Emerson Announces HomeKit-Compatible Sensi Thermostat With Touchscreen

Home thermostat maker Emerson today announced two new smart thermostats, one of which includes a color touchscreen display. The Sensi Touch Wi-Fi Thermostat — along with an updated version of Sensi’s existing Wi-Fi Thermostat — is now compatible with Apple’s smart home management platform HomeKit, for controlling the device using the Apple Home app on iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch, or voice using Siri.

Apart from showing current system temperature and swipe-to-set features, the touchscreen display on the Sensi Touch Wi-Fi changes color to indicate whether the system is heating or cooling, while live humidity tracking keeps users informed about their home’s atmosphere. Meanwhile, smart alerts serve to notify homeowners of extreme temperature changes when detected.

Additional menu options enable users to customize the information on the home screen display and to choose a continuous back glow for soft lighting in dark hallways or rooms. In addition to the touchscreen controls, the thermostat also has illuminated terminals for increased visibility while wiring and easy-click terminals that eliminate the need for a screwdriver.

“As we’ve continued to learn from our customers, homeowners are gravitating toward simple smarthome solutions that make life easier,” said Robert T Sharp, executive president of Emerson Commercial. “Our latest Sensi thermostats combine enhanced capabilities, including support for Apple HomeKit with simple and secure controls, and a sleek new interface with a proven home comfort experience that puts users firmly in control of their environment, anytime and from anywhere.”

The thermostat display functions are mirrored in the accompanying Sensi app, which includes instructional steps for easy do-it-yourself installation, no experience required. Elsewhere, the system supports flexible scheduling for each day of the week, while a geofencing feature allows users to change temperature settings when they leave and before they return to their home.

In addition to the Apple HomeKit integration, the Sensi thermostats are compatible with smart home platforms Amazon Alexa and Wink. The Sensi Wi-Fi Thermostat costs $129.99, while the Sensi Touch Wi-Fi Thermostat costs $199.99 and will be available in the U.S. starting June.

Tag: HomeKit
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Apple and Visa Sued Over Digital Payment and User Authentication Technology Used in Apple Pay

Apple and Visa have been sued by a small company based in Boston this weekend, which claims that Apple Pay violates 13 patents that it holds related to digital payment systems and user authentication technology. The company behind the lawsuit, Universal Secure Registry, filed the complaint in a Federal District Court in Delaware on Sunday (via The New York Times).

According to the filing, USR chief executive Kenneth Weiss “was the first in the space, and the secure payment technology that he developed goes right to the core of Apple Pay.” Specifically, Weiss’ company is claiming that the 13 patents include details on authentication systems embedded in smartphones, biometric ID confirmation through fingerprint scanning, and the generation of secure, one-time-use tokens in financial transactions.

According to Weiss, he had “extensive meetings” with Visa in 2010 that centered around working together to introduce a mobile payments system into smartphones, which allegedly lead to Visa signing a 10-year nondisclosure agreement with Weiss and his company to be able to use the technology. Weiss said that Visa eventually “dropped further communication without securing a license,” and that any inquiries he wrote to Apple in asking the Cupertino company to license his technology were never answered.

Then, Visa began working with Apple on a partnership that eventually lead to the debut of Apple Pay in 2014, which the lawsuit claims to have been built with the “willful infringement” of USR’s patents. Weiss is now seeking damages in relation to Apple Pay and Visa’s alleged patent infringement, represented by Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, which advised Weiss to file a suit before seeking a license agreement or royalties from Apple or Visa.

This suit seeks unspecified damages, but details the scope of the infringement, claiming, “since 2014 Apple’s backend servers and Visa’s payment processing network VisaNet, including Visa Token Service, have supported and processed transactions made using Apple Pay, including billions of Apple Pay transactions made in the United States.”

“It is not uncommon for large companies to be unresponsive to outside suggestions for innovation or improvements to their product or technology,” said Weiss. “Occasionally, these companies infringe patents and force a patent owner to file a lawsuit as the only way to financially benefit from the technology he invented.”

Weiss founded Security Dynamics and invented the RSA SecurID token system, which is used to secure and authenticate important data sent by major companies, banks, and multiple branches of the United States government. USR is said to hold a portfolio of Weiss’ patents related to the new lawsuit, and also including a few pending applications and foreign patents he has filed dating back to 2000.

