Use the power of your voice to watch TV. That’s not just something out of Star Trek, but the promise of Siri on the fourth-generation Apple TV. Beyond the basic commands to find your favorite TV show, you might not know how much Siri can actually do for you. But using Siri Apple TV voice […]
(via Cult of Mac – Tech and culture through an Apple lens)
Microsoft has highlighted examples of its products driving new retail experiences, including the ‘Diji Touch’ vending machine with a 40-inch touchscreen, powered by Windows 10, Kinect and Azure IoT. Read more…
Apple is planning to open a retail store on the famous Avenue des Champs-Élysées in Paris, France, reports French site MacGeneration [Google Translate] citing information shared by French newspaper Le Figaro. Rumors about a store on Champs-Élysées have been circulating since 2012, but it appears Apple has finally secured a lease for a storefront on the famous avenue.
Google Maps view of prospective Apple Store location, via MacGeneration
Apple is said to have signed a 12 year lease for a building at 114 avenue des Champs-Élysées in December of 2015. The store will reportedly encompass an area of 6,200 square meters, with offices located above the retail space.
At the current time, 114 avenue des Champs-Élysées is home to several shops and a law firm, but Apple has leased the entire building. According to Le Figaro, Apple will not open the Champs-Élysées store until 2018 or 2019 because it needs time to create a building plan with architectural design partner Norman Foster and obtain authorization for a remodel.
If a store does indeed open on Champs-Élysées, it will be the 20th Apple retail store in France.
Tag: Apple retail
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French audio company Devialet has reached a partnership with Apple that will see its high-end Phantom speaker sold at the top fourteen Apple Stores in the U.S. starting today, reports TechCrunch.
The 750-watt Phantom will sell for $1,990, while the 3000-watt Phantom Silver will cost $2,390, the same prices as purchasing either speaker directly from Devialet.
The Phantom and Phantom Silver, along with the $149 remote and the $329 Dialog bridge for connecting multiple phantoms, will initially be available at five NYC Apple Stores, two in Los Angeles, and one each in San Francisco, Palo Alto, Portland, Chicago, Dallas, Miami and Washington, D.C. They’ll cost the same as buying straight from Devialet.
Devialet’s Phantom is a high fidelity wireless speaker that emits „implosive sound“ based on patented technologies called Analog Digital Hybrid (ADH), Heart Bass Implosion (HBI) and Active Cospherical Engine Loudspeaker (ACE).
The single speaker system, capable of producing „20X the power of speakers the same size,“ has received positive reviews from Bloomberg, TechCrunch, Wired and dozens of other media publications since launching in 2014.
By expanding and contracting its walls, it produces 1.2 tons of pressure to produce 20X the power of speakers the same size. The device required 10 years of development and $25 million in R&D. Devialet has scored over 77 patents and 37 awards for sound and design since it released its first amplifiers in 2010.
Devialet product manager Romain Salzman told TechCrunch that the company’s „dream was to find an important partnership to deploy Phantom quickly all around the world.“
Luckily, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff was a big fan and hooked them up with a meeting with Angela Ahrendts, Apple’s senior vice president of retail and online stores. During their meeting at 1 Infinite Loop, Salzman tells me Ahrendts exclaimed „I love it, I want it, and we’re going to bring you all over the world.“
Phantom display models will be paired with iPhones at select Apple Stores in the U.S., accompanied by a special Devialet app for testing high fidelity music.
Tags: Apple retail, Devialet Phantom
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An official (PRODUCT)RED version of Apple’s leather case for the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus has been spotted in at least one Apple retail store today, as reported by French tech site iGeneration [Google Translate]. When the new line of iPhones debuted in September, only the silicone case was offered in a (PRODUCT)RED option.
The (PRODUCT)RED leather case for the iPhone 6s hasn’t appeared yet on Apple’s online store, but will most likely soon follow if the company keeps slowly rolling out the case to its retail locations around the country. When it does, it’ll no doubt come in at the same price of the other leather cases sold by Apple, costing $45 for the iPhone 6s version and $49 for the iPhone 6s Plus version.
A portion of sales from Apple’s entire (PRODUCT)RED lineup goes to the Global Fund to help fund AIDS programs in Africa. Most recently, the company introduced (PRODUCT)RED accessories for the Apple Watch, debuting a new collection and band in the bright red color option during its September „Hey Siri“ media event.
Update: The (PRODUCT)RED leather cases for the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus are now available to purchase on Apple’s online store.
Tag: (PRODUCT)RED
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Bill Gates is expected to join US President Obama, French President Hollande and Indian Prime Minister Modi in announcing ‘Initiative Cleantech’ on the first day of the UN Climate Change Conference. Read more…
Apple is developing its own in-house docking solution for charging the Apple Watch, reports French site iGeneration [Google Translate]. Citing sources with knowledge of Apple’s plans, iGeneration says the dock will be called simply the „Magnetic Charging Dock,“ a name also seen in alleged packaging photos below.
Circular in shape, the dock appears to support the Apple Watch in two orientations, both laid flat over the top in portrait mode and on its side in landscape mode, useful for Nightstand mode. The charging puck within the dock seems to adjust from flat to upright to accommodate both orientations.
The Magnetic Charging Dock is said to come with a Lightning cable that will be used to charge the Apple Watch through the dock, but it does not include a USB power adapter. The packaging for the dock lists a price of €89, which likely means it will be priced at $79 in the United States.
At $79, the Magnetic Charging Dock is significantly more expensive than Apple’s dock for the iPhone, but it appears to have a more complicated design with the ability to support both portrait and landscape charging. It is not known when the dock might go on sale, but the completed packaging signals an imminent release date.
Related Roundups: Apple Watch, watchOS 2
Tag: igen.fr
Buyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)
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A French airport using the now-defunct Windows 3.1 was brought to its knees when a malfunction of the ancient operating system caused all flights to be grounded. Read more…
SoundKey is a clever idea developed by two French students who wanted to incorporate music directly into iPhone’s daily use and the keyboard happens to fit perfectly within our daily usage habits. The result is a keyboard app that plays instruments as you type to create melodies from your words. Different keys get assigned different notes, so every time you […]
(via Cult of Mac – Tech and culture through an Apple lens)
After rolling out Windows 10 Insider Preview build 10565 earlier this week, Microsoft has now released ISOs of that build – available in x86 and x64 flavors with numerous language/region options. Read more…