Apple Music's Lossless audio will come to the HomePod in a software update

Apple

A future update will bring Apple Music's Lossless audio to both the HomePod and HomePod mini. According to a newly published Apple Support document, the speakers won't get the feature at launch. Still, they will get Spatial Audio at launch, a Dolby Atmos feature that offers an immersive, three-dimensional experience that makes it seem like music is all around the listener. 

Apple Music Lossless will come in two tiers and will be free for subscribers. The "Standard" Lossless tier has audio up to 48kHz, while the "Hi-Ress Lossless" has audio between 48kHz and 192kHz. The latter requires external equipment like a USB digital-to-analog converter. 

Source: MacRumors

Deezer gets Apple HomePod and HomePod mini integration

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Deezer subscribers who own Apple HomePod or HomePod mini speakers can now connect their smart speakers to the streaming service and make it the default player, too. Now, you can take advantage of Siri's voice controls to navigate your playlists on Deezer. 

You will need to be a paying Deezer subscriber for this feature to work. If you are, head to the Deezer app on your iOS device that's running iOS 14.3 or later. Head to the settings cog in the top right corner and then scroll down and tap on "Connect with HomePod." And if you mainly use this streaming service to listen to your tune, you can make it your default player. Head to the Home Settings in the top left corner of the Apple Home app. Tap on your face under the People section and then head to Default Service, where you can choose Deezer.

Source: The Verge

HomePod mini update makes it usable with 18W power supplies

A new update for the HomePod (version 14.3) will allow the HomePod mini to run on 18W adapters or battery packs. The speaker ships with a 20W power adapter, and it initially needed at least 20W to work. But this update reduces the limit to 18W, allowing it to support a broader range of adapters and battery packs. It also means you can turn the HomePod mini into a portable AirPlay 2 speaker of sorts, as long as you have a proper Wi-Fi signal.

Apple hasn't announced this feature in its update notes. Reddit users discovered the change when it tested the speaker out with different power bricks. 

Source: Apple Insider

Apple HomePod, HomePod mini get Pandora integration

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For the first time, Apple allows the integration of a third-party music service with its HomePod and HomePod mini. The first app to get said support is Pandora, which, unfortunately, isn't available here. An update to Pandora's iOS app will let users connect it to the HomePod. With a few simple taps, they can give the app permission to work with the speaker. So, they can ask Siri to play stations from Pandora directly on the speaker. Before, AirPlay 2 was needed to send audio from the app to the HomePod. 

Now, users can even set Pandora as your default music service in the iOS Home app. Amazon Music was another app that Apple teased could work with the Apple smart speakers. So, that's something we might be able to take advantage of. Engadget writes that developers could integrate this feature into their apps. So, even with Spotify's history with Apple, there's a possibility Spotify can implement this feature.