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Apple’s 2017 iPad does not support untethered Hey Siri

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 9, 2017

Apple's fifth-generation iPad, which launched in March 2017, does not support tetherless “Hey Siri” functionality even though the device features an embedded M9 motion coprocessor. As first noted by AppleInsider, the 9.7-inch iPad Pro is the only Apple tablet the feature is currently available on.

An always-on Siri requires that the device be outfitted with a low-power motion coprocessor embedded into the main chip. This lets iOS listen for the “Hey Siri” wake up phrase on battery power, in the background, without waking up the main power-hungry processor.

TUTORIAL: “Hey Siri” not working? Here's your troubleshooter!

“Hey Siri” made its debut with iPhone 6s, the first Apple device to embed the motion coprocessor in the main processing chip. All iPhones from iPhone 6s onward support “Hey Siri” on battery power, including iPhone SE and the latest iPhone 7 series.

The 12.9-inch iPad Pro is another Apple tablet without support for tetherless “Hey Siri” despite the inclusion of the M9 chip. It's unclear at the moment if Apple could eventually enable untethered “Hey Siri” in software on the new iPad and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

Apple sends press invites for June 5 WWDC 2017 keynote

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 9, 2017

Apple on Thursday sent out press invites for its annual Worldwide Developers Conference, which kicks off with a keynote presentation on June 5. As reported by 9to5Mac, the keynote address has been scheduled for Monday, June 5, at 10am Pacific Time.

WWDC 2017 will take place at the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, the site of the original WWDC located minutes from the new Apple Park headquarters in Cupertino.

The five-day event will focus on Apple's platforms: iOS, macOS, tvOS and watchOS.

The keynote presentation will be live-streamed through the Apple Developer website and on the WWDC app for iPhone, iPad and Apple TV. The Cupertino company could unveil of its own Siri-driven Echo rival at the event alongside potential hardware updates to the iPad Pro lineup and a next-generation Apple TV with 4K video support.

Bloomberg: Apple employees are testing rumored Siri smart speaker at home

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated May 31, 2017

In its write-up about Amazon's newly announced touchscreen-enabled Echo device, Bloomberg mentioned in passing that Apple's employees are now reportedly testing the company's rumored Siri smart speaker at home. “Apple employees have been testing a device at home for several months,” according to people familiar with the matter.

Apple's marketing chief recently talked up the benefits of having a screen on a voice-activated device, but “it's unclear whether the Apple version will in fact have one,” said Bloomberg.

Amazon's $230 Echo Show, pictured below, streams music from Amazon's own service, Spotify and Pandora, but not Apple Music. “We'd love to have Apple, but they're not super big on opening up Apple Music integration,” said Amazon devices chief Dave Limp.

Apple's upcoming AI speaker is likely to feature native Apple Music integration.

It's not unusual for Apple to allow its employees to test unreleased products at home. The fact that the rumored Siri device is being tested with Apple employees indicates that the product is nearly finished and being prepared and bug-tested ahead of a rumored launch next month.

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted it would be powered by an iPhone 6s-class custom processor and a custom version of iOS, supporting features like Siri and AirPlay.

“We expect Apple’s first home AI product will have excellent acoustics performance (one woofer and seven tweeters) and computing power similar to iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s application processor,” Kuo told clients.

KGI believes there's more than a 50 percent chance that Apple will announce its first home AI product at WWDC 2017 next month. It should start selling in the second half of 2017 and be priced higher than Amazon's existing Echo appliances.

Siri wireless speaker mockup via Twitter user “iFunnyVlogger”.

How to give a unique name to your Apple Watch

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 11, 2025

Learn how to change the display name of your Apple Watch to easily identify the device in the Find My app, on iCloud, watchOS menus, etc.

Toshiba warns Western Digital not to interfere in sale of its lucrative chip unit

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 9, 2017

Reuters reported Tuesday that Toshiba has now formally warned Western Digital not to interfere in the sale of its semiconductor unit. This follows recent reports that the US-based storage maker held talks with the iPhone maker regarding a potential acquisition of the Japanese giant's highly lucrative NAND flash chip business.

This is interesting because the two companies jointly operate Toshiba's main semiconductor plant. Western Digital accused Toshiba of violating their contract by transferring their joint venture's rights to the newly formed unit, which Toshiba denied.

The Japanese giant is now threatening legal action.

