The feature can send a notification to the user’s iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch after it detects the sound of smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. In this way, even if you are not at home when you go out, you can respond in time after receiving relevant notifications.

The report that if your system is connected to a smart camera, it will also display video of your location so you can see what’s going on in real-time. Apple points out that the feature is end-to-end encrypted, and that all voice recognition happens locally on the smart speaker, rather than relying on the cloud.

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According to the patent description, the purpose of Apple’s camera in the HomePod is not for FaceTime remote video calling or for home security monitoring, but for facial recognition to identify which person in the room is sending a request to the HomePod, and to provide more intimate and easier control of smart home devices based on the preferences of the requesting user.

Apple believes that a pain point of the current control of smart home devices is that users need to remember the names of these devices only accurately say the names of these devices to accurately control them. If there are more devices, it is very easy to create confusion.

Apple’s patent simplifies the process, for example, the user releases “open that light”, and the camera can follow the user’s gaze to identify the need to activate the light.

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Siri on iPhone and iPad already supports Hebrew, but support has not been added on HomePod.

Apple typically adds support for languages in that market to Siri before the HomePod ships. For example, Apple added Norwegian and Swedish language support to Siri in the HomePod 15.6 update, released in July 2022. Apple launched the HomePod mini in Norway, Sweden and Finland in December.

Apple has not launched any HomePod models in Israel so far, and the media believes that judging from the code, Apple will launch HomePod in Israel.

Apple has not set up an offline or online Apple Store in Israel, so it may sell HomePod and HomePod mini through authorized resellers.

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In one of his tests, the white second-generation HomePod also left a white ring on the wooden surface where he placed the speaker, though this white ring was less visible than the one left by the first-generation HomePod and took longer to appear.

In a support document released in 2018, Apple acknowledged that speakers with shock-absorbing silicone bases may leave slight marks on some wooden surfaces as a result of the spread of grease between the silicone base and the table surface.

"It is not uncommon for any speaker with a shock-absorbing silicone base to leave slight marks when placed on certain wooden surfaces. These marks may be caused by the spread of oil between the silicone base and the table top, and will usually disappear after a few days when the speaker is removed from the wooden surface. If not, gently wiping the surface with a soft, damp or dry cloth may eliminate these marks. If the marks persist, clean the surface with the furniture manufacturer's recommended cleaning procedure. If this is a concern for you, we recommend placing your HomePod on a different surface."

Apple has not yet updated its support files to mention the second-generation HomePod. this issue does not affect the HomePod mini.

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The installation of HomePod Software 16.3 Beta adds support for temperature and humidity sensing on both HomePod mini and HomePod 2nd generation.

HomePod mini previously had a dormant temperature and humidity sensor, which Apple has now finally activated, allowing temperature and humidity sensing to be activated in home automation and devices.

Relying on sound recognition, HomePod can hear smoke or carbon monoxide alarms, recognize such sounds and send notifications directly to the user’s iPhone. New built-in temperature and humidity sensors measure the indoor environment and allow users to set automated actions, such as closing the curtains or turning on a fan when the room reaches a certain temperature.

With Siri, customers can control a single device hands-free, or create scenarios such as having multiple smart home devices start working at the same time in the morning, or set up recurring automation such as “Hey Siri, open the curtains at sunrise every morning. When users use Siri to control accessories such as the heater that can’t be distinguished by the naked eye, or to control accessories located in different rooms, HomePod will emit a new confirmation sound. Remastered ambient sounds such as ocean, forest, and rain will be further integrated into the experience, allowing customers to add new sounds to scenes, automation, and alerts.

Users can also intuitively control, view and manage accessories in the redesigned Home App. The Home App offers new categories such as “Environment,” “Lights” and “Security” and provides a new multi-camera view that allows users to easily set up and control their smart homes.

HomePod’s Find My integration also allows users to ask Siri for the location of friends and family.

Optimized audio tuning improves the clarity of voice content such as podcasts and audiobooks, and on the first-generation HomePod, volume controls have been updated to allow for finer adjustments at lower volumes.

The full release notes for Apple’s update are below.

HomePod software version 16.3 includes support for new HomePod features. This update also includes bug fixes and stability improvements.

