A new report from Variety today (via iClarified) suggests that Showtime's parent company CBS is putting the final touches on a standalone streaming service for the premium cable network, with rumors pointing to an official announcement either later today or sometime on Thursday.
Just like HBO NOW, the service would allow customers interested in Showtime to circumvent a traditional cable subscription and gain access to all of the network's shows and films for a single monthly fee. Variety says that CBS will reveal a partnership with Apple and the Apple TV that will be the exclusive home of the Showtime online-only service, similar to HBO NOW's initial exclusivity window on Apple TV and iOS devices. CBS still plans for other online partners to be announced in the future, according to "industry sources."
No name or price model was detailed yet for the Showtime service, but as pointed out by Variety, the move would fall in line with the company's announcement last fall of a $6 per month streaming service that presented access to the network's library of old and new shows. With Showtime cable subscriptions aligning closely with that of HBO, the new service would undoubtedly fall in the ballpark of HBO Now's $14.99 per month charge.
Update: As expected, Showtime has confirmed the streaming service will officially launch on July 12 for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Apple TV. The monthly service will run users $10.99 and simply be called "Showtime." The early July launch will also coincide with the new seasons of Ray Donovan and Masters of Sex.
Apple today announced a voluntary recall of all Beats Pill XL speakers due to the rare possibility that the battery in the speakers may overheat and pose a fire safety risk. Apple advises all customers to stop using the Beats Pill XL speakers and will issue a $325 refund or Apple Store credit to affected customers. The recall does not extend to other Apple or Beats products.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission notes that the recall applies to about 222,000 Beats Pill XL speakers sold in the United States from January 2014 through June 2015, while Health Canada says that approximately 11,000 units were sold in Canada. Apple received eight reports of incidents of the speakers overheating, including one that burned a customer's finger and one that burned a customer's desk.
"Because customer safety is the company’s top priority, Apple is asking customers to stop using their Beats Pill XL speakers. Customers who purchased a Beats Pill XL speaker should visit www.apple.com/support/beats-pillxl-recall for details about how to return their product to Apple, and how to receive an Apple Store credit or electronic payment of $325."
Beats Pill XL speakers were introduced by Beats by Dre in November 2013, prior to Apple acquiring the company in 2014, and are sold in five colors: black, metallic sky, pink, titanium and white. Apple will issue refunds to affected customers approximately three weeks after receiving the returned Beats Pill XL speakers in a postage paid box.
As promised, Flexibits today updated Fantastical 2 for the iPhone to version 2.3, adding support for the Apple Watch. Fantastical 2's new Apple Watch app includes a list of all upcoming meetings and appointments, a list of Reminders, a Glance with quick access to a daily schedule, and the ability to add events directly on your wrist.
Flexibits' co-founder Michael Simmons told MacRumors that the company waited until the Apple Watch was released to begin developing Fantastical 2 for the wrist, in order to design an app with the best possible user experience. "I'm not going to make an Apple Watch app when I've never used one," he said. "I need to see it. You can't solve a problem if you don't know what the problem is."
After experimenting with the existing Calendar app on Apple Watch and brainstorming on how best to translate Fantastical's feature set to the wrist, the Flexibits team came up with a simple but useful solution that distills Fantastical's core functions into a form suitable for wrist-based interactions that last just seconds.
The key feature in Fantastical 2 for Apple Watch is the Glance, which shows all of a day's events arranged in a timeline. With the Glance, you get a quick overview of what's going on in a day, along with information on the next upcoming meeting or appointment.
Tapping on the timeline within the Glance opens the full Fantastical 2 app, where you can get a list of all the events happening for the next two weeks. This improves upon the default Calendar app somewhat, as Apple's own app only shows a week of events. More detailed information on each event can be accessed with a tap, and scrolling through events in a list can be done with a finger or with the Digital Crown.
