Mophie’s cases add wireless charging to iPhone 7 and Galaxy S8

Mophie’s cases provide a quick way to add wireless charging capabilities to iPhones and Samsung Galaxy S devices, and now they’re available for the models’ latest iterations. The accessories maker has released charge force cases for the iPhone 7, 7 Plus, Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus. These leather-wrapped cases are compatible not only with any Mophie wireless charger, but also with Qi and other wireless charging systems. Just put one on your phone if you don’t feel like messing with wires, though note that it still leaves access to your device’s charging port.

Mophie has also released a mini charge force powerstation, which is essentially a wireless power bank. It’s a 3,000 mAh battery unit that sticks to a charge force case using magnets, so you can replenish your phone’s battery anywhere. Since it’s slim and wireless, it doesn’t add much bulk to your phone — you can still slip the whole thing into your pocket or a small purse.

The iPhone 7 cases are now available in black, tan, brown, blue and (PRODUCT)RED, but you can unfortunately only get black if you have a Galaxy S8 or an S8 Plus. You can get any of the cases and the powerstation mini from Mophie’s website.

Source: Mophie

The Apple Pencil case won’t save you from losing it

iPad Pro users, take note: Apple has released what might be the most Apple product in the history of Apple. One of the announcements to slip through the cracks during that intense WWDC keynote yesterday was the introduction of a $29 holder for the iPad Pencil.

The functionality of this Pencil holster is questionable, but the form is on point. Like any Apple product, it’s well-constructed and clearly a lot of thought was put into the design. It comes in four colors and is made of leather. It’s important to note you can’t actually use the Pencil when it’s in the holster: This is a protective holder, not a usable case.

The one-pencil holster is even more puzzling when you consider that Apple also released leather sleeves for the iPad Pro line that have built in Pencil holders. The only real point to a holder would be to avoid losing it — so, then, why wouldn’t you buy one that’s already attached to a case? Are people really that concerned about getting scratches on their stylus? (I mean Pencil, whoops!)

While we might be scratching our heads at why a person might want a standalone pencil protector, Apple clearly thinks there’s a market for it. And considering Apple spent a ton amount of time reviewing new iPad features at WWDC, it’s clear they value the product and think consumers will want to protect it.

Via: The Verge

Don’t compare Apple’s HomePod to Amazon’s Echo

When Apple unveiled the HomePod at WWDC, it was tempting to draw immediate comparisons to the Amazon Echo and Google Home. And I wouldn’t blame you if you did. They’re all smart speakers, of course, and there’s a good chance that you might cross-shop them in the right circumstances. However, it’s increasingly clear that a one-for-one comparison doesn’t hold up. If anything, Apple is consciously avoiding direct competition with Echo-like speakers — it’s playing up its strong point, audio quality, while downplaying the importance of its AI assistant. This strategy certainly has its risks, but it may also help the HomePod stand out where it would otherwise drown in a sea of rivals.

Most smart speakers you see today are really AI helpers first and foremost. They’re there to tell you about the weather, turn on the lights and guide you through recipes. And they can be extremely useful in that light — you can check the news while your hands are covered in flour. However, music playback is… well, not an afterthought, but definitely lower on the ladder. While you can obviously play tunes on an Echo or Home, you aren’t going to buy one expecting more than passable sound quality.

The HomePod is the flip side of that coin. Apple spent most of its introduction time emphasizing the HomePod’s audio prowess, treating Siri’s help as almost secondary. In fact, it first pitched Siri as a “musicologist” that helps you discover new artists. Smart home control? The weather? They’re available, but you’re not buying a HomePod primarily with those in mind. Apple didn’t even hint at support for third-party skills, so you shouldn’t expect it to handle more than a limited range of tasks.

As a result, this isn’t so much an Echo-alike as it is a Sonos speaker on steroids. And the price reflects that — the $349 price makes it roughly twice as expensive as the $180 Echo, and nearly three times as costly as the $120 Home. That will rule it out if you’re just looking for a low-cost voice assistant, but it looks much more favorable if you’re pitting it against wireless speakers like the Play:3. You’re getting a high-quality speaker (based on our initial listen, at least) that, for a little more cash, offers some proper smarts. Why would you even look at a standard Echo if you’re shopping in this price range and care about audio fidelity?

