Tech Brew Ride Home - HomeView

Starting point is 00:00:04 Welcome to the TechBrew Ride Home for Tuesday, October 13th, 2026. I'm Brian McCullough today. Apple's Welcome Home Event brought the $299 HomeView smart display, LG and Schneider, smart home gear, and a HomePod Mini 2. Meta's Muse Wonder caught up to the frontier and epic delayed a game over no more handwritten code. Here's what you miss today in the world of tech. Every day, shareholders meet to discuss important matters about the companies you invest, and now you can make your voice heard too. Vanguard Investor Choice makes it easy to set your proxy voting preference for your eligible

Starting point is 00:00:43 Vanguard index funds, whether you hold a Vanguard fund directly or through another brokerage firm. All it takes is a few clicks to select your proxy voting preference and be heard on important shareholder topics like Executive Pay and Director Elections. Visit vanguard.com slash investor choice to learn more. It's your shares. It's your voice. It's easy. Vanguard investors own shares of our index funds and those funds own shares of the companies they invest in. Vanguard Marketing Corporation distributor. Apple's welcome home event was this morning, and here's everything they announced. Apple unveiled the $299 Apple HomeView, a 7-inch smart display with an A18 chip, with a tabletop and a wall-mounted version,

Starting point is 00:01:28 and also HomeView software, shipping November 13th, quoting Wired. The first thing I thought of after seeing the Apple Home View in action, is that it looks like a blown-up Apple watch. The 7-inch square screen has multiple faces you can swipe through exactly like the smart watch. You can even customize the faces colors and add different complications for more glancable information. The faces can range from a clock, your favorite photos of friends, family, or pets. You can even use shared albums to weather updates. And yes, Snoopy animations.

Starting point is 00:02:03 Swipe up for the home screen, which is more like an iPhone or iPad with apps. neatly arranged alongside widgets, except the HomeView doesn't run iOS or iPadOS. It runs the generically named HomeView software. It doesn't have an App Store. Instead, Apple has curated a selection of apps, including FaceTime, Messages, and Safari. A handful of third-party media apps like Spotify are available, and developers can bring over existing CarPlay apps. If your iPhone already has one of these CarPlay apps installed, it can automatically appear on the HomeView after setup. To get the most out of the Home View, you need an iPhone with Apple Intelligence support, an iPhone 15 Pro or newer. You can't set it up with an iPad. The aluminum hardware powered by

Starting point is 00:02:49 Apple's A18 chip comes in four colors, silver, starlight, rose pink, and space gray, Apple color matches, the woven cable two. The standard Home View has a speaker base with a screen that tilts manually up or down for angled viewing, but you can also buy a wall-mounted version. The latter offers three mounts to choose from, one of which is DIY-friendly and has a visible power cord that needs to run to an outlet. The other two are designed for professional installers, either hardwired or connected via power over Ethernet. Technically, the primary speakers, two full-range drivers, are built into the screen, but the standard Home View has a base that houses a downfiring woofer and two force-canceling passive radiators for stronger base.

Starting point is 00:03:36 It sounds pretty good based on a very limited listening experience and can fill a large room quite well. The wall-mounted variant won't have that extra oomph, but Apple claims it tunes the audio for wall placement. A 12-migixel center stage camera and four microphone array sit on the front, but they aren't just for FaceTime calls. The camera handles facial recognition, allowing the software to adapt to whoever is looking at the screen. You can add up to six iCloud accounts, and the user interface will adapt to each person, like Google's pixel tablet.

Starting point is 00:04:08 That means your wife can tint every app icon green and have no widgets on her home screen, but if you stand in front of the HomeView, it'll switch to your setup. You won't be able to view other household members' sensitive messages and personal information for this personal content to show up. You don't just have to stand in front of the Home View. your iPhone needs to be on the same Wi-Fi network and must have been recently unlocked.