If you use Fantastical's Reminders feature, tapping "Reminders" at the top of the Apple Watch app will open a list of Reminders you've created, where they can be checked off. A force press within the Reminders list will let you add a new to-do task, while a force press in the main view of the app will let you add a new event. Events and Reminders are entered using the Apple Watch's dictation capabilities.
The Fantastical 2 Apple Watch app can be customized through the iPhone. Users can choose whether to display events and reminders, how many days to display within the app, and what the Glance opens -- next event or a list of all events.
Since Fantastical 2 for Apple Watch is bundled into an iPhone update, it's free for all existing Fantastical 2 users. If you own the iPhone app, you own the Apple Watch app.
The accessory market for the Apple Watch exploded almost immediately after the wearable was announced back in March, with stands specifically becoming the popular announcement of well-known third-party accessory companies like Twelve South and Mophie. Although most of the stands won't break the bank, some of the cheapest start at around $30, and some of the higher-end alternatives can go as high as $130.
With monetary savings in mind, a few enterprising individuals around the internet have begun to showcase their own homemade alternatives to the big-name Apple Watch stands. Made using materials like LEGO and even a 3D printer, the homemade stands not only look functional but, of course, offer a more unique and personal take on charging Apple's new wearable device.
One of the go-to Apple Watch stand material for homemade construction is LEGO, unsurprisingly, with users posting on Twitter and in the MacRumors forums a few noteworthy constructions perfect for the nightly charging required by the wearable. Ranging in diversity from a highly detailed Guardians of the Galaxy themed design to simple no-frills constructions, those interested may not be able to perfectly re-create their favorite designs, but should no doubt feel a burst of inspiration from looking at others' builds.
Over in the forums, a few members have showcased unique LEGO creations, as well. A few designs focus on pop culture themes like Minecraft or Star Wars, but others have decided to build their own custom blueprints, as well. One user even took it a step further and crafted a matching Watch/iPhone set.
Although far less popular than the easy-to-obtain LEGO bricks, one lucky MacRumors reader has been able to use a 3D printer to design and print out their own personal Apple Watch stand. The resulting product is arguably a bit rudimentary and rough around the edges, but undeniably cool as an alternative charging method for the Apple Watch. The 3D printed stand was designed with a slot on the back of the stand's neck and a hole at its base to pass the MagSafe charger, although the poster notes the exact dimension of the MagSafe puck was estimated due to the Watch's unavailability at the time of posting.
3D Printed Apple Watch stand by MacRumors Forum member Shacky
The stands showcased here today barely scratch the surface of the creative ideas and builds Apple Watch fans have taken to creating since its launch in April. If you've already built your own Apple Watch stand, or plan to in the future, be sure to share it with everyone in the Apple Watch accessories forum or by commenting below.
Apple has added a new support document on its website (via iFun.de) that confirms the third-generation Apple TV or later can be used to control HomeKit-enabled accessories when you are away from home using an iOS device.
After signing in with the same Apple ID on an iOS device and Apple TV, users can use Siri commands to remotely control lights, locks, thermostats, smart plugs and other HomeKit-enabled accessories. A separate new support document lists the available HomeKit-compatible devices as they begin to roll out.
The new support documents were added just as multiple accessory makers announced the first HomeKit-compatible products, including Lutron, iHome, Elgato, Insteon and Ecobee. Many of the accessories are available for purchase or pre-order this week, and others should be unveiled following Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference next week.
It has been known that the Apple TV would serve as a centralized hub for many of these accessories since their original unveiling at CES 2015 in January, while support for the HomeKit framework was quietly included in the Apple TV 7.0 software update last September, but today marks one of the first official confirmations from Apple.
Apple is widely expected to announce a new A8-based Apple TV with an App Store and Siri at WWDC next week. The next-generation set-top box is rumored to feature a "dramatic increase" in internal storage, well beyond the 8GB included in the current model, and the inclusion of Siri will enable users to control HomeKit-enabled accessories using voice commands.
