Philips Hue now responds to your Siri commands

One of the frustrations of choosing an Internet of Things device is finding one that plays well with the other smart appliances in your home. Philips’ Hue lighting platform is already pretty extensible, but today it’s finally gained support for another big partner: Apple. With its new Homekit-enabled bridge, Philips will let you control your lighting via Siri (and supporting third-party apps), whether your bulbs are old or new.

Philips first announced it would integrate Apple’s smart home technology back in June, giving it time to put the finishing touches on the Hue Bridge 2.0. This rounded box, which could be mistaken for a Nest product at first glance, comes packed with the necessary Homekit hardware and features. If you already own a range of Hue products, then you’ll need the updated bridge in order to incorporate Hue bulbs into your existing Homekit setup or say things like “Siri, dim the table lamp to 30 percent.”

The company does recognize that existing users won’t want to spend too much to add Siri functionality to their current setup. Owners of the old bridge will be able to upgrade to the Homekit version for $40 (£33) until the end of December, while everyone else will need to spend $60 (£50). If you want to go all in, the full lighting kit comes with brighter new bulbs and Bridge 2.0 for $200. They all go on sale from tomorrow (October 6th) and are available from Apple stores, Amazon and other supporting retailers.

Source: Philips

Adobe Unveils New Mobile Apps, Adobe Portfolio and Updates to Desktop Apps at Adobe MAX

Adobe is hosting its annual Adobe MAX creativity conference today, where the company is announcing new mobile apps, updates to a number of Creative Cloud products, and unveiling new services.

The two new mobile apps Adobe is releasing today include Photoshop Fix and Capture CC. Photoshop Fix was highlighted on stage at Apple’s recent iPad Pro unveiling, where it was used on the new 12.9-inch tablet. Photoshop Fix [Direct Link] is an image retouching and restoration-focused app that includes powerful Photoshop tools like the Healing Brush and Liquify.

Capture CC [Direct Link], Adobe’s second new mobile app, combines the capabilities of several existing Adobe apps including Adobe Brush, Adobe Shape, Adobe Color, and Adobe Hue, making the tools from each of these apps accessible in a single app. Several other Adobe apps like Lightroom for iPhone and iPad, Photoshop Mix, Photoshop Sketch, Illustrator Draw, Premiere Clip, and Comp CC are also receiving minor updates today.

Each of Adobe’s apps interfaces with its range of Creative Cloud desktop apps via CreativeSync technology, allowing files to be transferred and worked on between mobile and desktop devices.

Most of Adobe’s desktop apps are receiving new features today, with the changes for more popular apps listed below.

Both InDesign CC and Illustrator CC are being updated with new Touch workspaces. Illustrator CC is also gaining a new Shaper tool that combines 12 tools and panels in one, non-destructive Live Shapes, and improved Smart Guides, while InDesign CC is getting new online publishing features. Premiere Pro CC includes expanded UltraUD support for editing 4K to 8K video footage, plus it will gain support for HDR workflows.

Photoshop CC is gaining Artboard features for better visualization of design layouts. Adobe’s Design Space design-centric Photoshop layout is also now available to all customers. Lightroom CC is gaining improved importing tools and integrated training content for beginners, while Lightroom for web is being enhanced, adding Photoshop editing capabilities for adjusting exposure, temperature, white balance, and more.

Several of Adobe’s apps, including Photoshop CC, Lightroom CC, Illustrator CC, InDesign CC, and Premiere Pro CC are being updated with new Touch capabilities usable on Windows tablets and Apple trackpad devices. Adobe Fuse CC is being added to existing Creative Cloud plans.

On the services side, Adobe is adding video support to its Adobe Stock feature, allowing users to download and purchase video content right within the CC desktop apps. Adobe is also announcing Adobe Portfolio, which is free with any Adobe Creative Cloud plan. With Adobe Portfolio, Adobe customers can create simple portfolio websites that are powered by Behance.

