MacRumors

Eve, known for its line of HomeKit-enabled smart home products, recently came out with an accessory called the Eve Extend, which is a Bluetooth range extender that's designed to work with existing Eve products.

Many of Eve's HomeKit devices work over Bluetooth, and while that often works fine, in larger homes, Bluetooth connectivity can be problematic because it can be limited in range. Bluetooth products need to be within range of an iPhone to be controlled, so for situations where Bluetooth connections are spotty, Eve came out with the Extend.

Not every household is going to need the Eve Extend, and it is a product that is specifically designed to work with existing Eve devices so it's a little bit more niche, but something worth exploring for those who have invested in the Eve ecosystem.

Eve has multiple Bluetooth products, so the Eve Extend, which costs $50, works with devices like the Eve Aqua, Eve Motion, Eve Flare, Eve Door, Eve Room (new model), Eve Energy, Eve Weather, Eve Degree, and Eve Button. Eve says it works with all Bluetooth Eve accessories with the exception of the 2015 Thermo and the 2015 Eve Room.

Eve Extend is a small square-shaped white plastic box that can be placed in a central location in the home to add WiFi connectivity to Bluetooth-enabled Eve accessories, allowing them to be controlled from anywhere. You can also use multiple Eve Extend boxes if a home is particularly large.

The Eve Extend needs constant power to work, and it comes with a micro-USB cable and a power adapter. I wasn't much of a fan of the Eve Extend's cord and I would have preferred a built-in plug for the device.

Since Eve Extend uses a cord and power adapter (I just plugged it into an iPad adapter), it can go anywhere in the house that it needs to go. If, for example, you have an outdoor Eve product that's often out of range such as the Eve Aqua, you can put the Eve Extend close to the outdoors, improving connectivity.

The Eve Extend is simple to set up, connecting to either a 2.4 or 5GHz WiFi network. Like other ‌HomeKit‌ products, it can be added to your setup by scanning the ‌HomeKit‌ QR code with your ‌iPhone‌.

I didn't have issues setting up the Eve Extend, but I did come across some reviews from people who haven't been able to use it with Google WiFi systems, so there may be some setup problems that should be investigated prior to purchase.

The Eve Extend runs in the background so there's no need to control it, and it's not available in the Home app. You can access it in the Eve app, which also needs to be downloaded to set it up.

In the Eve app, you can see the accessories that are connected to the device and also add additional Eve accessories that you purchase after setting up the Eve Extend. Other than setting it up and assigning accessories, once something is connected to the Eve Extend, nothing else needs to be done.

Eve has always had one of the more comprehensive ‌HomeKit‌ apps on the market, and the app was recently improved following the launch of iOS 13. There's Dark Mode support and a redesigned navigation bar that makes it easier to get to all of your favorite devices. Eve's app is my go to for seeing all of my ‌HomeKit‌ products at a glance, even those that aren't Eve devices.

Eve Extend can connect to up to eight devices, and in my testing, it successfully extended the available Bluetooth range of each Bluetooth Eve accessory. I don't have a super large home and the Eve products I have are concentrated in my office, but to test it out I moved them to other areas of the house that are further away.

In addition to longer range, response times also seemed a bit quicker, with the Eve Flare responding faster to color changes and the Eve Room responding more quickly to Siri requests for room temperature.

Bottom Line

Eve Extend is expensive at $50 so it's not a perfect solution, but it is an ideal way to make Bluetooth Eve accessories that you've already purchased available reliably from day to day.

If you have an Eve setup and have run into connectivity issues due to the limitations of Bluetooth, the Eve Extend will solve the problem by allowing those devices to connect to WiFi for access anywhere.

It's worth noting that devices like newer ‌iPad‌, Apple TV, and HomePod models are able to serve as a Home hub and perform a similar function relaying Bluetooth commands, so there's a chance you won't need the Eve Extend even with an extensive Bluetooth setup.

This is a device that's specifically designed for people who are having current issues with their Eve devices and want a simple solution that does not involve purchasing an additional Apple product.

How to Buy

The Eve Extend can be purchased from the Eve website or from Amazon for $49.99.

eBay is finishing off its Friday Drops sales event this October with a new all-time-low price on Apple's latest AirPods With Charging Case, priced at $125.00, down from an original price of $159.00. At $34 off, this is the lowest price we've tracked on the 2019 AirPods, which have typically hit sale prices between $139.00 and $144.00.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

You can head to eBay today to purchase the low-priced AirPods, which are in brand new condition and include free shipping. Shoppers should note that this is not the version of the AirPods with a Wireless Charging Case, and can only be charged through a USB-to-Lightning cable (which is included in the box).

Anyone looking for the 2019 AirPods with Wireless Charging Case can still get that pair at a discount as well, thanks to an ongoing $30 off sale on Amazon. This version of the AirPods is priced at $169.00, down from $199.00, and as of yet we have not seen a better deal on the AirPods with Wireless Charging Case.

The eBay offer on the AirPods with Charging Case is expected to sell out fast, so be sure to head to eBay soon if you're interested. Our full Deals Roundup is also a great place to visit for even more Apple-related sales and offers.