HomeKit was announced at WWDC last year as a software framework for communicating with and controlling connected devices in the home, but the home automation platform experienced delays over the ensuing months and did not officially launch until this month. Apple is expected to provide more details about HomeKit and related accessories during its WWDC keynote on June 8 at 10 AM Pacific.
Following this morning's iCloud and iTunes downtime, Apple's services appear to be experiencing another outage, this time affecting several of the company's online stores.
The App Store, iTunes Store, Mac App Store, iBooks Store, and Apple TV are non-functional for some users at the current time, with content inaccessible. MacRumors has received several complaints about App Store apps not downloading.
According to Apple's system status page, all of the above listed services are affected, along with iTunes Match, iTunes Radio, and Game Center. The page suggests the outage began just after 5 p.m. Pacific Time and it reads, "Users may be unable to access the above stores/services or make purchases."
Game Center has been unavailable for some users for several hours now, having first begun experiencing issues at around 12:30 p.m. Pacific Time.
It is not clear when the outage issues will be resolved, but this morning's iCloud problem was fixed within an hour.
Update 6:55 p.m. Pacific Time: After approximately an hour of downtime, Apple's services are now back up and running, aside from Game Center. Game Center continues to be unavailable for some users.
Apple CEO Tim Cook was honored at the Electronic Privacy Information Center's Champions of Freedom event in Washington yesterday, where he took the opportunity to give a speech covering Apple's stance on privacy, the importance of guarding customer information, and the company's views on encryption.
TechCrunch has shared details on both the event and Cook's speech, calling him "characteristically passionate" about the topics he spoke on.
"Like many of you, we at Apple reject the idea that our customers should have to make tradeoffs between privacy and security," Cook opened. "We can, and we must provide both in equal measure. We believe that people have a fundamental right to privacy. The American people demands it, the constitution demands it, morality demands it."
Cook highlighted Apple's commitment to customer privacy while also lambasting other Silicon Valley companies like Google and Facebook for collecting customer data. "They're gobbling up everything they can learn about you and trying to monetize it," Cook said. "We think that's wrong. And it's not the kind of company that Apple wants to be."
Image via TechCrunch
As he has done multiple times in past privacy-centric speeches, Cook reiterated Apple's position as a company that gets its money from selling products and services, not the personal data of its companies. He also made a subtle jab at Google's new Photos app, which offers free, unlimited photo storage.
"We believe the customer should be in control of their own information. You might like these so-called free services, but we don't think they're worth having your email, your search history and now even your family photos data mined and sold off for god knows what advertising purpose. And we think some day, customers will see this for what it is."
On encryption, Cook said he believes it's "incredibly dangerous" that some government agencies advocate for unfettered access to consumer data and devices, an issue that's come to light following encryption changes that Apple introduced with iOS 8. As of iOS 8, Apple no longer stores device encryption keys, making it impossible for the company to bypass a passcode and provide consumer data at the government's request.
According to Cook, weakening encryption with a "master key" for the government has a "chilling effect on our First Amendment rights and undermines our country's founding principles." He says Apple will continue moving forward with encryption and will focus on building products "that keep people's information safe."
More of what Cook had to say during yesterday's speech can be found over at TechCrunch. The Verge has also shared details on the speech.
Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
Twelve South is an accessory company that's known for its high-quality stands for the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, so it's no surprise that it was one of the first to announce a dock for the Apple Watch.
The Twelve South HiRise for Apple Watch follows in the footsteps of the company's other HiRise docks, offering an Apple Watch storage and charging solution that's attractive, well-designed, and suitable for use in a wide range of locations, from a desk in an office to a nightstand in a bedroom.
I've been using the HiRise for Apple Watch for over a week now, as have a few of my colleagues both at MacRumors and TouchArcade, and the universal consensus is that it's a great stand, albeit with a premium price tag.
HiRise for Apple Watch is made from brushed metal and is available in black or silver to match the finishes of the Apple Watch Sport and standard Apple Watch. It also matches the company's HiRise products for other devices, if you happen to own any of those.
