Asus’ new monitor is 49 inches of high-speed gaming goodness

Asus has a new gaming monitor to sell you and it could be the largest monitor you will ever need. At 49 inches diagonally, this “double Full HD” display (3,840 x 1,080) supports FreeSync 2 and can refresh at up to 144Hz for smooth, high-speed gaming. It even supports rudimentary HDR, so blacks will be blacker, whites whiter, and everything in between that bit more punchy.

Ultrawide monitors are a relatively new breed of screen that offers a single-display solution to the classic duel monitor design that both gamers and workers have employed for years. Ditching the bezels in between does have an advantage in offering a seamless image and their often less-than-4K resolutions can be a little easier on graphics hardware, too. Now that gamer-centric features are making their way into the panel designs, they’re becoming a more viable solution for high-end gamers.

The Asus ROG Swift XG49VQ is that idea taken to the extreme. With 49 inches of screen real estate, you will have almost your entire peripheral vision covered by this enormous curved display. Its resolution might not be quite 4K, but it’s not far off and it’s much more manageable for graphics cards than the likes of Dell’s new “quad HD” 5,120 x 1,440 resolution display.

While that might mean that it isn’t quite as detailed, don’t count the XG49VQ out. It comes back strong with its 144Hz high refresh rate. It also meets the DisplayHDR 400 certification from VESA, which isn’t exactly high-end HDR, but it’s better than no HDR at all. Other features include support for FreeSync 2, so those with AMD cards can smooth out framerates without using VSync and ShadowBoost, which should make it easier to see gaming opponents in darkened environments.

Asus is touting this monitor as a great solution for gaming streamers who can use its picture in picture mode to play a game in the center, while displaying chat and other streaming functions on the left or right of that window.

There is plenty we don’t know about this monitor yet, such as its price, planned launch date, or what panel type it uses. Expect more details in the lead up the holiday season, though, as Asus wouldn’t announce this display now if it wasn’t planning to launch it before then.

Editors’ Recommendations

• The best monitors of IFA 2018
• Dell’s new fast-refresh Freesync display could be your next great gaming screen
• AOC makes curved gaming displays more affordable with G1 series
• Samsung CHG90 ultrawide monitor review
• Acer Predator Helios 500 review

From the road to your wrist, see how Android has evolved over the past 10 years

Ronan Glon/Digital Trends

Android started out as a mobile operating system, but over the 10 years since it came to market, it has become so much more. Forks of Android now act as Google’s operating system across a wide variety of different form factors, from automobiles to smartwatches. Because it’s open source — freely available for redistribution and modification — the use cases are incredibly diverse. Here, we look at the various industries Android has permeated since it launched in the HTC G1 in 2008 — and one that might be vying to take over from the beloved OS in the future.

Wear OS (formerly Android Wear)

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Google debuted its wearables platform called Android Wear in 2014. Since then, the platform has shipped on smartwatches from a wide range of brands in both tech and fashion — everything from Asus to Michael Kors — but it hasn’t been entirely smooth sailing. The past several years were shaky for the now-branded Wear OS, as the future of smartwatches, in general, seemed far less promising than originally expected. There were delays in the development of the platform, and many tech partners starting to lose interest in a market that seemed to have very little dynamism. At the same time, though, it’s become clear that fashion companies are more than glad to take up the mantle abandoned by smartphone manufacturers, introducing devices that are more about battery life and aesthetic than boundary-pushing features. Regardless of whether mobile manufacturers continue to tap into the market, it’s here to stay.

Android TV

Going from minuscule screens to the home theater, Google also launched Android TV in 2014, offering the tech company’s take on smart TV software. The OS primarily runs on some set-top boxes and as integrated software on smart TVs from brands including Sony and Sharp. As it grows in popularity, it’s also showing up in things like pico projectors and mobile robot projectors. Along with the standard interface showing media from installed apps, it benefits from being tightly intertwined with all other Google services and features — for instance, it supports Google Assistant, offers access to the Google Play Store, and provides Cast support, with no need for a Chromecast dongle.

Android Things

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

These days, more and more objects are gaining the ability to communicate, both with one another and with us humans. In the home, we know this space age-sounding phenomenon simply as the “smart home.” Google joined in on the fun in 2015, when it announced Android Things, its own embedded operating system for low-power and memory constrained Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Google also introduced a protocol for communication between these devices. So far, brands including JBL, Lenovo, and LG are all making smart displays that run on the platform,  featuring tools like Google Assistant and Google Cast. Meanwhile, LG and iHome are also producing Android Things smart speakers.