Western Digital's “campaign constitutes intentional interference with Toshiba's prospective economic advantage and current contracts,” reads Toshiba's letter.

“It is improper, and it must stop,” it added.

After Toshiba narrowed the list of bidders to Western Digital’s rivals, the US firm has formally complained to Toshiba because it felt the Japanese conglomerate should negotiate with it first.

Wester Digital even asked for exclusive negotiating rights.

Western Digital is not seen as a favored bidder for Toshiba's chip business because it put in a much lower offer than other suitors, sources with knowledge of the matter have said.

Toshiba is the world's second biggest NAND chip producer.

Among other suitors, technology giants such as Apple’s contract manufacturer Foxconn, flash memory chip maker SK Hynix and wireless chip maker Broadcom are said to be interested in investing into Toshiba's semiconductor business.

Amazon unveils $230 Echo Show with 7-inch touchscreen, video calling & more

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 9, 2017

Amazon today added a new smart home device to its range of Echo-branded smart speakers. Dubbed Echo Show, it has all of the features of the basic Echo system, and then some more. The $230 device resembles a tablet with a built-in speaker and a seven-inch touchscreen.

Thanks to a built-in camera and Amazon's video technology, users can make hands-free video calls to other Echo Show owners or to the people who use Amazon's mobile Alexa app.

But first, check out the promotional video for Echo Show.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQqxCeHhmeU

The addition of a touchscreen marks a new direction for Amazon's Echo family of smart speakers, which up until today supported voice-only interactions.

The touchscreen lets you swipe through photos, view weather forecasts, edit shopping lists and reminders, watch YouTube clips, check out video flash briefings, see music lyrics, watch video feeds from their smart home security cameras, including Ring and Arlo, and more.

Echo Show helps keep you organized at home. Start a timer in the kitchen and watch as it counts down, or easily see your family’s calendar.

Sign in to the Alexa App to take your to-do and shopping lists with you. Just add an item to the list from home, and whoever is out shopping will see it added instantly on their Alexa App.

With smart home control, you can use your voice to interact with smart home accessories like Philips Hue bulbs, Ecobee thermostats, Wink smart home accessories and more.

On the hardware front, Echo Show features Dolby-powered speakers with “crisp vocals and dynamic bass response”, plus eight microphones with beam-forming and noise cancellation that work in conjunction with Amazon's reliable far-field voice recognition technology to let the device hear the user from anywhere in the room, even while playing music.

A Drop In feature is also interesting, as per Amazon:

You can also enable a new feature called Drop In for the special cases when you want to connect with your closest friends and family. For example, you can drop in to let the family know it’s time for dinner, see the baby’s nursery, or check in with a close relative.

Amazon Echo Show is available to pre-order in Black and White for $230.

Amazon is sweetening the deal for those who'd purchase two Echo Show devices at once by allowing them to save $100 off of their order (use the promo code “Show2Pack” at checkout).

The new Echo Show will start shipping to customers June 28.

What do you think about Amazon's latest Echo-branded gadget?

Let us know in the comments!

WhatsApp quietly added encryption to iCloud backups in late 2016

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 9, 2017

WhatsApp last year closed an important security loophole by adding encryption to users' chat backups stored in iCloud. Before the change, hackers could theoretically gain access to WhatsApp chat archives in iCloud using third-party forensic tools to access underlying messages in a readable form.

Rather than rely on iCloud Drive to protect customer data, the Facebook-owned company has added a unique encryption key created by the WhatsApp app.

A spokesperson confirmed iCloud backups are now being encrypted, telling Forbes: “When a user backs up their chats through WhatsApp to iCloud, the backup files are sent encrypted.”

Although Apple holds the encryption keys for iCloud, it's up to app makers to use encryption when sending user data to iCloud. According to TechCrunch, a Russian company called Oxygen Forensics, which supplies mobile and cloud hacking tools, was able to generate encryption keys for WhatsApp's iCloud backups.

The workaround requires that an attacker have access to a SIM card with the same mobile number that the app uses to send a verification code to generate the encryption key for the iCloud backup. Of course, Oxygen still needs a user's Apple ID and password to gain access to their iCloud user space in the first place.

