The MacRumors Show: Apple's Mysterious Home Accessory

[hagjohn]

Apples "smart home" is so lack lustre compared to Zigbee I have given up on it,
The "specs" for matter are so lacking that you can not control fan speed on an aircon, or set defrost cycles etc etc etc.

I can get high quality zigbee stuff from Schneider and other electrical manufacturers.

Hubitat has so much greater ability, flexibility than "home" its a no contest situation.

Apple now has no presence in the networking market, server market both of which would have helped Matter etc.
I have been running OSX server for 10 years on 2012 Mac Minis, but I have bought RaspberryPi units to start migration to more modern systems for DNS, DHCP, Print Sharing, Calendar, File sharing, Media server, VPN, etc, and NO I don NOT want "cloud" systems where I loose ownership and privacy along with forever increasing subscription costs and the propriety lock-ins with the risk of data mining, advert injection, etc etc etc.

I have been a Mac user for 40 years, I have Macs, iPads, iPhones, Apple TV, iWatch, iPods, Airport, etc etc etc.
But with all the IP based devices in the house now that are non Apple I simply need to upgrade and Apple has zero in the market. That means I will be shifting a lot of other things, Media will go to Jellyfin, I already have a 3rd party FTP server, Hubitat, RAID systems, etc.

Once Apple supports Matter v1.2, some of that will fix itself. Matter 1.2 update brought many new device types, including robotic vacuum cleaners, refrigerators, fans, and air purifiers, so lets hope they support it sooner than later.

 

[hagjohn]

A separate home accessory would be a waste, IMO. Just use an iPad Mini (with Face ID) with a stand/dock.

 

[Black Tiger]

Yeah I hear this is coming out the same year as the Apple Car, the Apple TV Set, and the G5 PowerBook. Come on people.

 

[NickTuesday]

This is a serious question from my side - why would anyone wan't this?
I can't see what need this fills that isn't filled with a regular Mac. Except from the swivelling display...
If it's a home hub, do you wan't one in every room, or would you move it around? Then an iPhone/iPad seems more convenient.

If it's a hub, the idea would be to have one in an accessible location to control every device in your house. Amazon recently released one for all their Echo devices and other smart home devices. Most prefer to have them mounted on a wall. In fact, you actually have to buy the stand separately if you prefer not to wall mount. But if Apple is emphasizing the entertainment aspect as well then a stand makes more sense.

 

[sir1963nz]

Once Apple supports Matter v1.2, some of that will fix itself. Matter 1.2 update brought many new device types, including robotic vacuum cleaners, refrigerators, fans, and air purifiers, so lets hope they support it sooner than later.

THIS I will install in a wall of my home in a flush box https://www.electricaldirectltd.co.nz/product/3536-PDL5011WSZ-PDL-Wiser-Micro-Module-Switch-240V

I get access to industrial quality devices when needed and cheap zigbee (Temp, Humidity , movement) etc when I want to.

 

[JediKnife]

On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through the latest rumors surrounding Apple's "Home Accessory" product, which could launch as soon as next year.

Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos​

Apple's work on an iPad-like smart home display product has been reported for over a year. It is expected to serve as a smart home hub with features adopted from the ‌iPad‌, HomePod, and the Apple TV, such as video playback and AirPlay. Apple's backend code suggests it will feature the A18 chip and run a variant of tvOS like the HomePod, and Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says it will support Apple Intelligence and run Apple apps like Calendar, Notes, and Home, with an interface "optimized for controlling home appliances and quickly seeing information."

• Apple Smart Home Display: Everything We Know

The latest rumors suggest that it could have a "squarish display" to distinguish it from the iPad, along with a built-in camera for FaceTime, detecting hand gestures, and determining different users for personalized requests. The new device could launch as soon as next year. The MacRumors Show has its own YouTube channel, so make sure you're subscribed to keep up with new episodes and clips:

Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel!​

You can also listen to The MacRumors Show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, or your preferred podcasts app. You can also copy our RSS feed directly into your podcast player.

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If you haven't already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show, catch up for our discussion about first impressions of the iPhone 16 Pro, Apple Watch Series 10, and AirPods 4.

Subscribe to The MacRumors Show for new episodes every week, where we discuss some of the topical news breaking here on MacRumors, often joined by interesting guests such as Luke Miani, Matthew Cassinelli, Brian Tong, Quinn Nelson, Kevin Nether, Jared Nelson, Eli Hodapp, Mike Bell, Sara Dietschy, iJustine, Jon Rettinger, Andru Edwards, Arnold Kim, Ben Sullins, Marcus Kane, Christopher Lawley, Frank McShan, David Lewis, Tyler Stalman, Jon Prosser, Sam Kohl, John Gruber, Federico Viticci, Thomas Frank, Jonathan Morrison, Ross Young, Ian Zelbo, and Rene Ritchie.

The MacRumors Show is on X @MacRumorsShowhttps://twitter.com/macrumorsshow, so be sure to give us a follow to keep up with the podcast. You can also head over to... Click here to read rest of article

Article Link: The MacRumors Show: Apple's Mysterious Home Access

It is a scale I believe.

 

[darngooddesign]

It is a scale I believe.

I doubt that iMac arm could support my weight. 😁