To be clear, this isn’t Apple’s surefire ticket to success. There’s a real possibility that voice assistants become mainstays in the living room, and that the HomePod’s combination of a music-first focus and a high price will make it an outlier in the long run. Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant are both decidedly more flexible than Siri (we certainly wouldn’t count on Apple offering Spotify support soon, if at all), and it remains to be seen how many people really want to pay $349 to get a smart speaker with above-average sound. The more affordable Echo might be fine for many people so long as the audio quality isn’t atrocious.

This isn’t even considering Amazon’s ace in the hole, the $50 Echo Dot. If you aren’t concerned about having an all-in-one device, why not get the speakers of your choice and slap a Dot on top? Add-ons aren’t Apple’s style, but it may lose customers who don’t insist on an elegant solution.

Still, the HomePod may represent Apple’s wisest course of action in the short term. If it had attacked Amazon and Google head-on, it would have endured some less-than-flattering comparisons. It doesn’t completely escape those side-by-side examinations even now, but it’s much easier to see the HomePod as distinct. Also, it’s important to stress that you’re looking at a first-generation product. It’s possible that Apple will find more ways to separate its speaker from the crowd, or at least to address its weaknesses compared to lower-cost alternatives.

The big danger is simply that opponents aren’t staying still. If Amazon or Google gets serious about sound quality in future models, you’d be more justified in making direct comparisons. And if that happens, Apple would need to do more than flaunt its speaker design chops.

Get all the latest news from WWDC 2017 here!

Pokémon fighter ‘Pokken’ is coming to Nintendo Switch

Nintendo is bringing a Pokémon game to the Switch, but it’s not the one you were hoping for. Fighting game Pokken Tournament, which lets you throw down as Gengar, Blaziken and a bunch of other critters (you can even fight as Pikachu in a libre wrestling outfit), will be hitting the system on September 22, 2017. Like Mario Kart 8, it’ll be branded DX (Deluxe) and come with a few enhancements for Pokefans. These include Darkrai, Scizor, Empoleon, Croagunk, and Decidueye, as well as three-on-three team battles, online ranked matches and friend-only group fights.

Otherwise, it’s the same game that came out on the Wii U a little over a year ago. With the Switch, of course, you can take it on the move, and you’ll have the option to play with a pair of Joy-Cons shared between two people. Seasoned players will no doubt prefer a proper gamepad, but it’s a neat option if your friends don’t own the game or Nintendo’s latest system. The company had a few more surprises during today’s Nintendo Direct, but none of them were Pokémon Stars, the much-rumored Pokémon Sun and Moon port for Nintendo Switch. Maybe, just maybe, we’ll get that at E3.

Macs Able to Run macOS Sierra Remain Compatible With High Sierra

Apple on Monday announced macOS High Sierra, the next major version of its operating system for Mac computers.

macOS High Sierra is compatible with any Mac capable of running macOS Sierra, as Apple has not dropped support for any older models this year.

The official list of Mac models compatible with macOS High Sierra:

Late 2009 or Later

• MacBook
• iMac / iMac Pro

2010 or Later

• MacBook Air
• MacBook Pro
• Mac mini
• Mac Pro

To determine your Mac’s model year, click on the Apple logo in the top-left menu bar and select About This Mac.

The first macOS High Sierra beta was released to registered Apple developers on Monday. A public beta will be available in late June through the Apple Beta Software Program. The software update will be officially released in the fall.

Related Roundup: macOS High Sierra
Discuss this article in our forums

iPhone Can Scan QR Codes Directly in Camera App on iOS 11

The iOS Camera app will finally be able to recognize QR codes within iOS 11, as was discovered yesterday during the developer-focused beta launch of Apple’s new mobile operating system. On current iterations of iOS, users have to find and download a third-party QR code scanning application if they wish to use their iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to scan a code.

When iOS 11 launches in the fall, the Camera app will natively provide a QR scanning function to all users. Some beta users have taken to Twitter to share a glimpse of the feature in action, and it appears expectedly straightforward: open the Camera app, point the iOS device at a QR code, and tap on the drop-down notification to act upon it.

A few examples of iOS 11 QR code scanning via @daytonlowell and @theronster

The QR code reader in iOS 11 knows when it’s a WiFi network and offers to join. pic.twitter.com/pCHwGi1abF

— Dayton Lowell (@daytonlowell) June 5, 2017

Some examples that have been shared include joining a Wi-Fi network, adding someone to your contacts, and — presumably — any other scanning opportunities currently offered by QR code technology. The feature is turned on by default, but can be toggled on/off within the Camera section of the Settings app.