“Then, using the associated SIM, Oxygen said it can generate the encryption key for decrypting the data by passing the verification process again,” explains TechCrunch. Forbes suggests the method could be used by police in possession of a device where the WhatsApp account has been deleted but iCloud backups have not been wiped.

https://twitter.com/FiloSottile/status/861569977681412096

In other words, after realizing that forensic tools could be used to download encrypted WhatsApp data from iCloud backups in a readable form, WhatsApp has beefed up security and quietly rolled out encryption for iCloud backups last year.

You can backup your entire WhatsApp chat archive to iCloud by tapping the Settings tab in the lower-right corner of the app. Now tap Chats, then Chat Backup and finally hit Back Up Now.

By the way, WhatsApp should update the wording of the Chat Backup screen because it states, somewhat confusingly, that “media and message you back up are not protected by WhatsApp end-to-end encryption while in iCloud.”

FileMaker 16 releases with improvements to mobility, security and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 9, 2017

Apple subsidiary FileMaker today announced the release of FileMaker 16, the latest version of its popular custom app platform. The Mac suite includes everything needed to create, share and run custom apps for business teams that work across iPad, iPhone, Windows, Mac and the web. The software helps simplify the design and delivery of custom apps for mobile, cloud and on-premises deployments.

A new Layout Objects window helps you visualize the hierarchical order of objects in your layouts while new cURL options and predefined JSON functions allow your apps to exchange data with other web services.

Key highlights in FileMaker 16 include:

Mobility: The addition of animations and transitions with scripts provide visual cues to help orient users as they navigate through their custom apps on the FileMaker Go app. Enhanced signature capture for the FileMaker Go app allows users to sign documents on iPad and iPhone just as they would on a paper form. Integration: Easily exchange data with other web services and applications using enhanced cURL options and predefined JSON functions in FileMaker Pro. Development: The new Layout Objects window provides a hierarchical list of all objects in a layout. This makes it easy to make changes to an object without having to ungroup the entire set of objects. Scalability: Custom apps accessed via FileMaker WebDirect now can be used by up to 500 users simultaneously, making it easier to share data with an entire team. Security: Simplified credential management with OAuth 2.0 using third-party authentication providers improves security and safety of custom apps. Existing Amazon, Google or Microsoft Azure account credentials now can be used to log into FileMaker-based custom apps.

Individual users can buy FileMaker Pro 16 for $329, or $549 for FileMaker Pro 16 Advanced.

Teams of five users can subscribe to FileMaker for $888 per year, which gives them unlimited access to FileMaker Server and all the apps included in the suite on desktop, mobile and the web, plus future updates.

A perpetual license for a team of five users, which does not include access to future versions of FileMaker, is $2,664.

To learn more about FileMaker 16 Platform, visit filemaker.com/r/16.

A free trial of FileMaker 16 is available at filemaker.com/r/16trial.

Apple’s marketing chief says smart speakers should have built-in displays

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 8, 2017

Phil Schiller, Apple's Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing, recently sat down for a quick interview with Gadgets 360, discussing the possibility of App Store upgrade pricing, the future of Amazon Echo-like smart speakers, Apple's new programming language Swift and more.

Commenting on Echo-like products, Schiller opined that smart speakers should feature a built-in display for those times when you want to, say, share photos, which is something voice-only assistants are not perfectly suited for.

Asked to share his thoughts on devices like Google Home and Amazon's Echo, he said:

Well, I won't talk to either one specifically, I don't want to. My mother used to have a saying that if you don't have something nice to say, say nothing at all. So, instead, let's abstract the conversation just briefly to some of the general concepts and talk about those, because it's really interesting.

First of all, there is a lot of talk in the industry about voice-driven assistants and we believe deeply in voice-driven assistants that's why invest in Siri, but there is interest in a voice-only assistant, where there is no screen, and we think it's important to that there are times when it's convenient to simply use your voice when you are not able to use the screen.

For example, if you're driving and you want Siri to work for you without having to look at the screen, that's the best thing. Or maybe you're across the room, and you want to ask Siri to change the song you were listening to—you don't have to walk over and back and you can use Siri instead.

So there's many moments where a voice assistant is really beneficial, but that doesn't mean you'd never want a screen. So the idea of not having a screen, I don't think suits many situations.

For example, if I'm looking for directions and I'm using Maps, Siri can tell me those directions by voice and that's really convenient but it's even better if I can see that map, and I can see what turns are coming up, and I can see where there is congestion, I understand better my route, and what I'm going to do.

