio transparency in gusty conditions, improved voice quality during phone calls and heart rate measurements, and upgraded Bluetooth capabilities. Previously, OS 2.1 introduced new languages support, "Touch Lock," and integration with Apple HealthKit.
The Dash and The Headphone (Bragi's entry-level Bluetooth headset) have been compared to Apple's upcoming AirPods frequently, enough for Bragi to create a comparison chart between the three devices following Apple's announcement of the AirPods in September. The Dash's premium $299 price tag and high-end activity tracking features are more difficult to compare with the AirPods, which fall in line slightly more with The Headphone. However, only The Dash can receive Bragi's OS updates.
Apple is "not interested" in buying media company Time Warner currently, according to "people familiar with the thinking at the company" who spoke today with CNBC. Two weeks ago, AT&T announced its interest to purchase Time Warner for $85.4 billion, but as noted today, the regulatory process taken in such acquisitions "could last for months," and at any time another company could swoop in with a better offer. As of now, that won't be Apple.
The news comes from David Faber on CNBC's market coverage business show "Squawk on the Street:"
The question of course that has come back to focus on Apple. In fact Bewkes asked on the call were there any companies this year that showed interest in acquiring Time Warner. Mr. Bewkes' answer was let's focus on AT&T. What I can tell you about Apple guys, is right now, according to people familiar with its thinking, it's not interested. Apple is not interested in buying Time Warner at present. Now, these things go on for months and months, this regulatory review's going to take at least a year. The deal will not close. Certainly if you're in Apple, things could change. You watch the stock price as you see how things progress.
But anybody expecting an overbid from Apple at this point, certainly, it is not coming. Again, they are sort of not interested at this time. And it doesn't appear that there would be any other potential interest. Google certainly had been mentioned at one point or another. But right now, it's AT&T's, it will be AT&T's, and the question is do they get it through, what conditions do they agree to in order to get it through the regulators.
On the same day of AT&T's deal, it was reported that Apple was closely "monitoring" the workings between AT&T and Time Warner, especially due to its potential impact in regards to television deals that Apple could make with both companies. Back in January, an initial rumor suggested Apple was looking to buy Time Warner itself, most likely to bolster its rumored cord-cutting streaming TV service, but negotiations eventually stalled and the two companies ceased discussing a potential partnership.
Following the news coming out of AT&T's offer, last week investment banking firm Goldman Sachs reportedly began pushing Apple to put in a rival bid to beat AT&T's and acquire Time Warner for itself. Goldman Sachs was "left on the sidelines" as an advisor in AT&T's bid, but it's still unclear why the firm would heavily encourage Apple to enter an acquisition offer of its own.
Sources were reported as saying that Goldman Sachs was "freaking out trying to convince Apple to come in." A connection between the banking firm and Apple lies in the latter company's 2009 hiring of Goldman Sachs banker Adrian Perica, who now heads up Apple's mergers and acquisitions practices.
Networks like CNN, HBO, TBS, TNT, NBA TV, Cartoon Network, and Warner Bros. are all under Time Warner's umbrella, making it an enticing acquisition for multiple companies looking to bolster an existing, or upcoming, streaming package. Although AT&T appears to be the frontrunner, The Wall Street Journaloriginally reported that "a host of other contenders" were interested in Time Warner, including Google at one point.
Announced back at CES earlier this year, Netatmo today is officially launching its smart outdoor security camera, called "Presence," for $299.99. Using a "breakthrough deep-learning algorithm," the Presence security camera detects people, cars, and animals that appear outside the home, and reports all activity via notifications and recordings through the connected Netatmo Security app. [Direct Link]
The camera's smart learning algorithm allows it to decipher between objects, people, and animals, and subsequently send notifications that dynamically warn users of exactly what's appearing outside their home with the text: "Person seen," "Car seen," or "Animal seen." The company said this provides peace of mind for everything from everyday to vacation homes, and can alleviate worry for problems when users aren't home, such as warning when a delivery driver has dropped off a package.
Presence captures 1080p videos "under any light conditions" with an extensive 100 degree field of view and 65 foot detection range. The Wi-Fi connected camera is waterproof and can resist sun, ice, rain and wind.
"Presence marks a new step forward for consumer security cameras. Unlike existing surveillance systems that need human analysis, Presence understands what’s happening outside the house and operates without requiring a subscription. The camera instantly detects unusual situations and sends precise notifications to the users’ smartphone. Presence offers peace of mind to the users: it alerts them in real time if there’s a break-in, an intruder, or property damage", explains Fred Potter, Founder and CEO of Netatmo.
In terms of the camera's push notifications, Netatmo says they're "entirely customizable," so each person can decide whether they want to automatically record movement caught by the camera, only get notifications for people arriving, only record wandering animals, etc. With a feature called "Alert Zones," users can also designate Presence to warn them of activity in up to four specific places like a yard, property gate, garage door, or other areas. If users choose to begin recording video footage, Netatmo provides free video storage with the Presence.
There's also a time lapse feature so users can catch up on the last 24 hours of activity caught on the camera, through one picture taken each minute, so it's easy to discover and evaluate any potentially dangerous activity taking place outside a home. This includes nighttime activity, because the Presence has a powerful infra-red night vision mode, as well as an integrated smart floodlight "that can detect and scare off any unwanted visitors or light the way when it’s dark."
Additionally, Presence is compatible with IFTTT, a connected smart platform that allows users to connect hundreds of different services together in one place in order to string together smart "Recipes." According to Netatmo, this can result in a variety of useful commands to make life easier for Presence users.
They can then use simple "if this, then that" statements called Recipes to automate and control different aspects of their connected home. For example, an IFTTT user could say "if Presence detects a car in my driveway, then open my connected garage door." Other practical Recipes include, "If Presence detects an animal in the garden, then turn off the sprinkler," and "if Presence is disconnected from WiFi, send me a notification."
In terms of storage, Presence stores videos locally on an internal micro SD card, but users can also choose to transfer them to their Dropbox account or their personal FTP server. For those worrying about the addition of another subscription fee with Netatmo's outdoor camera, the company confirms that "storage is entirely free and does not incur any additional subscription or fee." The camera is also secured by end-to-end encryption when data is transmitted between it and the smartphone app.
Netatmo said that installation is easy because the Presence simply replaces an existing outdoor light. With iOS 10, the Netatmo Security app also supports rich notifications so users can catch glimpses of each recording of the camera without unlocking their phone. The company's notification range extends to apps on the Mac and Apple Watch, as well.
Anyone interested can pick up a Netatmo Presence beginning today from Apple, Amazon, and Home Depot for $299.99.
The creators of discontinued short-form video service Vine have announced a new live streaming app for iOS called Hype.
