Photo Credit: Ilan Olivares The latest Apple HomePod beta brings an option to choose a new default music player. The update arrived yesterday as part of the iOS 14 beta 2. iOS 14 has been making waves after new privacy features revealed shady behavior from apps like TikTok. Now Apple is shoring up accusations of […]
Tag: Smart Speakers
Sonos Isn’t Bricking Old Speakers – But Say Goodbye To Updates
Photo Credit: Sonos Sonos isn’t bricking old speakers anymore – but you can say goodbye to updates for them. Today Sonos revealed details surrounding its multi-room home audio strategy going forward. The smart speaker manufacturer drew heavy criticism when a recycling center employee highlighted its practices. Sonos was not recycling the speakers from its recycling […]
After Controversy, Sonos Scraps Recycle Mode that Bricks Old Speakers
Photo Credit: Unsplash Sonos is doing away with the company’s controversial Recycle Mode for its trade-up program. Recycle Mode on devices is a setting that could be activated by customers. Once activated, the speaker could not be taken out of the mode. After 30 days, the speaker becomes inoperable. Sonos offered its customers a 30% […]
Researchers Use Ultrasonic Waves to Hijack Digital Voice Assistants
Photo Credit: Unsplash Security researchers say they can use ultrasonic waves to hijack voice assistants like Bixby and Siri. Ultrasonic waves are sounds that humans cannot hear, so the hijacking is imperceptible. The attack can be used to reach messages, make fraudulent purchases, or take pictures and listen in to users without their knowledge. The […]
Spotify, Pandora Could Be Allowed to Stream Directly on the Apple HomePod
Photo Credit: Unsplash A new report suggests Apple is considering opening its HomeSpot speaker to rivals like Spotify and Pandora. Bloomberg reports that Apple is discussing letting users choose third-party applications as their defaults. The move is likely a response to a Spotify suing Apple in Europe for favoring apps from its own ecosystem. Microsoft […]
Sonos CEO Issues a Half-Baked Apology, Continues Bricking Old Speakers and Sending Them to Landfills
Photo Credit: Sonos Sonos CEO Patrick Spence has publicly apologized for confusion around Sonos’ smart speaker plans. The company announced that older hardware would stop getting software updates in May. Those devices will continue to function, but any new equipment in systems with old devices will not receive updates. Sonos is working on a solution […]
Sonos Will Stop Updating Older Hardware in May — Even Though 92% of Its Speakers Are ‘Still In Use’
Photo Credit: Unsplash Sonos will stop updating its older speakers and hardware in May, the company has announced. Sonos says it is retiring old products because “they have been stretched to their technical limits in terms of memory and processing power.” The change will affect many Sonos customers, as 92% of its products are still […]