With all the bally-hoo surrounding the supposed design flaw of the HomePod leaving white rings on timber surfaces, Apple has created yet another piece of marketing genius. HomePod rings are really AppleParkCircles that work in ARkit!
HomePod Rings
The new Apple HomePod, the awesome speaker that is a speaker first and everything else second, caused controversy shortly after its release. Customers who placed the HomePod on a treated timber surface soon found that the HomePod's silicone base left white rings on the timber. Apple initially replied that this was common amongst silicone from a variety of manufacturers (not just the HomePod) and suggested that customers place the HomePod on a non-timber surface.
The internet replied with "you're placing it on the table wrong"... a response based on the iPhone's antenna problems from 2007 where Apple claimed users were holding the phone incorrectly, causing the antenna system to malfunction.
Marketing Genius
While the problems and limitations with the HomePod have garnered it much free publicity, the HomePod rings are actually marketing genius in their own right.
HomePod rings are #AppleParkCircles that work in ARkit, Apple's virtual reality programming language.
Apple Park is Apple's new headquarters in Cupertino, California, shaped like a giant circle, otherwise known as the Space Ship campus. See the video here.
Developers can use ARKkit to recognise a number of surfaces and objects, and then project images on or around those objects. For example, a demonstration of ARkit by Apple, showed an iPad recognising a flat surface, translating that in to a plane in virtual reality, and projecting a dinosaur walking across the table.
Soon, you'll be able to move your HomePod, locate the white ring, point your iPhone or iPad at the ring, and get exclusive downloads direct from Apple.
Until next time,
Xavier Zymantas
XYZtech XYZ Media Group
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