Sonos update will make its cheapest speaker sound better

Sonos' whole-home audio systems can be pretty expensive, but the company is hoping to lure more people in with improvements to its entry-level speaker.

Sonos says its next firmware update will bring better clarity to the $199 Play:1 speaker, especially with vocals at high volumes. The update should also improve bass performance when the Play:1 is paired with Sonos' $699 subwoofer.

For those who are going all-in with home theater setups, Sonos is removing the Ethernet connection requirement for its Soundbar, Bridge, and Boost devices. This allows users to create 3.1 or 5.1 surround sound from multiple speakers using Wi-Fi only.

Sonos also says it's updating its developer tools to allow new features in the Sonos app. For instance, streaming music services could offer recommendations based on the time of day and other factors. Sonos is also testing some general interface tweaks and an improved shuffle feature.

The update is available now for Android beta users, and will roll out to all users this summer.

Why this matters: Although Sonos is seen as the leader in whole-home audio, it's starting to face some more competition. Both LG and Sony recently announced their own multi-room speaker lines, using Google Cast audio to stream music from smartphones and tablets. Entry-level speakers can serve as the gateway drug to the rest of the ecosystem, so it behooves Sonos to make its basic speaker sound a bit better.

Sonos Wireless Speakers

By Jared Newman

iPhone 6S release date, price, specs and new features: When is the iPhone 6s coming out? Will it be the iPhone 7?

It's 2015 and although the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are still going strong it's time to look ahead to Apple's next flagship smartphone, which could be less than five months away. Here's what we know about the iPhone 6S release date, price and specs in the UK which might end up being the iPhone 7. Updated 11/5/15. Also see: Best new phones coming in 2015.

iPhone 6S: The name and models - will it be the iPhone 7?

Following Apple's history with smartphones, the next iPhone will be an 'S' model. However, there's always the possibility it will put an end to this tradition so we may be in store for the iPhone 7 this year – you just never know. In fact, reports suggest that the new iPhone is going to be so different from the current models that Apple will indeed skip to the iPhone 7. This is what KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo thinks who has a proven track record of predicting Apple launches correctly.

For the last two launches, Apple has introduced two new iPhones. We currently have the iPhone 6 and the larger iPhone 6 Plus and previously Apple launched the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C. Will we get two models again this year? We think so but rumours are thin on the ground on the subject at the moment but it's early days so stay tuned as we'll be updating this article as new information becomes available. Read: The best iPhone 6 alternatives.

iPhone 6S release date: When is the iPhone 6S coming out?

These days it relatively easy to predict when a new generation of a flagship smartphone will arrive. Most manufacturers announce a new model annually while some go for every six months.

Apple is one of the former and if we look at previous launches, it's highly likely that the iPhone 6S will be announced in September and will go on sale a week or two afterwards. Of course, if the launch event is towards the end of the month, the iPhone 6S release date could be early October. Bear in mind that if there are two new iPhones announced this year, they may not go on sale on the same day.

iPhone 6S: Design and specs

With an 'S' model iPhone, most things tend to stay the same in terms of design and specs. Usually there are a few tweaks here and there but Apple will save major changes for the next full model number – ie the iPhone 7.

It seems likely then that the iPhone 6S will look the same as the current iPhone 6. It will use the same chassis and come in the same colour options. The weight might change though due to different components inside or a new sapphire glass.

An S model sticks with the same screen size so we're probably looking at 4.7in and if there is an iPhone 6S Plus then it should remain at 5.5in. Resolutions are also likely to stay the same although one rumour suggests the new iPhone will have a 5in display with a 400ppi and what about the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge rivalling concept below by Michael Shanks?

So what will change?

If the design of the iPhone 6S remains the same, then Apple will provide upgrades in the form of new hardware. There are various rumours floating around, the most obvious of which, is of a new processor. The iPhone 6S will come with an A9 chip and could also get an upgrade in the RAM department to 2 GB.

The Touch ID fingerprint scanner could be integrated into the display, according to one rumour, rather than sitting in the home button. We thought the cameras would almost certainly be upgraded, although we're not sure a rumoured 21Mp rear camera is probable and analysts are now saying Apple will stick with 8Mp for the iPhone 6S.