Adobe will also be debuting a new CC desktop app that’s being developed under the codename “Project Comet.” Details on Project Comet will be available at the MAX conference.

Adobe’s mobile apps are all available for free beginning today and updates to Creative Cloud desktop software will ship to Creative Cloud members before the end of the year. Adobe’s software is available from its website, and pricing can be found here.

Tim Cook Commemorates Steve Jobs on Fourth Anniversary of His Death

Apple CEO Tim Cook has sent an internal email to employees (via The Telegraph) to commemorate the fourth anniversary since the death of late Apple co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs, who passed away October 5, 2011 following a lengthy illness.

Cook described Steve as a “brilliant person,” encouraging Apple employees to ask their co-workers about “what he was really like,” and reminded his staff about the “privilege and responsibility” of continuing the work that he “loved so much.”

Team,

Today marks four years since Steve passed away. On that day, the world lost a visionary. We at Apple lost a leader, a mentor, and many of us lost a dear friend.

Steve was a brilliant person, and his priorities were very simple. He loved his family above all, he loved Apple, and he loved the people with whom he worked so closely and achieved so much.

Each year since his passing, I have reminded everyone in the Apple community that we share the privilege and responsibility of continuing the work Steve loved so much.

What is his legacy? I see it all around us: An incredible team that embodies his spirit of innovation and creativity. The greatest products on earth, beloved by customers and empowering hundreds of millions of people around the world. Soaring achievements in technology and architecture. Experiences of surprise and delight. A company that only he could have built. A company with an intense determination to change the world for the better.

And, of course, the joy he brought his loved ones.

He told me several times in his final years that he hoped to live long enough to see some of the milestones in his children’s lives. I was in his office over the summer with Laurene and their youngest daughter. Messages and drawings from his kids to their father are still there on Steve’s whiteboard.

If you never knew Steve, you probably work with someone who did or who was here when he led Apple. Please stop one of us today and ask what he was really like. Several of us have posted our personal remembrances on AppleWeb, and I encourage you to read them.
Thank you for honoring Steve by continuing the work he started, and for remembering both who he was and what he stood for.

Tim

Cook replaced Jobs as Apple CEO on August 24, 2011 and introduced the iPhone 4S, alongside the launch of iOS 5 and iCloud, on the day prior to Jobs’ death. He has shared similar tribute messages for Steve over the past three years.

Remembering Steve for who he was and what he stood for. We honor him by continuing the work he loved so much. pic.twitter.com/6UiXBjYe3l

— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) October 5, 2015

http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsJobs co-founded Apple with Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne in 1976, but was ousted from the company in 1985. He returned as CEO in 1997 and remained at the company until his death in 2011, overseeing the launch of iconic products such as the iMac, iPod, iPhone and iPad.

Apple Remains World’s Most Valuable Brand Per Latest Interbrand Rankings

Apple has retained the number one spot in Interbrand’s annual ranking of the world’s most valuable brands, a position it has held onto since 2013 when it knocked Coca-Cola out of the top spot. Following close behind the Cupertino-based company are brands like Google, Microsoft, and Samsung in second, fourth, and seventh place, respectively.

Since last year’s ranking, Apple has grown in brand value a total of 43 percent, earning it one of Interbrand’s “Top Riser” designations. Overall, the company increased from $118.9 billion last year to $170.3 billion in this year’s survey, up a total of about $51.4 billion in brand valuation from 2014 to 2015. Other companies like Amazon and Facebook, which saw increased growth in 2015, also earned a “Top Riser” spot.

A handful of big launches helped make Apple’s 2015 a notable one, including the Apple Watch’s release in April and the announcement and launch of the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus just a few weeks ago in September. In their opening weekend alone, the new iPhones sold a record-breaking thirteen million units, beating out last year’s ten million units for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. The company also announced the iPad Pro, all-new Apple TV, and a handful of new Apple Watch features and bands at its “Hey Siri” event on September 9.