-Temperature and humidity sensing to measure indoor climate with HomePod (2nd generation) and HomePod mini

-Redeveloped ambient sounds that are more immersive and can now be added to scenes, automation and alerts in the Home app

-Find My on HomePod now allows users to ask Siri for the location of friends and family (if they’ve shared) and set up regular home automation using just your voice

-Siri confirmation tones will now play to indicate when smart home requests are complete for accessories that may not visibly show changes or be located in a different room

-Audio tweaks optimize voice content such as podcasts to make HomePod (2nd generation) and HomePod (1st generation) clearer

-Updated volume controls on HomePod (Gen 1) for finer adjustments at lower volumes

The HomePod software 16.3 update will be released to the public sometime next week and can be installed on HomePod devices using devices running iOS 16.3, iPadOS 16.3 or macOS Ventura 13.2. These updates will bring new features to existing HomePods and enable new features for the second generation of HomePod smart speaker devices launching on February 3.

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Apple discontinued the initial HomePod full-size speaker in March 2021, allegedly due to poor sales, but the high-quality smart speaker still has a large following, and there have been rumors for some time that a new full-size HomePod would return.

Gurman previously said he doesn’t think the new HomePod will be “revolutionary,” but will feature a more competitive price, an updated top touch control panel and an S8 chip from the latest Apple Watch model.

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also said that Apple has been working on an updated version of the HomePod, which is expected to launch in the first quarter of 2023.

Apple has released two new 2023 MacBook Pro 14-inch and 16-inch models with M2 Pro and M2 Max chips, priced from CNY 15,999. The new products were not launched in a press conference but in a press release.

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The larger HomePod will definitely return this year,” Gurman wrote in the newsletter. He believes that the HomePod should be similar in size to the first HomePod, with the same height of around 6.8 inches. But Gurman also made it clear that the new HomePod update is not much, but will only use the S8 chip and improve the touchpad panel.

Gurman previously reported that Apple’s next full-size HomePod could add multi-touch functionality, and while no further details were shared, it was implied that the new model would have a “similar design to the 2018 model.

Ming-Chi Kuo also said last May that Apple was working on a new HomePod internally, and the code for Apple’s first iOS 16 developer beta mentioned an unreleased model called “AudioAccessory6,” which seems to confirm that a new version of the Siri smart speaker is in development.

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The tvOS updates are usually small, focusing on internal bug fixes and improvements without introducing too many new features. Apple has shared some information about tvOS releases in its tvOS support documentation, which is updated after each tvOS release, but it doesn’t provide details about the beta version.

Apple released a 16.3 Beta 1 update for HomePod today.

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Developers can download the new tvOS 16 beta by using Xcode to download a configuration file to Apple TV.

The tvOS 16 supports cross-device connectivity, a feature that allows developers to integrate Apple TV apps with iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch apps to unlock new experiences on the TV. Apple has also improved how multiple user profiles work in tvOS 16 by adding shared keychains, so users don’t have to sign in and select their profile when launching an Apple TV app.

Game controller support has been expanded to include Nintendo Joy-Cons and Pro controllers, and HDR10+ support is available in tvOS 16 Apple TV apps. With tvOS 16, Apple TV will support the upcoming standard Matter, which will improve interoperability between smart home accessories from different companies.

• Overview of tvOS 16 features for Apple TV.
• Cross-device connectivity: Apple said tvOS 16 enables developers to integrate their Apple TV apps with iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch apps to unlock new experiences that are “more personal than ever. For example, developers can provide more personalized workouts on Apple TV based on motion sensor data from Apple Watch, display real-time information on iPhone while videos are playing in Apple TV apps, or include more gaming screens.
• Expanded gamepad support: Apple says that starting with tvOS 16, “many additional Bluetooth and USB game controllers are supported,” notably including support for Nintendo’s Joy-Cons and Pro control grips.
• HDR10+ support: The latest generation of High Dynamic Range technology will be supported in Apple TV apps on tvOS 16.
• Multi-user improvements: tvOS 16 offers improved system integration for user profiles in Apple TV apps. Apple says that with credentials stored in a shared keychain, users do not need to sign in and select their profile at each launch.
• Matter support: Matter is a new standard that will enable compatible smart home accessories to work seamlessly across multiple platforms, including Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa and more. A Home Hub is required to control Matter accessories in the Home app, including Apple TV with tvOS 16 update, HomePod / HomePod mini updated to the latest software version.
• Apple TV+ tab video forwarding: A rich video preview at the top of the Apple TV+ tab helps users discover their next favorite Apple original.

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