Apple Music Voice Plan

The first announcement at the Apple October Event was the introduction of the Apple Music voice plan which costs just £4.99 and allows for access to the full Apple Music library with one condition: it must be controlled through Siri. How exactly this will work is unclear: how does the Now Playing UI work, can you control playback through that or do you have to use Siri?

The new Apple Music Voice Plan – Image: Apple

As well as this Apple is adding lots of new playlists with titles which are ‘optimised for voice’. These new playlists are available for all users creating an optimised voice experience for all plans. To help introduce these new voice optimisations there’ll be a new section within the app labeled “Just Ask Siri” featuring tips and playlists designed to aid the user experience.

The new Apple Music Voice Plan will be available in 17 countries on release later this autumn and will feature a free 7-day trial which can be activated within Siri. This trial also has no auto-renewal which for me is a feature I wish was implemented more across trial plans.

Philips Hue

Philips Hue has been top of the smart home world for a while now but what exactly is it, how does it work, and what products are on offer? (All information correct at the time of writing)

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What is it?

Philips Hue is one of the most popular brands of smart lighting which works with Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. They offer a wide range of products, including smart bulbs, lamps and fittings, smart plugs and switches as well as different colour types including, white, white ambiency and white and colour ambience. They work with ZigBee technology and requires a hub to work unless you opt for the bluetooth version which contains limited features, such as 10 bulb and 1 room limitations. Their entry level bulb comes in at £14.99 at Amazon UK which is a single bulb with the B22 Bayonette Cap with just the single colour.

Lamps

Philips Hue also have many lamps in their collection from spotlights to wall mountings as well as a collection of table lamps including their new Limited Edition Iris. They also have a collection of pendant cieling lights and room specific lights such as their collection for the bathroom.

Accessories

Philips Hue also has a small rnage of accessories including wall switches, buttons, sensors and even a new smart plug which can all be linked to the Hue Bridge to allow for automation and programming of the accessories.

Conclusion

Ultimatly Philips Hue has a wide and ever expanding collection however some could say that the price doesn’t justify choosing it over cheaper alternatives. In the end it comes down to whether you are willing to spend the money to integrate it into your home. The main advantage Philips Hue has is its easy-to-use app as well as full compatability with all smart home hubs and controllers.

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Apple Music Voice Plan

The first announcement at the Apple October Event was the introduction of the Apple Music voice plan which costs just £4.99 and allows for access to the full Apple Music library with one condition: it must be controlled through Siri. How exactly this will work is unclear: how does the Now Playing UI work, can…

Matthew the Tech Guy's avatar by Matthew the Tech Guy

MTHQ Weekly Recap!

This week has been a bumper week for videos! Check them all out below and remember to subscribe if you enjoyed them!

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4G vs 5G

5G is a big selling point of the iPhone 12s however what is it, and and how does it compare to 4G?

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The Backstory

5G service was recently introduced however its not meant to be a replacement for 4G but instead it works alongside it. 4G was introduced in 2012 and at the time was a mind blowing leap forward in technology. 5G increases the reliability of the 4G network whilst also increasing speeds and reducing latency.

What does 5G bring?

5G brings the potential of 1Gbps however most speeds are around 100Mbps, which is currently 10x faster than current 4G speeds. Latency is also reduced from around 35ms to just under 10ms.

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What is a VPN?

VPN stands for Virtual Private Network and is often used when talking about sketchy public WiFi. But what exactly is it?

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What Is It?

VPNs hide your identity by concealing your IP (Internet Protocol) address and create an encrypted ‘tunnel’ for your data to pass through.

Why Do I Need It?

VPNs can prevent hackers accessing your data through unsafe, public WiFi networks which lack any security on them. Furthermore VPNs can be used to change your location meaning you can access streaming services in countries where they are blocked. Furthermore VPNs use encryption which makes sure all your data is safe.

How Does It Work?

Your client (device) connects to one of many VPN servers which then creates an encrypted link using an encryption protocol to keep the data safe as it travels through the ‘tunnel’

Conclusion

VPNs allow you to change your location, access blocked websites and protect your data, all whilst being legal (in most countries). Ultimately VPNs are very safe if done through trusted providers and are a must have when going abroad.

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