Apple

Apple is commemorating Black History Month by announcing exclusive content and curated launches celebrating Black culture and community.

Beginning February 1, Apple Podcasts will spotlight shows that embody the omnipresence of Blackness — the ways that Black music, media, spaces, and theory positively influence our understanding of the world and one another — from creators Bridget Todd, Bob the Drag Queen, Monét X Change, and Apple Music’s Ebro Darden. Viewers can visit the Apple TV app to explore series and films curated by Dr. The App Store will also celebrate 50 years of hip-hop culture by spotlighting numerous apps that allow users to listen, watch, and learn the significance of this creative movement in both the past and present. Apple Fitness+ will share new workouts featuring playlists celebrating Black artists, as well as a new meditation dedicated to Black History Month led by Fitness+ trainer JoAnna Hardy. Curated collections will showcase stories from Black-led newsrooms, including Capital B, Essence, NewsOne, Howard University’s The Hilltop, and more. The Black Unity Sport Loop features the word “Unity” woven abstractly into the band using red, green, and black yarns that pay homage to the Pan-African flag, while a unique layering of yarns lends a sense of three-dimensionality to the letters. Apple’s support for these organizations is a continuation of REJI grants over the past two years that helped organizations committed to providing economic, educational, and creative opportunities in communities of color. That same day, Time to Run, an audio running experience featuring playlists and coaching designed to help users become more consistent and better runners, will introduce a new episode with Fitness+ trainer Cory Wharton-Malcolm, celebrating Black History Month with a run through South LA and songs from the artists who helped put West Coast hip-hop on the map. Starting today, customers can show their support with this year’s Black Unity Collection, which includes a special-edition Apple Watch Black Unity Sport Loop, alongside a new matching watch face and iPhone wallpaper. Additionally, through its Racial Equity and Justice Initiative (REJI), Apple is expanding its support of five organizations focused on uplifting Black and Brown communities by unlocking creative potential through technology. Beginning in February, all-new activations — including a series of Apple Maps Guides created by the Smithsonian, TV and film collections curated by Dr. Apple commemorates Black History Month with exclusive content and curated launches celebrating Black culture and community.

The second-generation HomePod follows the first generation, which Apple discontinued in 2021 in favor of the smaller and more affordable HomePod mini. The ...

The new HomePod is available to order online and in the Apple Store, in black or white, starting Wednesday. The original HomePod launched at $349 and never gained the traction of cheaper [Amazon](/quotes/AMZN/) Echo or [cut the price in 2019 to $299](https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/04/apple-cuts-homepod-price-to-299.html). The HomePod should sound better thanks to support for spatial audio, which makes it seem like music is coming from around you.

It could come with cheaper materials and fewer sensors to keep the price low.

Apple is expected to launch a flagship-tier mixed-reality headset sometime this year. Working on these projects means the Apple augmented reality glasses project is put on hold, and it is unclear if it will be restarted again. All these are considered to be replaced or omitted by Apple engineers.

This new HomePod is wrapped in an “acoustically transparent mesh fabric,” and also includes support for Siri voice control as well as Apple's own Spatial Audio ...

Apple HomePod 2nd generation. Apple. Apple just made a surprise announcement: a new HomePod smart speaker. While it was thought that a successor to the original ...

This is cool: the new Apple HomePod has Sound Recognition. It’s a sign that Apple is ramping up the smart home capabilities of the speaker. And as a result the new touch-surface on top has a screen that squeaks out to the edges, unlike the first-gen model. Like the previous version, it has room-sensing technology to direct audio according to the situation it’s in. Apple then released the HomePod mini in 2020, and there the price was very keen: $99. Apple just made a surprise announcement: a new HomePod smart speaker.

Lightweight glasses are now on hold, according to a new report, with Apple's focus shifting to a lower-cost version of the imminent mixed-reality headset.