Related Roundup: Apple Pay
Tags: lawsuit, Visa
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HP Envy x360 loses some weight while boosting the specs

Along with updating and refreshing the Spectre x2 2-in-1, HP has given a similar treatment to the Envy x360 convertible, with a fully rotating hinge that lets you choose various positions to place it in.

One of our biggest gripes with the previous version of the x360 was that it was rather large, and we didn’t feel it was the ideal companion for taking on-the-go. While HP may have kept the same 15.6-inch screen, it has managed to take a sizeable chunk off of the bezels to make it much more manageable.

Side bezels have been reduced by 55 per cent, to 6.65mm, while the top bezel is down 25 per cent to 13.9mm. Not only will this bezel trimming make the Envy x360 easier to carry around with you, it also gives the screen more of an edge-to-edge aesthetic.

The keyboard is also edge-to-edge, is fully backlit, has full-size keys with 1.5mm travel and there’s even enough space for a full numeric keypad to the right.

Two versions of the Envy x360 will be available, a Dark Ash Silver model with an AMD A9 or A12 processor, or a Natural Silver model with Intel Core i5 or i7 processor, depending on your configuration. Both will have full HD screens, although Intel-version customers will be able to specify an Ultra HD screen.

Storage can be specified in one of three ways, either a standalone HDD up to 1TB, a standalone SSD up to 512GB, or you can select a dual storage option that combines the two. Every model gets 16GB of RAM.

As with other HP products, the audio on the Envy x360 has been tuned by Bang & Olufsen and connections include a single USB Type-C, two USB Type-A, an HDMI, SD card reader and 3.5mm headphone jack.

Battery life figures differ depending on your processor option, the AMD version will last up to 10.25 hours, while the Intel model extends it to 11.5 hours. However, both have fast charge technology to regain 90 per cent power in 90 minutes.

Pricing and availability for the HP Envy x360 has yet to be announced.

Apple Music trial is no longer free in some countries

Apple Music has adjusted its free trial in some countries, and we don’t quite know why. In order to land your three-month trial in Australia, Spain and Switzerland, you’ll be charged around 99 cents. We’re looking into how widespread the new charges are, but for now, the trials remain free in most countries, including the UK, Canada and the US.

Apple has continued to adjust its Music strategy since launch. It had planned to avoid royalty payments to artists during its free trials, — something it reversed after Taylor Swift took umbrage with it. Is the company looking to recoup these payments now? Is it possible to game the trial system with new accounts, extending your Music access beyond that three month period?

Apple’s push into video centers on its Music service, with a handful of musician-centric documentaries (and Carpool Karaoke) coming soon to paying users… and those trial takers. We reached out to Apple for comment, who said that “prices and promotions vary from country to country”. For example, Hong Kong users have only ever got a one-month trial of Apple Music.

It might be that the company is merely testing different methods to ensure only interested parties (those willing to have money in their iTunes account) are trialling the service. Despite the charge, the new three-month trial price in affected countries is relatively small, costing one tenth of a full-paying month of Apple Music. We thought the fight for streaming music dominance had died down, but it looks like it hasn’t.

Source: AppleInsider

HP debuts a tablet for artists at Cannes for some reason

HP chose the Cannes festival as a way to draw attention to its latest creativity-oriented high-end laptops and hybrid tablets. The most interesting device is the Spectre x2, a Surface Pro-like tablet with a detachable keyboard and stainless steel kickstand. HP is targeting Windows Ink users and other graphics pros with the 2.5-pound tablet, which has been significantly updated from the last model with an Ink-certified, pressure sensitive stylus, 3,000 x 2,000 pixel 12.3-inch touchscreen and detachable, full-size keyboard.

It should be no slouch in the performance department, with a 7th-gen (Kaby Lake) Core i7 processor, 360GB M.2 SSD and Intel Iris Plus 650 graphics that can support two 4K external monitors. The battery will run up to 8 hours, or a bit less if used for video playback. Other features include HP fast charge, Bluetooth 4.2 and 802.11ac 2×2 WiFi, and dual speakers “custom-tuned” by Bang & Olufsen. The Spectre X2 will arrive in June in the US and most of Europe starting at $1,599 (€1,599).

Another model that might make your back-to-school wish-list is the Envy 13. Intel is pitching it as a sort of Macbook Air replacement, as it features similar specs like a Full HD display, 128GB SSD, Core-i5 Kaby Lake Intel CPU, and Intel Iris graphics, all in a 2.7-pound package. That laptop is also coming to the US and Europe in June for €899 ($899).