Check out the MacRumors iOS 11 tidbits post for more information about what can be found in the newest version of iOS.

Related Roundups: iPhone 7, iOS 11
Discuss this article in our forums

Apple HomePod preview: Say hello to Apple’s smart Siri speaker

Apple has once again entered the speaker market launching the Apple HomePod, a speaker with Siri built-in that plans to take on not only the Amazon Echo and Google Home but advanced systems like Sonos too.

Apple wants to deliver not only a connected smart speaker, but wants to address one of the biggest weaknesses in current solutions: sound quality.

Apple is something of a latecomer, but does it have what it takes to challenge an already crowded market?

Apple HomePod: Design

• 172 x 143mm, barrel shaped, 2.5kg
• Mesh covered for 360 degree sound
• Flattened top with touch controls and Siri waveform

The cylindrical speaker coved in a mesh fabric promises to put music at the forefront of the experience. The 7-inch tall speaker will come in either white or space grey and feature an array of speakers to create a well-rounded balance of treble and bass regardless of where you place it in the room.

A single power cable comes out the bottom, while a touch sensitive display panel on the top shows volume controls when needed, as well as a glowing rainbow of lights when Siri is responding to your commands or questions.

There are resemblances to the company’s cylindrical Mac Pro computer, although it’s not as big, or as shiny. Like Google Home and Amazon Echo, this is a speaker that is designed to sit in any environment, be it the bedroom or the kitchen, and it’s a design that works from all angles. It’s as clean as it is simple, although it will be interesting to see if you can see the Siri lights clearly enough from various positions in the room.

Amazon solved this problem with a clean circle light around the top of the echo, while Google angled the top of Google Home.

Apple HomePod: A self-tuning speaker

• Sound adapts based on speaker placement
• 6 microphones

Turn the speaker on and it will automatically tune itself to maximise performance based on its positioning in the room. Unlike Sonos that requires you to wave your phone around to create a better “sound landscape” using its TruePlay technology, Apple says that the speaker sends out an array of sounds and then uses the six built-in microphones to hear how those sounds reverberate around the room.

It means that you should have the “perfect sounding” speaker whatever room you’re using it in and it won’t matter if you place it on a table in the centre of the room or in a corner, the sound will be adapted to make sure you get the best results out of it. It certainly sounded great when we heard the speaker for the first time.

Apple HomePod: Sound performance

• 4-inch up-firing central woofer
• 7 tweeters
• Adaptive software to reduce distortion

The Apple HomePod will allow users to sign directly into Apple Music or stream other music services like Spotify via Apple’s AirPlay 2 technology. In that sense, it’s a little less connected than its rivals, with a strong preference for Apple Music as the source, which you’d expect. What the HomePod really targeting sound quality over its current rivals, it’s here that most of the interest will lie.

Up against the Amazon Echo – which doesn’t have a music pedigree – there is a clear winner, the Apple HomePod sounds better. At twice the price you would expect this to be the case and Apple clearly stated that was its intention. Amazon’s popular speaker is great for listening to that radio and having fun with Alexa, but it’s no match for the likes of a Sonos Play:1 or a UE Boom 2 for example.

Pocket-lint

Against something like the Sonos Play:3, a connected speaker that’s closer to the size of the HomePod, it’s a slightly different story. Initial thoughts are that the HomePod sounds livelier, with a wider soundscape, but we also feel that we would need to listen to more songs for longer to make a more rounded appraisal. Listening to an array of tracks by Norah Jones, The Eagles and Kendrick Lemar, the HomePod does feel substantial.

It’s probably a fairer comparison to pitch the HomePod against the Naim Mu-so Qb. A cracking speaker that delivers a beautiful sound, something which we are sure Apple would happily be compared to. Regardless of which device you compare the new speaker to, it’s clear that it sounds very good and its approach to sound will appeal to many, regardless of the music type they listen to. We look forward to testing it more substantially in the future.

Like the Sonos Play:3 and many other speakers, you can pair two HomePods to create a stereo pair although Apple confirmed on stage that there is much more to it than just simply acting as a left and right channel and we’re sure this will be a popular option for those wanting to fill a larger space with sound.

Apple HomePod: Siri integration

Beyond aiming to be a great speaker, Apple has included an A8 processor, as found in the iPhone 6 to manage a lot of the heavy lifting and power Siri. It means that, like the Echo and Google Home, you’ll be able to use AI and access Siri via the HomePod speaker to ask questions, issue smart home commands, or merely control the music.

