DT Daily: Appliances that Text, Ad-free Video App, iPhone 6 Rumors

Coming up today: New Apple iPhone 6 rumors, we look at a new ad free video app, and LG lets you chat with your appliances.

We’re roughly 5 months away from the release of Apple’s next iPhone, most likely the iPhone 6. That means it’s time to start combing through all the latest news out of Asia to see just what’s going to be inside the new smartphone. According to a Chinese component site, fingerprint sensors for the iPhone 6, iPad Air 2 and iPad mini are already in production. That means Touch ID will be making its first appearance in the iPad lineup. We’re also looking into the new features expected to debut in iOS 8. The most prominent addition should be Healthbook, an app that uses sensors to monitor and track your vitals, activity levels, and nutrition. Does this indicate a sensor laden iWatch debut in the near future? We’ll have to wait until Apple’s World Wide Developers Conference in early June to find out.

Watching video on your smartphone just got a bit easier thanks to the Endless TV app. It groups videos together in channels similar to other video discovery apps, but it’s different because it strips out most of the pre-roll ads. There’s also no search function, just channels to choose from. So what you get is a bare bones video player similar to regular Television, but without the ads. Skipping a video is easy, just swipe left and the next clip plays.

All the content is ‘borrowed’, so you’re not getting anything unique here. But considering it’s a free app, and it skips most ads, this is a pretty good way to watch videos on the go.

Back in January we got a look at LG’s Home Chat system at CES in Las Vegas. It’s a new way to interact with smart appliances, and this week LG rolled out a refrigerator, oven and washing machine with the feature built-in. Using it is done through SMS text messages. So you’re basically chatting with your appliances. A built in camera will also show you what’s inside your fridge, and it can be accessed through the Home Chat app.

If making a refrigerator your new BFF is your idea of fun… well, you’ll have to wait a while. These smart appliances are only available in Korea now, but plans to bring them to the US are in the works.

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