Apple is set to kick off its 2015 Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday with a keynote event that begins at 10:00 a.m., and as it does every year, the company has begun decorating the Moscone Center in San Francisco where the conference will be held.
As of this afternoon, work crews have begun placing the iconic Apple stickers on the outside of the building, while also preparing to begin erecting banners in the lobby of Moscone West. As can be seen in photos shared by MacStories, the first leaves of the logo are visible.
In a few hours, we'll likely see the first banners for the 2015 event, which may sport the tagline "The epicenter of change." Apple will continue decorating the center throughout the week, adding additional signage both inside and outside.
Oftentimes Apple's banners reveal hints on upcoming operating system changes, suggesting potential names and feature sets, but those revelatory banners will likely be kept under wraps until later this week. In 2014, we didn't see signs for iOS 8 and OS X 10.10 until Friday.
This year's keynote will include the debut of iOS 9 and OS X 10.11, along with a new streaming music service, a revamped version of iTunes Radio, a new Apple TV set-top box, and a rewards program for Apple Pay. For more details on what to expect, make sure to check out our WWDC roundup.
Apple plans to provide a live stream of the WWDC keynote on the Apple TV and through its website. MacRumors will also provide live coverage of the event for those unable to watch, both on MacRumors.com and through our MacRumors Live Twitter account.
Update: The Apple logo on the outside of Moscone West has now been completed and the first interior WWDC 2015 banners have gone up. Image via MacStories.
Apple today updated the Apple TV with a brand new National Geographic channel, bringing popular National Geographic shows and content to the company's set-top box. National Geographic first announced plans to introduce an Apple TV channel in November.
The channel includes shows like Life Below Zero, Live Free or Die, The Incredible Dr. Pol, and more. As with the company's iOS apps, content is available through the Apple TV channel the day after it airs on television. The channel also offers on-demand access to back episodes of popular shows.
Like many of the channels on the Apple TV, accessing content like full on-demand episodes requires authentication with a cable TV provider. For those without a cable subscription, there are a few select episodes available for free, plus there are digital shorts and clips from shows available for viewing.
A number of iCloud services are currently experiencing downtime in the United States, Canada and other countries, an issue that became widespread within the past hour or so. A significant number of users have tipped MacRumors and posted on Twitter and other social media platforms about being unable to sign into iCloud or access related services such as Mail and Find My iPhone.
iTunes has also been experiencing an outage since at least 8:30 AM Pacific, although Apple has yet to update its system status page to reflect any ongoing issues with either iCloud or iTunes. MacRumors will continue to track Apple's system status page and the affected services and providing the latest status updates about the outage as new information becomes available.
Apple services have experienced multiple instances of downtime in recent months, including a prolonged App Store and iTunes outage in early March, and subsequent downtime in late March, followed by a TestFlight outage for developers in May. Apple has historically been rather slow at updating it system status page to reflect any ongoing issues, usually doing so several minutes after issues begin.
Update 9:09 AM Pacific: iCloud services have been restored for some users.
Over the weekend, we launched a new version of the MacRumors Forums. Beyond a long overdue redesign, we also migrated to a new discussion platform called XenForo.
The MacRumors Forums have been running since 2001 and have over 800,000 members and 20,000,000 posts. We have discussions documenting the first iPod, the first iPhone and the death of Steve Jobs.
The move to a new software platform brings us a number of new features, including but not limited to:
- Responsive design - Auto save text editor - Social registration and login. Register with Facebook and Twitter. - Notification system for replies, @mentions, quotes and likes. - Improved security
The modern new design was carefully crafted by Audentio Design. We are listening to feedback and will be making ongoing tweaks. Please offer specific comments and questions in the site feedback forum or this article thread.
Now is also a great time to register for our forums. Logged-in users see fewer ads in the forums than guests, and can comment on news stories.