If you’re looking for a bit more power and a bigger screen, the Envy 17 might be worth the price. It’s got 16GB of RAM, a Kaby Lake Core i7-7500U processor, a 17.3-inch, 1,920 x 1,080 pen-enabled touch display and NVIDIA discreet graphics — albeit a lowly 940MX chip (why HP?). Other specs include a 1TB 7,200 RPM HDD (again, why?), Bang & Olufsen-tuned dual speakers, a Windows Hello-supported IR camera, all in a hefty 6.73 pound package. That model, also set to arrive in the US and Europe next month, starts at $1,099 (€1,099).

Finally, HP outed a new Envy x 360 15.6-inch convertible with a fully rotatable scren in both Intel and AMD flavors. Highlights of that model including powerful processor options (Kaby Lake Core i7 or i5 CPUs, or AMD A9 and A12 models), a 1,920 x 1,080 toushcreen that’s Windows Ink compatible, Intel HD or Radeon R7 graphics, a Hello Windows Full HD IR webcam with integrated dual array digital microphones, and 1TB of (spinning) ATA HDD storage.

The battery is good for 8 hours and 45 minutes on the Intel model and a bit less on the AMD for video playback, which is enhanced by the Bang & Olufsen speakers. While it can be converted into a tablet by flipping the screen around, your arms would get pretty tired considering the 4.76 pound heft. Both models are coming next month starting at $749 with an AMD CPU and $899 if you go Intel.

‘Today at Apple’ Launch Celebrated With Images Taken From Music, Drawing, and Photography Sessions

Apple this weekend celebrated the launch of its new in-store programming, “Today at Apple,” at all of its 495 retail locations. The world-wide expansion of the educational program was announced in April, and this weekend marked the official debut of Today at Apple at every Apple store around the globe.

“Today at Apple” kicked off this weekend with new in-store programming around the world, including Photo Walks and Kids Hour at all 495 Apple stores. From Getting Started with Coding to How To: Sketch, Draw and Paint with iPad, stores collectively hosted 4,000 sessions a day, including some with very special guests.

Users interested in the program can choose from 60 different hands-on sessions in creative skills, and in some of the new images shared by Apple its visitors are shown learning how to illustrate with an iPad Pro and Apple Pencil. Artist Todd Selby and French illustrator mcbess lead the art-focused sessions at Apple Union Square and Apple Regent Street, respectively.

Apple also had a few singers perform for the grand opening of Today at Apple, including Charlie Puth and Leon Bridges at Apple Union Square, Dua Lipa at Apple Regent Street, and Sigrid at Apple Marché Saint-Germain. At Apple Williamsburg, Grammy-nominated musician Steve Lacy held a Music Lab to teach visitors how to create and record music on iOS and macOS devices.

Other Today at Apple events included:

– Movement artist and star of Apple’s AirPods commercial, Lil Buck, shows off his moves in the Forum at Apple Union Square.
– iPhone photographers cover two miles in 90 minutes as they seek out fashion-forward portraits with photographer Shingi Rice.
– iPhone photographers hit the streets of Brooklyn for a portrait-themed Photo Walk with Timothy Mulcare.
– Aspiring coders of all ages can learn how to code in Swift, Apple’s programming language for iOS and Mac apps.

Apple launched a new website for Today at Apple, which allows those interested to check for sessions in their area and sign up for the classes in advance. During the launch, Apple noted that stores collectively hosted more than 4,000 educational sessions each day under the Today at Apple initiative.

Tag: Today at Apple
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Apple Sees Notebook Shipments Increase Year on Year in Q1 2017

Apple’s notebook shipments totaled an estimated 3.4 million units in the first quarter of the 2017 calendar year, compared to an estimated 2.9 million in the previous quarter, according to new data published by market research firm TrendForce.

The figure represents a 15.8 percent decline against the last quarter of 2016, reflecting a somewhat similar decline for the overall notebook market over the same period, however the company’s Q1 2017 numbers also indicate a year-on-year increase in overall MacBook shipments.

Apple shipped 3.4 million units of MacBook devices this first quarter and claimed fifth place in the ranking. The latest generation of MacBook Pro with Touch Bar, which was released in last year’s fourth quarter, was well-received by consumers and contributed significantly to the overall MacBook shipments. As a result, first-quarter MacBook shipments, while representing a 15.8% decline versus the prior quarter, also showed a year-on-year increase of 15.4%.

