MacRumors

The Apple retail store located on Bahnhofstrasse in Zurich, Switzerland was evacuated on Tuesday following a situation with an overheated iPhone battery and its injury of a repair worker (via Reuters and Swissinfo.ch). Zurich police said that the incident happened as the worker was removing the battery from the iPhone, subsequently overheating and "slightly" burning his hand.

It wasn't confirmed which iPhone was the source of the incident, but afterwards smoke began building up within the store, leading to the temporary evacuation of around 50 customers and employees from the premises. In addition to the repair worker, seven other people required medical attention but none were hospitalized.

The police mentioned that Apple staff responded quickly to the overheated battery by sprinkling quartz sand over it and containing the smoke as fast as possible.

“At the same time, there was a slight build-up of smoke, which led to around 50 customers and employees having to leave the business temporarily,” a police statement said.

“The staff responded well and correctly. It sprinkled quartz sand over the overheated battery so that the smoke could be contained and sucked out after switching on the ventilation.”

According to the police statement, forensic specialists are now examining what caused the incident in the first place, so no explanation was given at the time of writing. Apple has yet to comment on the situation.

Today at CES, smart lock maker August announced the expansion of its in-home delivery service "August Access," which will roll out in partnership with delivery company Deliv. Similar to Amazon Key, customers who use August's service will grant Deliv drivers one-time access into their home so that packages aren't left outside (via TechCrunch).

August's service will expand upon its previous August Access platform by opening it up to any interested online retailer, allowing users to order products from these stores and select the August Access in-home delivery option. As long as customers have smart locks from August, Emtek, or Yale, August will then generate a one-time password that the Deliv driver enters, drops off the package inside, and closes the door on their way out (which re-locks automatically).

Once the process is complete users will get a notification on their iPhone or Android smartphone, and the company will also offer "a camera feature" to see the delivery live or watch it later. No information was given on what security cameras will be supported with the service.

“We have been working on this for some time with a variety of retailers and testing it,” said Jason Johnson, the co-founder and CEO of August, in an interview. “It’s now coming along very fast.”

“Through this unique partnership, we are bringing a bit of magic to the shopping experience,” said Daphne Carmeli, CEO of Deliv, in a statement. “Deliv provides the last mile fulfilment solution for a broad retailer network across the country while August Home supplies the technology to take the final step into the home for a totally seamless experience, start to finish.”

Besides August locks, the Emtek and Yale brands are supporting August Access now that each company is under the Assa Abloy umbrella, following its acquisition of August last year. The service was previously tested with Walmart in September, even allowing delivery people to put away groceries in customers' refrigerators when needed.

Amazon Key works in much the same way as August Access, allowing Prime members in 37 cities across the United States to order "tens of millions of items" on Amazon.com and have them delivered securely inside their home. But August CEO Jason Johnson said August Access provides more "choice and flexibility" since it's not only available to products on Amazon but will be supported by any retailer who decides to back the platform.

Orbit at CES 2018 this week announced that it is adding HomeKit compatibility to its new B-hyve smart hose faucet timer and a new version of its B-hyve smart sprinkler timer that will be released later this month.

iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch users will have the ability to control the lawn and garden watering systems through Apple's Home app or with Siri.

HomeKit will enable users to control basic watering functions, such as turning on or off sprinklers. In the Home app, users can schedule their sprinklers to run at specific times, and find out when the next watering is.

Orbit's new HomeKit-enabled B-hyve products will be available to purchase from Amazon, The Home Depot, and Lowe's in the United States.

HomeKit added support for sprinkler systems and faucets in iOS 11, and the first accessories compatible with Apple's smart home platform are beginning to roll out, including Kohler's new Sensate kitchen sink faucet.

Fibaro today announced a new version of its popular Z-Wave control device called, "The Button," which will work with Apple's HomeKit products.

The Button, which is less than two inches in size, is a new battery-powered multi-touch HomeKit device that is designed to allow users to activate a HomeKit scene.

No bridge, hub, or gateway is required to use The Button, allowing it to integrate with any HomeKit setup. The Button can be programmed with up to three different actions activated with a single click, two clicks, or a long press.

When pressed, The Button has a buzz feature that provides audible feedback and confirmation of which scene was activated via a single buzz, a double buzz, or a long buzz.

Available in red, white, and black, The Button will be available for purchase for $59.99 starting during the first quarter of 2018. Additional colors will be introduced later in the year.

Alpine Electronics at CES today unveiled a new aftermarket CarPlay system with a "hover" design that floats in front of the vehicle's dashboard instead of being embedded directly into it. The company said that the iLX-F309 "doesn't require custom installation," but professional help will still likely be needed to remove existing infotainment systems before installing the iLX-F309.