Existing users may have to login again if they haven't since the transition. All users are now allowed an avatar and existing avatars should be updated to the larger size now allowed. There are a small percentage of users who may have to reset their passwords due to the transition. Otherwise, we've migrated all existing accounts and posts into the new system. If you have a problem with your account, contact us through our contact form.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office today published a patent application filed by Apple in November 2012 (via AppleInsider), detailing a version of Apple's Earbuds that would smartly detect when two users are sharing the same earphone set and in-turn switch audio to single- or multi-user mode.
The headphones would use a variety of sensors, including an "angle sensor configured to measure an angle at the Y-junction of a cable associated with the pair of headphones," to determine in real-time whether the device was being used by more than one person. The Y-junction strain detector would measure the widening gap between the point where the headphones split into buds for the right and left ear, measuring whether to readjust the audio for two users as the gap widens or just one when it stays the same.
Interestingly, the patent also details a possible way that two users would not only be able to listen to the same music with better quality on a single pair of headphones, but listen to completely different songs at the same time. Other options are portrayed in the patent for helping to detect a change between user count, ranging from basic mechanical switches to measuring precise angle alignment of a pair of headphones using light transmission and fiber optic cables.
Given that the patent application was filed over two years ago and Apple has yet to release earphones with the proposed technology, it is unlikely the company has plans to do so. Still, as a response to a common use of one of Apple's products in the wild, today's patent is definitely an interesting glimpse into the way the company observes unexpected uses of even its most simple creations.
Intel today at Computex 2015 announced its next-generation lineup of quad-core Broadwell processors for notebooks and desktop computers, including a trio of Core i7 processors appropriate for the 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro: i7-5950HQ, i7-5850HQ and i7-5750HQ. The new processors have base frequencies of between 2.5 GHz and 2.9 GHz and feature integrated Intel Iris Pro 6200 graphics.
The fifth-generation Broadwell chips are expected to be available in the next 30-60 days, meaning the first notebooks and desktop computers with the new processors should be available in July or August.
Interestingly, Apple refreshed the 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro just last month, but noticeably missing were processor upgrades, as the new machines continue to use the same Haswell processors from the previous generation. While appropriate Broadwell chips will soon be available over the next few months, it is possible that Apple did not want to wait that long to refresh the notebook.
It is also possible that Apple will skip fifth-generation Broadwell processors entirely for the MacBook Pro and release Skylake-based notebooks as early as later this year. Intel also announced the future availability of Thunderbolt 3 with USB-C, and USB 3.1 and DisplayPort 1.2 support, and the new spec would be suitable for inclusion in the next refresh to the Mac lineup.
Apple updated its Apple Pay participating issuers list today with 12 additional banks, credit unions and financial institutions supporting the contactless payment service in the United States. Apple Pay now has over 300 participating issuers nationwide, and several hundred more plan to support the NFC-based mobile payment service in the future.
The newly added Apple Pay participating issuers are reflected below, although it's worth noting that some banks, credit unions and financial institutions listed may have already had support for the contactless payments service and are only now being reflected on Apple's website.
The full list of new Apple Pay participating issuers:
Banner Bank
BayPort Credit Union
California Coast Credit Union
Centier Bank
Community First Credit Union (CFCU)
Glenview State Bank
HAPO Community Credit Union
Prestige Community Credit Union
Provident Credit Union
Staley Credit Union
Synovus Bank
Wood & Huston Bank
Apple Pay remains available in the United States only, although Apple is committed to an international rollout of the mobile payments service in additional countries such as Canada, China and the United Kingdom. Canada, a well-prepared candidate for Apple Pay, could be the first country to embrace the service outside of the United States in iOS 9.
Following in the footsteps of iHome, Lutron and Elgato, Ecobee and Insteon, two of Apple's other HomeKit partners, are also announcing new HomeKit-compatible products today. Ecobee is announcing a new smart thermostat, while Insteon is introducing the Insteon Hub for adding HomeKit compatibility to Insteon's range of switches, outlets, thermostats, and lightbulbs.
