Honeywell debuts Lyric, the smart thermostat with Android operability
Honeywell has introduced its latest smart thermostat, the gorgeously simple Nest-like Lyric. Set to hit retailers in August, the $279 device is already being offered through professional heating and cooling contractors. As you might have already guessed, the Lyric can be controlled via your Android or iOS device.
With the Lyric app, homeowners can adjust their home’s temperature to life as it happens, wherever they are.
The Lyric features a gloss white finish with silver accents and offers shallow depth; it will surely class up any room in our house.
Why the “Lyric” name, you ask? It has something to do with being fine-tuned and better than the competition.
- Using the location of your smartphone, the geofencing feature automatically turns the Lyric thermostat into energy saving mode when a home is empty, and then senses when you are coming home and heats or cools the house to your preferred temperature.
- The Fine Tune feature factors indoor and outdoor temperature, humidity, and weather into its algorithm, enabling it to provide the most comfortable temperature for homeowners. No other do-it-yourself Wi-Fi thermostat on the market today does that.
Learn more about the Lyric at Honeywell’s website.
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Apple’s Advertising Revamp Include Plans for In-House Team of 1,000 Employees
Last week, it was reported that Apple has begun producing some of its television ads internally rather than relying on longtime partner TBWA, and now Ad Age has an extensive look at the company’s evolving ad strategy that is seeing much more work being brought in-house.
Amid criticisms that it has failed to innovate, Apple is increasingly taking marketing into its own hands. It’s madly building an internal agency that it’s telling recruits will eventually number 1,000 — the size of Grey Advertising. It’s pitting TBWA/MAL against this internal agency with “jump balls” to mine the best creative ideas, a controversial tactic with outside agencies, let alone an internal one. It’s going after some of adland’s boldest-faced names to staff its in-house shop — in some cases, it’s even poached executives from TBWA/MAL. And, in what once would have been seen as a sacrilegious breach of the Apple-MAL bond, it’s been inviting some of the ad industry’s top shops to pitch on major projects.
The report notes that Apple’s hiring efforts have frequently received a “frosty reception”, with some ad executives feeling that Apple has lost its creative energy while others worry about the cost of living in Cupertino.
“Powerful” iPhone 5s ad delivered by TBWA/Media Arts Lab
Still, it’s clear that Apple has been working to shake up its advertising efforts over the past several years, with Apple executives having serious issues with some of TBWA’s work. Apple had reportedly considered dropping TBWA, but the two longtime partners have continued to work together even as Apple has looked to other internal and external groups for new creative sparks.
The lengthy report is an interesting read highlighting Apple’s sometimes controversial tactics with respect to TBWA, as well as an examination of what the future may hold for the relationship between Apple and its longtime ad agency. Amid continued growth by Apple and concerns over the quality of some recent ad campaigns, it’s understandable that Apple has been looking at various strategies for raising its advertising game, but just how things will play out over the long-term remains to be seen.
Kindle for iOS Adds Ability to Listen to Audible Books [iOS Blog]
Amazon has updated its Kindle app for iOS to version 4.3, adding the ability to listen to the Audible version of Kindle books that you own. According to Amazon, there are over 45,000 Kindle/Audible titles eligible for this new in-app listening feature.
The new Audible feature ties into Amazon’s Whispersync technology, which automatically syncs progress between the Kindle and Audible versions of a book. The feature allows Amazon customers to read a book at home and then listen from where they left off when they open the Audible version of the book. In order for his feature to work, customers must own both the Kindle and Audible version of the book title.
Other changes in Kindle 4.3 for iOS version include the ability to download a collection of books, the addition of a sleep timer and new narration speeds up to 2x. Amazon also improved its X-Ray search feature and improved overall performance and stability of the app.
Kindle for iOS is a free app that can be downloaded from the App Store. [Direct Link]
Engadget giveaway: win a Hanwell speaker courtesy of Marshall!
