Technology - Google News

Sonos and Ikea Just Announced a Table Lamp that Looks Fantastic - Gear Patrol
Netflix Kills AirPlay Support - Thurrott.com
Here's the latest on what to expect from Apple's new iPhones - CNBC

Sonos and Ikea Just Announced a Table Lamp that Looks Fantastic - Gear Patrol

Posted: 08 Apr 2019 08:00 AM PDT

Sonos and Ikea just announced the Symfonisk table lamp ($179), which is one part lamp and one part Sonos-powered speaker. It'll work just like a Sonos speaker, so you can stream music directly to it or pair it with your existing Sonos speakers, and it'll also function as a traditional table lamp; there's a knob on the side of the speaker to manually turn the speaker on and adjust brightness. According to the press release, it's "the loudest table lamp ever."

The Symfonisk table lamp joins just-announced bookshelf speaker ($100) in the two companies' Symfonisk line. It shares a similar aesthetic to the Symfonisk bookshelf speaker, too, which just won a 2019 RED Dot award for its product design.

There isn't much competition in the "sonic lamps" category, admittedly, with the GE Sol Smart Light ($50+) being one of the only alternatives that come to mind. That said, this new creation by Sonos and Ikea definitely wins in the looks department; the gray model, in particular, looks fantastic.

An important differentiation to make is that unlike the GE Sol, the Symfonisk table lamp isn't a smart light you can control with voice. As of writing, we don't think it's compatible with any smart assistants. In addition to manually adjusting the light, its brightness can also be controlled using the Tradfri app.

As far as price and availability, the Symfonisk table lamp will cost $179, which is slightly less expensive than Sonos's One smart speaker ($199) and slightly more than its entry-level Play:1 speaker ($149). No release date has been announced for either the Symfonisk table lamp or bookshelf speaker, but both will be available in white or gray colors.

We still don't know if the Symfonisk will support Sonos's special speaker tuning technology, TruePlay, or exactly how loud it gets. We will update the post when we know more…developing.

Gear Patrol also recommends:
GE Sol Smart Light ($50+)
Symfonisk Bookshelf Speaker ($100)
Sonos One ($199)

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Netflix Kills AirPlay Support - Thurrott.com

Posted: 08 Apr 2019 06:00 AM PDT

Netflix recently killed support for Apple's AirPlay streaming technology in its iOS app. But there's no conspiracy here, Netflix says: The firm didn't drop AirPlay over some dispute with Apple about its coming TV+ service as many in the Apple community alleged.

"Airplay is no longer supported for use with Netflix on iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch due to technical limitations," a Netflix statement vaguely explained on a support page on the firm's help site. The note was tied to a recent app update that dropped AirPlay support.

And it would spawn dozens of conspiracy theories, most tied to the fact that Apple recently announced a coming TV service called TV+ that will compete directly with Netflix. Furthermore, Apple is bringing its AirPlay streaming functionality—which is like Google's Chromcast/Google Cast but for Apple devices—to a range of third-party smart TVs, which will help spread usage of the TV+ service.

But it's not making this change to hurt Apple, Netflix says. There's no conspiracy.

"We want to make sure our members have a great Netflix experience on any device they use," a Netflix statement explains. "With AirPlay support rolling out to third-party devices, there isn't a way for us to distinguish between devices (what is an Apple TV vs. what isn't) or certify these experiences. Therefore, we have decided to discontinue Netflix AirPlay support to ensure our standard of quality for viewing is being met. Members can continue to access Netflix on the built-in app across Apple TV and other devices."

Presumably, Apple will find a way to correctly identify AirPlay-compatible devices, and thus their capabilities (HDR support, and so on). And that, should this happen, Netflix could simply reinstate AirPlay support. Plus, Netflix still supports Chromecast on iOS, so you can use that technology with a compatible Smart TV or set-top box if you prefer streaming from your device for some reason.

Tagged with AirPlay, Apple TV, Netflix

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Here's the latest on what to expect from Apple's new iPhones - CNBC

Posted: 08 Apr 2019 06:47 AM PDT

Apple's 2019 iPhones will have fancy new camera capabilities and wireless charging that lets you juice up other gadgets, according to a report published Monday from Macotakara, a trusted Apple blog.

Macotakara said Apple will continue to sell two iPhones with high-end OLED screens, but it will increase the size of its smallest iPhone — currently the iPhone XS — from 5.8 inches to 6.1 inches, the same size of the iPhone XR. It will also continue to sell a 6.5-inch Max-sized device.

The website echoed a report from The Wall Street Journal in January and said that Apple will add a third camera sensor to the back of its new iPhones. Macotakara didn't say what the third camera will be used for, but Bloomberg said in January that it will enable new 3D augmented reality applications.

Macotakara also suggested a couple of other important changes, namely that Apple may switch to USB-C from Lightning on the iPhone. USB-C is a universal connector that works on all kinds of gadgets, including Android phones and Windows PCs. Apple now uses USB-C on its latest iPad Pro models and the MacBook, but hasn't yet switched over to the standard for iPhones. It could allow for faster charging and data rates that are otherwise limited by Apple's proprietary Lightning port.

The iPhones are also expected to adopt a feature that's available on Samsung's latest Galaxy S10 phones. Like top Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of TF International Securitiesreported, Macotakara said the devices will be able to wirelessly charge other products, like the Apple Watch and AirPods, using reverse wireless charging. The Apple Watch doesn't support the Qi wireless charging standard like new AirPods, however, so this may not work with older Apple Watch models. Kuo also said last week that the phones will have significantly larger batteries.

Apple typically introduces its new iPhones in September. A company spokesperson was not immediately available to comment.