Monday, June 3, 2019

Ecobee Launches New HomeKit-Compatible SmartThermostat With Updated Internals

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Ecobee today announced a new thermostat called the Ecobee SmartThermostat with Voice Control. Similar to previous versions of the product, the updated Ecobee can help reduce energy consumption through automated temperature control, as well as provide easier thermostat adjustments thanks to HomeKit support.


The fifth-generation Ecobee SmartThermostat includes a glass finish with LCD touchscreen, and inside it has a quad-core processor to enable advanced machine learning. This revamp improves the device's natural language processing and speech detection, according to the company. In terms of wireless connectivity, it has 2.4GHz and 5GHz dual-band Wi-Fi.
“We see the smart home emerging as an oasis where great technology can fade into the background and free you from the chaos of everyday life.” said ecobee President and CEO, Stuart Lombard.

“We’ve designed the new ecobee SmartThermostat with voice control to be the foundation of that vision. It’s packed with more power than ever before to deliver a best-in-class user experience and effortlessly connect you to the solutions and services you love, but also work quietly in the background so you can focus on the things - and people - that matter most."
Additionally, there's a new speaker in the device with "twice the intensity" of its predecessor for richer sound and a wider dynamic range. This lets you listen to podcasts, music, or news directly from the SmartThermostat, which is compatible with Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, Pandora, TuneIn, and Spotify, but no mention of Apple Music was given.

The new SmartThermostat is compatible with HomeKit, Alexa, Google Assistant, SmartThings, and IFTTT. There's also an updated Ecobee SmartSensor that has a new design and enhanced wide-angle detection range. This device senses motion and temperature, detecting how warm or cool it is in separate rooms and adjusting the main SmartThermostat accordingly.

The new Ecobee SmartThermostat with Voice Control is priced at $249 and is available to purchase today on the company's website, and at Amazon, Lowes, The Home Depot, and Best Buy. The device comes with the updated Ecobee SmartSensor in the box, and additional sensors are available to buy in packs of two for $79.

Tag: Ecobee

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European Regulators Awaiting Response From Apple After Spotify Called the App Store a Monopoly

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The European Commission is awaiting a response from Apple after Spotify accused the iPhone maker of anticompetitive business practices in relation to its App Store, said the European Union's antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager.


"We are looking into that and we have been asking questions around in that market but of course also Apple themselves, for them to answer the allegations. And when they come back, we will know more," said Vestager, speaking on the sidelines of an economic conference, according to Reuters.

In March, Spotify announced it had filed an antitrust complaint against Apple with the European Commission over unfair App Store practices. Apple responded two days later, labeling the complaint as "misleading rhetoric" and arguing that "Spotify wants all the benefits of a free app without being free."

In a blog post, Spotify founder and CEO Daniel Ek took particular issue with Apple charging a 30 percent "tax" on App Store purchases. This results in Spotify charging existing subscribers $12.99 per month for its Premium plan via the App Store just to collect nearly the $9.99 per month it charges normally.

Apple also forbids developers from alerting users that they can sign up for a subscription or complete a purchase outside of an app, which would bypass Apple's commission on in-app purchases tied to digital goods.

Spotify later said "every monopolist will suggest they have done nothing wrong" and that Apple's response was "entirely in line" with its expectations.

Apple has faced increasing scrutiny as of late over the way it runs its App Store, beyond Spotify's complaint. In the United States, for example, the Supreme Court recently ruled that a class action lawsuit accusing Apple of operating an App Store monopoly can proceed to trial in a lower court.

Parental control app developers have also petitioned Apple to release a public API for its Screen Time feature to ensure a fair playing field on the App Store, while the Netherlands is investigating whether or not Apple favors its own apps.

In response, Apple added a new page to the App Store section of its website titled Principles and Practices, noting that the App Store was created with two goals: to be "a safe and trusted place for customers to discover and download apps" and "a great business opportunity for all developers."


Apple emphasized that the App Store "welcomes competition" and listed many examples of third-party apps that compete with its own apps, such as Spotify versus Apple Music and Google Maps versus Apple Maps.
We believe competition makes everything better and results in the best apps for our customers.

We also care about quality over quantity, and trust over transactions. That's why, even though other stores have more users and more app downloads, the App Store earns more money for developers. Our users trust Apple — and that trust is critical to how we operate a fair, competitive store for developer app distribution.
The deadline for Apple's response to the European Commission is unclear.

Tags: App Store, Spotify, European Commission

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Chrome OS 77: First look at Virtual Desks on a Chromebook


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Apple Highlights WWDC 2019 Scholarship Winners and Their Apps

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Each year, Apple provides up to 350 students with a free ticket to WWDC and lodging for the conference. The lucky winners are selected based on the quality of their Swift Playground coding submission and written answers.

Apple has highlighted dozens of WWDC 2019 scholarship winners and their apps in an editorial in the App Store under the Today tab.


This year's winners hail from over 20 countries and regions around the world, according to Apple, including Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Italy, Kazakhstan, Korea, Norway, Poland, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, the U.K., and the U.S.

The winners also had the opportunity to discuss their apps with Apple CEO Tim Cook, Apple marketing executive Greg Joswiak, and vice president of software engineering operations Cheryl Thomas at the McEnery Convention Center on Sunday, according to photos shared by CNET's Connie Guglielmo.


WWDC scholars are treated to a special experience at the conference, starting with Apple's Scholarship Kickoff event yesterday at the Discovery Meadow park. There, Apple executive and WWDC scholar chaperone Esther Hare welcomed winners in a speech and posed for selfies with the young developers.


Each scholar also received a special badge, t-shirt, and magnetic pin, in addition to the reversible WWDC jacket that all developers received, although they have yet to receive a bigger gift like AirPods given out last year.

Here's another look at that reversible jacket:


From a year ago: A Week in the Life of WWDC 2018 Scholarship Winners

Related Roundup: WWDC 2019
Tag: App Store

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Airtel Platinum Tier Prepaid Users Can Now Get Access to ZEE5 Premium Free of Cost


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Deals Spotlight: Get the 2017 512GB 12.9-Inch iPad Pro for Nearly Half Off at $719

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B&H Photo has kicked off a new flash sale today that discounts the old models of the iPad Pro by nearly 50 percent. The centerpiece of the sale is the 512GB 12.9-inch iPad Pro from 2017, with both Wi-Fi and cellular support, priced at just $719 -- a new low price for the device.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with B&H Photo. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

The retailer has this iPad Pro in Gold, Silver, and Space Gray. There is another sale on a smaller capacity 256GB 12.9-inch iPad Pro (Wi-Fi and cellular), priced at $679 and available in Silver and Gold. This is also a lowest-ever price for the 2017 iPad Pro. You can check out both of these sales below.

B&H Photo's 2017 12.9-inch iPad Pro Sale


Unlike the 2018 iPad Pro redesign, these 2017 iPad Pro models retain the familiar bezels and Home Button of the original iPad lineup. They come with the A10X chip, a Retina display with ProMotion, Apple Pencil support, and more.

Head to our full Deals Roundup for more of the latest deals and bargains happening this week.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals

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[Exclusive] Huawei Maimang 8 to Launch in China as Rebranded Huawei P Smart+ 2019


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