While the first device will cost approximately $3,000, Gurman suspects Apple will target a price of around $1,500 for the “budget” edition, in order to compete with Meta’s mixed-reality headset. To achieve a life of even two hours (itself far less than a smartphone), they will need a cumbersome battery that may need to be carried separately. This will cover the eyes entirely and pass-through cameras will be used to make the user able to “see” what’s in front of them on high-quality displays, based on rumors. We’ve even got possible names for the two devices. The problems afflicting this product are not unique to Apple, Gurman says. For clarity, it’s worth noting that this is only one of a raft of so-called Reality products Apple has reportedly been working on.

Apple has reportedly placed its initial mixed reality headset on hold, and is now concentrating on its cheaper AR headset.

It’s even being discussed that the mixed reality headset could avoid using the H2 chip, which enables low latency audio. This could include lower resolution displays, fewer sensors, and less capable processors, all wrapped up in a less premium design. It’s likely to be very expensive, either way you cut it.

Apple has allegedly shelved its idea for lightweight and higher end augmented reality glasses, and is instead choosing to focus on the yet unannounced ...

The company has allegedly scaled back work on the device, with some employees suggesting that the device may never be released. [gearing up](https://appleinsider.com/articles/22/12/04/kuo-software-issues-push-apples-mixed-reality-headset-to-late-2023) to release its mixed-reality headset in late 2023. [mixed-reality headset.](https://appleinsider.com/articles/23/01/11/apples-ar-vr-headset-will-launch-into-a-poorly-defined-market)

Apple Inc. will release a new version of the original HomePod smart speaker after the company had discontinued its predecessor and replaced it with a ...

3, alongside the HomePod mini, which costs $99. The new HomePod will sell for $299 starting Feb. [Apple Inc.](/quote/AAPL:US) will release a new version of the original HomePod smart speaker after the company had discontinued its predecessor and replaced it with a smaller and cheaper version.

It features a four-inch high-excursion woofer, five tweeters, four microphones, an S7 chip for computational audio, a U1 chip for Ultra Wideband features like ...

At launch, the new HomePod will be available in the United States, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, the United Kingdom, and 11 other countries, according to Apple. The new HomePod is 6.6-inches tall and weighs 5.1 pounds, compared to 6.8-inches and 5.5 pounds for the first-generation model, while both models are 5.6 inches wide. "With the popularity of HomePod mini, we've seen growing interest in even more powerful acoustics achievable in a larger HomePod. We're thrilled to bring the next generation of HomePod to customers around the world." The speaker also has Siri integration and Matter support for HomeKit and other smart home accessories. In-store availability and deliveries to customers will begin Friday, February 3 in select countries.

Apple has launched a new version of the HomePod, after the previous generation mysteriously went missing. The first HomePod was announced in June 2017 and ...

Apple unveils a new-generation HomePod, after killing off the smart speaker in early 2021 to focus on the cheaper HomePod Mini.

[First introduced in 2018](https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2018/01/homepod-arrives-february-9-available-to-order-this-friday/), Apple had [discontinued](https://techcrunch.com/2021/03/12/apple-discontinues-original-homepod-will-focus-on-mini/) the full-size HomePod in 2021, focusing on the smaller HomePod Mini. is bringing back [the HomePod smart speaker](https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/01/apple-introduces-the-new-homepod-with-breakthrough-sound-and-intelligence/), which can respond to Siri voice commands, serve as a smart-home controller, and provide an easy way to listen to Apple Music. The new full-size version, priced at $299, can be ordered now, and starts shipping on Feb.

Brazil's antitrust watchdog Cade has started an investigation into Apple Inc for alleged abuse of a dominant position.

This Siri speaker comes with upgrades to audio quality and smart home automation—but yes, it's still expensive.

As for those improved smart home features, you’ll now be able to use your HomePod to listen for smoke and carbon monoxide alarms using its Sound Recognition feature (originally launched with iOS 14). You can transfer whatever audio is playing on your iPhone (like a podcast or phone call) to the HomePod when both devices are near each other, perfect for when you arrive home and want to go hands-free. If the price doesn’t deter you, the second-generation HomePod is [available for preorder](https://cna.st/affiliate-link/2QvS63bbj2Qv6PtmSHd8figQXB4y7gqWZaJs5sYDfdJTCY6qyaBx6pL6svd3eKotchaz3p1sJEy3RdH2ZmKBJWRuevoNcrMifRZ2kAj5nVQ7kFJAwqog1Mq8xatJhhuRsWwt8eQ2v597tps78UVV) and officially hits shelves on February 3. When it’s combined with the high-excursion woofer, internal bass-EQ mic, and an array of five tweeters, Apple says you’ll get a “groundbreaking listening experience.” Par for the course on Applespeak, but the audio quality was never one of our issues with the However, this smart speaker is nearly as expensive as the original. Five years after the original HomePod, Apple has finally deemed it time to release a successor.

