Apple Plots Expansion Into AI Robots, Home Security and Smart Displays (bloomberg.com) 35
Apple is plotting its AI comeback with an ambitious slate of new devices, including robots, a lifelike version of Siri, a smart speaker with a display and home-security cameras, according to Bloomberg. From the report: A tabletop robot that serves as a virtual companion, targeted for 2027, is the centerpiece of the AI strategy, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The smart speaker with a display, meanwhile, is slated to arrive next year, part of a push into entry-level smart-home products.
Home security is seen as another big growth opportunity. New cameras will anchor an Apple security system that can automate household functions. The approach should help make Apple's product ecosystem stickier with consumers, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the initiatives haven't been announced.
Home security is seen as another big growth opportunity. New cameras will anchor an Apple security system that can automate household functions. The approach should help make Apple's product ecosystem stickier with consumers, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the initiatives haven't been announced.
The devil is in the details (Score:5, Insightful)
Apple Cameras? Cool. Subscription based? F*ck that sh*t.
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Subscription based? F*ck that sh*t.
With ads (oh, sorry, "previews/teasers") of their TV shows every time you want to see a security recording, just like on AppleTV+
Re: The devil is in the details (Score:2)
Apple made cameras before. Then they stopped.
Luckily they were just point and shoot so nobody had a bunch of incompatible lenses at that point, just left over floppy disks.
Home security cameras not terribly different .... (Score:2)
Apple made cameras before. Then they stopped.
Apple still makes cameras. They embed them in smartphones, tablets, computers, and displays. Home security cameras are not terribly different than these.
Re: Home security cameras not terribly different . (Score:2)
Sure, if you don't actually care about security. If you do though, then you really should be using different types of sensors, namely ones that favor giving a clean signal even in very low lighting rather than favoring colors and megapixels. You should also take into account things like FOV, which means not buying cookie cutter cameras like you're typically going to find at best buy or that ring crap.
I could see it now though, lots of hipsters with signs in their yard saying "protected by apple" with a big
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Sure, if you don't actually care about security. If you do though, then you really should be using different types of sensors, namely ones that favor giving a clean signal even in very low lighting rather than favoring colors and megapixels.
Using a different part as a sensor would count as "not terribly different" :-)
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Apple Cameras? Cool. Subscription based? F*ck that sh*t.
Subscription, doubtful. Unless we're talking about live streaming to your cloud account that keeps the last 24 hours. They'll probably have 3 tiers, 24, 48, and 72 hours at different price points. It's the Apple way.
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Apple Cameras? Cool. Subscription based? F*ck that sh*t.
Subscription, doubtful. Unless we're talking about live streaming to your cloud account that keeps the last 24 hours. They'll probably have 3 tiers, 24, 48, and 72 hours at different price points. It's the Apple way.
HomeKit Secure Video already keeps 10 days of unlimited audio and video offsite. The "Tiers" limit the number of Cameras, only.
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Apple Cameras? Cool. Subscription based? F*ck that sh*t.
Subscription, doubtful. Unless we're talking about live streaming to your cloud account that keeps the last 24 hours. They'll probably have 3 tiers, 24, 48, and 72 hours at different price points. It's the Apple way.
HomeKit Secure Video already keeps 10 days of unlimited audio and video offsite. The "Tiers" limit the number of Cameras, only.
10 days. That'll cover many vacations.
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Apple Cameras? Cool. Subscription based? F*ck that sh*t.
Subscription, doubtful. Unless we're talking about live streaming to your cloud account that keeps the last 24 hours. They'll probably have 3 tiers, 24, 48, and 72 hours at different price points. It's the Apple way.
HomeKit Secure Video already keeps 10 days of unlimited audio and video offsite. The "Tiers" limit the number of Cameras, only.
10 days. That'll cover many vacations.
I think the idea was to provide ample time to get any interesting captures transferred to more permanent storage, without unreasonable burden on Apple.
Keep in mind that you Enable more Cameras by Upgrading your iCloud Storage Limit. HOWEVER, your currently-captured Video(s) (10-day Circular Buffer) does NOT Count Against your iCloud Storage Limit. It is kind of a "Free Perk" with iCloud.
Having said that, I wouldn't be surprised that HomeKit Secure Video Storage starts getting more flexible (like adjustable
We'll see! (Score:3)
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IIUC (dubious) the 'next version of Siri" is actually an entirely different program, just one that fits the same advertising slot. So you really can't judge it based on the current siri...OTOH, judging it based or rumors and PR is, at best, dubious.
Yay. Whee! (Score:2)
Oh good, more stylized crap that no one needs at a price we can't afford, and in 5 years they'll be whinging about the cost of maintaining the back-end infrastructure and they'll simply turn it off. And then someone can write a whinging article about that, too. See also; "Sony Dash" or "Chumby". Or Playstation. Or XBox. Or Star Wars Galaxies. Or....
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Once upon a time new Apple products were at least more-or-less what the rest of the tech industry was doing, All of these vaporware proposals are a decade or more late.
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Once upon a time new Apple products were at least more-or-less what the rest of the tech industry was doing, All of these vaporware proposals are a decade or more late.
The entire Home Automation/Security Multiverse is well over a decade behind where it oughta be.
What's your point?
