Amazon rumoured to be developing Echo version with touchscreen display

In an attempt to supposedly keep at bay Google Home and Apple’s rumoured entry into the smart home speaker market, Amazon is reportedly working on a new “premium” version of the Echo speaker that has a 7-inch touchscreen display. Veering away from the cylindrical look of the Echo speakers, this rumoured device will be larger and “tilt upwards” so the screen can be read when sitting on a desk or kitchen counter. The exact design hasn’t been specified yet. But it’ll supposedly respond mostly to Amazon’s Alexa digital assistant and run on an optimized version of Amazon’s Fire OS. Adding a display is said to make it easier to access content. Audio quality will also supposedly be improved with this version. There is no confirmation yet about this plan but we’re keeping our eyes open for it.

Source: MacRumors

Survey says the iPhone is the most desired gift of 2016

Desireability continues to be one of the iPhone's key strengths and this hasn't weakened in 2016. A survey by Piper Jaffray sampling 1,000 people has the iPhone as a clear leader with 7.2 percent of people surveyed wanting up from 5.2 percent in 2015. Looking at the records, the iPhone is as popular in 2016 as it was in 2013.

The second most desired gift of 2016 from the survey is also from Apple, the MacBook (not sure which specific 'book they refer to, the Air, Pro or all of them). 2016 has been a year of landmark smartphone releases and the bar has been raised pretty high, the iPhone continues to resonate with consumers. Check out the rest of the survey here.

Source: CNBC.com via 9to5Mac

Apple renders some old products obsolete starting next month

When Apple products are labeled as obsolete, these products lose official Apple repair support. Products are usually rendered obsolete five to seven years after manufacturing has been discontinued, making the parts no longer available to repair staff. The products that have been rendered obsolete for Canada starting December 31, 2016 include the MackBook Pro 15-inch (early 2011), MacBook Pro 17-inch (early 2011), Mac mini (early 2009), and MacBook 13-inch (mid 2009).

Source: 9to5Mac

Ubisoft plans to make multiplayer VR lineup support cross-platform play

With virtual reality gaming in its infancy, getting a large pool of players on one platform is tough. Thankfully, Ubisoft is thinking the same way and is planning to make its major multiplayer VR releases available across various platforms. The support for cross-platform play will start with Eagle Flight. It’ll work for PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift, and HTC Vive (when it releases). Some of the other games to get cross-platform support include Werewolf Within, which comes out on December 6, and Star Trek: Bridge Crew, which comes out March 14.

Source: Kotaku