Or, for example, with photography, and one of the most popular reasons for our products is photography now, and photography requires a screen.

So the idea of a device without a screen, well it's not really useful for that whole category of photos that we all share. and all the social networking apps that are now embracing photos more and more, well, it doesn't work really so great in voice-only assistants.

Or the biggest category of all of apps is games, and I have yet to see any voice-only games that, for me, are nearly as fun as the one that I play on my screen. And so I think voice assistants are incredibly powerful, their intelligence is going to grow, they're gonna do more for us, but the role of the screen is gonna remain very important to all of this.

Bloomberg claimed Amazon was working on bringing a seven-inch touchscreen display and telephony to a next-generation Echo Home device. Due next year, the premium device will target kitchens and cost more than the current Echo gadgets.

“The latest Amazon speaker will be larger and tilt upwards so the screen can be seen when it sits on a counter and the user is standing,” said one of the people familiar with Amazon's plans.

Earlier today, Microsoft announced a new Invoke smart speaker with built-in Cortana, Harman Kardon audio technology and other features, due this fall.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Io8NU6iTto0

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A recent supply chain rumor claimed AirPods manufacturer Inventec had landed Apple's first order for an Echo-like device with Siri, AirPlay and more. The accessory should sport a Mac Pro-like cylindrical chassis with a concave top with built-in controls and a speaker mesh.

According to Australian leakster Sonny Dickson, Apple's gadget will use Beats audio technology for “excellent acoustic performance” and include seven tweeters, a woofer and possibly the company’s W1 wireless chip which debuted in AirPods.

According to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the connected speaker will file as the iPhone maker's first AI-driven smart home device. It’s expected to be targeted at the premium segment of the market and cost more than Amazon’s $179 Echo.

The analyst said the Siri-driven speaker could be announced at WWDC 2017 in June.

Siri device mockup via iFunnyVlogger on Twitter

Apple’s Workflow app gains new Apple Music actions, brings back Chrome and Pocket integrations

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 8, 2017

Workflow, the powerful iOS automation app that Apple acquired in March, has brought back a few features that were originally removed from the software following the Apple deal while adding updated Apple Music actions.

In Workflow 1.7.4 for iPhone and iPad, users can now create workflows using actions specifically designed for Google's Chrome browser and the read-later app Pocket, which browser vendor Mozilla acquired in February.

With the updated Apple Music actions, Workflow fans can now add songs to their Up Next queue in the Music app. Another new action lets you clear the songs in the Up Next queue.

Additionally, Workflow's Get Distance actions has been updated with support for getting the distance from a specified location while the order of items passed from a Dictionary action to Choose from List is now preserved.

Here's everything new and fixed in Workflow 1.7.4:

Bug fixes and improvements Restored the Google Chrome and Pocket actions Add music to your Up Next queue with the Add Music to Up Next and Clear Up Next actions Get Distance now supports getting the distance from a specified location The order of items passed from a Dictionary action to Choose from List is now preserved Fixed getting prices for books in Search iTunes Store Fixed making archives with special characters in the filename on iOS 10.3 and later Fixed an issue where workflow glyphs in the Today Widget may be stretched and cut off Fixed an issue where latitude and longitude may be formatted incorrectly in international locales Fixed an issue where .wflow files may fail to open on iOS 10.3 and later Fixed an issue where improperly formatted URLs from Pinboard could cause Workflow to crash Fixed an issue where booleans may not update when their value is changed inside dictionary fields Fixed an issue where handing off clipboard content from the Today Widget or Action Extension may throw a “The file Clipboard could not be opened” error Fixed an issue that could cause Workflow to crash on launch Other bug fixes and minor additions

Apple has said that it will continue to push maintenance updates to Workflow, but no new user features will be added to the software. Today's update makes good on that promise.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rJXJcn93jU

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Apple's plans for Workflow are unclear at the moment. For what it's worth, any new features or major changes that could be in the works for the app should be formally announced at the company's annual conference for developers next month.

Workflow is available at no charge via App Store.

Microsoft and Harman Kardon unveil Invoke smart speaker with Cortana, coming this fall

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 8, 2017

Battle of the smart speakers is intensifying as Microsoft and Harman Kardon announced today a new connected speaker with the Cortana personal assistant built-in and other artificial intelligence features.

