Here’s what’s on my mind.
Coming from a background as an academician, here’s where I provide insight into my career, my passions and my life.AT&T offers unlimited data with slow speeds for pre-paid plans
AT&T is upgrading two of its inexpensive pre-paid GoPhone plans today, but they come with some serious trade-offs. The first plan, with unlimited data for $60 per month, only offers 3Mbps of data, and the speed will drop even further after you've…
German Company WeberHaus Becomes First Homebuilder to Support HomeKit in Europe
WeberHaus, a German company that specializes in pre-fabricated connected homes, today announced plans to support HomeKit in its SmartHomes starting in 2017, making it the first homebuilder in Europe to officially support Apple’s home automation system.
WeberHaus does not name which products will be included in its HomeKit packages, but underfloor heating, blinds, light systems, smart plugs, radiator valves, sensors, and more, are mentioned as possibilities. With HomeKit, customers who purchase a SmartHome from WeberHaus will also be able to add new accessories over time.
WeberHaus already has experience with intelligent homes, having previously used WeberLogic 2.0 and the MyHomeControl app from BootUp for home control, but will pivot to Apple’s HomeKit, introducing features like Siri control and Apple TV support for controlling devices when away from home.
“Apple HomeKit is the control solution of choice for home manufacturers around the world, delivering a simple and secure smart home solution for new home buyers,” says Klaus-Dieter Schwendemann, marketing manager at WeberHaus. “We are excited to work with Apple to bring these turnkey smart home packages to home buyers this year.”
The first WeberHaus homes with Apple HomeKit integration will be available later this year, but an official timeline and pricing information is not yet listed. WeberHaus has a demo home that shows off how HomeKit will be integrated into its SmartHomes, which can be viewed at the “World of Living” exhibition at WeberGaus in Rheinau-Linx, Germany.
Several homebuilders in the United States have already announced support for HomeKit, including Lennar, KB Home, and Brookfield Residential. R&F Properties has also begun incorporating HomeKit devices into homes it builds in China.
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Banned crime reporting app Vigilante returns as Citizen, says its ‘report incident’ feature will be pulled
Remember Vigilante? The controversial crime reporting app was kicked out of the App Store in November shortly after its release because Apple believed it encouraged private citizens to engage in, well…vigilantism. Now the app is back, under different branding. The new “Citizen” app, operating in New York City, will send you real-time crime reports based on 911 calls as well… Read More
Alphabet asks court to halt Uber’s self-driving car project
Alphabet's self-driving car division Waymo seeks to completely block Uber's autonomous vehicle operations, according to new documents filed in federal court Friday. The documents are part of Waymo's lawsuit filed against Uber last month and the compa…
Google partners with VCs to host its own machine learning startup competition
On the heels of acquiring data science community Kaggle, Google is launching a machine learning competition of its own for startups. Google is targeting early-stage companies taking an innovative approach to machine learning. The competition is being run in partnership with seven venture capital firms. Read More
MacRumors Giveaway: Win a Complete Desk Accessory Set From Grovemade
For this week’s giveaway, we’ve teamed up with Grovemade to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win an enormous desktop accessory package that features Grovemade’s entire lineup of quality-crafted desk products.
A Laptop Stand ($139) and a Monitor Stand ($119) are the centerpieces of Grovemade’s desktop setup, with the former able to hold any Mac notebook and the latter able to hold an iMac, LG 5K UltraFine Display, or any other monitor.
Grovemade also makes a Keyboard Tray ($99) that’s appropriate for the iMac keyboard, a Trackpad Tray ($59), a Wrist Pad with leather accents ($49), and a matching leather Mouse Pad ($99), all of which can be used with Apple accessories.
To go along with the Apple-related accessories, Grovemade makes additional desktop products that include a Pen Cup ($39), a Dish for small odds and ends ($29), a Planter that holds a succulent or other small plant ($29), and even a little Desk Lamp ($99).
All of Grovemade’s products are made from a dark walnut wood or a light maple wood, so everything matches and can be ordered in a color that best matches existing decor. The entire set includes everything you might need for the perfect organized desk setup, and the whole shebang looks great on a desk or table.
For our giveaway, Grovemade is including a Laptop Stand or Monitor Stand, Mouse Pad, Pen Cup, Trackpad Tray, Keyboard Tray, Wrist Pad, Lamp, and Dish.
To enter to win, use the Rafflecopter widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winner and send the prize. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.
Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years of age or older are eligible to enter. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.
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Hulu adds A&E, History and Viceland to its live TV lineup
Hulu's live TV streaming service, set to debut later this spring, just got an even bigger channel selection. On Friday, Hulu announced a new partnership to add the A+E Networks family of six channels, including A&E, History, Lifetime and Viceland…
You won’t have to pay to play ‘Quake Champions’
The upcoming Quake Champions will be free-to-play. Or not. It depends on how you want to approach it. "At its core, it's a free-to-play game with the option to buy the Champion Pack and just get in and play with all the Champions," developer Bethesda…
Oculus introduces Facebook livestreaming, Oculus Voice in new update
Explaining what VR is like can be a pretty daunting task. Today, Facebook and Oculus are making it a bit easer to share VR experiences with your friends and family. Alongside a host of social features which also included the addition of a new events app and viewing of 360 videos in Oculus Rooms, today Oculus showed off an update to its Gear VR platform which will allow users to share live… Read More