As our lives become saturated with digital devices, it’s often refreshing to saunter over to the vintage side of things for a moment. Marshall paid tribute to its ’60s guitar amp origins when it released its 50th anniversary edition Hanwell speaker and one lucky Engadget reader will now get to lay the cornerstone of their own Marshall stack. The company has served as a backdrop to rock and roll gigs for decades and the Hanwell aims to deliver a bit of that stadium sound in a living room-sized package. The speaker has separate knobs at the top for volume, bass and treble — although they only go up to 10 — and power is controlled with a simple on/off toggle switch. There’s no Bluetooth on this baby; its only audio connector is a double-ended 3.5mm coil cord. But there’s 100 watts of power ready to pump up the jams and ruin your neighbor’s evening. All you need to do is head to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning this killer boom box. If you’re a night owl surrounded by light sleepers, though, you could opt for some Marshall headphones to complete the package.
- Entries are handled through the Rafflecopter widget above. Comments are no longer accepted as valid methods of entry. You may enter without any obligation to social media accounts, though we may offer them as opportunities for extra entries. Your email address is required so we can get in touch with you if you win, but it will not be given to third parties.
- Contest is open to all residents of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Canada (excluding Quebec), 18 or older! Sorry, we don’t make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so direct your anger at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
- Winners will be chosen randomly. One (1) winner will receive one (1) Marshall Hanwell speaker.
- If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of being contacted. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Make sure that the account you use to enter the contest includes your real name and a contact email or Facebook login. We do not track any of this information for marketing or third-party purposes.
- This unit is purely for promotional giveaway. Marshall, Marshall Headphones and Engadget / AOL are not held liable to honor warranties, exchanges or customer service.
- The full list of rules, in all its legalese glory, can be found here.
- Entries can be submitted until June 11th at 11:59PM ET. Good luck!
Filed under: Announcements, HD, Mobile, Alt
Amazon’s updated Kindle apps let you seamlessly switch between text and audiobooks
It’s a hulking behemoth now, but let’s not forget that Amazon got its start peddling books. It never really forgot those roots, either: somewhere along the way it built its own e-reading platform and snapped up a pricey purveyor of audiobooks. Now the e-commerce titan is trying to blur the lines between those two properties even more thanks to a new update to its iOS and Android Kindle apps. The changelog is a pretty lengthy one, but the addition of Whispersync for Voice is the real standout here — now book buffs can leap between words on a digital page and a professional audio recording without having to leave the Kindle app proper. The upside for Amazon is clear: if it can make it easier for you to jump back and forth between reading and listening, it’s got a decent shot at selling more audio recordings. Synergy, folks! If that somehow improves your reading experience along the way, well, that’s just peachy too. Just be warned that not every book available from Amazon’s virtual shelves has an Audible equivalent — the company has said there are about 45,000 book/recording matches out there.
Source: Amazon
Formlabs’ second-gen pro 3D printer is 50 percent faster
Formlabs’ Form1 was a top dog among 3D printers when it first shipped, but others have stepped up their game in the past year. It’s about time for an upgrade, don’t you think? Appropriately, the company has just unveiled the Form1+, a big improvement to its now-familiar design. The new edition of Formlabs’ pro-grade machine is all about raw performance — a more powerful laser lets it print up to 50 percent faster, and its control system produces finer, smoother sculptures. It should be more reliable, too, thanks to an improved resin tank that better preserves your material.
The new printer costs the same $3,299 as the original, which doesn’t exactly make it a casual purchase. However, you shouldn’t despair if you’re an existing Form1 owner. Formlabs is offering a factory upgrade program that brings your hardware up to spec for a more down-to-Earth (if not exactly trivial) $749. You can order the revamped device today in the US, and Europeans can pick one up in July for €2,799.
Filed under: Peripherals
Source: Formlabs
Apple Projected to Beat Wall Street Estimates with 39 Million Quarterly iPhones Shipped
Apple’s quarterly iPhone sales may beat Wall Street estimates, based on new data from Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty. According to the firm’s AlphaWise Smartphone Tracker, Apple could sell as many as 39 million iPhones in the second calendar quarter of the year, beating Wall Street’s predicted 35 million and topping the 31.2 million sold in the same quarter last year.
