Month: December 2022

How to Transfer the Current Playing Song from an iPhone to a HomePod

Dan Uff December 18, 2022 0

Did you know that you can transfer any current playing song that's on your iPhone to your HomePod or visa versa? It's simple.

Here's how:

On the iPhone, go into the Music app.
Select a song, then press PLAY.
While the song is playing, go up to the HomePod.
Place the iPhone near the top of the HomePod.
After a few seconds, the song starts playing on the HomePod.
That's it.

To get a current playing song from the HomePod to an iPhone, repeat steps 3-5.

How to upgrade to the new Apple Home architecture (and why you might not want to, yet)

CompuScoop Staff December 17, 2022 0

Apple’s redesigned Home app makes it easier to control all your smart home accessories — on all your Apple devices. It’s secure and protects your personal data. And with HomePod mini or Apple TV set up as the ultimate home hub, the new Home app unlocks the full potential of your smart home.

This new foundation for Apple’s smart home is part of the company’s preparation for Matter, the new smart home interoperability standard, but some users will want to wait to upgrade to the new underlying architecture, for now.

This all sounds exciting, especially to anyone plagued by “Accessory not responding” notifications in the Home app and / or slow response times from Siri on HomePods when controlling smart home devices. But there are some caveats.

First, if you use an iPad as your main Apple Home hub, you will not want to upgrade (it’s optional right now). iPads are no longer supported as Home hubs in the new architecture — but they can continue to work as one if you don’t upgrade.

Second, if family members have older iPhones and iPads that can’t upgrade to 16.2 or Apple Watches that can’t do watch OS 9.2, they will lose access to controlling the home if you update to the new architecture.

These are the main reasons why Apple is making this upgrade optional. You can upgrade to 16.2 and not upgrade to the new Home architecture. If you’re ready to go for it, though, and want to try out Apple’s promised faster, more stable HomeKit setup, then read on.

Via: The Verge

Siri for Apple TV can now recognize up to six different users’ voices

CompuScoop Staff December 15, 2022 0

Apple's newly released tvOS 16.2 adds a "Recognize My Voice" feature that customizes Siri searches on the Apple TV 4K and TV HD for up to six users.

Once you've trained the set-top to know who's speaking, you can ask for video recommendations and music without worrying that you'll mess with someone's play history. You can also ask to "switch to my profile" instead of navigating the on-screen switcher.

You can also change the Siri language to be different than the one your device shows. Accordingly, the Apple TV also has expanded language support in Denmark, Luxembourg and Singapore.

Editor's Note: Just in time for the Holidays, our affiliate Amazon.com has slashed the Apple TV 4K's price. Click here to find out more!

Via: Engadget.com

15 U.S. state attorneys general demand that App Stores raise the age off TikTok to 17+

CompuScoop Staff December 14, 2022 1

A group of 15 Republican U.S. state attorneys general demanded on Tuesday that executives at Apple and Alphabet-subsidiary Google strip TikTok of its age rating that classifies the video-sharing app as appropriate for teens.

In letters sent to Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai and Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook, the state officials… said TikTok contains frequent adult content, including about sex and drug use, and can only plausibly qualify for a mature or “17+” rating, not the current teen classifications listed on the Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store.

The attorneys general said Google and Apple should be responsible for ensuring accurate age ratings and warned they may face legal action from the states if TikTok’s rating isn’t addressed.

“Parents are the first line of defense, but their job is being made more difficult by ratings that misrepresent the true content found on the platform,” Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen said in a statement. “It’s past time for Apple and Google to do their part in helping parents keep their kids safe online and increase their TikTok ratings.”

Via: The Wall Street Journal