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Tag: wood

  • Updated HomePod units continue to leave ring marks on some wooden surfaces

    Updated HomePod units continue to leave ring marks on some wooden surfaces

    This probably isn’t the result new HomePod owners were looking for.

    According to reports from users, the new HomePod models continue to leave ring marks on some wood finishes. The smart speaker, which features a silicone base for vibration dampening, can still react with some surfaces, leaving a white ring behind.

    Users were quick to discover damaged surfaces under the original HomePod in 2018, and the problem that caused it hasn’t changed. The speaker uses a silicone base to absorb vibrations from its large 4-inch woofer, which can chemically interact with some surfaces.

    The issue doesn’t seem to be prevalent with the HomePod mini, given that its base is made from a plastic material that doesn’t react with wood finishes.

    Apple has support documentation on where to place the HomePod, and lays out the reasoning behind the white ring phenomenon. In short, direct placement on finished wood surfaces isn’t recommended.

    It’s not unusual for a speaker with a vibration-dampening silicone base to leave mild marks when placed on some wooden surfaces. The marks themselves can be caused by oils diffusing between the silicone base and the surface they’ve been placed upon, and will often go away after several days when the speaker is removed from the wooden surface. If not, wiping the surface gently with a soft damp or dry cloth may remove the marks. If marks persist, clean the surface with the furniture manufacturer’s recommended cleaning process. If you’re concerned about this, we recommend placing your HomePod on a different surface.

    Users can also choose other methods such as placing the HomePod on a stand, mount, or laying down a cloth or coaster. As long as the speaker isn’t making direct contact with the wood, it is fine.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via AppleInsider and support.apple.com

  • Rare “Chaffey Challenge” Apple-I auction complete, computer sells for $400,000

    Rare “Chaffey Challenge” Apple-I auction complete, computer sells for $400,000

    Following up on last week’s story about a rare Apple-I up for auction, the auction is complete, and the computer sold for $400,000, which was bumped up to $500,000 after the 25 percent buyer’s premium.

    Of the 200 computers made, 50 of them were sold through ByteShop as bare boards that required customers to add their own cases, keyboards, monitors, and power supplies. Of these, just six ended up in casings made from Koa wood … 

    Auctioneers John Moran offered the following:

    200 Apple-1 computers were designed by Steve Wozniak and assembled and tested by Steve Jobs, Patty Jobs (his sister), and Daniel Kottke in the Jobs’ home. 175 of them were sold for $666.66, a figure that catered to Wozniak’s love of repeating numbers. 50 of the 175 computers were sold to Paul Terrell, owner of ByteShop in Mountain View, California.

    When Jobs delivered the 50 Magazine boxes each containing an Apple-1 kit, Paul Terrell was not happy. He anticipated 50 all-in-one units that could simply be plugged in by the consumer, an unheard-of concept at the time. Jobs defended his delivery by pointing out that each box included all necessary elements to compose the machine and further convinced Terrell that ByteShop could make a profit by selling keyboards, monitors, and power supplies within their store as an opportunity to upsell the product. 

    The wooden case that houses this computer is made from Koa wood. In the 1970s, Koa wood was abundant and easily accessible, especially on the west coast because it was native to Hawaii, but due to cattle grazing and extensive logging, the Koa tree is now considered much rarer and more expensive. There are only six known examples of the Koa wood case in existence, and this unit is one of them. 

    The Apple-1 Computer on offer has only had two owners. It was originally purchased by an electronics professor at Chaffey College in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, who then sold it to his student in 1977. 

    This Apple-1 has recently undergone an extensive authentication, restoration, and evaluation process by one of the foremost experts in the field, who inspected all components and generated a full condition report for the Apple-1. 

    The lot is accompanied by a bound copy of the professional authentication and condition report and a proof of life DVD. 

    This computer will be included in the official registry of Apple-1 computers by the name “Chaffey College Apple-1.” 

    Albeit rare, one or two of the original Apple-I units typically come up for auction each year.