Apple is working to design everything from its processors to its displays. It could cut costs and bring about new designs.

Apple's new Mac mini and MacBook Pro laptops are another reminder that the company often prioritizes profit margins over customers.

The policy should be revisited—consumers deserve better. ‘s product launches this week bring an old story back to the forefront. ](https://www.barrons.com/market-data/stocks/aapl)

Apple Inc. is working on a slate of devices aimed at challenging Amazon.com Inc. and Google in the smart-home market, including new displays and a faster TV ...

The product could be mounted on walls or elsewhere using magnetic fasteners, positioning it as more of a home gadget than a regular iPad. The push into smart displays will start with a tablet product — essentially a low-end iPad — that can control things like thermostats and lights, show video and handle FaceTime chats, people with knowledge of the plans said.

Apple is still planning to unveil its first mixed-reality headset this year, but its lightweight augmented-reality glasses have been postponed due to ...

The battery will connect to the headset over a cable and rest in a user’s back pocket. The headset’s battery also will be cumbersome, with the company choosing to not include it in the device itself to reduce the weight and heating risks of the head-worn product. Some people within Apple doubt that the company will ever ship AR glasses, but it remains a long-term goal. But finding the right chips, batteries, software and manufacturing to create a lightweight product that can last all day isn’t on the horizon yet. That’s a lot less complicated than the technology needed to make an AR-only device that looks similar to normal glasses. Now, Apple has postponed the rollout indefinitely and pared back its work on the AR device. A phone, in contrast, can usually last the whole day or longer. Instead, Apple will follow up with a lower-cost version of the mixed-reality headset as soon as 2024 or early 2025, according to people familiar with the deliberations. The documents have included the names “Reality Pro” and “Reality One.” The Pro name is likely for the initial model, while the “One” suffix could be under consideration for the cheaper version. The hope is that users could wear such glasses as they go about a normal day, but earlier attempts at the concept — such as Google Glass — haven’t gained traction. The initial mixed-reality device [due this year](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2023-01-08/when-will-apple-launch-the-reality-pro-mixed-reality-headset-apple-2023-devices-lcnfzkc7) will cost around $3,000. That’s a price Apple may strive to get closer to with its lower-end model.

BRASILIA : Brazil's antitrust watchdog CADE has begun investigating a complaint by e-commerce retailer MercadoLibre Inc against Apple Inc for alleged abuse ...

But the ruling is being appealed and a global resolution on the issue appears distant. court trial over similar allegations, a judge found that Apple had not violated antitrust law in part because its rules led to security benefits for users that outweighed any harm to appmakers. Advertisement

Brazil's antitrust watchdog Cade has started an investigation into Apple for alleged abuse of a dominant position…

[Shop The Apple Store at Amazon](https://amzn.to/3Kd2rKY). [Click or tap here to support our independent tech blog](https://macdailynews.com/thank_you_for_supporting_our_independent_tech_blog/). Adding the ability to access third-party app stores for iPhone and iPad also removes a selling point for Android phones and tablets, a crucial selling point for some, that is likely to result in further acceleration of Android to iPhone upgraders.

While the smart home hasn't panned out precisely the way Apple or its competition hoped, the company never took its eye off that ball.

Apple is working to design everything from its processors to its displays. It could cut costs and bring about new designs.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman joins Caroline Hyde and Ed Ludlow to discuss Apple's plan to unveil its first mixed-reality headset this year, ...

Aside from working as stereo speakers, the HomePod can also playback Dolby Atmos audio from an Apple TV 4K. As before, you need the same HomePod model to create ...

