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Apple

Apple 'HomeOS' Mentioned in Job Listing Ahead of WWDC (macrumors.com) 43

Posted by msmash from the it's-happening dept.
An Apple job listing has mentioned "homeOS," an otherwise never-before heard of Apple operating system, ahead of WWDC next week. From a report: Spotted by developer Javier Lacort, the Apple job listing for a Senior iOS Engineer in Apple Music explicitly mentions "homeOS" on two occasions, alongside Apple's other operating systems including iOS, watchOS, and tvOS. Interestingly, the job listing mentions homeOS as a "mobile platform," seemingly highlighting it as more akin to iOS and watchOS than systems like macOS and tvOS, but it is not clear why that would be the case.
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Apple 'HomeOS' Mentioned in Job Listing Ahead of WWDC More

Apple 'HomeOS' Mentioned in Job Listing Ahead of WWDC

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  • Apple clearly expects that you'll be homeless after buying all their stuff.
  • It's a typo; that "e" was meant to be another "O "

  • HomePod, not HomeOS (Score:5, Interesting)

    by BeerFartMoron ( 624900 ) on Wednesday June 02, 2021 @01:46PM (#61447726)
    Update: [macrumors.com] Apple has now removed "homeOS" from the job listing and replaced it with HomePod [apple.com] and tvOS. "You’ll get to work with system engineers across Apple, learning the inner workings of iOS, watchOS, tvOS and HomePod, and optimizing your code for performance in ways only Apple can," reads the replacement text.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by EvilSS ( 557649 )
      Yea, was going to say I'm not sure why everyone is pondering what this was. It seemed pretty obvious it was the HomePod (or the OS that runs on it, maybe that's what they call it internally). No real mystery.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by laird ( 2705 )

        Makes much more sense. The HomePod runs HomeKit automation, so there's no need for Apple to come up with a new device and OS to run home automation.

        • Makes much more sense. The HomePod runs HomeKit automation, so there's no need for Apple to come up with a new device and OS to run home automation.

          "HomeKit" is an Apple Communications Protocol and API that certain third-party IoT devices use.

          "Home" is an App that runs on iOS/iPadOS and macOS to control HomeKit devices.

          I would imagine that "HomeOS" is likely just an internal to Apple name for the embedded software that HomePod runs.

          However, if Apple were going to release a new, separate, specific "Home Hub"-type product, rather than simply incorporating HomeKit "Hub"-features into the AppleTV and HomePod software-stack like they do now, then it makes s

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by tlhIngan ( 30335 )

            The problem is, people don't realize HomeKit stuff does not require the cloud. They assume if you buy a HomeKit plug, it works like all the other "smart plugs" out there where you need the Internet for it to work.

            Yet, by default, it doesn't - HomeKit stuff, without a hub or some sort (like an AppleTV), doesn't work over the Internet. Your smart power switch only works inside your network, so flipping it away from home does absolutely nothing.

            It's one of those things Apple needs to work on - that all the IoT

            • The problem is, people don't realize HomeKit stuff does not require the cloud. They assume if you buy a HomeKit plug, it works like all the other "smart plugs" out there where you need the Internet for it to work.
              Yet, by default, it doesn't - HomeKit stuff, without a hub or some sort (like an AppleTV), doesn't work over the Internet. Your smart power switch only works inside your network, so flipping it away from home does absolutely nothing.
              It's one of those things Apple needs to work on - that all the IoT insecurity stuff really doesn't apply - Apple performs security tests on HomeKit stuff, but even more importantly, HomeKit stuff cannot touch the Internet. They need a hub in order to be controllable outside the network, which I'm sure is a setting you can disable to keep strangers from taking over your equipment.

              I, for one, have absolutely no problem with my AppleTV playing HomeKit Gateway/Hub. But you are correct, HomeKit Devices, when used exclusively within the home, do not even require a Hub.

              I am not sure if using HomeKit Secure Video requires The Cloud; but if so, that is the only thing that does.

  • Standard job posting text (Score:3, Funny)

    by srmalloy ( 263556 ) on Wednesday June 02, 2021 @01:46PM (#61447728) Homepage

    An Apple job listing has mentioned "homeOS," an otherwise never-before heard of Apple operating system,

    And, with the standard HR job posting text block, the applicant is required to have five years of experience with it.