Android Auto/Android Automotive

Ronan Glon/Digital Trends

Becoming the dominant operating system in cars has long been an ambition for Google, and Android Auto, launched in 2014, represents the tech giant’s first step toward that goal. You can use the app for a more car-friendly user interface, or use a supported in-car display to access music, GPS, and more. Google’s next step, though, is Android Automotive — a more full-bodied version of Android running on the car itself. This new implementation has some major momentum right now, with massive carmaking alliance Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi signing a deal to run Android Automotive infotainment systems in millions of cars beginning in 2021, along with Volvo. This sort of deal is major not only for Google but for the car industry — automakers have long been reticent to give up on making their own systems and retaining their own data.

Daydream

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Daydream is Google’s virtual reality platform, and it originally debuted in 2016 as a platform powered by Android phones in Android Nougat. You would slap a “Daydream-ready” phone inside a headset, and the experience would be completely powered by the phone. Earlier this year, Google and Lenovo released the Mirage Solo, one of the first standalone Daydream headsets that do not require the use of a phone. There hasn’t been a lot of momentum in the virtual reality space, as it’s still a nascent industry. Additionally, though Oculus doesn’t call it Daydream, its Oculus Go headset runs on a custom version of Android.

Chrome OS

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Chromebooks don’t run on Android, they run Google’s Chrome OS. But Google brought the Google Play Store and familiar Android features to the platform to make it more versatile. The latest Google Pixel Slate is a testament to the future Google wants, where you can get work done with a desktop operating system like Chrome OS, with the benefits of swapping to a tablet mode to use a more tablet-friendly user interface thanks to Android, with plenty of app support.

And more…

While the use cases above are large, official branches of Google’s operating system, Android appears on a whole bunch of other types of devices —  which makes sense, considering the OS runs on around 24,000 distinct devices. Amazon’s Fire HD tablets, for example, run a forked version of Android that does not have access to the Google Play Store. One of the more interesting examples is in-flight entertainment systems, like Panasonic’s Ex3, which British Airways employs in its Boeing 747 aircrafts. EX3 is an HD display that focuses on providing a massive content library to entertain travelers, and benefits greatly from using a well-established, mature OS over a buggy creation made from scratch. Another noteworthy example is the Rico Theta V 360 camera, which uses software based on Android, making it open to support a wide variety of third-party apps. It was recently a finalist in the 2018 International Design Excellence Awards. No doubt many more unique Android gadgets will crop up in the future — that’s the benefit of an open source platform.

Google Fuchsia

Fuchsia OS isn’t strictly Android-related, but it could potentially be its successor. We’ve been hearing about Google’s all-purpose operating system for around two years now, but a commercial release still isn’t expected for quite a while, and its exact purpose isn’t known for certain yet either. We do know, however, that Fuchsia is being designed to run across all sorts of different form factors, including laptops and embedded devices. Reports have further suggested that it will take over from every OS shipping on Google’s consumer hardware. Google responded to those recent rumors, though, by stating that there is no concrete plan at the moment for replacing Android in the immediate future. Still, the definition of mobile has grown exponentially over the last 10 years, so it makes sense Google would create a more flexible OS. We’ll just have to wait and see.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Google Fit and new notifications arrive in much-needed Wear OS update
• The Google Pixel Watch: Here’s everything we know
• When is your phone getting Android 8.0 Oreo? We asked every major manufacturer
• Android 9.0 Pie: Everything you need to know
• Casio Pro Trek Smart WSD-F20 review

From the road to your wrist, see how Android has evolved over the past 10 years

Ronan Glon/Digital Trends

Android started out as a mobile operating system, but over the 10 years since it came to market, it has become so much more. Forks of Android now act as Google’s operating system across a wide variety of different form factors, from automobiles to smartwatches. Because it’s open source — freely available for redistribution and modification — the use cases are incredibly diverse. Here, we look at the various industries Android has permeated since it launched in the HTC G1 in 2008 — and one that might be vying to take over from the beloved OS in the future.