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Oh good, more stylized crap that no one needs at a price we can't afford, and in 5 years they'll be whinging about the cost of maintaining the back-end infrastructure and they'll simply turn it off. And then someone can write a whinging article about that, too. See also; "Sony Dash" or "Chumby". Or Playstation. Or XBox. Or Star Wars Galaxies. Or....
Apple already has about 5 years of supporting the infrastructure for HomeKit Secure Video, which stores 10 days' worth of unlimited audio and video offsite for the User's authorized number of cameras. That's long enough for Apple to internally evaluate the pluses and minuses of the entire concept.
I kind of doubt they will just suddenly walk away from this like Microsoft, Google or Samsung would.
Interesting that your litany of Brands known for their Abandoned Services or Platforms does not include Apple. .
Desktop companion? (Score:4, Funny)
Will it condescendingly snark at you if you don't own a Mac, an iPhone, and an iPad? They need to know their potential userbase to get this right.
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Will it condescendingly snark at you if you don't own a Mac, an iPhone, and an iPad?
No, because they will require an Apple account, and an Apple device from the same account to access it.
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Will it condescendingly snark at you if you don't own a Mac, an iPhone, and an iPad?
No, because they will require an Apple account, and an Apple device from the same account to access it.
Nothing makes iCloud or AppleIDs beholden to Apple Devices, per se. They already provide some services for Windows; it is trivial for them to tack on more.
So it will undoubtedly require some sort of Apple Account, I imagine it will at least quickly offer non-Apple Support, even if not at first.
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I would expect something similar with security camera setup.
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Yes, you can get iTunes and other stuff on Windows. But does anything they provide on the Windows side provide authentication? For example if you are on the Mac side and something needs authentication it might send a notification to your iPhone on the same account as the Mac. Or your iPad. Or your Apple Watch.
I would expect something similar with security camera setup.
I am not sure; but that is a good question. Maybe it just punts to SMS Verification?
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I am not sure; but that is a good question. Maybe it just punts to SMS Verification?
The iPhone option seems a little more platform specific than SMS. First a dialog shows up asking if you want to authorize something, I think it may also provide location. Followed by a non-SMS dialog that provides a 6 digit key. They could have sent a SMS clearly describing the thing requesting authorization and its location, along with the 6 digit code. But, you know, Apple. That wouldn't provided the enhanced user experience their proprietary solution does, for the exact same info. :-)
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I am not sure; but that is a good question. Maybe it just punts to SMS Verification?
The iPhone option seems a little more platform specific than SMS. First a dialog shows up asking if you want to authorize something, I think it may also provide location. Followed by a non-SMS dialog that provides a 6 digit key. They could have sent a SMS clearly describing the thing requesting authorization and its location, along with the 6 digit code. But, you know, Apple. That wouldn't provided the enhanced user experience their proprietary solution does, for the exact same info. :-)
Oh, the iPhone Verification is quite slick, and yes, it does show a little map of the Requester's Location.
But for non-Apple Devices, IMHO, an SMS Verification is better than Nothing!
Quibbles (Score:3, Insightful)
So, a comeback implies prior success. Since Apple had no prior AI success, it's more of an AI premiere than an AI comeback.
So, the plans are for AI robots, home security and smart displays. None of these things are new. It's possible that Apple will pull an iPhone moment and wow everyone with its design and execution. However, all of these items are far less impressive than what a self-driving car and VR/AR goggles would have been. The other thing about the iPhone moment was that it was largely based on design and user interaction and interfaces, but that's likely not going to be enough for AI functionality, unless maybe Apple has invented novel use cases for these items.
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Yip, seems like they are wandering too far out of their lane before getting more AI experience. Walk before you run.
Re: Quibbles (Score:2)
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They stopped their car plans because none of the industry leaders wanted anything to do with them. They probably remembered the long history of ruin and destruction Apple has left behind when they "partner" with some other company.
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Yip, seems like they are wandering too far out of their lane before getting more AI experience. Walk before you run.
They've been treating HomeKit as a Hobby for quite awhile now. It has gone though at least two transparent Protocol Changes/Improvements, and with their Championing Matter, and quietly building Thread Radios in Products for the past few years, this has the earmarks of a decently well-considered market expansion; rather than a soon-to-be-Abandoned, Google-istic, "Project du Jour".
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Whatever happened to the first-to-market Apple, dropping the first portable music player, the first hand held computing device, the first cell phone?!!
This sitting back and watching the market crap is weird.
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Whatever happened to the first-to-market Apple, dropping the first portable music player, the first hand held computing device, the first cell phone?!!
This sitting back and watching the market crap is weird.
Fascinating that that is your Memory.
Apple was in no way the first in any of those Device Classes; but their Entry into each of those Markets seemed to mark a turning-point in that Market and/or Device-Class!
Apple very much sits back and studies new trends, technologies and markets. Then they try to embody that in Devices, Software and Services that attempt to Deliver that New Stuff in such a way that is both simple and flexible as practical.
Maybe they should make inkjet printers too! (Score:2)
COMEBACK? (Score:1)
> Apple plots its AI comeback...
Apple has never been about AI. Ever. None of its products and services have been about AI. So to claim it wants an AI comback is like a joke only without the joke.
What is Apple known for?
- Higher priced mainline hardware
- Squares with rounded corners
- CEO that uses a private jet to steal liver donors' livers so he can [oops not] live longer at someone more deserving's expense
- Fuc over Woz
Apple has NOTHING to do with AI, contibute nothing more than high prices for overv
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It's spelled 'Fuck'.