Ecobee's existing thermostat is already sold in Apple's retail stores, and as of July, the company is launching a new version that's compatible with HomeKit. The new WiFi-connected ecobee3 will be one of the first HomeKit-supported thermostat available to consumers, letting temperature be controlled through Siri commands on the iPhone and iPad.
"As the first HomeKit-enabled smart thermostat, we couldn't be happier to bring this revolutionary technology to customers," said Stuart Lombard, president and CEO of ecobee. "The new ecobee3 uses wireless remote sensors to deliver the right temperature to the rooms that matter most, and now customers can conveniently control their temperature using Siri on their iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, or the ecobee app."
The ecobee3 uses several remote sensors to measure temperature and occupancy in multiple rooms of the house to adjust cooling and heating when a person is home and when away. Like other HomeKit-compatible devices, the ecobee3 can be grouped with other connected-home devices to enable commands like "Siri, I'm going to bed" which will turn down the temperature and turn off the lights.
Insteon's HomeKit-enabled Insteon Hub, first announced at CES, pairs with the new Insteon+ app and connects to Insteon's range of smart home products, from LED bulbs and cameras to wall outlets, keypads, switches, sensors, and more. Insteon has a wide assortment of connected-home products that pair with its Hub, bringing HomeKit compatibility to a wide selection of accessories. Like the company's existing hub, the new hub pairs with almost all of Insteon's products and a few additional products, like the Nest thermostat.
The Insteon+ app is also able to interface with other HomeKit-enabled products, so the Insteon system can potentially be used to control an entire connected home. The app allows users to set up "rooms" and "zones," schedule scenes, and adjust multiple devices at once.
"We're excited to be shipping our HomeKit-enabled Insteon Hub and releasing the Insteon+ mobile app, enabling the mass consumer market to live in a world where all of their connected devices work together in perfect harmony," said Joe Dada, CEO, Insteon. "HomeKit streamlines home automation for consumers, brings together multiple manufacturers and offers advanced features like remote control and voice control through integrations with Siri."
The HomeKit-compatible ecobee3, which includes a thermostat and one sensor, will be available for purchase in Apple retail stores in July for $249. The Insteon Hub will be available for purchase through Amazon.com and Smarthome.com in early July for $149.99.
Ahead of Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference, several of the company's HomeKit partners are today announcing the availability of the first HomeKit-compatible products. HomeKit is Apple's home automation platform, first introduced at the 2014 Worldwide Developers Conference.
HomeKit provides a standardized framework for manufacturers that develop home automation products, letting them interface with the Apple ecosystem and with each other. Through HomeKit, connected devices like lights, thermostats, speakers, smart plugs, and more can be controlled by Siri. For example, HomeKit enables commands like "Siri, turn off my lights," or "Siri, turn the temperature up before I get home."
Though HomeKit was announced in 2014, it has taken nearly a year for companies to complete Apple's certification process and get products ready for store shelves. Several companies like iDevices, Schlage, and Elgato have previously announced plans for HomeKit-compatible products, but until today, no products were ready to launch.
Lutron's Smart Bridge, part of the Lighting Starter Kit, supports HomeKit and is designed to let users control their Lutron Caséta Wireless dimmers using Siri on an iPhone or iPad. The kit includes one Smart Bridge, two Caséta Wireless dimmers (which support dimmable LED, halogen, and incandescent bulbs), two remotes, and two pedestals.
The Caséta Wireless Smart Bridge with HomeKit support allows homeowners to control lights in specific rooms or areas. For example, just before bed, tell Siri "turn the lights off" and the Caséta Wireless Smart Bridge will turn off lights throughout the house. Unsure if the basement light is still on? Ask Siri to check and if so, turn it off.
iHome's iSP5 SmartPlug fits into a standard wall socket and can use Siri or the iHome Control app to control lamps, fans, and other devices that are plugged in to the SmartPlug. The SmartPlugs support different "scenes" to control multiple connected devices within the home, and the app will allow multiple SmartPlugs to be grouped and controlled with a single command.
