Apple’s Siri speaker could be the ‘one more thing’ at WWDC

You might not have to wait too much longer to see Apple’s fabled smart speaker… though buying it may be another matter. Well-connected KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims that Apple will introduce its Siri-equipped speaker (labeled by Kuo as Apple’s “first home AI product”) at its Worldwide Developer Conference in early June. And to no one’s surprise, it would be pitched as a premium alternative to the Amazon Echo — a subwoofer and seven tweeters would deliver “excellent” sound. It would also tout a more powerful processor (comparable to the A8 or A9 in previous-generation iPhones) and, naturally, tight integration with other Apple devices.

The main problem? You might be waiting a while. Kuo understands that it’d arrive sometime in the second half of the year. That could mean July, but it could just as easily mean the fall. There would be a good reason for introducing the speaker months ahead of launch, though. If Apple wants developers to take advantage of the speaker (just as the Echo has “skills”), it needs to introduce them to the hardware’s capabilities ahead of time. In that sense, the wait wouldn’t be so bad. The Siri speaker would (hopefully) ship with support for many of the services you take for granted, not just Apple’s own.

With that said, Apple still faces pressure to launch something relatively soon. Amazon isn’t likely to be sitting still, and may have a touchscreen Echo in the works. And while Google Home isn’t as big a competitor as the Echo, its skill set is growing rapidly. Apple may need to move quickly if it wants to carve out a sizable chunk of the market, especially if it wants to court more than just loyal iOS users.

Source: 9to5Mac

MPs urge the UK government to close ‘gig economy’ loopholes

UK employment laws should be updated so that drivers working for Uber, Deliveroo and other ‘gig economy’ companies are defined as “workers” rather than “self-employed” by default, a group of MPs has argued. The suggestion is part of a report, published by the House of Commons Works and Pensions Committee, which attacks technology companies for pushing the idea that self-employment is a requirement for flexible hours. “This is a fiction,” the report reads. “Self-employment is genuinely flexible and rewarding for many, but people on employment contracts can and do work flexibly; flexibility is not the preserve of poorly paid, unstable contractors.”

Self-employment, the MPs argue, is for the benefit of the businesses, rather than their couriers. Such a setup maxmises profit, as traditional employees are entitled to benefits such as parental pay, protection against unfair dismissal, and time off for emergencies. Contractors who submitted written evidence for the report also argued that the promise of flexibility was, in fact, a myth. One Uber driver said the influx of contractors meant he had to work longer hours to earn a respectable wage. A Parcelforce courier said they had “no flexibility or choice” over their hours, and regularly worked 6am to 5pm, if not longer throughout the week.

The MPs admit that most companies aren’t breaking any rules. “Businesses should of course be expected to seek out opportunities and exploit them,” the report reads. But it’s for the government to close these loopholes, the committee argues, and tackle the growing knock-on effect — lower tax revenue, mainly through National Insurance Contributions, and mounting pressure on the welfare system. “Companies in the gig economy are free-riding on the welfare state, avoiding all their responsibilities to profit from this bogus ‘self-employed’ designation while ordinary tax-payers pick up the tab,” Frank Field MP, chair of the committee said in a statement.

To tackle this problem, the committee argues that drivers and couriers should be classified as “workers” by default, rather than “self-employed.” Legally, that would give contractors access to some employment rights, such as minimum levels of paid holiday, without being a full-blown employee. Such a system would help protect drivers and force companies to prove why they should have a different business model. Technically, there is no “worker” status in tax law, so the self-employed would be treated the same by HMRC. It would, however, grant them some extra rights while better defining their relationship with technology companies.

Source: House of Commons Work and Pensions Committee

Hulu adds NBC networks to its upcoming live TV service

When Hulu debuted its plans to stream live TV in addition to its day-after offerings there was a big peacock-shaped gap. That’s changed. Today the streaming company announced that it’ll have programming from NBC-and-Telemundo owned networks available when the live-streaming service launches.

That means you’ll be able to watch Saturday Night Live, well, live, in addition to programming from USA, Syfy, E! and MSNBC. Oh, and when the Olympics return, you’ll be able to watch them as the games happen. If you’re keeping track at home, that means Hulu will have all four major broadcast networks on offer in addition to its on-demand library. Basically, $40 will get you a pretty generous basic cable package, all without a cable subscription. Here’s to hoping that the company can ink a deal with Viacom as well. Sony’s PlayStation Vue service doesn’t have one, and MTV and Comedy Central’s absences are pretty glaring.