Users will be able to give commands like “Hey Siri, I like this song” and Siri will act on that information and respond accordingly learning preferences the range of tracks available in Apple Music.

Siri can also handle advanced searches within the music library, so users can ask questions like “Hey Siri, who’s the drummer in this?” or create a shared Up Next queue with everyone in the home.

When you aren’t asking about music you can control all the HomeKit-enabled devices in your home, turning on lights, creating scenes, and suchlike. And like Apple TV, the HomePod can act as a home hub, providing remote access and home automations through the Home app on iPhone or iPad.

First Impressions

From what we’ve experienced so far, the Apple HomePod not only looks good, but more importantly, the speaker sounds good too, especially when you push the boat out and pair two together. Of course with Apple’s acquisition of Beats and its music history with iTunes you would expect that.

Apple will be fighting a battle on many fronts, against smart speakers and market leaders like Sonos who dominates the multiroom speaker experience. When it comes to sound quality, first impressions are that Apple has done a good job, which might be more worrying for established speaker makers who are looking to get more connected. With Apple’s native and seamless support, it’s going to be a popular choice for Apple Music users.

In the smart speaker race, Amazon – Google Home perhaps less so – but the HomePod could be the missing part in Apple establishing HomeKit dominance in the smart home. Amazon’s advantage isn’t in sound quality, it’s in the sheer number of services that Alexa can offer, which is where Siri becomes important. The rate at which third-parties can establish that connection becomes critical, because Alexa is already very linked up.

Apple suggested that the HomePod had been 4 years in the making. Priced at $349, it’s less of an impulse buy than the Amazon Echo, but it could be the next big Apple success.

Apple HomePod vs Google Home vs Amazon Echo: What’s the difference?

Back in November 2015 Amazon released Amazon Echo, its all-in-one speaker and assistant with Amazon Alexa voice control. And it’s not taken long for other tech companies to muscle in with their own competitors. 

A year later, in November 2016, Google released its Google Home speaker with Google Assistant voice control (which arrived in the UK in April 2017).

Now Apple is following suit with its HomePod speaker featuring Siri voice control, which is due for release in December 2017.

In the battle between Alexa, Assistant and Siri, which of these three smart speakers is best for your needs?

Apple HomePod vs Google Home vs Amazon Echo: Design

• Apple HomePod: 172 x 142mm; 2.5kg
• Google Home: 143 x 96mm; 477g 
• Amazon Echo: 235 x 84mm; 1.05kgs

Amazon actually offers a few different versions of Echo (Tap, Dot, Look and Show), but for this comparison we’re focusing on the original, canister-shaped model. Echo is a 9.25-inch tall cylinder speaker with a seven-piece microphone array. The outside has perforation for the speaker grille, while the top has a ring of light that you can turn to adjust volume and buttons for mute and activation. The speaker only comes in black or white colours.

Google Home is a shorter device, at 5.6-inches tall. Its more customisable than Echo, too, as its base can be swapped out for one of six different colour fabric or metal shells to match your furniture. Home has a sloped top, with a touch-capacitive display and four LEDs to provide visual feedback. There is only one physical mute button at the back, which you can press to prevent Google from listening to hot words.

The newest device of them all, Apple HomePod, is the largest and heaviest by a considerable margin. This is because Apple has packed in more speaker smarts than its competitors, in the quest for the best sound – even if its 6.8-inch height is just shy of the Amazon Echo. With a bulbous shape, the fabric covered HomePod will be available in two colours: space grey or white.

Apple HomePod vs Google Home vs Amazon Echo: Voice assistant

Apple HomePod

Apple utilises the long-standing Siri assistant in HomePod, the very same as you’ll find in its iPhones, iPads and even Mac computers. That means you will be able to ask questions and receive replies, instruct smart home devices, or control music.

It will be possible to say things like “Hey Siri, I like this song,” and that information will be logged accordingly, with the assistant learning your personal preferences from hundreds of genres and moods, across tens of thousands of playlists from Apple Music. Siri will also be able to handle advanced searches within the music library, so you could ask questions like “Hey Siri, who’s the drummer in this?” and get an answer.

Google Assistant

Google Home will let you ask Google anything, thanks to its Google Assistant AI. You will have access to Google’s 17 years of search experience, which allows you to ask specific questions such as “How much fat is in an avocado?” or “What is Wayne Rooney’s shirt number?” Those types of questions would stump Amazon Echo, but not Google. You can even ask for the weather or check Wikipedia.