Alpine's receiver includes a 9-inch touch screen and will fit in "a variety of vehicles." The 9-inch screen is slightly larger than the average 6-to-7-inch screen size of many other aftermarket CarPlay systems, and Alpine pointed out that the hover design will bring the larger display into vehicles that were previously restricted to dashboards with smaller form factors.

The system uses a 1-DIN chassis and an adjustable mount to give the hover effect after installation. In its announcement, Alpine Electronics described some of the installation mechanics of the iLX-F309 and how users will be able to adjust its angle:

The 9-inch screen is attached to an adjustable mount connected to a 1-DIN chassis. Once installed, the screen and mount are fixed to the chassis for a sturdy installation. The screen hovers over or in front of the dash while its rear housing tapers off cleanly at the edges for a thin and modern silhouette. At its default position, the screen's sliding mount is pushed out, sitting at a 90 degree angle and the bottom of the screen is centered with the 1-DIN chassis.

At this point, the screen can be angled at select positions to assist during installation, help with visibility, or move it away from other items on the dashboard. The screen can be positioned 20 millimeters (mm) back from its default position, to move it closer to the dashboard. It can be moved up or down 30mm from its default position and can be tilted up or down at a maximum of 45 degrees, depending on the position of the up/down location.

In addition to CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, the new system is also an AM/FM receiver with video support. The system doesn't include a CD or DVD slot, but there is a USB port, AUX input, and an HDMI input. The company mentioned that it has Bluetooth technology for audio streaming, but it doesn't appear to include Wi-Fi or support for wireless CarPlay connectivity, like the company's iLX-107.

Multiple add-ons are available for the iLX-F309, including a CD/DVD player, a second HDMI input, and rear/side cameras to see behind the vehicle as it's backing up. Alpine Electronics authorized retailers will begin selling the new system in February for $1,100.

Colgate this week announced the launch of its first app-enabled electronic toothbrush, called the Colgate Smart Electronic Toothbrush E1 with Artificial Intelligence. Available exclusively beginning today on Apple.com and in some Apple retail locations, Colgate's new product provides a few pieces of real-time feedback to help users improve their brushing routine.

The electronic toothbrush also uses Apple's ResearchKit in order to crowdsource toothbrushing data and "get even smarter about oral care for better and faster future innovation." ResearchKit is a software framework created by Apple that lets medical researchers gather data from compatible apps and programs, working in conjunction sometimes with CareKit to provide users with a better understanding of their specific medical conditions.

"Our goal is simple. We want people to have their healthiest smiles by brushing their best," said Dr. Patricia Verduin, Chief Technology Officer, Colgate-Palmolive Company. "The first step to improving brushing is to understand consumers' brushing habits, and Apple ResearchKit has proved to be a powerful tool for this."

Otherwise, Colgate's electronic toothbrush performs functions similar to previous devices from Philips, providing users with real-time feedback through an iPhone app as a way to improve brushing habits. The toothbrush includes various sensors, 3D motion sensors, and AI algorithms to detect brushing effectiveness "in 16 zones of the mouth."

The device's AI technology was created in partnership with Kolibree, and the connected app coaches users through brushing sessions that point out sections of the mouth where they might need to focus on more during their daily routines. The more the toothbrush is used, the more the AI learns and will adapt to each user, adjusting to their own habits and providing improved brushing tips.

Colgate is launching the Smart Electronic Toothbrush today in the United States on Apple.com and in select Apple stores, and will run for a price of $99.95.

After introducing a HomeKit controller in the shape of a dodecahedron, Nanoleaf recently announced the next generation of its popular triangle-shaped Nanoleaf Light Panels. The new panels don't have a name or a price yet, but the company revealed that they are square and include a few feature additions and improvements from the previous generation (via CNET).

Each square panel will include a touch sensitive surface, so you can turn them on or off, dim or increase their brightness, or change to another color preset just by tapping or sliding your finger on them. The base station for the square panels is also said to come with a microphone and motion sensor that can detect motion and alter the lighting flow of the panels as you walk by, for example.

Nanoleaf has also greatly increased the maximum limit of panels you can connect together. Instead of 30 panels able to connect to one base station (the limit on the triangular panels), up to 1,000 square panels can be outfitted together at once. Still, for every 60 panels strung together you will need a power booster -- set to be sold by Nanoleaf -- in order to "maintain optimal brightness."

Nanoleaf said that it plans to keep the new square panels "as affordable as possible," but the company isn't confirming a price range at CES. The new panels are expected to launch at some point later in 2018.

Nokia is adding to its health accessory lineup with the launch of a new sleep tracking accessory called the Nokia Sleep, which is debuting at this year's Consumer Electronics Show.