By comparison, NBC properties are only available in “select” markets via Dish Network’s SlingTV. Confusingly, the only way to get NBC with Sling is to sign up for its more expensive “blue” package, which eliminates ABC as an available add-on channel, according to the service’s website. PlayStation Vue only has CBS available as a live-streaming option — ABC, Fox and NBC are only available on-demand.

Of course, if you’re a cord cutter worried about eating through your data cap and all you’re after are local channels, you could just buy an HD antenna for your TV. And should you not want to base your schedule around what’s on TV and when, Tivo sells a DVR that works with over-the-air broadcasts.

Hulu’s live-streaming service is expected to launch sometime this spring.

Apple to Begin Selling iPhones in India Directly Through Its Website This Year

Apple will begin selling iPhones directly through its website in India later this year, according to local newspaper The Economic Times.

Apple plans to make the iPhone SE available on its online store by October, in time for the Indian festival Diwali, followed by other iPhone models once it expands local production to include the rest of its smartphone lineup.

Apple manufacturing partner Wistron is expected to begin iPhone SE assembly at its Bengaluru facility by the end of June, satisfying India’s requirement that 30 percent of products sold by foreign companies be manufactured or produced within the country. Thus, the iPhone SE can soon be sold on Apple’s website in India.

Wistron will begin assembling the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s over the coming weeks too, The Wall Street Journal previously reported, so those older models could eventually be added to Apple’s online store in India as well.

Apple’s website in India currently has a “Where to Buy” page for all iPhone models, directing users to resellers Airtel and Vodafone.

Apple may also sell some accessories sourced from India on its online store in the country, according to today’s report.

Apple is expected to open its first physical retail store in India as early as 2018, and the company is reportedly looking to open four to five flagship-class stores in the country over the next five to ten years.

Related Roundup: iPhone SE
Tags: India, Apple retail
Buyer’s Guide: iPhone SE (Caution)
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Samsung May Acquire Micro-LED Company PlayNitride as Apple Aims for Micro-LED Apple Watch in 2018

Samsung is rumored to be looking into a potential acquisition deal with Taiwan-based PlayNitride, specifically for the company’s micro-LED technology, as Apple’s micro-LED ambitions for the Apple Watch stretch into 2018.

According to sources speaking with OLED-Info, Samsung is willing to offer up to $150 million for the company, and would use the micro-LED tech for VR applications and television sets in the future.

Another potential reason behind Samsung’s interest in PlayNitride might be related to Apple and an upcoming version of the Apple Watch.

Apple has been predicted to switch its wearable device over from an OLED display to micro-LED as soon as 2017, but it’s more likely that micro-LED screens will hit an Apple Watch device in 2018, according to reports from sources in Apple’s Longtan District plant in Taiwan.

Apple Inc is expected to crank out a small volume of next-generation Micro-LED displays from a plant in Taoyuan by the end of this year for its wearable devices, an IDC analyst said yesterday.

The US technology giant is forecast to begin mass production of Micro-LED displays at the plant in Longtan District (龍潭) next year, ahead of rival display makers, IDC analyst Annabelle Hsu said.

If accurate, a late 2017 ramp-up for a 2018 product launch would align with Samsung’s entry in the micro-LED supply chain thanks to PlayNitride. Reports surrounding PlayNitride state that the company doesn’t plan on beginning to produce micro-LED chips until later in 2017, meaning that the display maker and Samsung — if it acquires PlayNitride — wouldn’t be added as potential Apple Watch supply sources until 2018 or later.

According to an industry insider in Taiwan, Samsung is set to acquire Taiwan’s PlayNitride for the company’s micro-LED technology for around $150 million. Our inside says that Samsung aims to develop micro-LED based displays for VR applications, but may also look into micro-LED based TVs using PlayNitride’s technology.

All this means that Samsung may be just hedging its bets and gaining a foothold in an interesting and promising next-generation display technology. A $150 million investment is substantial – but Samsung is also spending billions of dollars to expand its OLED production capacity so it’s unlikely that Samsung actually considers micro-LED as a replacement for OLEDs, unless maybe for specific applications.