• What is Google Assistant, how does it work and which devices offer it? 

Because Google Home has Google Assistant, you can be conversational and ask follow-up questions like “Where did he go to school?” and Home will be able to connect the “he” pronoun to your previous question about Rooney (or whoever) in order to serve up an accurate answer. You can also ask complex stuff like “What was the US population when NASA was established?”

Google Home will give you immediate answers each time. It can also read the relevant part of webpages back to you. Google Assistant on Google Home is the same as Assistant on Android phones. There will also be the addition of multiple users, for the whole family, in the near future.

Amazon Alexa

Similar to Google Assistant, Amazon Echo has Alexa, a different assistant. It (or “she” as many will say) is capable of understanding simple commands, or even a series of commands, but they’re less conversational in that you’ll have to engage the full question each time (there’s no follow-on pronoun understanding at present).

Alexa will play music, provide information, deliver news and sports scores, tell you weather, control smart home devices, and pull information from the Bing search engine by default. It will even allow Amazon Prime members to order products they’ve ordered before. 

• Amazon Echo: What can Alexa do and what services are compatible?

Alexa updates through the cloud automatically and learns all the time. The more you use Echo, the more Alexa will adapt to your speech patterns, vocabulary, and personal preferences.

Apple HomePod vs Google Home vs Amazon Echo: Smart home

Thanks to Alexa, Amazon Echo can respond to your voice commands and control any Alexa-enabled products, such as lights, switches, thermostats, and more. Simply ask Alexa to switch on a lamp, turn on the fan, dim the lights, or increase the temperature. Some products work directly with Alexa and other smart home ecosystems require a compatible hub or “middle man” app.

Featured brands that work with Echo include Samsung SmartThings, Philips Hue, Wemo, Insteon, Wink, and Honeywell. You can find a full list of compatible devices on Amazon’s site. Because Echo has been around for longer than Google Home and Apple HomePod, it has a notable head start and already has tonnes of partnerships – from in-car to at-home and beyond.

Google Home can be a control centre for your entire home, because it has access to Google Assistant. Not only will this let you do the basics like set alarms and timers and manage to-do lists and shopping lists, but it will also connect to your smart home devices and it includes support for popular network systems. That means you will be able to control smart lights, switches, doors, and more.

Google Home works with Nest, SmartThings, Philips Hue, and IFTTT. It also acts as a Chromecast receiver. So, with just your voice, it’s possible to ask Google Assistant to adjust your Nest Thermostat or turn off your Philips Hue lights or fling content via Chromecast to your TV. Google plans to work with more partners so you can control more things in the home.

Apple may seem late to the smart home party, but its HomeKit setup has been bubbling away in the background for some time now. Whereas Amazon Echo needs Alexa-compatible products or apps, Apple HomePod will need HomeKit-compatible products or apps to operate.

HomePod, in a sense, is the missing link that will give HomeKit greater purpose. It will act as the hub to control HomeKit-enabled devices, such as turning on Philips Hue lights, without the need for an iPad or Apple TV to act as the hub (as is necessary until HomePod’s launch). You can find a full list of compatible devices on Apple’s site.

Apple HomePod vs Google Home vs Amazon Echo: Audio

Amazon Echo is a Bluetooth speaker, so it can play music and be controlled from any device that supports Bluetooth audio streaming. By default it will talk to Amazon Music for subscribed members to source music, but other sources, such as Spotify, are controllable.

Echo is a 1.0 channel speaker, meaning that it is a single speaker with one tweeter and one woofer. In our review of the device, we thought Amazon could have done better in the sound department. It is possible, however, to link Echo to a more powerful music system for improved quality – which is how many will use it.

Google Home is a Wi-Fi speaker that can stream music directly from the cloud. We’ve streamed tunes from built-in sources like Google Play Music, YouTube Music, Spotify, and Pandora. We’ve even used it to wirelessly cast audio from our phone and laptop. Unfortunately, Google Home doesn’t have Bluetooth connectivity like Echo, so you’ll need to use apps and services with it that support Google Cast – but that’s basically everything.

Home features dual side-facing passive radiators in its compact form so sounds plenty loud with fair sound quality for its asking price. Buy more than one and it even offer multi-room playback. Home isn’t dramatically better sounding than Echo, but we think it marginally pips it in the sound quality department.

Last up is Apple, which will offer AirPlay 2 connectivity from your devices, or stream from cloud music services such as Apple Music (Spotify and others are also available, just as they are on iPhone and iPad). There is no Bluetooth, but that will be of no issue with AirPlay 2.