Like Apple's own Beddit sleep tracker that it acquired back in May, the Nokia Sleep is a thin under-the-mattress accessory that has built-in movement sensors to track metrics like sleep length, heart rate, sleep quality, and snoring, which can be viewed in the accompanying Health Mate. Data is synced to your smartphone using WiFi.

Nokia Sleep will provide users with an overall sleep score as a measure of how well a night of sleep went, which is also how the Beddit sleep tracker works. It includes integration with IFTTT, so it can interface with other smart home products to do things like turn off the lights when you fall asleep.

The Nokia Sleep will be available for $99, which is $50 cheaper than the Beddit. More information about the Nokia Sleep can be found on the Nokia website.

Philips and Razer today announced a new collaboration that allows Philips' Hue line of lights to integrate with Razer Chroma-enabled devices.

When using a device that features Razer Chroma, which includes everything from the Razer Blade line of laptops to Razer Chroma keyboards, gaming controllers, and mice, allowing your Philips Hue lights to react to whatever game you're playing.

You can choose to set each bulb to a preferred color or sync all of your lights with one touch using Razer's Synapse 3 hardware configuration software.

With Chroma Studio, you can also create different lighting effects across all Synapse-enabled devices that extend to Hue lights or use pre-configured effects like cascading waves or fire.

Razer says that its Razer Chroma devices and Hue lights are able to provide a fully immersive gaming experience, activating with game cues. When there's a flickering lamp, for example, the lights in the room will flicker, or when you score a kill, you'll be rewarded with a unique lighting scene.

Game developers can use Razer's Chroma SDK to built lighting effects that will impact Hue and Chroma devices, and many games have already adopted support, like Overwatch, Quake Champions, Factorio, Killing Floor 2, and more.

At this year's Consumer Electronics Show, HTC introduced a next-generation virtual reality headset, the HTC Vive Pro. The Vive Pro features two OLED displays with a resolution of 2880 x 1600 and 615 pixels per inch, a 78 percent increase from the 2160 x 1200 resolution of the current Vive headset.

HTC says the higher resolution will bring sharper text and graphics for an improved overall experience.

The Vive Pro is designed to be lighter than the existing Vive, with integrated high-performance headphones and a more comfortable headstrap with a sizing dial. Dual microphones and active noice cancellation improve communication, and dual front-facing cameras are included, too.

HTC is also introducing a new Vive Wireless Adaptor which to bring wireless VR headset integration that will work with both the Vive and the Vive Pro.

HTC didn't provide pricing or release date details on its new Vive Pro headset, but says additional information will be introduced in the future.

Apple is not yet competing in the AR/VR wearable space with companies like HTC and Facebook/Oculus, but the company is rumored to be hard at work on its own augmented reality headset or smart glasses. Apple's headset is still at least a year away, but it's said to include a dedicated display, a built-in processor, and an "rOS" operating system.

It's possible Apple's headset will include some virtual reality elements as Apple recently purchased VRvana, a startup that developed a mixed reality headset called Totem. Totem, never released to the public, was designed to combine both augmented and virtual reality technologies in a single headset.

Kohler at CES 2018 this week has introduced a collection of new smart kitchen and bath products based on its new Kohler Konnect platform, which itself is based on Microsoft's Azure internet-of-things cloud solutions.

A spokeswoman for Kohler told MacRumors that its Sensate touchless kitchen faucet and DTV+ shower system will be the first of the Kohler Konnect products to support Apple's HomeKit platform for smart home accessories.

Kohler's Sensate faucet allows you to turn the water on and off or dispense water to a measured volume, such as an eight-ounce cup or a large pot, with simple voice commands or touch-free motion-based interactions.

The faucet also monitors your water usage and lets you track the consumption using an upcoming Kohler Konnect companion app.

Meanwhile, the DTV+ showering system enables homeowners to create and automate personalized showering experiences. The Kohler Konnect app allows you to, for example, create and manage presets for sound, water, steam, and lighting.

With an optional bridge, you can use voice commands to access those presets, or use the system's wall-mounted interface, to adjust water temperature, and control shower heads, music, lighting, steam, and shower duration.

HomeKit compatibility should enable both products to be controllable with Siri or Apple's Home app for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch.

Kohler's other new smart home products integrated with its Kohler Konnect platform include its Verdera mirror with built-in Amazon Alexa, Numi intelligent toilet, PureWarmth toilet seat, and PerfectFill technology for bathtubs.

Kohler said the Verdera mirror with Amazon Alexa will be available for purchase from March 2018 in the United States. The other new Kohler Konnect products are planned for release later this year. Pricing has not been disclosed.

The Home Depot sells Kohler's existing Sensate faucet and DTV+ shower system sans Konnect for $523 and $794 respectively in the United States.