In regards to advantages of micro-LED, devices with the screen technology have the chance to be thinner, lighter, see an improved color gamut with increased brightness, and sport higher resolutions.

Still, there remain numerous technical challenges that make micro-LED difficult to mass produce, making some analysts believe that true commercialization of the technology won’t be reached until 2020. If Apple tries to build an Apple Watch with micro-LED this year or next, the company could face potential hurdles with the new technology, similar to what is rumored to be happening with the iPhone 8 and its switch to the new OLED screen.

A few years ago Apple itself acquired a micro-LED display maker, LuxVue, but the company hasn’t given any updates on the progress of its micro-LED development since then. At the time, a LuxVue investor said that the company had made “a technical breakthrough in displays.” Also believed to be a focus of Apple’s micro-LED efforts is a facility in northern Taiwan.

While Apple’s timing for micro-LED technology remains unclear, Apple Watch Series 3 is rumored to come with an all-new glass-film touchscreen in place of the current touch-on-lens solution, although it’s not certain how such an update would affect users. Rumors still conflict as to whether or not the Series 3 edition will mark the Apple Watch’s first major design change, or be another iterative addition to the lineup with a focus on battery life improvements.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch Series 2, watchOS 3
Tags: Samsung, Apple Watch 3
Buyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)
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Apple TV Universal Search Expands to Nickelodeon and Spike, TV App Now Supports Crackle and More

Apple has added Spike and Nickelodeon, including Nick Jr., to the universal search function on the fourth-generation Apple TV.

For those unfamiliar with universal search, it allows users to use Siri or input text-based searches to find TV and movie content across a wide range of channels. At launch, universal search only supported a few channels, but Apple has been rapidly expanding the feature to encompass additional channels.

Apple TV universal search is available for a wide number of apps in the United States, but the feature is limited to iTunes, Netflix, and a few other services in Canada, France, Germany, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Elsewhere, only movies in iTunes are supported.

Relatedly, Apple’s new TV app now supports the apps Crackle, Filmstruck, and Freeform on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV.

Related Roundups: Apple TV, tvOS 10
Tag: Nickelodeon
Buyer’s Guide: Apple TV (Don’t Buy)
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Apple Seeds Fifth Beta of macOS Sierra 10.12.5 to Developers

Apple today seeded the fifth beta of an upcoming macOS Sierra 10.12.5 update to developers, one week after seeding the fourth beta and more than one month after releasing macOS Sierra 10.12.4, which introduced Night Shift for the Mac.

The fifth beta of macOS Sierra 10.12.5 can be downloaded through the Apple Developer Center or through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store.

According to the release notes accompanying the beta, the update “improves the stability, compatibility, and security of your Mac.”

Apple’s release notes don’t often provide much insight into what’s included in new beta software, so we don’t know what features or bug fixes might be built into the 10.12.5 update.

No notable changes or major bug fixes were discovered in the first four betas, but should anything pop up in the fifth macOS Sierra 10.12.5 beta, we’ll update this post.

Related Roundup: macOS Sierra
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The natural gas you pass is being turned into natural gas you can use

Why it matters to you

Portland’s repurposing of our natural waste may point the way to a more sustainable future.

Portland, Oregon is turning what we flush down the toilet into something safe for the planet.

When it comes to renewable resources, we’re pretty good candidates ourselves, at least when it comes to the waste we produce. After all, with over seven billion of us on the planet, and all of us, you know, creating waste on a (hopefully) daily basis, we’ve got a lot of sewage to work with. And now, the Oregon city has found a way to do just that.

Just before Earth Day this year, the Portland Environmental Services announced a “groundbreaking project that will convert waste methane from the city’s sewage treatment process into renewable natural gas.” So yes, friends. Your gas is being converted into gas that you need.

The resulting fuel promises to be both clean and locally produced (in more ways than one), and will be sold in Portland and other areas as a replacement for diesel fuel in trucks. Apparently, this project will be hugely beneficial to our planet at large, as Portland promises that this repurposing of our natural waste ought to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 21,000 tons a year. Moreover, it’s projected to generate more than $3 million in revenue on an annual basis, and will replace 1.34 million gallons of diesel fuel (154 garbage trucks’ worth) with renewable gas.

“We are creating a triple-win for the public in terms of revenue, climate action, and cleaner air,” said Portland Commissioner Nick Fish. “The renewable natural gas we will produce is truly local and homegrown, a by-product of the waste from every Portland household that we can now repurpose.”