Starting point is 00:04:32 The HomeView can also recognize voices, which helps if Dad asks Siri to play music. It will play from Dad's music library and his preferred music app rather than another ICloud user's music. If you have multiple home pods or home views, you can manage your speaker groups in the HomeView's interface. The Home View also supports Apple's handoff tech so you can bring your iPhone close to send a safari recipe to the smart display or have it continue the podcast you were listening to on your commute. In the middle of a FaceTime or phone call, put your iPhone near the HomeView and it'll

Starting point is 00:05:04 transfer over. Like any smart display or smart speaker, Siri AI powers the HomeView. It is, after all, the main way to interact with the device, though yes, there's a keyboard you can pull up to type. Apple spent a great deal of time revamping Siri this year, finally launching a more capable assistant in iOS 27. Siri AI on the HomeView understands your personal context from your phone, so if you ask it to play a song your friend Eric recommended, it'll know right away what you mean by looking at your messages history. You can ask when your brother Jeff will likely arrive at your home from the airport on Thursday, then set a schedule for Siri to turn on the coffee maker 15 minutes before his estimated

Starting point is 00:05:42 arrival. All of this can be done with natural language, meaning you don't have to say specific commands for Siri AI to understand you, end quote. But they are calling this HomeView for a reason. say hello to the Apple Home Collection, a lineup of smart home accessories made with LG and Schneider, including cameras, thermostats, a doorbell, and a lock, all designed to interface with this bad boy, quoting the verge. Apple said its main focus with the collection was to make the accessories easy to set up, reliable for everyday use, and capable of keeping your data private. All the products work with the Apple Home app, no third-party apps or accounts are needed, and Apple says they are as easy to pair,

Starting point is 00:06:24 as a home pod or AirPods. Just tap them with your iPhone and it'll recognize them using Bluetooth and NFC. Apple says all accessories in the collection are managed by Apple products like an iPhone or a device that can act as an Apple Home Hub and communication is end-to-end encrypted, so only you can say who has access to your data. The LG Smart Lock costs $349 and supports Apple Home Key, including hands-free unlocking via ultra-wideband, so you don't need to tap your phone or watch, though you can if it's in your pocket or bag, the door unlocks automatically. It also has a keypad for pincode entry and a physical keyhole hidden under the rotating keypad. This is a full replacement door lock for a U.S. style deadbolt that uses matter over thread for connectivity and

Starting point is 00:07:08 supports the Aliro smart lock standard. It has a circular exterior design and a more traditional rear housing for the batteries, standard AA, and motor, as well as a physical thumb turn for manual operation. It comes in black and silver. for the housing, but only black for the front, and will be available in the U.S. and Canada starting in December. The video doorbell will cost $249 and features two cameras, one front facing for viewing visitors and one pointing down for packages. Both cameras support up to 2.5k resolution. The camera comes in silver or black and has a long tubular design and sticks out slightly from the wall. It also features a motion-activated light that illuminates the floor to help it see packages and light the area

Starting point is 00:07:51 when you approach the door at night. The doorbell needs to be wired into your home's doorbell wiring and can ring your home pods as a chime. It will be available in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K., but Apple hasn't given a release date. It supports Apple's HomeKit secure video so it can send smart notifications for familiar faces, pets, packages, and vehicles. If you have an iCloud subscription, recorded video is automatically saved there. Footage is processed locally on an Apple Home Hub and sent to the cloud end-to-end encrypted. The indoor camera has a similar tubular look. The model I saw was white and looked a bit like a desk lamp.

Starting point is 00:08:28 It costs $199 and is compatible with HomeKit Secure Video and records up to 2.5K resolution. The outdoor camera shares a similar design to the indoor camera is wired and comes in two models, one without lights for $299 and one with motion-activated floodlights for $3.99. Apple announced two smart thermostats, a round LG model and a square sheet. Schneider Electric model, both costs $1.99, are designed for North American HVAC systems and work with

Starting point is 00:08:56 or without a C-wire. They will be available in the U.S. and Canada starting in December. The two thermostats have similar designs with an opaque screen overlaid by touchscreen controls. I saw a glowing orb visual on the Schneider model when it adjusted the temperature, but they seem designed to blend in, unlike Google's latest nest thermostat, which feels more like a statement piece, end quote. But wait, there's more because Apple wants you to use. use HomeView with the new $149 HomePod Mini 2, quoting TechRadar. Red Alert, there is a price increase in the U.S. The first-gen HomePod Mini jumped from $99 to $129 in June.

