sirozha
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How to get started with a new HomePod, and get more out of it
What a disaster. This is where I draw the line.pumasalad said:we have 6 HomePods and it feel like Siri is still in beta. When I want to bypass Siri and get actual concrete results, I can set alarms in the Home app and I can see which music to play in the Music app (as long as I go through a two minute dig and tap routine every time I launch Music). To really use Siri on HomePod to listen to music, you have to have Apple Music. Having an extensive iTunes collection and Music Match isn't good enough and becomes very difficult to manage. When the HomePods haven't been rebooted for 30 days or so, they begin to require us to say everything twice, and they begin to get less accurate. "Hey Siri, Next Track. [wait a couple of seconds] Hey Siri, Next Track" will make it go to the next song most of the time, but about 20% of the time it responds with something from left field like "Who do you want to send it to" or the like. Since there is no reboot command anywhere that I can find, we have resorted to plugging all of the HomePods into HomeKit enabled smart plugs so we can turn them off and on to reboot them. Once they are rebooted they work like magic again for 20 to 30 days until they start getting confused again. Apple really needs to give us a dedicated HomePod app that can play music on the HomePods, monkey with settings like alarms and timers, offer to update the software when needed, and give us a manual way to reset them. Here's hoping that we'll get that with updates this year...
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The top seven MacBook Air features that make the 2018 model great
The keyboard on the 2018 MBA is AMAZING. I have it and can type on it 30% faster than on the Apple scissor-style keyboard. I also like the more pronounced sound that comes from typing on this keyboard.henrybay said:You forgot to mention the one feature that makes the new MacBook Air unuseable for many people.
The keyboard. It’s attrocious. It offers so little keytravel that it’s like typing on a flat surface. There is insufficient feedback to provide a satisfying typing experience. You need an external keyboard (with decent key travel) to make the MacBook Air a useful tool. Which defeats the whole purpose of thin and light.
Apple please replace these ridiculously flat, unresponsive keyboards! They are ruining your MacBook products.
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Hands On: HyperDrive is the best USB-C dock for the iPad Pro yet
Is it by any chance the Apple SuperDrive? If so, Hyper specifically warns that the Apple SuperDrive will not work when connected to the HyperDrive because it requires an authentication by an Apple device.bob.mcbeth said:My experience differs from the review. The HperDrive that I purchased fails to provide enough power to drive a USB-A DVD player/writer on a 2018 15" MacBook Pro, which prompts an OS warning. I be finding out how their customer service performs.
HOWEVER, the Apple SuperDrive works when connected to the back of the Apple LED Cinema Display, which in turn is connected to the HyperDrive with the USB cable attached to the display. I am using the HyperDrive NET 6in2 with the Apple 27" LED Cinema display, and the Apple SuperDrive works just fine when connected to the back of the display.
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Hands On: HyperDrive is the best USB-C dock for the iPad Pro yet
I recently bought a HyperDrive NET 6-in-2 for the 2018 MacBook Air and love it. It's solved all of my legacy port problem, and I can use my 2018 MacBook Air with the 27" LED Cinema Display (non-Thunderbolt version).
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HomeKit coming to new smartlocks by August & Yale [U]
Your cleaner has a key is a problem. When your cleaner and you have a disagreement and you fire your cleaner, your locks are compromised. In fact, your locks are already compromised because your cleaner may have made copies of your keys and given them to others.gatorguy said:I'm pretty invested in smart-home gear and gadgets. Smart-router, smart-wifi pucks (several), smart-smoke detectors (several), smart-doorbell, smart-cameras (several), smart-lighting (a lot), smart-speakers (again several), smart-outlets (yup a few of those)...
A smart-door lock on my smart home is where I've drawn a line for now. Just not confident in that one quite yet. My cleaner has a key. My immediate family has keys. No one else has a need to be in my home if I'm not there, and the extensive hard-wired and independently powered security system I have lets me know if a door or window isn't secured.
TBH I'm surprised when folks I know say they plan to get a smart door lock unless they're showing the house for sale or rent. That one I can understand.
Other than that, smart locks are great to check whether or not your doors are locked when you are not at home. You also get notified when the locks are locked and unlocked.
Smart locks are obviously not necessary, but neither are your other smart-home appliances like smart smoke detectors, smart doorbells, smart lighting, smart speakers, or smart outlets.
If you ever want a recommendation, Schlage Sense seems to be a very good product IMHO. I have two of them, and they haven't yet failed to notify me of being locked/unlocked or failed to lock/unlock via HomeKit or the Schlage app one time. They appear a very solid product and reasonably priced. They use BT LE to communicate with the Apple TV being used as a HomeKit hub.