An OpenAI hardware leak has emerged, suggesting the company’s first consumer device may not be the pendant many anticipated. According to details that surfaced on Thursday, OpenAI appears set to follow Apple, Google, and Amazon into the smart home market with a talk-to device.
The reported product is described as a hockey puck-shaped unit, reminiscent of the second-generation Echo Dot, but designed to connect users with ChatGPT’s more advanced models. This ongoing development sits against the backdrop of a continuing rift between Apple and OpenAI over trade secrets, alongside the well-documented Jony Ive hardware situation.
What the leak reveals about the device
Unlike a standard smart speaker, the device is said to include battery power and premium materials, which reportedly push the price to between £220 and £300. That positions it well above the HomePod mini in cost.
Two features have drawn particular attention. The unit is said to include a camera, along with parts described as able to move on their own to help answer user queries. The purpose of these moving components has not been fully explained, though a plausible use is shifting the camera to gain a better view of a room.
A battery-operated, AI-driven unit equipped with a camera and physical motion raises clear questions around privacy and household surveillance. Any such product would be expected to ship with safeguards intended to limit how and when the camera operates, though specifics remain unconfirmed.
Ted Lasso returns for season four
Ted Lasso has returned to Apple TV+ with the opening of season four, set in Kansas City. The episode works to revive the show following the closure at the end of season three, re-establishing the characters, showing how they have changed over the years, and bringing the story back to Britain with family in tow.
The season opener is shaping up as a worthy return for a well-loved series. Its reception may influence whether Apple commissions further seasons.
To mark the return, Apple staged a promotion at its Fifth Avenue store in New York City on Thursday. The “Gathering of the Teds” was a look-alike contest featuring elimination rounds designed to narrow the field down to a single champion. A dedicated website set out the rules, explaining that contestants had to take part in three rounds to progress.
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Image: appleinsider.com