  • The new Apple Smart Butt Plug. Still in development in Cupertino.
  • Please let this be a thing of Apple writing their own OS from scratch to run on all their products.
    The juvenile jokes/memes had at Apple expense will be legendary.
  • I wonder if they're planning to expand HomeKit to some kind of smart home hub like SmartThings, Hubitat, or Home Assistant. Think of all the money to be made! They can release a new proprietary standard based on Zigbee/Zwave and charge 5x the price for it. Think of all the money from people buying multiple iPads just to mount all over their house as control panels - and then having to replace them in 5 years when they can't run the necessary OS/app anymore!

    • I wonder if they're planning to expand HomeKit to some kind of smart home hub like SmartThings, Hubitat, or Home Assistant. Think of all the money to be made! They can release a new proprietary standard based on Zigbee/Zwave and charge 5x the price for it. Think of all the money from people buying multiple iPads just to mount all over their house as control panels - and then having to replace them in 5 years when they can't run the necessary OS/app anymore!

      Other than your snarky "Apple Tax"-like comments, I think there is at least a reasonable possibility that Apple wants to expand its Home Automation reach into places where the AppleTV and HomePod are not used, and a seperate "Hub"-type product in the $50-100 range, bringing together and securing multiple IoT Protocols, controlled by an App running on all available OSes (both Apple and non-Apple, mobile and desktop), could make some marketing-sense.

      • I wonder if they're planning to expand HomeKit to some kind of smart home hub like SmartThings, Hubitat, or Home Assistant. Think of all the money to be made! They can release a new proprietary standard based on Zigbee/Zwave and charge 5x the price for it. Think of all the money from people buying multiple iPads just to mount all over their house as control panels - and then having to replace them in 5 years when they can't run the necessary OS/app anymore!

        Other than your snarky "Apple Tax"-like comments, I think there is at least a reasonable possibility that Apple wants to expand its Home Automation reach into places where the AppleTV and HomePod are not used, and a seperate "Hub"-type product in the $50-100 range, bringing together and securing multiple IoT Protocols, controlled by an App running on all available OSes (both Apple and non-Apple, mobile and desktop), could make some marketing-sense.

        I'm only snarky about it because of Apple's approach to anything interacting with their ecosystem. I prefer open source options like Home Assistant where you can run it in Docker or on a Raspberry Pi and access it in a browser on an old Kindle Fire tablet. Its also designed to be completely local though you can integrate it with cloud services if you choose.

        • I wonder if they're planning to expand HomeKit to some kind of smart home hub like SmartThings, Hubitat, or Home Assistant. Think of all the money to be made! They can release a new proprietary standard based on Zigbee/Zwave and charge 5x the price for it. Think of all the money from people buying multiple iPads just to mount all over their house as control panels - and then having to replace them in 5 years when they can't run the necessary OS/app anymore!

          Other than your snarky "Apple Tax"-like comments, I think there is at least a reasonable possibility that Apple wants to expand its Home Automation reach into places where the AppleTV and HomePod are not used, and a seperate "Hub"-type product in the $50-100 range, bringing together and securing multiple IoT Protocols, controlled by an App running on all available OSes (both Apple and non-Apple, mobile and desktop), could make some marketing-sense.

          I'm only snarky about it because of Apple's approach to anything interacting with their ecosystem. I prefer open source options like Home Assistant where you can run it in Docker or on a Raspberry Pi and access it in a browser on an old Kindle Fire tablet. Its also designed to be completely local though you can integrate it with cloud services if you choose.

          I don't have any problem with HA or HomeBridge. I got pretty far in my research into HB on RPi, in order to get some cameras I had integrated into HomeKit; but as with so many things, life got in the way.

          I am hoping this "matter" protocol/alliance that Apple announced participation in in WWDC will help some of the stupid Home Automation turf-wars without sacrificing HomeKit's stellar Security record.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Bert64 ( 520050 )

      As bad as a 5 year lifespan is, it's actually much better than the industry average. A lot of the competitors devices come with less than a year of support/updates, sometimes none whatsoever.

      • As bad as a 5 year lifespan is, it's actually much better than the industry average. A lot of the competitors devices come with less than a year of support/updates, sometimes none whatsoever.

        Yes but if you use an open source option like Home Assistant, you can run it on an old Kindle Fire tablet or a Raspberry Pi connected to a touchscreen monitor. My concern is mainly with Apple's need to have complete control over anything interacting with their ecosystem.

  • Even now, many companies refuse to hire homos. But is Apple hiring women and blacks?

  • A "home os" that is "mobile"? Are apple developing a self driving RV?

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