Starting point is 00:09:34 And now the HomePod Mini 2 costs $149.99. So that's a 50% upgrade over the price, the original cost, just five months ago. It's up for pre-order now and we'll begin shipping on October 30th. Looks wise, the HomePod Mini 2 is still about the size. and shape of a tennis ball, but with a flat top and bottom. Alongside white, blue, and midnight, new arrivals green and pink, aimed to offer a fresh pop of color under the hood. Apple has made the jump from an S5 chip to the S-10 ship, which premiered inside the Apple Watch

Starting point is 00:10:06 Series 11, Alter 3, and Third Generation SE. The S-10 ship will also power a forthcoming free update to bring Siri AI to the speaker. When it does arrive, you can opt into the new, more personalized Siri through the home app on your iPhone. The update will apply to your account. And if you're in a shared household, other users will be able to make the jump too. As with the Apple Home View, you'll need an iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence and the new Siri, and that has recently connected to your Wi-Fi network. Once enabled, you can ask for more personal information from Siri, whether that's finding a song your friend texted you, pulling information from your calendar, or handling any

Starting point is 00:10:45 number of other tasks. There will be a bit of a wait for these Siri features, though. with no confirmed date. Apple is taking pre-orders for the HomePod Mini 2 now with shipping from October 30th, end quote. Finally, there's the new Apple TV 4K, quoting 9 to 5 Mac. Here's what's new. Siri AI support with a rich full-screen experience, A-19 chip with up to 50% faster CPU performance and 2X faster GPU performance of prior models, built-in far-field microphones so you can talk to Siri using Siri or Hey Siri. without using the remote button. An upgraded Siri Remote with Find My Support and precision finding. The Siri Remote can play a sound through built-in speakers to make it easier to find.

Starting point is 00:11:31 It supports four-speaker surround sound with HomePod Mini 2. HomePod second generation can also be used in this four-speaker setup for the ultimate audio experience, Apple says, as long as the front and rear speaker pairs match. There's only one model, no upgrades for additional storage, the new Apple TV 4K, is available for pre-orders today at 299 and ships on Friday, November 13th, end quote. If you're struggling to scale your business, it's probably not because you need more headcount or a bigger budget. Without documentation of critical knowledge, your team can't work efficiently. That's what Scribe is built to fix.

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Starting point is 00:13:38 and maintain the whole thing from scratch every single time you ship a product, feature, or agent. Chat with an expert about pricing and monetization at chargeb.com slash ride home. That's C-H-A-R-G-E-E-E-E-D-E-E-E-L-R-H-H-H-H-E-E-E-E-E-E-L-H-H-E. And just like that, Meta's AI. efforts have seemingly caught up to the frontier. In the culmination of all of Mark Zuckerberg and Alexander Wang's big money efforts of the last year or so, Meta has introduced Muse Wonder and Muse Wonder Fools, saying that they deliver state-of-the-art performance on personal and professional

Starting point is 00:14:15 agentic tasks. Artificial analysis says that Muse Wonderful max outperforms Fable 5.1 Max on artificial analysis intelligence index, it matches Sonnet 5.5 max and is just shy of Opus 5.5 max. Meta says it plans to power its Muse AI agent with Wonder eventually, starting with subscribers, and will develop specialized models it, quote, can bring to everyone using Muse, quoting the Deep View. In a post on X, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that the Muse Wonder models build on its previous generation Muse Spark as a much larger and more advanced class of models that brings us to the frontier. The company said that these models combine active memory or a model's ability to remember user context across conversations with active focus, its ability to work through

Starting point is 00:15:10 challenging goals to push through agentic tasks. And meta touted a number of advancements as a result. Muse wonderful, the more powerful of the two models, outperforms leading models like Anthropics Claude Fable 5.1, OpenAIs, GPT6, Astra, and Gemini 4 Argon on the Artificial Analysis Index, which assesses things like reasoning, coding, tool use, and agentic workflows. It still sits behind Cloud Opus 5.5 on this benchmark. The Wonderful model also outperforms these competitors on benchmarks for automation, memory, and long horizon software engineering tasks. It also notched top scores in benchmarks related to legal and finance work. Meadow also addressed safety and security calling the model family its most aligned to date and noting that both models