The second generation HomePod is priced at $299, same as the original model's price when it was discontinued. It seems now Apple will be enabling them on the HomePod mini in a future update. As before, you need the same HomePod model to create a stereo pair as the first and second generation cannot be paired together. The new HomePod also includes temperature and humidity sensors. The new HomePod also supports stereo pairing as with other HomePod models; simply put two of these in a room and you will be asked if you want to pair them. Two years after its discontinuation, the original HomePod is now back in a second generation avatar.

Don't expect Apple augmented reality glasses anytime soon, but keep your fingers crossed to see an Apple mixed reality headset in 2023 and buy one in 2024.

["RealityOS", "Reality One", "Reality Pro", and "Reality Processor"](https://www.zdnet.com/article/apple-may-have-just-dropped-a-big-clue-about-the-name-of-its-arvr-headset/). The OS is likely to be called xrOS, while the device would be called the Reality Pro. But there was also speculation last year that Apple Apple will instead target 2024 for the release of its lower-cost -- but still likely expensive -- mixed reality headset. [Apple's VR/AR headset is coming. VR on the other hand, such as Meta's Oculus, encloses users in a digital world.

Brazil's antitrust watchdog CADE has begun investigating a complaint by e-commerce retailer MercadoLibre Inc against Apple Inc for alleged abuse of a ...

court trial over similar allegations, a judge found that Apple had not violated antitrust law in part because its rules led to security benefits for users that outweighed any harm to appmakers. In a U.S. Register for free to Reuters and know the full story [appealed](/legal/fortnite-creator-fight-apple-antitrust-ruling-appeal-hearing-2022-11-14/) and a global resolution on the issue appears distant. [(MELI.O)](https://www.reuters.com/companies/MELI.O) against Apple Inc [(AAPL.O)](https://www.reuters.com/companies/AAPL.O) for alleged abuse of a monopoly in the distribution of apps for its devices, the regulator said on Wednesday. MercadoLibre argued that Apple had imposed a series of restrictions on the distribution of digital goods and in-app purchases.

Apple has dropped the upgraded versions of two of its flagship products, the MacBook Pro and the Mac Mini desktop.

The second variation with the M2 Pro chip is equipped with 16 GB RAM and 512 GB of SSD storage. And, in the future, it aims at adding touch screens to the MacBook Pro in 2025. The basic configuration of the Mac Mini with the M2 chip includes 8 GB RAM and 256 GB of storage. The new Mac Mini desktop also looks similar to its previous model and comes as the first update in over two years since 2020. Customers can order the new Apple MacBook Pro from January 17, with availability starting from Tuesday, January 24. They replace the previous M1 Pro and M1 Max processors and are all set to power a range of products that earned USD 40.2 billion in 2022, making for over 10 per cent of Apple’s revenue.

It will essentially be a low-end iPad that you can mount on walls or elsewhere using "magnetic fasteners".

A device that combines an Apple TV box with a smart speaker and FaceTime camera is also in the works, but there have been various setbacks for this project - the finalized product was initially targeted for release this year, but now it's unclear when it may come to market. This will be able to control your smart home products such as thermostats and lights, play videos, and handle FaceTime chats too.Google's Nest Hub [introduced its latest smart speaker](apple_announces_second_generation_homepod_with_temperature_and_humidity_sensors-news-57247.php) earlier today, but the company's plans for the smart home are much grander, a new report reveals.

Tech giant Apple has announced the launch of upgraded versions of its products MacBook Pro laptop and Mac Mini desktop. Read on to know more.

The second variation with the M2 Pro chip is equipped with 16 GB RAM and 512 GB of SSD storage. And, in the future, it aims at adding touch screens to the MacBook Pro in 2025. The basic configuration of the Mac Mini with the M2 chip includes 8 GB RAM and 256 GB of storage. Customers can order the new Apple MacBook Pro from January 17, with availability starting from Tuesday, January 24. The new Mac Mini desktop also looks similar to its previous model and comes as the first update in over two years since 2020. They replace the previous M1 Pro and M1 Max processors, and are all set to power a range of products that earned USD 40.2 billion in 2022, making for over 10 per cent of Apple’s revenue.