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For years, Apple users have been repurposing old iPhones and iPads as digital picture frames, weather stations, security cams and the like.
Instead of stashing them in a junk drawer, these devices can have a second life as a smart home device.
Stick your old iPad on the fridge, say, and it’s great for displaying a shared family calendar — and showing the time and weather, too. (Here’s a post we published about repurposing your old iPhone.)
It looks like Apple may have taken some inspiration from this kind of DIY repurposing with its first home product.
Some details of how the device, possibly called a HomePad, might actually work just leaked. It reminds me a lot of the StandBy mode, which uses customizable widgets to turn your sleeping iPhone into a digital picture frame, music controller and more.
Add a generous helping of the new, smarter Siri AI, and you have something that sounds like an old wall-mounted iPad mini on steroids.
Also in today’s newsletter:
If you ever hook your iPad to a TV via HDMI, here’s a great way to use your iPhone as a remote control to save yourself from getting up off the couch. Perfect for watching movies when you’re on the road!
Will the iPad get a dedicated Camera Control button? A newly granted patent shows Apple’s been thinking about it, at least.
🔥 DEAL OF THE DAY: We’re big fans of folding, origami-style iPad folios, and Pikata, which makes really nice ones, has a couple on sale for 30% off. #affiliate
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I hate the way people use slide presentations instead of thinking. People confront problems by creating presentations. I want them to engage, to hash things out at the table, rather than show a bunch of slides. People who know what they're talking about don't need PowerPoint.
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