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HomePod Mini

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Re: HomePod Mini

#211

Post by whycombagator »

sneak wrote: post #61
whycombagator wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Related, but if you want a non spying speaker (i.e a network connected speaker with no mic) - Sonos make a mic free version of their entry level speaker: One SL. It supports Apple Airplay 2 and two One SLs can be paired for studio sound. However, it is more expensive than the HomePod mini, not wireless (needs to be plugged in), & although it integrates tightly with iOS it can’t be as smooth as HomePod probably is (I…

Sonos spies on your usage instead of your audio, and is nowhere near the Homepod in terms of sound quality.

Sure there’s some level of tracking, but that wasn’t my point. My point is that it’s mic free

Also, Sonos speakers from my research outperform HomePod in terms of sound - but if you have data to suggest otherwise feel free to share

Re: HomePod Mini

#212

Post by dmix »

strombofulous wrote: post #202
dmix wrote: post #148

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They explained in the video the only time it hits the Apple service is when you activate Siri (and limited to Siri queries only). This is the way to do it ...if you insist on putting smart microphones in your house.

All smart devices by Google and Amazon have similar technology

Of course I should have added you have to trust that they will indeed do that when pressured to do otherwise by whatever agency or internal system.

Re: HomePod Mini

#213

Post by aplummer »

turtlebits wrote: post #190
thebean11 wrote: post #161

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd be sort of surprised if you couldn't "cast" arbitrary audio from a phone or laptop to the homepod.

You can, at least from any Airplay 2 supported device. Mac, iOS, just change the output setting. Audio will sync up with video as well. Stereo pair only works with iOS and iTunes on Mac. (Not system audio)

It works with the TV app too FYI

Re: HomePod Mini

#214

Post by millstone »

lern_too_spel wrote: post #85
Nextgrid wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why would you trust a company whose bottom line ultimately depends on spying on everyone, in a regulatory environment which demonstrated that breaching your own promises/privacy policy (in the case of Facebook and the 2FA phone numbers they promised not to use for ad targeting purposes) results in nothing more than a slap on the wrist?

Because the alternative (Apple) is a company that produces worse products that breach my privacy even more. You cannot get your location on an Apple device without also sending your location to Apple. You cannot install an app on your iOS device without telling Apple. If you want to make your own apps for your device, you have to deanonymize yourself even further with banking details. If you want better privacy, don'…

Yeah Google deliberately lies. That's why they're being sued by the state of Arizona, for willfully deceiving users and tracking their locations even if they opted out. [1] They said "with Location History off, the places you go are no longer stored" and then did it anyways.

Apple, for its part, says "Apple doesn’t retain a history of what you’ve searched for or where you’ve been" and there's no reason to doubt it.

1: https://www.azag.gov/press-release/attorney-general-mark-brn...

Re: HomePod Mini

#215

Post by gnicholas »

rcarmo wrote: post #165
theshrike79 wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most likely if the iOS device is new enough to have iOS14 and Intercom support, you can sell it for more than $99 and get the Homepod =)

I just asked Siri on my iPad to “tell everyone to go to bed” and it told me you can only intercom from one HomePod to another.

From Apple's website:

> Intercom offers a quick and easy way to send messages to everyone in a household — from one HomePod to another, or across iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods, and CarPlay.

https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2020/10/apple-introduces-home...

Re: HomePod Mini

#216

Post by lmedinas »

millstone wrote: post #88
mmastrac wrote: post #3

Curious how much market share this homepod line has. My gut feel is that Amazon has the lion's share, followed by Google and everyone else has crumbs at the bottom.

I think it is best to understand this as two different markets. Amazon Echo and Google Home devices are mainly about their smart assistants. Homepod is for music, and it competes more directly with Sonos devices.

after today's presentation i'm pretty sure that HomePod Mini is the Apple answer to Amazon Echo and Google Home.

Maybe the HomePod (original) can compete with the Sonos One or Five at sound level but not in terms of features people are looking for listening music such as: virtually all music streaming services available, integration with all the remaining Sonos products for Home cinema or for Home sound system.

To me Homepod Mini is after the home assistant market. The HomePod (original) well it seemed like a shot in the dark now it will most likely get the Homepod mini features.

Re: HomePod Mini

#217

Post by lmedinas »

m3kw9 wrote: post #168

Get 2 of them if you are gonna do it, it sounds amazing for original HomePod and for 200 for a pair that’s the setup you want

I doubt the HomePod Mini at 99$ has any good sound quality compared to the Sonos One or original HomePod. Except if you want to use the Apple ecosystem features in different rooms i dont see the benefit of getting 2.

Re: HomePod Mini

#218

Post by covercash »

Arubis wrote: post #201

This doesn't appear discussed in the copy: does anyone know if HomePod/(Mini) has been updated to be friendlier towards households with more than one adult user in them (families, roommates, whatever)? I initially found the HomePod alluring, but that it could pair only with one iPhone (and thus effectively one user) was a real turn-off when I last looked into it.

They've had it for a year or so. From the HomePod site:

A personalized experience. For each person in the family. Together with Siri, HomePod can learn and recognize up to six different voices and create a personalized listening experience for everybody at home. So when they say “Hey Siri, play some music” they’ll get a mix of songs customized just for them — picked from Apple Music based on their listening history and personal preferences. And with Personal Requests, they can access their own messages, reminders, lists, and calendars, and make and receive phone calls.

Re: HomePod Mini

#219

Post by mrbuttons454 »

buzzerbetrayed wrote: post #36
mttjj wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The comparison table makes is seem like the mini can't be paired with an AppleTV at all like the regular HomePod can.

> Pick up an incoming call from your iPhone, listen to music on your Mac, or upgrade your TV experience by taking the sound from your Apple TV to the next level — they all connect to HomePod mini. From the Apple website

This is handled via Airplay 2, so I can't see a reason why it wouldn't be supported on the mini.

Re: HomePod Mini

#220

Post by coolspot »

myrandomcomment wrote: post #146

So here is the thing I struggle with. I have a NAS. On it is my media (music, videos, photos) collection. I do not have a subscription to Apple Music, or the reset of the streaming services and I not want one. So how do I play my own music collection with this? Right now to do this I have an AppleTV on every TV. I have an app on the AppleTV called MrMC which is basically a paid for port of Kodi for the AppleTV. The M…

Maybe plex + homeassistant + daap-server will cover your use case.

https://homeassistant.io https://github.com/johnpdowling/custom_components/tree/maste...

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