Up to two SmartPlugs are able to fit into a single wall socket and a Wi-Fi connection is required for the plugs to communicate with iOS devices. According to iHome, today's iSP5 SmartPlug is just one of several products that will include HomeKit support, with other accessories in the iHome Control line coming in the future.
The Eve brand of connected home sensors by Elgato, which the company announced last Fall, allow users to monitor air quality, smoke, humidity, air pressure, energy, and water consumption all with the ease of a synced iOS app. The line-up of different sensors each focus on a specific aspect of home detection: the Eve Room for indoor air quality, Eve Weather for outdoor temperature and humidity, Eve Door & Window for security notifications of open and closed points of entry into a house, and Eve Energy for basic energy consumption data and the control of electronic devices.
Some of the devices in the line aren't just simple sensors, either, with Eve Energy acting as a go-between for electrical-based devices and a wall outlet (although it's currently only available for European sockets). The product subsequently can monitor energy consumption of a device and can turn the product connected to it on and off at the touch of a button within the iOS app. Each of the products in the Eve family of home sensors are fully functional with Siri, allowing users to speak to their iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to ask about temperature, the security of doors and windows, and control devices connected to Eve Energy.
The Caséta Wireless Lighting Starter Kit is available for $229.95 at Apple Stores beginning today. iHome's iSP5 SmartPlug will be available for pre-order for $39.99 from the iHome website beginning June 15. Elgato's Eve sensors are up for pre-order starting today, ranging in price from $39.95 to $79.95.
Ecobee and Insteon also announced a new HomeKit-compatible smart thermostat and Insteon Hub for controlling a range of switches, outlets, thermostats, and lightbulbs respectively. In the coming weeks, there will be even more announcements as companies producing smart home products finish their work on HomeKit.
Intel today at Computex 2015 unveiled Thunderbolt 3 with a USB Type-C connector, instead of Mini DisplayPort, and support for USB 3.1, DisplayPort 1.2 and PCI Express 3.0, as outlined by Ars Technica. The new spec's Thunderbolt transport layer provides up to 40Gbps throughput, double the max bandwidth of Thunderbolt 2, alongside an optional 100 watts of power for charging devices in accordance with the USB Power Delivery spec, or 15 watts of power without USB PD.
"Thunderbolt 3 is backed by Intel's new Alpine Ridge controller. USB 3.1 support is provided by integrating a USB 3.1 host controller into Alpine Ridge. There will be two flavours of the controller, one that uses four PCIe 3.0 lanes to drive two Thunderbolt ports, and another version that only uses two PCIe lanes connected to a single Thunderbolt port."
Thunderbolt 3 is capable of driving up to two 4K external displays at 60Hz or a single 5K display at 60Hz running off a single cable. Dell and other manufacturers currently use a dual-cable solution for most 4K and 5K external displays, since the current DisplayPort/Thunderbolt spec does not provide enough bandwidth to drive the high-resolution monitors. Thunderbolt 3 also supports more protocols than any other I/O controller, making it compatible with virtually any dock, device or display.
Intel expects initial products with Thunderbolt 3 to start shipping before the end of this year, and ramp up in 2016. Thunderbolt 3 is rumored to launch alongside Intel's next-generation Skylake chips, succeeding the Broadwell line, later this year, and the new spec could theoretically be included in Skylake-based Macs that could possibly be released in late 2015. Refreshed Macs would likely gain USB-C ports integrated with Thunderbolt 3 as an all-in-one solution.
A new report from Variety today (via iClarified) suggests that Showtime's parent company CBS is putting the final touches on a standalone streaming service for the premium cable network, with rumors pointing to an official announcement either later today or sometime on Thursday.
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Ahead of Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference, several of the company's HomeKit partners are today announcing the availability of the first HomeKit-compatible products. HomeKit is Apple's home automation platform, first introduced at the 2014 Worldwide Developers Conference.