Portland hopes that by the end of the year, the fueling station will be finished and ready for use by Environmental Services and other city trucks. By the end of next year, Environmental Services thinks it can begin sending renewable natural gas into NW Natural’s network.

“Because our product is a renewable fuel and not a fossil fuel, it commands a five-to-ten times higher price on the renewable energy market,” said Environmental Services Director Mike Jordan. “Doing the right thing turns out to be a great deal.”

Ditch plastic bottles with this smartphone-activated water fountain

Why it matters to you

Bottled water may be convenient, but it’s harming the planet. Reefill wants to help with its smartphone-activated system of water fountains.

Bottled water may soon be a waste of the past — that is, if Reefill has its way. The New York City-based technology startup is taking advantage of your smartphone to help you save the planet with a system of phone-activated water refill stations. So as long as you have a reusable water bottle with you, you’ll be able to access unlimited cold, filtered tap water just about anywhere.

As it stands, Reefill can claim eight pilot stations in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City. But a new Indiegogo campaign hopes to expand that presence to 100 locations across the city. The goal is simple: to help rid the United States’ most populous city of plastic water bottles.

Last year, the Reefill team notes, U.S. bottled water sales topped $21 billion, bringing in more revenue than the soda industry. And while it may be good for our waistlines that we’re choosing bottled water over sugary carbonated drinks, it’s not doing much for Mother Earth. The problem, of course, is that those of us who do opt to carry around our own reusable water containers often find ourselves at a loss when it comes to refills.

There aren’t all that many public water fountains — at least, those that dispense water that you’d actually want to drink. Reefill seeks to solve this problem by providing the public with a convenient water solution without waste and for a low cost.

To use Reefill, members are asked to pay $1.99 per month, which grants them unlimited access to all Reefill stations. Then, simply download the Reefill app (available on both Android and iPhone), and search the in-app map for the nearest station. Once users have arrived at the nearest fountain, they can activate the station using Bluetooth via the app, and fill up their bottles. The app also keeps tabs on how many bottles Reefill user have saved from the landfill, as well as how much money members are saving by opting out of buying bottled water.

“Reefill’s pilot program has been a huge success and we have gotten great feedback from our users who let us know that they are eager to see a citywide network,” said Reefill Co-founder and CEO Jason Pessel. “We are ready to make that a reality and help as many people as possible ditch bottled water.”

Ditch plastic bottles with this smartphone-activated water fountain

Why it matters to you

Bottled water may be convenient, but it’s harming the planet. Reefill wants to help with its smartphone-activated system of water fountains.

Bottled water may soon be a waste of the past — that is, if Reefill has its way. The New York City-based technology startup is taking advantage of your smartphone to help you save the planet with a system of phone-activated water refill stations. So as long as you have a reusable water bottle with you, you’ll be able to access unlimited cold, filtered tap water just about anywhere.

As it stands, Reefill can claim eight pilot stations in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City. But a new Indiegogo campaign hopes to expand that presence to 100 locations across the city. The goal is simple: to help rid the United States’ most populous city of plastic water bottles.

Last year, the Reefill team notes, U.S. bottled water sales topped $21 billion, bringing in more revenue than the soda industry. And while it may be good for our waistlines that we’re choosing bottled water over sugary carbonated drinks, it’s not doing much for Mother Earth. The problem, of course, is that those of us who do opt to carry around our own reusable water containers often find ourselves at a loss when it comes to refills.

There aren’t all that many public water fountains — at least, those that dispense water that you’d actually want to drink. Reefill seeks to solve this problem by providing the public with a convenient water solution without waste and for a low cost.

To use Reefill, members are asked to pay $1.99 per month, which grants them unlimited access to all Reefill stations. Then, simply download the Reefill app (available on both Android and iPhone), and search the in-app map for the nearest station. Once users have arrived at the nearest fountain, they can activate the station using Bluetooth via the app, and fill up their bottles. The app also keeps tabs on how many bottles Reefill user have saved from the landfill, as well as how much money members are saving by opting out of buying bottled water.

“Reefill’s pilot program has been a huge success and we have gotten great feedback from our users who let us know that they are eager to see a citywide network,” said Reefill Co-founder and CEO Jason Pessel. “We are ready to make that a reality and help as many people as possible ditch bottled water.”