HP, Lenovo, Dell, and Asus all suffered marginal market share declines compared to Q4 2016, but Apple’s share stayed level over the last two quarters, enabling it to maintain fifth place in the shipment rankings. However sixth-placed Acer gained 0.8 percent ground on Apple over the same period, which TrendForce put down to expanded stocking of notebooks by channel distributors in anticipation of increased device production costs.

TrendForce estimates that MacBook shipments for the second quarter of 2017 will grow by more than 10 percent compared with the first quarter. The firm attributes this projection to suggestions that Apple will update its 12-inch MacBook with a new processor and the possibility of promotional pricing for some older models.

Recent rumors suggest Apple could be planning to announce refreshes for both the MacBook and MacBook Pro at June’s Worldwide Developers Conference. The notebooks are expected to be updated with faster Kaby Lake processors, an update from the Skylake processors in the current machines. Apple is also said to be considering updating the MacBook Air with new internals, as sales of Apple’s most affordable notebook have remained surprisingly strong.

Related Roundups: MacBook Pro, MacBook
Tag: TrendForce
Buyer’s Guide: MacBook Pro (Neutral), MacBook (Don’t Buy)
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Cases for Upcoming 10.5-Inch and 12.9-Inch iPad Pro Reveal Stereo Speakers, Centered Rear Microphone

A collection of new images today claim to show cases for Apple’s upcoming 10.5-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro devices. The 10.5-inch iPad Pro is believed to be an update similar in vein to the iPhone 8, with a size that remains close to that of the 9.7-inch iPad Pro, but includes a larger 10.5-inch display thanks to shrinking bezels.

2017 iPad Pro 10.5′ & iPad Pro 12.9′ cases.

(No new iPad mini this year) pic.twitter.com/Ft3FH48Yzy

— Benjamin Geskin (@VenyaGeskin1) May 22, 2017

Benjamin Geskin has shared the iPad Pro accessory images on Twitter today, showing off cutouts for the Lightning port, speaker grilles, microphone, and vertically-aligned camera. The microphone cutout is placed on the top rear of both new iPads, similar to its location on the newest 9.7-inch iPad. For the current 12.9-inch models, however, the microphone cutout sits on the right side of the iPad, above the volume buttons.

The cases include multiple large cutouts for what appears to be four speakers, with two on top of the case and two on the bottom surrounding the Lightning port. This suggests that the 10.5-inch iPad is likely to continue supporting the stereo audio system of the iPhone 7 and 9.7-inch iPad Pro update. The wood cases also include side inserts for Apple Pencil storage.

Also on top of the case is the expected cutout for the lock button, and the 3.5mm headphone jack will still be included on the 10.5-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pros launching this year, according to the new cases. Volume rockers remain on the traditional right side of the iPad cases, as well.

With production on the 10.5-inch iPad reportedly ramping up, the device could debut as early as WWDC, which takes place two weeks from today. For the smaller-screened iPad mini, recent rumors have suggested that Apple might discontinue the devices due to likely cannibalization from the 5.5-inch iPhone Plus devices. According to Geskin, the iPad mini will remain off of Apple’s update list — for 2017 at least — with his Tweet stating, “No new iPad mini this year.”

Related Roundup: iPad Pro
Buyer’s Guide: 9.7″ iPad Pro (Don’t Buy), 12.9″ iPad Pro (Don’t Buy)
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Apple insists Beats headphones explosion wasn’t its fault

Why it matters to you

While the maker of the battery isn’t named, the story is a useful reminder to always purchase such items from reputable firms.

An Australian woman whose Beats headphones exploded on her head as she dozed on a long-haul flight in February, 2017, has been refused compensation by Apple.

The tech giant, which acquired Beats in 2014, blamed a faulty AAA battery for the incident, which left the woman with some nasty-looking burns to her face and hands.

“Our investigation indicated the issue was caused by a third-party battery,” an Apple representative said in a statement issued by lawyers for the unnamed woman, according to Adelaide Now. The name of the battery maker hasn’t been disclosed.

Some older versions of Beats headphones — such as the set used by the woman — require a pair of AAA batteries that fit into one of the cans.

The incident occurred about two hours into a flight from Beijing to Melbourne as the woman napped with her headphones on.

She described what happened in a statement to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB): “As I went to turn around I felt burning on my face. I just grabbed my face which caused the headphones to go around my neck.