Update 12:00 p.m. PT: eBay's AirPods offer appears to have already expired.

MacRumors has partnered with accessory maker Targus to offer our readers 15 percent off sitewide on the company's website. The exclusive deal has kicked off this week, and will run through November 30, 2019, providing our readers with a month of savings on laptop bags, backpacks, docks, and mobile accessories.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

To claim the discount, head to Targus and add an item into your cart. In the final checkout screen, enter the coupon code MACRUMORS15 in the field at the top right of the screen. This will take 15 percent off your order total, so it can be used on multiple items at once, but it is not valid on clearance products or open box items. It also can't be combined with other discount offers.

Below we've collected a few ideas for accessories you can use the new code on, so check them out and be sure to head to Targus before the end of November to take advantage of the sale.

Targus 15% Off Sitewide Sale

• 15.6-Inch Arts Edition Polka Dot Laptop Sleeve - $29.75, down from $34.99
  

• 13-Inch CityLite Pro Laptop Sleeve - $25.50, down from $29.99
  

• 15-Inch Groove X2 Compact Backpack - $59.50, down from $69.99
  

• VersaVu Signature 360-Degree Rotating Case for 9.7-Inch iPad - $51.00, down from $59.99
  

• Save 15% on Cables and Adapters - $9.99 to $59.99
  

• Save 15% on Screen Protectors for iPhone and iPad - $19.99 to $64.99
  

• Save 15% on USB Hubs - $18.99 to $99.99

Additionally, our readers can get the same 15 percent discount on Targus' sister site, SENA Cases. This site focuses on premium leather cases for iPhone, iPad, and MacBook.

You'll find the same discount code process on SENA Cases as on Targus, so shop around on the website, add a few items to your cart, and then enter MACRUMORS15 during the checkout screen. This will net you 15 percent off your order total.

SENA Cases has a few accessories that are up for pre-order with a 15 percent discount as well, so anywhere you see this offer you won't be able to stack our exclusive coupon code on top of the existing discount.

Otherwise, you can shop around for cases for the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max, the newest iPads, the Apple Watch, and 11-inch to 13-inch Mac notebooks.

Be sure to check out both 15 percent discounts on Targus and SENA Cases before the sales expire on November 30, and then head to our full Deals Roundup for a full recap of the latest Apple-related bargains.

Apple Watch Series 5 models are now available to purchase at Apple Stores and select resellers in Brazil, Korea, and Thailand, with both Wi-Fi-only and cellular models released today following pre-orders.

Pricing starts at R$3,999 in Brazil, ₩539,000 in Korea, and ฿14,400 in Thailand.

Carriers:

• Brazil: Claro and Vivo
  

• Korea: KT, SK Telecom, and LG U+
  

• Thailand: AIS, dtac, and TrueMove

Apple has also started selling the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max in Korean stores as of today.

Google today announced a change to its core Search algorithm that it says can better understand conversational search queries. Through improvements in natural language analysis, the company says that it has improved its ability to analyze queries that reflect how people speak in real life and recognize the relevant context.

Particularly for longer, more conversational queries, or searches where prepositions like "for" and "to" matter a lot to the meaning, Search should be able to understand the context of the words in a query, allowing users to search in a way that feels more natural.

The company says the improvements are down to a system it introduced last year called BERT, or Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers, which allows Google to analyze the context of a sentence a lot better and return more pertinent information.

In a blog post announcing the change, Google offers the following example to show off BERT's capabilities – a search for "2019 brazil traveler to usa need a visa."

The word "to" and its relationship to the other words in the query are particularly important to understanding the meaning. It's about a Brazilian traveling to the U.S., and not the other way around. Previously, our algorithms wouldn't understand the importance of this connection, and we returned results about U.S. citizens traveling to Brazil. With BERT, Search is able to grasp this nuance and know that the very common word "to" actually matters a lot here, and we can provide a much more relevant result for this query.

Google reckons BERT will help Search better understand one in 10 searches in the U.S. in English, and it plans to bring the capability to more languages and locales over time.

As far web searches go, the changes usher in the "biggest leap forward in the past five years, and one of the biggest leaps forward in the history of search," said Pandu Nayak, a Google vice president.

Google is the default search engine in Apple's Safari web browser. Apart from its Google.com website, Google Search is also available on iOS through the company's namesake app. [Direct Link]

Apple this afternoon began sending out emails highlighting its latest Apple Pay promotion, which offers $10 off a purchase of $100 or more from the StubHub app.

StubHub is an online ticketing company that allows users to purchase tickets for sporting events, concerts, and more.

To get the $10 discount, you can enter PAYFASTER during checkout on ‌Apple Pay‌ purchase of $100+. Apple says that the discount will be available through October 31, and it is limited to the United States. Purchases of gift cards are not included.

Apple today announced that it is the first company to receive a Green Supply Chain CITI Outstanding Brand award for its environmental efforts in China, specifically its contributions towards making its entire supply chain more environmentally responsible.