Dubbed Invoke, the smart home accessory features premium 360 sound powered by Harman Kardon technology, a “touch to surprise” user interface panel at the top with interactive Cortana lighting and built-in controls, easy setup via Windows 10 or the dedicated Cortana app for iPhone and Android and more.

The metal housing packs in three tweeters, three woofers and and two passive radiators.

With Invoke, Microsoft fans will be able to ask Cortana questions and tell her to play music, as well as check calendar appointments, set reminders, check traffic, get weather, the latest sports scores and news headlines, and much more.

Invoke can be used to control home devices like lights and thermostats using voice. Microsoft says home automation features work with select providers only.

“We are excited to partner with Harman Kardon to create a speaker that combines premium audio and stylish design with the intelligence of Cortana.” said Jordi Ribas, CVP, AI Products at Microsoft. “This is our next step in bringing Cortana to even more devices to help users be more productive wherever they are.”

You'll recall that Samsung acquired Harman International last November.

Microsoft first teased the device in December 2016.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bikRuaJAv5g

One thing that will set Ivoke apart from rivals is integrated hands-free calling to cell phones, landlines and other Skype-enabled devices through Microsoft's Skype app. Not unlike the Echo range of smart speakers from Amazon, Microsoft's device features seven microphones and far-field technology allowing it to pick up voices from across a noisy room.

Far-field audio technology is based on Harman's beam forming, echo cancellation and noise reduction algorithms to ensure Cortana can hear you, “even in challenging environments.”

The key features on Invoke include:

Premium sound—Harman Kardon high-quality sound featuring 3 woofers and 3 tweeters give full range, true 360-degree sound. The 2 passive radiators are tuned to give a solid bass performance from a small enclosure. Cortana—Cortana is your truly personal digital assistant designed to help you be more productive. Cortana can set reminders, make lists, manage calendars, provide answers to questions, and much more. Cortana also works across devices, including PC and mobile, so she’s there whenever you need help. Skype calling—Make and receive hands-free calls to cell phones, landlines, and any Skype-enabled device. Smart home control—Control your smart home devices including lights and thermostat and more. Sonique far-field voice technology—Featuring 7 microphones embedded into the speaker, using Harman’s beam forming, echo cancellation, and noise reduction algorithms to ensure Cortana can hear you, even in challenging environments.

Invoke is scheduled to arrive this fall via select retailers and Microsoft Stores. At launch, the gadget will be offered to customers in the United States, potentially rolling out globally at a later stage. Pricing has yet to be set.

Invoke will be available in Graphite (Black) or Pearl Silver (White).

For additional information, visit harmankardon.com/invoke.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JX-RawsYlw

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Apple is thought to have finalized design of its smart speaker that could debut at WWDC.

The device is said to integrate Siri and AirPlay features in a cylindrical form factor akin to Mac Pro sporting a concave top with built-in controls and a speaker mesh portion covering it all.

It will reportedly run a version of iOS and include Beats audio technology with “excellent acoustic performance” powered by seven tweeters, one woofer and possibly the company's W1 wireless chip which debuted in AirPods.

Apple has never been more valuable

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 8, 2017

Apple just notched a new market cap record. As the company's shares opened at a price of $149.06 per share on Monday, its market capitalization increased to a cool $776.60 billion. In other words, the iPhone maker just broke its own record after setting a market-cap peak in February 2015 at $774.7 billion.

As per The Wall Street Journal, Apple's stock has set record highs 17 times since February.

Shares of Apple rose 3.7 percent last week after the Cupertino firm reported earnings that were in line with Wall Street expectations and company forecasts. The most recent jump in Apple's stock price has pushed the company's valuation on Wall Street to $776.60 billion at Friday’s close, a new record for Tim Cook & Co.

The previous high for Apple’s market value was $774.7 billion in February 2015.

At the time of writing, the company's stock was trading above $150 for the first time ever—that's after factoring in a 7-for-1 split in 2014. At $151.62 per share, the company's market capitalization was about $790.6 billion this morning.

In a note distributed to clients Monday, Drexel Hamilton analyst Brian White set his Apple price target to $202 per share from $185. Were $AAPL to hit $202 per share, its market capitalization would be valued at $1.053 trillion.

Apple's stock is up 29 percent this year. According to public records on the Apple Investor website, the company has 5.213 billion shares outstanding.

Will Apple become the world's first trillion dollar company?

Let us know what you think in comments below.