Wear OS (formerly Android Wear)

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Google debuted its wearables platform called Android Wear in 2014. Since then, the platform has shipped on smartwatches from a wide range of brands in both tech and fashion — everything from Asus to Michael Kors — but it hasn’t been entirely smooth sailing. The past several years were shaky for the now-branded Wear OS, as the future of smartwatches, in general, seemed far less promising than originally expected. There were delays in the development of the platform, and many tech partners starting to lose interest in a market that seemed to have very little dynamism. At the same time, though, it’s become clear that fashion companies are more than glad to take up the mantle abandoned by smartphone manufacturers, introducing devices that are more about battery life and aesthetic than boundary-pushing features. Regardless of whether mobile manufacturers continue to tap into the market, it’s here to stay.

Android TV

Going from minuscule screens to the home theater, Google also launched Android TV in 2014, offering the tech company’s take on smart TV software. The OS primarily runs on some set-top boxes and as integrated software on smart TVs from brands including Sony and Sharp. As it grows in popularity, it’s also showing up in things like pico projectors and mobile robot projectors. Along with the standard interface showing media from installed apps, it benefits from being tightly intertwined with all other Google services and features — for instance, it supports Google Assistant, offers access to the Google Play Store, and provides Cast support, with no need for a Chromecast dongle.

Android Things

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

These days, more and more objects are gaining the ability to communicate, both with one another and with us humans. In the home, we know this space age-sounding phenomenon simply as the “smart home.” Google joined in on the fun in 2015, when it announced Android Things, its own embedded operating system for low-power and memory constrained Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Google also introduced a protocol for communication between these devices. So far, brands including JBL, Lenovo, and LG are all making smart displays that run on the platform,  featuring tools like Google Assistant and Google Cast. Meanwhile, LG and iHome are also producing Android Things smart speakers.

Android Auto/Android Automotive

Ronan Glon/Digital Trends

Becoming the dominant operating system in cars has long been an ambition for Google, and Android Auto, launched in 2014, represents the tech giant’s first step toward that goal. You can use the app for a more car-friendly user interface, or use a supported in-car display to access music, GPS, and more. Google’s next step, though, is Android Automotive — a more full-bodied version of Android running on the car itself. This new implementation has some major momentum right now, with massive carmaking alliance Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi signing a deal to run Android Automotive infotainment systems in millions of cars beginning in 2021, along with Volvo. This sort of deal is major not only for Google but for the car industry — automakers have long been reticent to give up on making their own systems and retaining their own data.

Daydream

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Daydream is Google’s virtual reality platform, and it originally debuted in 2016 as a platform powered by Android phones in Android Nougat. You would slap a “Daydream-ready” phone inside a headset, and the experience would be completely powered by the phone. Earlier this year, Google and Lenovo released the Mirage Solo, one of the first standalone Daydream headsets that do not require the use of a phone. There hasn’t been a lot of momentum in the virtual reality space, as it’s still a nascent industry. Additionally, though Oculus doesn’t call it Daydream, its Oculus Go headset runs on a custom version of Android.

Chrome OS

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Chromebooks don’t run on Android, they run Google’s Chrome OS. But Google brought the Google Play Store and familiar Android features to the platform to make it more versatile. The latest Google Pixel Slate is a testament to the future Google wants, where you can get work done with a desktop operating system like Chrome OS, with the benefits of swapping to a tablet mode to use a more tablet-friendly user interface thanks to Android, with plenty of app support.

And more…

While the use cases above are large, official branches of Google’s operating system, Android appears on a whole bunch of other types of devices —  which makes sense, considering the OS runs on around 24,000 distinct devices. Amazon’s Fire HD tablets, for example, run a forked version of Android that does not have access to the Google Play Store. One of the more interesting examples is in-flight entertainment systems, like Panasonic’s Ex3, which British Airways employs in its Boeing 747 aircrafts. EX3 is an HD display that focuses on providing a massive content library to entertain travelers, and benefits greatly from using a well-established, mature OS over a buggy creation made from scratch. Another noteworthy example is the Rico Theta V 360 camera, which uses software based on Android, making it open to support a wide variety of third-party apps. It was recently a finalist in the 2018 International Design Excellence Awards. No doubt many more unique Android gadgets will crop up in the future — that’s the benefit of an open source platform.