Sound-wise, Apple clearly has the upper hand. HomePod is a far larger speaker with a lot more going on inside, including seven tweeters for 360-degree sound output, and a 4-inch woofer to handle bass. From what we’ve heard at the Apple preview event, it’s the best sounding of the trio by far, putting it closer to Sonos Play:3 audio levels.

Apple HomePod vs Google Home vs Amazon Echo: Price

Google Home is available now, priced £129 or $129.

Amazon Echo is available now, priced £149 or $179. There’s always the Echo Dot – which is designed to be synched to a larger music system of your choice – priced at $50 or £50 instead.

Apple HomePod will be available in December, priced at $349. UK price is to be confirmed (we’re presuming £349). 

Apple HomePod vs Google Home vs Amazon Echo: Conclusion

The winner? It’s a tricky one to call.

If audio is your main goal then HomePod is by far the winner. It’s also by far the most expensive (you could buy almost three Google Home devices instead).

Visually speaking, Echo is the least attractive of the three. However, Alexa casts the widest net in terms of compatibility, with more abilities, devices and apps than its two competitors straight out of the box.

Time will be a big player, however, as Google Home already has some great partnerships, plus a more conversational approach to queries from Assistant that, potentially, could see it the winner in terms of being a helpful assistant. Right now, however, that crown goes to Alexa – and we’ll have to wait and see how well Siri functions with HomePod come the end of 2017.

Google is using games to teach kids about online safety

With the rise of phishing, malware and fake news, it can be hard for adults, let alone children, to identify what’s safe and what’s not. Parents can teach internet best practices, but companies like Google want to share the load. With its new project, Be Internet Awesome, the search giant has created a new program that helps young people make “smart decisions online.” It includes a clever online learning game for kids, a 48-page curriculum for teachers and schools, and a video series for parents to watch alongside their children.

“Interland” is a puzzler that takes kids through four mini games. Tower of Treasure is designed to help teach younger internet users how to create strong passwords that keep them one step ahead of hackers and Reality River presents 10 multiple choice questions that help identify who and what to trust online. Kind Kingdom educates children on trolling and being nice on the internet, while Mindful Mountain highlights how important it is to share information only with people you trust.

Google teamed up with online safety organizations Family Online Safety Institute, the Internet Keep Safe Coalition and ConnectSafely to create Be Internet Awesome. Thanks to this outside help, the company says its lesson plans, activities and worksheets meet the International Society for Technology in Education’s Standards for Students.

As for the games, they’re fun. Each one is geometric, bold, colorful and has a Monument Valley or Journey feel, making them much more interactive than many other online safety portals. While it’s unlikely children will stumble across them on their own, Google has done what it can to make the program appealing to parents and teachers in the hope they’ll be incentivized to pass those teachings along.

Via: Google Blog

Source: Be Internet Awesome

Wink promises home security with its $119 smart bulb bundle

Wink’s goal is to demystify the internet of things with a single hub and a single app that talks to all manner of smart home devices from other companies, and plays nice with Google’s assistant and Alexa too. Knowing that most people are still unsure of where to start modernizing, Wink has today announced a new basic smart lighting bundle for $119 that includes its latest smart home hub and two dimmable, connected bulbs from Sylvania. The “Wink Bright” proposition is two-fold, however, as the company is also updating its mobile app to add a few no-nonsense features to show there’s more to smart bulbs than not having to move from the sofa to set the mood.

Version 6.0 of the Wink app adds two special lighting programs called Home Sitter and Moonlight. Home Sitter is basically a smarter equivalent of leaving the lights on at home to deter burglars while you’re away. It promises to stick to a natural, human schedule to avoid leaving obvious clues that an app is in control, so it won’t switch the lights on during daylight hours or in the middle of the night when you’d likely be asleep. And when you aren’t on vacation, Moonlight will make sure you always come back to a well-lit home by switching your indoor and outdoor lights on at sunset.

Both user-friendly features promote the idea of smart lighting being a security asset, not just a simple convenience. At $119, which is $10 cheaper than buying the three components separately, the Wink Bright package is neither the cheapest nor the most expensive introduction to smart bulbs — but you do get the widely compatible hub as part of the deal should you plan on adding more connected devices around the home. The bundle is available to pre-order today from Wink’s site and Home Depot, with boxes expected to start hitting doormats in a few weeks.

Source: Wink