Apple and Microsoft hike device prices as AI infrastructure monopolizes chip supply

Apple and Microsoft have raised prices across their hardware lineups, citing an unprecedented global shortage of memory and storage chips driven by the artificial intelligence boom. On Thursday, Apple increased the price of its entry-level MacBook Neo by $150, bringing the starting price to $949 in Canada, while also raising prices for iPads, HomePods, and Apple TV devices.

In a statement to CBC, Apple warned that the consumer electronics industry is facing an "unprecedented challenge," noting the company has never seen component costs rise this quickly. The price surge stems from major chipmakers like Samsung and Micron shifting production capacity away from consumer electronics to prioritize high-margin AI orders for companies like Nvidia.

Click to read more ...

Report: Apple might have trademarked 'homeOS' ahead of WWDC 2025

Source: MacRumors

Apple's long-rumoured homeOS operating system might finally be launching, at least according to the trademark activity spotted by MacRumors.

The news site reports that an apparent shell company, Home Operations Suite LLC, has submitted trademark applications for "HOMEOS" in several countries over the past few months, including Liechtenstein, the US, Argentina, and Peru. The trademark is now registered in Liechtenstein, but the applications are still pending elsewhere.

Click to read more ...

YouTube Music can be a default service on the Apple HomePod now

The Verge

YouTube Music is now compatible with HomePods, as announced by the product head Brandon Bilinski on Reddit. You can now ask Siri to play songs from the service or make it your default music source on your Apple smart speakers. You can follow the steps on this support page to set it up.

HomePods have limited options for third-party music services so far. Besides YouTube Music, only Deezer and Pandora have added support so far. Spotify can be controlled by Siri on HomePods, but not connected directly to the speakers.

To use YouTube Music on your HomePods, you need a YouTube Music or YouTube Premium account. In the app, tap your user icon, then Settings > Connected Apps > Connect with HomePod. To make it your default service, open the Home App, tap the settings icon, then Home Settings > Your username > Default Service.

If you don’t see the "Connected Apps" option in YouTube Music, try closing and reopening the app. You may also need to update the app to the latest version.

Source

Apple's rumoured HomePod with a display might come in 2024

Photo: Apple

We've heard about Apple's plans to release a low-end iPad that serves as a smart home display. But it looks like that isn't the only IoT (Internet of Things) device in the works. Rumours suggest we may see a HomePod sporting a display. Apple analyst Ming-Chu Kuo reports the company is working on a HomePod with a 7-inch panel, which we could see within the first half of 2024. Chinese supplier Tianma will reportedly manufacture its display. And the device "could enable tighter integration with Apple's other hardware products" and signify a "significant shift in the company's smart home strategy."

Source