Starting point is 00:15:59 outperform Claude Fable 5.1 and GPT6 Astra on assessments for executing unauthorized code and mishandling personal information. The company said these models offer its, quote, strongest safeguards to date against misuse in chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and cyber misuse. As for price, though, meta has yet to release token pricing for for Muse Wonder Fool. However, Muse Wonder costs $4 per million input tokens, $20 per million output tokens, and 20 cents per million cashed input tokens for agentic use. This puts it roughly on par with competitors like Anthropics Cloud Opus 5.5 and Google's Gemini for Argon. Users can access Muse Wonder through the meta-model API and Muse Code. The more powerful Muse Wonderful,

Starting point is 00:16:48 meanwhile, is available to MuseCode subscribers, end quote. And quoting why, When Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg rebooted his company's artificial intelligence efforts last year, it seemed to be a very expensive gamble. Meta's latest AI models, Muse Wonder and Muse Wonderful, seemed to show that the bet is finally paying off by putting the company back at the frontier of AI development. Muse Wonderful boasts frontier capabilities, Meta says, meaning that it is among the most capable AI models in the world. Together, they mark the next step on our scaling ladder and a major leap toward,

Starting point is 00:17:22 personal super intelligence, the company said in a blog post today. Muse Wonder was built to compete with the very best. Meta says the model outperforms OpenAI's best model, GPT6 Astra, and both Claude Fable 5.1 and Claude Opus 5.5 on some specialized benchmarks, including ones that measure a model's ability to work with legal documents and build software. Benchmarks are not always a reliable measure of real-world performance, but this is still a significant step forward for Meta's models. Muse Wonder also includes two novel features designed to help make agents more effective and less inclined to misbehave.

Starting point is 00:17:59 The new features called Active Memory and Active Focus are designed to keep the model locked into a stated goal and prevent it from becoming confused. This can be a challenge when AI performs complex research or builds a large software project, for example, and can lead to expensive mistakes or compounded errors. Meta says it has put significant efforts into training Muse Wonder to refuse to generate dangerous outputs such as recipes for building bioweapons or help with hacking. It says the company scores well on several benchmarks designed to measure how resilient models are to those prompts, end quote. Finally today, sources tell Bloomberg that Epic as delayed the release of an upcoming game. Why? A directive has come down instructing developers to implement an AI-first production model with no more handwritten code.

Starting point is 00:18:53 Quote, the title had been slated for release in March, but is now delayed with no new date communicated, said the people familiar, who asked not to be

Starting point is 00:19:01 identified because they weren't authorized to speak publicly. Developers on the game, a shooter featuring characters from the Marvel and Star Wars franchises, were instructed to implement an AI-first production model

Starting point is 00:19:11 using tools such as Anthropics Claude. Humans will then manage and guide that work. No more handwritten code, one of the games directors told staff an internal message

Starting point is 00:19:20 reviewed by Bloomberg, The director added that all art for the game would be generated with full AI workflows. Even before this announcement, the maker of the popular Fortnite game had been pushing hard for the use of AI across all of its divisions. But this is the first time a major video game company has attempted to build a title primarily with AI. We're embracing AI accelerated development led by Epic developers who are visionaries and creative drivers for everything we do, said Jake Jones, communications director at Epic Games and a statement to Bloomberg News, a spokesperson for Disney didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. The announcement left some Epic developers stunned on a video call last week, according to people. Some made jokes about how they should handle

Starting point is 00:20:03 errors produced by the AI generated work, asking if they should ask Claude to fix its own mistakes. Some said they hoped that it was not a serious request or that the company would reverse course, arguing that the initiative wouldn't be as successful as Epic hoped. The use of Generative AI and video games has been controversial both among developers and gamers who have loudly criticized games featuring content created by the technology, saying they are of lesser quality. A survey earlier this year found that more than one third of game developers use AI as part of their jobs and that more than half think the technology is bad for the industry, end quote. Nothing more for you today. Talk to you tomorrow.

Tech Brew Ride Home - HomeView

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