Apple Introduces HomePod | CranstonIT - Blog

Apple Introduces HomePod

HomePod-photo

Back in 1984, Steve Jobs introduced the Macintosh®. Or rather, the Mac® introduced itself to the audience by saying “Hello, I’m Macintosh. It sure is great to get out of that bag.”

Apple's introduction of HomePod™ demonstrates just how far we’ve come from those early days of technology intelligence. HomePod can not only introduce itself, but teams with Siri® and Apple Music® to create a brilliant home assistant capable of managing everyday tasks and bringing the music listening experience to an entirely new level.

Designed to compete against — er, crush? — Amazon Echo and Google Home when it begins shipping this month, HomePod is a powerful intelligent speaker in an elegant mesh-covered cylindrical package that stands just seven inches tall and boasts seven beam-forming tweeters for high-frequency acoustics and a large woofer for deep, clean bass. Driven by its A8 chip, HomePod software enables a spatial awareness that can sense its location in the room and automatically adjust the audio for the optimal listening — or command-executing — experience.

Apple® considers HomePod the ultimate music authority, engineered to bring out the best in Apple Music. The device combines the latest audio technology and advanced software to deliver dynamic, almost three-dimensional sound that will rock your house anywhere the speaker is placed. With the intelligence of Siri and access to virtually all of the world’s songs, HomePod can grab and play purchased music from your iOS device (iPhone® 5s or later, iPad Air® or later) or, with an individual Apple Music subscription ($9.99 per month), can offer complete music functionality and access to as many as 45 million songs.

Music aside, HomePod can also tell you the latest news, traffic, sports, weather and more. You can ask Siri to send messages, set timers, play podcasts, check scores, check stock prices or even transfer a call from your iPhone to HomePod for hands-free conversation. Plus, HomePod, like Apple TV® and iPad®, serves as a HomeKit™ hub and enables voice control of your smart home accessories — from a single light bulb to the entire house — while you are home or away.

Setting up HomePod is simple. Just plug it in, and your iPhone or iPad will detect it automatically, just like a pair of AirPods® would. Like AirPods, a HomePod requires an iOS device. It must be relatively recent (as noted above), and it must be running at least iOS 11.2.5. HomePod owners will want to install the latest available version to keep up with iOS and software tweaks as Apple rolls them out.

Also, with a free software update due later this year, you’ll be able to manage multiple HomePod devices throughout your home, controlling each one independently or playing the same music on all of them, perfectly in sync. Plus, if you put two HomePod devices in the same room, you’ll be able to set them up as a stereo pair. Cool!

CranstonIT offers Apple Certified technicians. For help with your Apple products, contact us at 888-813-5558 or support@cranstoninc.com.
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