Edit 4K on your 5K
Apple’s WWDC reveals met expectations Monday with the announcement of the Siri-powered HomePod, an iOS 11 preview, the MacOS High Sierra update, new iPad Pros, and a bunch of other things. And one of those more interesting other things was the new iMac Pro, a super-powerful all-in-one solution for Mac power users working on everything from 4K video to VR to just about anything.
The hopped-up iMac features a new interior design to keep it cool, and a lot of horsepower under the hood. Bits are moved around by an 18-core Intel Xeon processor, you can spec the RAM up to 128 gigs, add in up to 4 terabytes of hard drive space, and new AMD Vega GPUs will power through the 5K display’s graphics duties. Prices start at $5,000 for the iMac Pro, and will likely option up quickly when it arrives this December. Hit this link for more iMac Pro details.
HomePod, find my iPod
In the expected news category, Apple debuted the HomePod, their answer to Amazon’s popular Echo line of homebot speakers and Google’s similar “Home” device. Digital assistant Siri runs the HomePod’s show, and while we expected there to be some sort of screen involved, there’s just a colorful little light on the top of the device, which you can get in white or dark gray. And if you buy two of them, Apple says they’ll work as high-performance stereo speakers. Nifty.
Unusual for Apple, though, is third-party compatibility for the HomePod. Using AirPlay 2, the HomePod can feed tunes to speakers made by Bang & Olufsen, Bose, Denon, McIntosh, Bowers & Wilkins, Polk, and others. Your iPhone functions as the HomePod’s screen and of course, you can talk to it, either while in the room or a world away on your iPhone. Of course, it works with HomeKit for you smart-home fans, and like the iMac Pro, it’ll be out in December.
Cut the… iMessage?
Apple showed off a bunch of new tricks in iOS 11 but the thing that really got our attention is an upgrade to Apple Pay that allows for peer-to-peer – or person-to-person – payments. The money transfer ability will be in an app that works with Apple’s texting app iMessage, so when your cousin hits you up for that 20 bucks you owe him, you can settle the debt with a few clicks.
Funds can come from a bank account, or an Apple Pay Cash Card that lives in your Apple Wallet app. Pretty convenient. Maybe a bit too convenient, actually… Anyway, we’ve got a full wrap up on all the hot new features in iOS 11, which Apple says will debut this fall – for free, of course.
We’ve got more news on our Facebook page and YouTube channel, and be sure to tune in to this week’s DT podcasts: Close to the Metal (computers and such) on Tuesday, Trends with Benefits (general tech shenanigans) on Thursdays, and Between the Streams (movie and TV topics) every Friday.