Google Fuchsia

Fuchsia OS isn’t strictly Android-related, but it could potentially be its successor. We’ve been hearing about Google’s all-purpose operating system for around two years now, but a commercial release still isn’t expected for quite a while, and its exact purpose isn’t known for certain yet either. We do know, however, that Fuchsia is being designed to run across all sorts of different form factors, including laptops and embedded devices. Reports have further suggested that it will take over from every OS shipping on Google’s consumer hardware. Google responded to those recent rumors, though, by stating that there is no concrete plan at the moment for replacing Android in the immediate future. Still, the definition of mobile has grown exponentially over the last 10 years, so it makes sense Google would create a more flexible OS. We’ll just have to wait and see.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Google Fit and new notifications arrive in much-needed Wear OS update
• The Google Pixel Watch: Here’s everything we know
• When is your phone getting Android 8.0 Oreo? We asked every major manufacturer
• Android 9.0 Pie: Everything you need to know
• Casio Pro Trek Smart WSD-F20 review

WatchOS 5.1 update pulled following reports of bricked Apple Watches

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

If you downloaded Apple’s WatchOS 5.1 on your Apple Watch, it’s better to wait before hitting that install button. Those who did follow through with the update found their Apple Watch bricked and can’t seem to find a way to fix it, 9to5Mac reports.

A small group of users have taken to both Reddit and Twitter to report their Apple Watch is stuck on the Apple logo while the WatchOS 5.1. installation is taking place. Even restarting the Apple Watch and the iPhone it is paired with hasn’t been able to fix the issue. Some users have been experiencing the issue for several hours, with no successful solutions.

Since the report was published, Apple pulled WatchOS 5.1 so it’s no longer available to download. According to TechCrunch, the company also released a statement explaining that it is aware users are experiencing an issue and have pulled the update as a precaution. “Any customers impacted should contact AppleCare, but no action is required if the update installed successfully. We are working on a fix for an upcoming software update,” Apple said in the statement.

WatchOS 5 first launched last month, following Apple’s annual hardware event each fall. The new operating system comes with a variety of features from improved health tracking to a walkie-talkie mode. There’s also an improved user interface that makes it easier to multitask — there are small status icons to indicate an app is in use, new watch faces, and grouped notifications (that are also featured on the iPhone with iOS 12).

While the latest operating system comes with new perks, there are a few additional WatchOS 5 features exclusive to the Apple Watch Series 4. While older models of the Apple Watch include an optical heart rate sensor to track resting heart rate, calories burned, and more, the Series 4 can also notify you if your heart rate appears to be too low. It’s also capable of screening your heart rhythm in the background — it will alert you if it detects irregular rhythm, which could point to atrial fibrillation. The device can’t diagnose an issue, but it can detect it for you so you can then consult a doctor.

But the most impressive feature on the Series 4, is the built-in electrical heart sensor that will allow you to measure the electrical activity of your heartbeat straight from your wrist. While it was the most exciting feature introduced on the smartwatch, it’s not even available yet — Apple says the supporting app will be released later this year.

As for Apple’s WatchOS 5.1 software update, we will update this article if there is any new information released about a fix for the issue.

Editors’ Recommendations

• WatchOS 4.0: Everything you need to know
• Here are all the Apple Watches getting updated to WatchOS 5
• Apple Watch Series 4: Everything you need to know
• WatchOS 5: All our favorite new features
• Not on my watch: How to fix the most annoying Apple Watch problems

You can now create personalized emoji in Google’s Gboard — here’s how

Apple is rolling out iOS 12.1, which features a slew of new emoji designed to be more inclusive to those with red hair, curly hair, and no hair at all. Google, however, isn’t one to be left out and has announced an update to Gboard that brings a new sticker style, plus the ability to make an emoji that looks just like you.

In other words, you can create emoji with all different hair colors, different skin tones, glasses freckles, and so on. The new so-called Emoji Minis actually exist in the form of stickers, meaning that while they will send more easily between Android devices, you should be able to send them to iOS devices too without any issues. The Gboard update is available on both Android and iOS.

Interested in creating a new personalized Emoji Mini for yourself? Here’s how to do so.

Make sure you have the latest Gboard update.
Open a message or email and open the keyboard.
Tap on the Stickers icon on the bottom. It looks like this: 

Tap on the Emoji Mini icon. It looks like this: 

Press “Create” in the prompt that appears.
Take a photo of your face. Try to make sure there’s enough light for a good photo.
Gboard will then present you with a few options. Choose the one you like and tap on it.
You’ll then be able to change your Mini Emoji to make it look more like you. You can change face shape, hair color, nose shape and more. If you’ve ever made a Nintendo Mii, it’s very similar to that process.
Tap “save” in the top right-hand corner.
You will then be presented with a range of Mini Emoji stickers that you can send to friends.

