Hey Siri

Apple agreed to a $95 million settlement in a class action lawsuit alleging privacy violations by its Siri voice assistant, according to a new report. The lawsuit, filed in Oakland, California federal court, claims that Apple’s virtual assistant recorded users’ private conversations without consent and shared this information with advertisers.

So, should a federal judge approve the settlement, millions of Apple device users could see small payouts (most likely less than $20 per device, given the vast number of devices running Siri).

As if Siri’s unhelpful answers were not irritating enough when you actually want them, Siri often interrupts a conversation, meeting or TV show when you haven’t asked for anything at all. The good news is you make it stop — if you know how to deactivate Siri on your Apple devices.

Audio specialist Denon added the Siri voice assistant to certain wireless speakers and a soundbar this week — only the second third-party product line to do so. But there’s a catch. Siri only works with the speakers if you also have a HomePod or HomePod mini speaker to act as a relay.

The same is true of the first non-Apple products that added Apple, ecobee smart thermostats. But it’s a little weirder this time because it’s all speakers. Only an Apple speaker will let you use Siri with Denon’s speakers.

The “Hey Siri” trigger phrase for Apple’s virtual assistant could go away soon, replaced with a shorter version. And the change might be announced at WWDC23 next week.

Being able to activate Siri by simply saying “Siri” near an iPhone, HomePod, etc., could make activating Apple’s virtual assistant easier.

Eve Systems rolled out its second generation of the Eve Flare portable smart LED lamp Tuesday, adding Thread networking support.

It also released the Eve Shutter Switch, but only in parts of Europe.

Apple is working on changing the “Hey Siri” hotword to just plain “Siri,” and the change could roll out as early as next year.

Introduced in 2015 with the iPhone 6s, the “Hey Siri” hotword remains unchanged to this day. You also can use the phrase to invoke Apple’s voice assistant on the Mac, iPad, HomePod and Apple Watch.

The other day I was walking with music blasting through my AirPods when I almost stepped in front of a speeding ambulance.

Luckily, the magical Sound Recognition feature on my iPhone was turned on and my AirPods recognized the wailing sirens. They silenced the music and piped the sirens into my ears instead, saving my bacon. It was amazing and quite magical.

Your iPhone can also listen and alert you for crying babies, running water, knocks on the door, barking dogs and more.

Here’s how to use it.

Studio Display’s surprisingly powerful internals allow it to enable “Hey Siri” on a number of older Mac models that don’t usually support the feature — including the 2019 Mac Pro and several Mac mini variants.

Users also discovered that Studio Display has a surprisingly large (64GB) amount of internal storage. We already knew that it runs the same version of iOS 15.4 as iPhone, but still, all that space seems pretty overkill.

Apple just removed one of the biggest remaining restrictions from the iPhone and iPad. It’s finally possible to change the default email application in iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 to something other than Apple Mail.

Making the change is easy. However, a current limitation will delay many people from taking immediate advantage of it.

Apple on Tuesday made its new Beats Powerbeats headphones official after a series of big leaks. The $149 wireless buds pack the same technology as Powerbeats Pro, including the newest H1 chip, and last up to 15 hours in between charges.

You can order yours this Wednesday, March 18.

The clearest look yet at Apple’s upcoming over-the-ear headphones was unearthed from an early build of iOS 14 this week.

Icons for Apple’s unreleased over-the-ear headphones were spotted by 9to5Mac, revealing a few features about the headphones’ design as well as a possible timeframe on when they might launch to the public.

Apple’s newest iOS 13.3 update is out, spilling yet more secrets about upcoming products. New code reveals upgraded Powerbeats4 headphones could be on the way with “Hey Siri” support.

A whole lot of innovation is in the offing for Apple’s biggest hardware event of the year. CEO Tim Cook recently promised that Apple will unleash its strongest product lineup ever, and next week’s “By Innovation Only” event could be just the tip of the iceberg.

