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CES preview: Expect HomeKit products to be the star
We haven't heard much about Apple's HomeKit framework since WWDC 2014, but things are about to change. HomeKit is Apple's framework for allowing connected devices to work with iPhone and iPads, and all we're really known about it was contained in a couple of slides during the WWDC 2014 keynote. Now things are starting to heat up in preparation for the January Consumer Electronics Show. According to GigaOM's Stacey Higginbotham, at least one existing connected device manufacturer -- iDevices -- will launch new HomeKit products at the huge show in Las Vegas. iDevices is known for its iGrill meat thermometer (first reviewed on TUAW way back in 2010 by our very own Mike Rose), and the company has invested $10 million in preparing for the HomeKit program. That money wasn't spent to just add HomeKit compatibility to the iGrill, but to allow the company to launch partnerships with other companies that can use its HomeKit platform. So the company's investment was spent on building an in-house team of professionals in hardware, embedded software, design, sales and marketing to help assist other companies in the burgeoning HomeKit market. CEO and co-founder of Litehouse.io Nahid Alam told Higginbotham that her startup, founded in January by former Intel and Amazon executives, is selling a module providing Wi-Fi and voice recognition that is also MFi-certified. Both iDevices and Litehouse.io are making it possible for other startups to get into the HomeKit connected devices world without the expense of re-inventing the wheel. The result will be a world of products, all HomeKit-compatible, that should be ready to show off to the public this coming January.
iShower water-resistant Bluetooth speaker being unveiled at CES, aims to improve those shower jams
We don't blame you for being surprised when you first met the iGrill meat thermometer. We mean, how couldn't you be? But now, the creators of the temperature indicator are hitting you with yet another peripheral, and this time it's heading to your shower -- that's right, your shower. The iShower is a water-resistant Bluetooth speaker capable of streaming up to 15 hours of audio within a 200-foot range. The add-on will allow you to interact with the usual options like play, pause, rewind and forward, while also displaying the time (just in case you like to camp out in there). Similar to its meaty counterpart, the iShower will cost $100, and don't let the "i" included in its dub fool you -- the device is also ready to mingle with the Androids of the world. The shower-jammer's official launch will be next week at CES, but you can take a peek at the PR to find out some more info in the here and now.
iOS app updates for June 22
The following iOS apps received updates in the App Store: Infinity Blade Version 1.3.1 was released with the following changes: A new content pack, Infinity Blade: Arena. Added a Simplified Chinese translation to the game Updated translations for French, Italian, German and Spanish Angry Birds Seasons Version 1.5 was released with the following changes: 30 new levels Summer theme Summer greeting cards that can be emailed to friends iGrill Version 2.0 was released with the following changes: App redesign Smoker option with upper and lower alarms Graphing screen which allows the viewing of the app's history Yahoo! Messenger Version 2.1.1 was released with a number of bug fixes and performance improvements. It also rolls in the changes from those who did not upgrade to 2.1. The 2.1 changes include: iPad-optimized layout Voice and video calling for the iPad 2 Improved spam management Motion X GPS Drive Version 10.2 was released with the following changes: Facebook integration Custom voices The latest NAVTEQ maps with free traffic and improved intelligent routing TuneIn Radio Pro Version 1.9 was released with the following changes: Songs can now be saved to presets by tapping a heart button in the Now Playing view Search feature returns immediate results while typing Adds recommended stations based on music library Adds the ability to shake for a related station The in-app browser on the iPhone and iPod touch is now disabled by default. This can be toggled through the app's settings. Burn the Rope Version 1.3.1 was released with the following changes: Everlasting flame for assistance through tricky levels Easy mode Terminology Version 2.0 was released with the following changes: Rewritten user interface The ability to customize fonts and font sizes The ability to customize links to other apps and web resources Automatic clipboard searching Integration with term.ly
iGrill wireless thermometer combines meat, heat, iPhone
No two ways about it: the day before Christmas Eve is a sleepy, office mostly empty, finish your online shopping, take a long lunch kind of day. It would take a very special press release to break through the pre-holiday, here-comes-CES fog that's hovering over the TUAW home offices this week. I'm here to tell you, though, that one very special press release just arrived in our inboxes, and we're drooling with anticipation about this product. Literally drooling with anticipation. Yes, it's the iPhone peripheral that every red-blooded American male absolutely needs for next 4th of July: the iGrill. It's a meat thermometer... with Bluetooth... and an app. You set it up by your grill. You put the probe in the roast, ribs, steak or salmon. You walk away. You enjoy a frosty beverage and tasty appetizers with your guests and family, knowing your iPhone or iPad will tell you when the food is ready. The base unit operates as a stand-alone thermometer, but if you're within the 200 foot (optimistic!) wireless range, you can track the progress of your culinary effort remotely. The app will alert you when your food hits the target heat, or give you a readout of the estimated cooking time remaining. It also includes cooking tips, recipes and more content for the backyard chef. Got more than one kind of food on the grill? Fear not; the base unit has dual probe support, so you can track both target temperatures at once. The catch? Each probe is US$20, and when you add that to the $99 price of the main unit (which includes a single probe) you've spent a lot of dough on what is, essentially, a digital meat thermometer that serves the same function as a $10 manual unit. You can get a really simple or quite sophisticated remote-enabled sensor for well under $40. Even still. So very Jetsons. The same neural pathways that trigger hunger at the smell of grilling meat are telling us... we want. If you're going to CES, look for iDevices and the iGrill in the Dr. Bott booth. [h/t Engadget]
iGrill meat thermometer for iPhone is the expensive, unholy marriage of the meat thermometer and iPhone
OK, we didn't see this one coming: iGrill is a Bluetooth-enabled meat thermometer. That's right, this bad boy not only displays the temp of whatever you sink the probe into, it also takes that info and transmits it to your iOS device for remote monitoring. Hell, the app itself even features a kitchen timer, alerts for whatever temp you set it to, and more. Because really, you do everything else with your smartphone, so why not use it to free yourself from the tyranny of the kitchen once and for all? Oh, that's right -- because this thing costs $100. See for yourself by hitting up the source link.
George Foreman busts out the iGrill... for reals
The clever folks at ThinkGeek may have beaten him to the punch with their April Fool's Day edition iGrill, but it seems that George Foreman isn't one to let a good branding go unused, trotting out his own iGrill that's very, very real. Unlike TG's USB-powered faux device, however, Foreman's iGrill is a full-fledged indoor/outdoor BBQ, with a 200 square inch nonstick grilling surface and an adjustable temperature control probe. Garnering it the "i" designation is the BBQ's integrated 10W speaker system and USB port/dock, which will accommodate your iPod or other MP3 player to let you pump out some tunes as you grill. If that sounds like your idea of an "instant party," you can get your iGrill now right for $150 from the leanest, meanest store around, Linens N Things.[Thanks, Galley]
