This week on AI: Apple unveils HomePod, new iPads, new iMacs & more at WWDC

During its Monday WWDC keynote Apple delivered an onslaught of product announcements, including several new Macs and iPads, updated operating systems, and its first-ever smartspeaker, the HomePod. The company also teased future developments for the Apple TV, and both augmented and virtual reality.

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Everything you need to know:

The Siri-based HomePod ships in December for $349 > >
New 10.5- and 12.9-inch iPads feature "ProMotion" display technology > >
iMacs finally got speed upgrades, along with USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 > >
A heavy-duty iMac Pro will ship in December for $4,999 > >
MacBooks got a little faster too > >
iOS 11 will offer features like a new Control Center and a Mac-like iPad interface > >
The next edition of macOS is called "High Sierra" > >
watchOS 4 will add new watchfaces and links with gym equipment > >

For in-depth discussion of this week's hottest stories, listen to the AppleInsider podcast. Subscribe here, or stream the embed below:

A roundup of all of our hottest stories this week:

Apple looks to reinvent home music with $349 HomePod, an Amazon Echo and Sonos competitor

Apple unveils $649 10.5" iPad Pro featuring 20% larger display with ProMotion, A10X CPU

Apple launches speedy new iMacs capable of VR content creation with USB-C Thunderbolt 3 ports

Apple previews iMac Pro, the most powerful Mac ever built, coming in December

Apple's MacBook refresh buys time for bigger changes

Apple unveils iOS 11 with P2P Apple Pay transfers, a new sound for Siri, AirPlay 2, more

Apple refining macOS 10.12 Sierra in new High Sierra 10.13 revision

Apple announces watchOS 4 for Apple Watch with Siri watch face, connectivity with gym equipment

Amazon Prime Video coming to Apple TV later in 2017, more to come for tvOS

Apple announces support for external graphics cards, virtual reality platforms in macOS High Sierra

Apple redesigns App Store app with Apple Music-esque design

ARKit augmented reality tools in iOS 11 will make iPhone, iPad world's largest AR platform

Apple's iPad to get bigger dock, Files app, drag-and-drop & easier multitasking in iOS 11

Apple expands AppleCare+ to cover Mac users for accidental damage

Apple, other tech companies pledge to continue efforts to meet Paris climate accord

Apple cuts 2TB iCloud plan to $9.99, Family Sharing access expands in iOS 11 & High Sierra

Apple & Amazon paying into Foxconn bid for Toshiba's memory unit

Apple Watch band lineup boosted with new Sport, Nike Sport, and Pride bands

Apple TV owners to get first-ever public beta with tvOS 11

Apple Music exec Bozoma Saint John joins Uber as chief brand officer

Apple could expand NFC capabilities beyond Apple Pay in iOS 11

First 'Planet of the Apps' episode drops tonight, free to watch

Apple's Tim Cook, other tech CEOs poised to attend White House summit led by Jared Kushner

Apple won't have gigabit downloads on 'iPhone 8' because of Intel modems - report

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3 Comments

22july2013

said about 6 years ago

Why isn't anyone speculating that the HomePod will use voice control to configure things like choice of WIFI network and entering the password?

Donvermo

said about 6 years ago

22july2013 said:

Why isn't anyone speculating that the HomePod will use voice control to configure things like choice of WIFI network and entering the password?

Because it is highly unlikely, most likely it will either setup some kind of wifi network of it's own to let you configure it before switching to your home network or it will use some Apple proprietary super easy and convenient setup interface that works through your macbook or iPhone.

maestro64

said about 6 years ago

Donvermo said:

22july2013 said:

Why isn't anyone speculating that the HomePod will use voice control to configure things like choice of WIFI network and entering the password?

Because it is highly unlikely, most likely it will either setup some kind of wifi network of it's own to let you configure it before switching to your home network or it will use some Apple proprietary super easy and convenient setup interface that works through your macbook or iPhone.

Correct, imagine you live an in area with a number of wifi connections, how would the homepod know which one to connect to, you could say connect to xyz if your wifi network has a simple name like that. but if it is more complicated most likely you would have to ask the homepod to identify which wifi networks it is seeing and it would have to go down the list and say them, the human can easily scan a visual list and pick out correct one far fast then doing it via voice. This is the issue that people do not seem to understand with voice assistants, it is not always easier to speak a command then to just do it with your hands.
I have airplay speaker and the manufacture has an app that allows you to connect to is via Bluetooth, then it walks you through setting it up on your wifi. you can do it manually or it will send your iphone wifi credentials for the same network and it automatically connects. Pretty simply takes a whole 60 seconds to set up on the home network and you are ready to airplay.