“I continued to feel burning so I grabbed them off and threw them on the floor. They were sparking and had small amounts of fire.”

A flight attendant alerted by the commotion used water to put out the fire, thereby preventing what could have become an even more serious incident.

The ATSB said at the time that both the battery and its cover melted and stuck to the floor of the aircraft, adding that for the rest of the flight the passengers “endured the smell of melted plastic, burned electronics, and burned hair,” while the owner of the wrecked Beats headphones said people were “coughing and choking the entire way home.”

In response to Apple’s claim that the fire was caused by a faulty AAA battery, the woman said via her lawyers: “The headphones don’t work without batteries, yet nowhere on the headphones — or their packaging — did it specify which brand of batteries should be used.”

It’s not clear if the woman is intending to continue her action against Apple, but the tech company, for one, is adamant that the Beats device itself was not the cause of this highly unfortunate incident.

Meizu’s next device is specially designed for international fans, and it launches on May 23

Why it matters to you

Meizu’s bold plan to launch a phone designed for international audiences may be the nudge you need to try out the company’s hardware.

Chinese smartphone manufacturer Meizu will launch a new device on May 23, and it’s one that’s very special to the company, Meizu’s head of global marketing, Ard Boudeling, told Digital Trends. Why? It’s the first which has been expressly designed for its international fans. While Meizu has produced devices only for China in the past, this new model has been specially developed for use outside China. Meizu sells its smartphones online in parts of Europe, Asia and South America.

Exactly what this will mean will come with the announcement, and Meizu isn’t teasing anything beyond a single image with a multi-colored letter C in the centre at the time of writing. What will make it suitable for international audiences? Only Meizu knows at the moment, but we wonder if it means a change to Meizu’s Flyme user interface, which is placed over the Android operating system on most other Meizu phones. However, this is speculation on our part for now.

To coincide with this push into dedicated international devices, Digital Trends spoke to Boudeling ahead of the launch, to understand more about a company which may be unfamiliar to many. What became clear is its dedication to hardware research and development, which has resulted in Meizu pioneering some more widely used technologies today.

Research and development

“We started as a hardware company 14 years ago,” Boudeling told us, “and hardware is still at our core today. When we started doing hardware in 2003, we didn’t use a fixed research and development budget. Rather, every idea or project was reviewed individually and received resources if it seemed worthwhile. At the time it was basically innovate or die, and we found this method most effective since no good project would get dismissed due to budget restraints. The market has now matured, yet we maintain our attitude to let R&D work free from budget restrictions.”

Engineers in Meizu’s R&D department obviously like the relative freedom, and many have worked for the company for more than a decade. What has this open approach to innovation resulted in? Boudeling gave us a few examples. In 2014, the MX4 Pro became the first Android phone with a fingerprint sensor that needs a finger pressed down on it to activate, rather than being slid down the sensor like other examples at the time. This is now standard on all high-end Android smartphones. The examples continue, with Meizu’s way of disguising antenna bands on its metal smartphones commonly adopted elsewhere, and Huawei taking inspiration from Meizu’s multi-functional fingerprint sensor in its own user interface recently.

“In 2017, we will continue to demonstrate that we are among the companies bringing innovation to this industry,” Boudeling confidently stated. He noted the debut of Super mCharge, a fast-charging technology demonstrated earlier this year, which took a battery to 100 percent charge in 20 minutes — way faster than all other fast-charging technologies available at the moment, including Meizu’s own existing mCharge. It’s not certain the Super mCharge system will be available this year though. Meizu is also invested in making its cameras the best they can be, with a dedicated camera R&D department working on the feature. The MX6’s camera was the fastest in the world upon release, taking pictures at a mere 319ms.

No U.S. launch plans

Meizu is one of the top smartphone manufacturers in the world, with shipments reaching 22 million units last year. What does all this mean for its next device? It’s not giving anything away until the grand reveal, but it’s definitely keen to continue making an impact internationally. Last year, it shipped 22 million units — breaking previous company records — and two million of those were sent outside China.

While the arrival of a true international phone from Meizu is great for those where the company’s phones are readily available, it’s not so good or U.S. fans, as the company doesn’t have any plans to launch in the United States, leaving many to rely on importers if they want to own a Meizu phone.

The mystery Meizu phone will be announced on May 23, and rumors are currently swirling around the impending arrival of a phone referred to as the Meizu M5c.