Apple's HomePod could be the big iOS move to the home

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

Little is known about Apple's upcoming HomePod speaker. It is expected to offer amazing sound for its size, it has accelerometers and advanced acoustic technologies to determine location, bounce off sound and calibrate for optimal sound. This could make it a truly-smart speaker in terms of audio playback.

HomePod has been easily dismissed as a late-to-the-game, me-too smart speaker. Apple's feeble attempt to eke out some profit from the insanely popular smart speaker segment led in the US by Amazon Echo and growing globally thanks to Google Home and the various sizes and variants they offer.

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The Apple Beat: Apple's year in Review

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

Looking back at Apple’s 2016, it was hard to expect the company to match the frenetic pace of product releases from 2015. After all, the previous year saw the introduction of the Apple Watch, iPad Pro, the remixed Apple TV, new and improved iPhone 6s as well as major moves in the areas of car infotainment (Car Play), home automation (Home Kit), Health (Health Kit) and the inception of Apple Music. So, let's look back at what 2016 was all about.

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SourceCode: Halt or Catch Fire

The reasons behind the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 fires are still a mystery

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

The debacle facing Samsung for its faulty Galaxy Note 7, which the company recently announced it is no longer selling, reflects various issues in the smartphone industry’s manic race to rush out products on a yearly cycle. 

After over a dozen reports that Note 7 devices were smoking, catching fire or exploding, the company issued a recall and replacement program. But when a few of the replacement units continued to combust in people’s homes, airplanes or just by laying on desks, Samsung decided to stop all sales and effectively kill off the Galaxy Note 7. Samsung's shares fell eight percent yesterday, wiping $19 billion as its stock plummeted 8 per cent from its overall value because of this news. 

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Google enters premium smartphone game with Pixel and Pixel XL

Text and photos by Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

Google is now a player in the smartphone game. While the company did dabble in creating specific devices with hardware partners during its now defunct Nexus phase, it left the building of the hardware to OEMs. Nexus is all but dead and there are valid reasons for that. Google is looking forward to a future where they make the whole widget in order to ensure the best experience. 

The 5-inch Pixel and the 5.5-inch Pixel XL represent the most cohesive idea of a Google Phone since the first Android device shipped eight years ago. The Pixel devices are flagship phones (they start at $899) that boast top-tier specs, camera performance that Google says will beat any smartphone as well as a bevy of intelligent assistant features powered by Google services. 

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