Thanks to a glut of leaked info, we have a pretty solid idea about what new hardware to expect during the event. iPhones obviously will steal the spotlight, but Apple might unleash a few surprises as well.

This is what we think we’ll see during the 2019 iPhone keynote, which starts at 10 a.m. Pacific on September 10. Apple will live-stream it from the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple Park in Cupertino, California.

A class action lawsuit has been proposed to prevent Apple from recording Siri commands without users’ express consent. And the plaintiffs want restitution, of course.

Apple admits it made recordings of people talking to the Siri voice-control system to improve the system. As part of the process, some of these were listened to by humans.

It’s been widely reported that voice control systems like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple Siri use people in their quality-improvement process, not just algorithms. But Siri and others might be accidentally overhearing to what we say more than we realize, and humans in the loop are getting an earful.

A new report warns that Apple contractors have heard “confidential medical information, drug deals, and recordings of couples having sex.”

The insanely beautiful landscapes of Iceland serve as the backdrop for Apple’s latest Powerbeats Pro ad that will motivate you to get out and run.

Seven runners from the Paris Running Club embark on a daunting relay that takes them 280km through the wilderness of Iceland in the new ad. The goal is to chase the sun that doesn’t set for days and Powerbeats Pro are there every step of the way to make the run more magical.

Watch the full 90-second ad:

Apple’s newest Powerbeats Pro headphones are now available to preorder in a bunch of new countries. Fans in Hong Kong, Japan, Spain, and more can claim their buds today.

HomePod owners are becoming increasingly frustrated with the latest AirPods ad. The full version of the “Bounce” commercial keeps triggering “Hey Siri” on Apple’s pricey smart speaker.

Some say they end up hearing the “crappiest” music, while others say their HomePod randomly calls out “I’m here.”

iOS 13 doesn’t just mean big improvements for your iPhone. Apple is making some pretty significant enhancements to CarPlay, too, including a brand-new dashboard and better apps.

Some of these great new CarPlay features are long overdue. Here’s everything you can expect from Apple’s in-car platform in iOS 13.

You can now order Apple’s new Powerbeats Pro wireless headphones in the U.K., France, and Germany.

They’re only available in black for now, with other color options coming this summer, and it seems that stock is limited. You can expect delivery around June 6 if you’re fast enough.

You’ll be able to preorder Apple’s new Powerbeats Pro wireless headphones this Friday in the U.K., France, and Germany.

Apple has posted a new promotional video on social media to confirm their arrival. The 15-second clip features British boxer Anthony Joshua wearing an ivory pair while he trains.

Apple’s AirPods are about to get some fresh competition from Amazon.

The online retail giant is reportedly planning to release its own set of wireless earbuds that will be powered by its digital assistant Alexa and possibly better audio quality.

The first truly wireless Beats earbuds have finally arrived.

Beats unveiled its new Powerbeats Pro earbuds today which are a successor to the Powerbeats 3 buds that feature an over-the-ear support system. The new Powerbeats Pro feature some of the same features you’ll find on the new AirPods, only in a sporty, sweat-resistant package with more color options and a larger price tag.

Check out the teaser:

Back in December 2016, I was ecstatic to receive my AirPods. In the first few days after they arrived, I had them in my ears almost every moment I wasn’t sleeping or in conversations with others.

Since then, I’ve worn my AirPods, on average, something like four hours every day. When they aren’t in my ears, they are in their case, in my front left pocket. They are as much a part of me as the iPhone they’re typically paired to.

With the second-generation AirPods (can we agree to call them AirPods 2?), Apple took the product I’ve loved dearly for the last 800-plus days, and made it just a little better.

Apple-owned Beats is about to unleash its wire-free earbuds that will be like a more sporty version of AirPods.

The Beats headphone lineup hasn’t seen a lot of design changes over the last few years but it sounds like fans might finally get a fresh look this spring. According to a new report, the new sport earbuds will be a redesign of the PowerBeats wireless earphones and will be announced in April.