It’s not an overly difficult process, but it does take a few minutes. After you’ve done it the first time, however, you won’t have to go through the process again — Gboard will remember your preferences and serve up emoji tailored to those preferences. Of course, you can go through the steps again if you would like to tweak or change your emoji, or you can customize the Emoji Minis you already have set up.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Let Google’s A.I. make a mini version of you with Minis for Gboard
• From snapping photos to scribbling, here’s what the S Pen can do on the Note 9
• Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus: Here’s everything you need to know
• How to make emoji
• We got naked with the Naked Labs 3D Body Scanner. Here’s how it went

Apple’s Acquisition of AR Startup Leap Motion Fell Through Twice, Due to ‘Eccentric’ Founders and Poor Management

A new article by Business Insider today takes a look into failed talks that occurred between Apple and startup Leap Motion, which the Cupertino company tried to acquire twice in less than five years. Leap Motion is a company that focuses on making advances in the fields of virtual reality, augmented reality, and hand tracking technology.

According to multiple unnamed insiders, the most recent deal was nearing completion in spring 2018 before poor management, “swirling negatives,” and “eccentric behavior” of Leap Motion’s young co-founders Michael Buckwald and David Holz halted the talks.

Prior to that, in 2013 the first meeting was held between the two companies and things reportedly went very poorly after Holz — then 24 years old — said he had no interest in joining Apple. Sources say Holz was insulting to Apple’s staff, told the company representatives that Apple was no longer innovative, its technology “sucked,” and discussed the ways that Google’s Android was better than iOS. During this time, Apple was said to have been mainly interested in Leap Motion’s team to help work on its own AR and gesture-based projects.

Despite this poor first meeting, Apple continued to express interest in acquiring Leap Motion in the ensuing years, particularly as augmented reality and virtual reality technologies began to be more mainstream. Some of Leap Motion’s original employees even left the company to work for Apple over the years, and are now helping with Apple’s various AR projects, some former Leap Motion employees said.

The latest rumors point towards Apple developing AR smart glasses, which could potentially include a VR component. Apple’s interest appears to lean more towards AR, since it has already backed AR as a service with the ARKit developer platform, and CEO Tim Cook often talks excitedly about the potential of AR.

Because of this, Apple made another attempt to acquire Leap Motion earlier this year, but talks fell through once again. Apple was on the verge of acquiring Leap Motion for between $30 million and $50 million in the spring, and had already started talks with the startup’s human resources department and sent out offer letters to employees. As Leap Motion celebrated the upcoming acquisition, Apple pulled its offer.

Business Insider says it remains unclear why exactly Apple made this move at the last minute, but one thing appears certain: “the founders ultimately thought [Leap Motion] was more valuable than the offers on the table.”

Many people close to the company say that the issues afflicting Leap Motion are a case of poor management: Much of the company’s venture capital was spent on sleek office space in San Francisco’s pricey SoMa neighborhood, complete with tech industry perks including beanbag chairs and daily lunches, and costly engineering salaries.

That Leap Motion should fall upon dire financial straits when the company’s core technology had such great potential was described by many as a failure that could have been easily avoided.

Increasingly, it looks like Leap Motion’s technology might end up bought as a hidden gem for a company looking to add its hand-tracking technology to future smartglasses products — but only if it can get the founders on board with the deal.

Now, Leap Motion is said to have new meetings lined up to explore other potential deals outside of Apple’s offer, but it may be too late for the startup. According to sources familiar with the company, Apple’s latest bid for Leap Motion was the AR/VR company’s “last-ditch opportunity” to sell the business, which has faced financial instability for years.

Apple makes acquisitions of smaller companies like Leap Motion all the time, with news coming just in the past month of Apple acquiring Asaii and Spektral. Asaii is a music analytics platform that Apple will likely integrate into Apple Music and iTunes, while Spektral creates real-time green screens that can intelligently separate people and objects from their original backgrounds to overlay a new setting, which could be integrated into a future iPhone.

Tag: Apple acquisition
Discuss this article in our forums

Apple Seeds First Developer Beta of iOS 12.1.1 With Bug Fixes

Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming iOS 12.1.1 update to developers, one day after the release of iOS 12.1, a major update that brought multiple new features to the operating system that runs on the iPhone and iPad.

Registered developers can download the new iOS 12.1.1 beta from Apple’s Developer Center or over-the-air once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Developer Center.

As a 12.1.x update, the new software is minor in scale and has been released to address bugs that were not able to be fixed in the iOS 12.1 update. According to Apple’s release notes, iOS 12.1.1 “contains bug fixes and improvements.”