Huberty believes iPhone sales will get a boost this quarter due to deep discounts on iPhone upgrades that entice consumers to buy a new iPhone, despite the upcoming rumored launch of the iPhone 6. Apple recently launched a promotion that encourages customers to trade-in their old iPhone and receive credit towards an iPhone 5s or 5c. Apple is offering iPhone 4 users up to $99, while iPhone 4s owners can get up to $199 as a store credit, making an upgrade to a subsidized iPhone 5s virtually free.
Carriers and third-party retailers also have discounted the iPhone in recent weeks, with Best Buy last month offering up to $200 trade-in value for customers who bring in an older iPhone and upgrade to an iPhone 5s or 5c. To maintain this sales momentum, Apple also may start selling the iPhone along with contract-free calling and data plans for T-Mobile and AT&T.
Morgan Stanley’s “AlphaWise” smartphone tracker compiles sales data using Google Trends data and historically is more accurate at forecasting iPhone sales than Wall Street consensus estimates, although Huberty may still tweak her numbers in the closing weeks of the quarter.
Angry Birds Epic is hitting Android and iOS devices on June 12th
You may recall the announcement of a new Angry Birds game by Rovio a few months ago. Angry Birds Epic appeared to be a game incorporating turn-based RPG combat, not unlike the Final Fantasy series that many gamers know and love, and is the second game for Rovio that is not based on the more traditional slingshot genre that we’re so used to (Angry Birds Go! of course being the first). Well, if you’ve been holding out for an RPG featuring Angry Birds, then you won’t have to wait much longer as Rovio has announced that the game is going to be available on both Android and iOS on June 12th. If you need a reminder of what the game is going to look like, check out their trailer below:
While it’s definitely a little different to what we’re used to from Rovio, it does look like a well made game, with great animations, and if Rovio’s support of the previous Angry Birds games are anything to go by, they will continue to add new content to Angry Birds Epic as time goes on. That’s the theory anyway; the fact that Rovio has started branching out to different game genres is definitely a sign that the Angry Birds franchise has probably fallen on harder times, but we’ll see how the game actually turns out when it is officially released.
What do you think about Angry Birds Epic? Are you going to pick it up come June 12th?
Source: Angry Birds Epic via Phone Arena
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MakerBot app lets you remotely check 3D prints in case they go all wrong
We love 3D printing, but let’s face it: it’s slow. Luckily, MakerBot has just given you a new way to track the progress of a printout from afar with its new iPhone app. Using the camera from any fifth-generation printer, MakerBot Mobile for iOS can show you an image of the build area every three seconds (from a local network) and ensure that Celtic skull isn’t a beautiful failure. You can also use it to pause or cancel a job and get notifications when a 3D model is ready, for instance. It’s also baked in its Thingiverse app, letting you browse thousands of models via the cloud and add them to your collections, or share your work on Thingiverse or social networks. Future updates include remote monitoring over a cellular network and more notifications (there’s no Android app yet), but meanwhile, you can grab the iOS app right here.
Filed under: Misc, Peripherals
Source: MakerBot
Honeywell’s Lyric thermostat has the looks and smarts to take on Nest
Honeywell has been in the connected thermostat game for a long time now. So when Nest came along and stole its thunder, you had to know the company would go back to the drawing board and return with its A-game. So here it is, the Lyric — a decidedly Nest-like thermostat with a simple round body and a sizable display. The ability to show the current temperature or weather forecast is nice, but the proximity sensor shouldn’t be overlooked. The screen automatically turns on as you approach, and stays off the rest of the time, so it doesn’t constantly bathe your living room in orange light. You can physically turn the body to change temperatures obviously, but the selling point here is clearly the connectivity. The Lyric app (for iOS or Android) lets you adjust your furnace on the go and can be programmed to automatically boost or drop the temperature based on your GPS location. But, more than that, it can alert you to when you need to change the filter or have your furnace serviced. It will even direct you to a trusted Honeywell professional. The Lyric is available now through licensed professional contractors. But if you’re you’re the do-it-yourself type, you can pick one up for $279 at the beginning of August.
Filed under: Household
Source: Honeywell
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