    Via 9to5Mac and John Moran

  • Assorted Alexa-based devices have begun laughing at their users

    Even though the HomePod may leave something to be desired in its current incarnation (wood-stained rings included), a number of Amazon’s Echo Alexa units have begun laughing at their owners.

    Following customer complaints of creepy, unprompted laughs coming from inside Alexa devices, Amazon has confirmed that it is aware of the feature issue and is working on a fix.

    The incidents of unwelcome laughter began as early as late February. Alexa did face a rare outage last week after Amazon Web Services saw significant downtime, but the shift into becoming entirely sentient is a new development for any voice assistant to date.

    (more…)

  • Apple confirms that HomePod may leave white rings on wooden surfaces with oil or wax finish

    As nifty as the HomePod may be, it can possibly leave white rings on wood surfaces with an oil or wax finish.

    The discovery was noted in reviews by Wirecutter and Pocket-lint as well as highlighted by VentureBeat, with at least one user sharing the problem on Twitter.

    Pocket-lint’s Stuart Miles offered the following statement about the issue in his review:

    “For our tests we placed the speaker on a solid oak kitchen worktop treated with Danish oil.

    Within 20 minutes the HomePod had caused a white discoloured ring to appear on the wood that some days later has faded, although still hasn’t completely disappeared.

    We subsequently tested the HomePod on other materials: the same wood that hadn’t been treated with Danish oil and a regular lacquered desk and haven’t seen the same issues.”

    (more…)

  • Apple patent shows effort to develop thinner keyboards

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    Remember your Apple keyboard?

    It might just be about to go through a training montage and get thinner in the process.

    Per Free Patents Online, Apple may be looking to make its notebook computers and keyboard accessories even thinner and lighter with a brand new take on the classic input method.

    Apple’s interest in reinventing the keyboard was revealed in a new patent application entitled “Single Support Lever Keyboard Mechanism,” it describes a handful of ways that a keyboard could be shrunk in size without affecting its performance.

    In the filing, Apple notes that the size of existing keyboards presents a challenge for the company as it attempts to design thinner, lighter and more attractive devices.

    “It would be beneficial to provide a keyboard for a portable computing device that is aesthetically pleasing, yet still provides the stability for each key that users desire,” the application reads. “It would also be beneficial to provide methods for manufacturing the keyboard having an especially aesthetic design as well as functionality for the portable computing device.”

    One of the most common keyboard types is the “dome switch,” in which the key pushes down on a rubber dome located beneath the key. Other types of keyboards include capacitive, mechanical switch, Hall-effect, membrane, and roll-up, and each offer their own strengths and weaknesses in terms of two important categories: response (positive feedback that the key has been pressed) and travel (the distance needed to push the key).

    Apple’s solution is a single support lever keyboard mechanism, which the proposed invention says would allow the keyboard cap to be formed of almost any material, but would also provide stability to each key.

    The application notes that the material chosen for the key caps is very important, not only for the appearance of the keyboard but also how it feels on users’ fingers. The application includes a number of potential off-the-wall materials that could be used, like glass, wood, stone, and even “polished meteorite.”

    Regardless of the material, Apple’s keyboard key caps would be held in place by a rigid support lever. With its design, the keys could have a total travel range of as little as 0.2 millimeters.

    In another method, Apple describes a support lever holding the key cap that would be made of a flexible material. This support lever could be made of spring steel that could allow good tactile feedback to the user when they are typing.

    The key cap and support lever would have an “elastomeric spacer” between them and a metal dome positioned below. The spacer would be made of a material such as rubber or silicone that would “provide a desirable and distinctive feel to the user when pressed,” in addition to reducing rattling on the keyboard.

    “The advantages of the invention are numerous,” the filing states, adding: “One advantage of the invention is that a low-travel keyboard may be provided for a thin-profile computing device without compromising the tactile feel of the keyboard.”

    The filing, made public this week by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, was first filed by Apple in August of 2010. It is credited to Patrick Kessier, Bradley Hamel, and James J. Niu.

    Cool stuff if it happens and stay tuned for additional details as they become available.