Given the non-specific information provided by Apple, we may not know exactly what issues are fixed in the beta until more specific release notes are provided, but we’ll update this post if we find anything new in the update.

iOS 12.1.1 follows iOS 12.1, which was the first major update to iOS 12. iOS 12.1 introduces Group FaceTime for video chatting with up to 32 people, real-time Depth Control and eSIM support for Apple’s newest iPhones, and fixes for several major bugs.

The update fixes a problem that could cause excessive skin-smoothing when using the front-facing camera on the iPhone XS, XS Max, and iPhone XR, and it addresses LTE connectivity issues on those same devices. It’s also worth noting that the iOS 12.1 software introduces battery-related performance management features on the iPhone 8, 8 Plus, and X to prevent unexpected shutdowns.

What’s new in iOS 12.1.1: The iOS 12.1.1 update reintroduces the feature that lets you take a Live Photo while on a FaceTime call, and it makes improvements to the FaceTime user interface.

Following the update, FaceTime features a reworked bottom bar that includes quick access buttons for muting a call and flipping the camera. Sliding up on the bottom bar brings up additional options with conversation participants.

Previously, FaceTime users were required to tap on three dots to access a secondary menu with these features.

Related Roundup: iOS 12
Discuss this article in our forums

Apple Seeds First Beta of macOS Mojave 10.14.2 to Developers [Update: Pulled]

Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming macOS Mojave 10.14.2 update to developers, just one day after releasing macOS Mojave 10.14.1.

The new macOS High Sierra 10.14.2 beta can be downloaded through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences after the proper profile has been installed from Apple’s Developer Center.

We don’t yet know what improvements the second update to macOS Mojave will bring, but it is likely to include bug fixes and performance improvements for issues that weren’t able to be addressed in the macOS 10.14.1 update.

Should we discover anything new in the 10.14.2 beta, we’ll update this post.

The new 10.14.2 software comes just a day after Apple released macOS 10.14.1, an update that brought support for Group FaceTime on the Mac and introduced new emoji characters.

Update: Apple has removed the macOS Mojave 10.14.2 developer beta from the Developer Center for unknown reasons.

Related Roundup: macOS Mojave
Discuss this article in our forums

Apple Seeds First Beta of tvOS 12.1.1 to Developers

Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming tvOS 12.1.1 update to developers for testing purposes, one day after releasing tvOS 12.1, the second update to the tvOS 12 operating system designed for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models.

The new tvOS 12.1.1 developer beta can be downloaded onto the Apple TV via a profile that’s installed using Xcode.

We’re not yet sure what fixes and changes the tvOS 12.1.1 update might bring, but it’s likely to focus on bugs that were not able to be addressed in the tvOS 12.1 update.

Apple provides little information on its tvOS software and tvOS updates have historically been minor in scale, so we may not know what’s included in this update. Should anything new be found, we’ll update this post.

Related Roundups: Apple TV, tvOS 12Buyer’s Guide: Apple TV (Caution)
Discuss this article in our forums

Apple’s HomePod 12.1 Software Missing for Most HomePod Users [Update: Fixed]

Apple has been updating the HomePod software alongside major iOS updates, so it was something of a surprise when iOS 12.1 was released yesterday with no accompanying HomePod 12.1 software to go along with it.

As it turns out, though, there is a HomePod 12.1 update, it just appears to be bugged for those who updated their HomePod to the version 12 software after updating to iOS 12.

On Reddit, a user who purchased a brand new HomePod running HomePod software version 11 was able to update to the 12.1 software, which apparently includes stability updates and bug fixes.

On Twitter, developer Khaos Tian said that Apple is offering up the HomePod update with an internal URL that prevents people from downloading it.

lol Apple is serving HomePod update with internal URL so no one can update it to 12.1 🤦‍♂️ Someone needs to kick Pallas V2 and have it return the right value. pic.twitter.com/WxsYzJVsHu

— Khaos Tian (@KhaosT) October 31, 2018

Apple may be able to fix this HomePod software issue relatively easily, so we could see the HomePod 12.1 software become available for download shortly.

Update: Just after this article was posted, Apple made the HomePod 12.1 software available. It can be downloaded from the Home app on the iPhone and the iPad by tapping on the house-shaped icon in the upper left, tapping on “Home Settings,” selecting your home, and choosing the “Software Update” option.

Related Roundup: HomePodBuyer’s Guide: HomePod (Neutral)
Discuss this article in our forums