Researchers at the University College of London may have developed a working replica of the famed "first computer," better known as the Antikythera Mechanism.
Photo: Justin Sullivan (Getty Images)
Apple is reportedly discontinuing its original HomePod smart speaker as the company pivots focus to the HomePod mini, its smaller and more affordable baby brother.
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TechCrunch reported confirmation from Apple on Friday that it’s shelving the HomePod just a few short years after its initial launch. Reviews weren’t kind when Apple’s voice-controlled smart speaker first hit shelves in 2018. Critics argued its admittedly high-quality sound wasn’t worth the hassle of dealing with Apple’s walled garden and its steep $349 price tag, which is much more expensive than Amazon’s Echo or Google’s Nest line of smart speakers. As if that wasn’t enough, the HomePod also had a bizarre tendency to stain people’s furniture. Apple lowered the price to $299 a year later, but that apparently wasn’t enough to save it seeing as Apple’s now putting the HomePod out to pasture.
The scientist’s job is to synthesise information -to piece together clues from different techniques and conclude: these compounds constitute this sample, or the reaction produced this chemical. Click to read more.