More likely is a reversible USB connector. We already have the Lightning connector which can be plugged in either way round so we'd put money on Apple doing it at the other end of the cable, too. Also highly possible, practically a given, is that the iPhone 6S will come pre-loaded with iOS 9 which will probably be detailed at Apple's WWDC which normally takes place in June.

There's also a rumour suggesting that Apple may decide to use the same series 7000 aluminium that they use for the Apple Watch with the iPhone 6S. The Series 7000 aluminium is 60% stronger than standard aluminium, but keeps its lightweight form factor making it a great candidate for the iPhone 6S.

There are also reports from the WSJ that the iPhone 6S (possibly only the 6S Plus according to conflicting rumours) will support Force Touch. Currently built into the Apple Watch and the new 12inch MacBook, Force Touch gives the device pressure sensitivity, allowing them to distinguish between a light tap and a hard press, enabling opportunities for new gestures. The source is apparently an Apple supplier, so it's best to take this with a pinch of salt - Apple often tests technologies using suppliers that never make it into the final product, so this may also be the case with Force Touch.

One final rumour suggests that the iPhone 6S might be available in a rose gold colour in addition to the silver, gold and space grey, to match the rose gold Apple Watch Edition. Below is a concept image of a rose gold iPhone 6S by designer Martin Hajek.

By Chris Martin

Apple Just Tried to Address Its Gender Problem in the Worst Way Possible

(Via Reuters)

Did female Apple employees work to make the Apple Watch a possibility? 

Yes, obviously. Apple employs many women, including Senior Vice President Angela Ahrendts, who quit her job as CEO of Burberry torevamp Apple’s in-person and online retail experience in anticipation of this new luxurious wearable. By many accounts, Ahrendts has been instrumental in steering Apple’s watch strategy for the past two years. 

The casual viewer, however, would never know that Ahrendts, or any other woman, really, was part of the Apple Watch development process or launch. Because at its event on Monday, the company invited supermodel Christy Turlington on stage to talk about the project instead of any one of the women who were actually involved in its creation.

This wouldn’t be so bad if Apple’s track record with hiring, promoting, and showcasing its female employees were better. Lots of companies employ hot, famous people to sling their products to the masses, even if they have nothing to do with the creation of said product. 

But considering Apple’s storied history of live presentations, the fact that the company opted for a live appearance from Turlington, who took the stage instead of a smart lady executive who actually helped make the watch a reality, is a clear missed opportunity for the company to support a movement that so badly needs the public support of a corporate giant like Apple. 

The numbers

When it comes to hiring a balanced number of men versus women, Apple, like many of its peers in the tech industry, comes up short. Last year, as activists placed public pressure on tech companies to make their workforces more diverse, the company released statistics about the race and gender makeup of its workforce. A mere 30 percent of its 98,000 global employees are women. And the numbers get worse when you look at specific sectors. Only 28 percent of the company’s corporate leadership is female. And, disappointingly, women only make up 20 percent of its core tech sector.

Apple CEO Tim Cook admits that the company needs to do better. “I’m not satisfied with the numbers on this page,” he wrote in a letter that was released alongside the diversity report. “They’re not new to us, and we’ve been working hard for quite some time to improve them. We are making progress, and we’re committed to being as innovative in advancing diversity as we are in developing our products.” 

Since then, Apple has been working to change the makeup of its workforce, and how it’s perceived by women. Apple sent recruiters to a Women in Computing conference in Arizona. It continues to sponsor the National Center for Women and Information Technology. The company even announced it would cover the cost of freezing its female employees’ eggs. But at its public media events, Apple’s efforts have been uncomfortably nonexistent.

As the developer Joe Kukura found after watching 16 hours of past Worldwide Developers Conference event footage, Apple has shown only two live women on stage out of its 59 featured speakers since 2007. Neither were given major roles in the event. And neither were high-level executives. (As I mentioned, Apple doesn’t have many of those in the first place). Journalist Selena Larson confirmed this female scarcity with her own research, noting that “women or minorities have appeared a handful of times in photos while white male executives demonstrate the capabilities of the smartphone’s camera or editing software. They just weren’t on stage themselves.”