Meet the new (same old) HomePod

Meet the new HomePod, same as the old HomePod!

Apple made the head-scratching decision to resurrect the discontinued HomePod with a new model that's almost exactly the same, including the $299 price.

The HomePod 2 looks the same, probably sounds the same, but now supports the Matter home-automation standard, and includes new sensors (that are also built into the current HomePod mini, but aren't yet turned on).

Welcome back, I say. The HomePod was always a fantastic speaker, and a fairly good deal despite the $300 price tag. The sound is excellent, and we use ours all the time in the kitchen to play music, listen to the radio, get the weather, set timers, and so on.

I know everyone hates Siri -- it's widely regarded as the HomePod's Achilles' heel -- but it usually works fine for us, for simple commands/requests at least.

We'll not be replacing our old HomePods with new ones, but if/when we ever get into home automation, it's good to know the new HomePod can act as an even-better hub than the original.

Also in today's issue: The new HomePod can't be stereo paired with older models, your HomePod mini's secret sensors are getting turned on, Apple made some slick videos for its new hardware, and check that sweeeeeet setup below.

-- Leander Kahney, EIC.

P.S. We're changing email providers today, and there may be some glitches! We've switched from Revue, which Twitter just shut down, to Beehiiv, a great email service that we hope will be a good platform for us. You might notice some relatively minor design changes, the biggest being that you can no longer share articles on social media with a single click. But Beehiiv has some great features like interactive polls and a referral system we'll start using shortly.

We hope you like the new newsletter, same as the old newsletter (almost)!

Apple resurrects full-size HomePod with hot new features, same old price

Apple unveiled HomePod 2 on Wednesday, bringing its full-size smart speaker back from the dead. The new model offers high-quality audio and new smart-home features, but comes in at the same price as its predecessor.

A MESSAGE FROM HOLAFLY

eSIM explained: Keep your iPhone connected anywhere without a physical SIM card

Can you imagine switching to another cellular provider for your smartphone without having to go to a shop or wait for your physical SIM card to be shipped? Or traveling abroad knowing your phone will work and you won’t face data-roaming charges? Or using the same phone number on your smartphone, watch, car and even your refrigerator?

Modern eSIM technology — the future of data connectivity — makes all this easy. The “e” stands for “embedded,” and it’s probably already on your devices. Let’s look at how you can benefit from it, especially with international travel.

Souped up MacBook Pro centers super-symmetrical setup [Setups]

When it comes to computer setups, social media loves symmetry. People often praise perfectly symmetrical setups and plenty of folks kind of freak out if anything’s even slightly askew, often supplying their own joking references to obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD. In today’s warmly lit and well-organized workstation, a high-spec MacBook Pro drives dual Studio Displays. And pairs of other items in the room contribute to the overall symmetry.

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