Apple announced the news on its Chinese site (via 9to5Mac), and said that as a CITI brand, the company will continue to maintain a "superior supply chain" while further promoting environmental management.

Ge Yue, the managing director of Apple Greater China, said that Apple has been committed to smart and sustainable manufacturing to be beneficial to the world.

"We always believe that to create the best products in the world, we must create the products that are most beneficial to the world. For this reason, we have been committed to promoting the development of smart and sustainable manufacturing. I am very grateful to Director Ma Jun and IPE for their cooperation with us. We believe that through our joint efforts, we will be able to achieve greater achievements in protecting the Earth and its important resources."

Apple says that it is working on projects to strengthen its environmental impacts outside of its own supply chain, with plans to share best practices with others and extend its results to the entire industry.

In China, Apple's clean water management program has been able to save more than 25 billion gallons of water, and Apple has 76 suppliers participating in an effort to run entirely on renewable energy.

More than 40 percent of Apple manufacturing partners are committed to producing Apple products with 100 percent clean energy, and by the end of next year, Apple and its suppliers will have a total of 6 GW of renewable energy in use worldwide.

Signify, the company behind the Philips Hue line of lights, recently introduced new filament bulbs, which are designed to look like vintage filament-style light bulbs.

These bulbs, which come in three sizes, are the first bulbs in the Philips Hue lineup that are meant to be used with or without a lamp shade, making them perfect for decorative-style lamps that are meant to have naked bulbs.

There's a Standard A19 bulb that's in the shape of a traditional lightbulb, an Edison ST19 bulb that's elongated and without the rounder bulb shape, and there's the Globe G25 bulb, the largest of the three, which looks like a larger version of the Standard A19.

Though designed to look like vintage filament bulbs, the Hue Filaments are LED bulbs and not incandescent bulbs so they don't get hot at all when in use. You can touch the naked bulb and not feel a thing besides a bit of warmth.

The filaments inside the Hue Filament bulbs are arranged in an attractive spiral shape, with all of the bulbs in different sizes using the same internal design.

All three of the Filament bulbs from Hue are white light only, which means colors are not supported. The default color is a soft, warm yellow, which is ideal for accent lighting and dimmer indoor lighting. For those familiar with the white lighting spectrum, these are 2100K bulbs.

There's just the one yellow shade with no option to change the white light temperature, but the Filament bulbs can be dimmed or brightened to adjust the lighting that is put off. The bulbs can get surprisingly bright, which allows them to light up a room when you're using a few.

Each of the bulbs measures in at 530 lumens, so these are not as bright as your average 60-watt bulb. For comparison's sake, some of the standard Hue bulbs are upwards of 800 lumens, so don't expect the same maximum brightness levels (though you probably wouldn't want that much brightness from a bulb without a lamp shade).

In a naked lamp that's at eye level, a full brightness Filament bulb is impossible to look at, so I appreciated the ability to dim the bulbs down from their maximum brightness. I'm using one of the bulbs in a little monster lamp that I have and at low light, it works perfectly.

Since these are mostly designed to be used without a lamp shade, the Filament bulbs are probably best used at dimmer light, but in a ceiling lamp or up hung up above, the brighter lights will work well and will put off a decent amount of light.

These bulbs are part of the Philips Hue Bluetooth line, which means you can directly control them using the Philips Hue Bluetooth app even if you don't have a Hue Bridge. If you do have a full Hue setup with a bridge, these bulbs are also compatible, and the bridge, of course, adds HomeKit so you can control the Filament bulbs with Siri.

I didn't extensively test these on a standalone basis with the Bluetooth app because I do have an existing Hue setup, but I did try them out with the Bluetooth app and found the control to work well, though response times are bit slower compared to a bridge connection.

Offering the option to connect to the newest Hue bulbs with Bluetooth is a great move by Philips because now people can experience Hue bulbs and control their lights without committing to an entire setup.

As with all Hue bulbs that are able to connect to the Hue Bridge, the Filament bulbs can be used in ‌HomeKit‌ scenes and automations alongside other ‌HomeKit‌ products, and can be controlled either through the Hue app or Apple's own Home app.

Bottom Line

If you've been waiting for a Hue bulb that's able to work in a lamp without a lamp shade, the Filaments are the bulbs for you.

The vintage look is perfect for a naked lamp, and the soft white light works well without a lamp shade. The spiral design is attractive, ‌HomeKit‌ support is included, and if you don't have a Hue Bridge, you can still control these and use dimming and on/off functionality over Bluetooth.

The bulbs are versatile, look fantastic, put off a good amount of light for a decorative bulb, and are an excellent addition to the Hue family. In the future, I'd love to see colored bulbs in this style or adjustable shades of white, but I'm not familiar with the technical details or what would be required for Signify to ultimately release such a product.

For now, though, these are a great option for those who need a more decorative bulb than the traditional Hue offerings.

How to Buy

The Hue Filament Smart Bulbs can be purchased from the Best Buy at the current time. The A19 model is priced at $24.99, the Edison ST19 is priced at $27.99, and the Globe G25 is priced at $32.99.