Apple iOS users weren't the only ones to get something new from Cupertino: the company quietly upgraded its Apple TV set-top box with a new look, support for family sharing, and Beats Music streaming.
Aside from a refreshed interface, users can now access the entire family's purchases, make sure kids get permission before buying new content, and AirPlay tunes from a Mac or iOS device without a Wi-Fi connection.
Software update 7.0—available for third-gen boxes only—also benefits from Cupertino's $3 billion purchase of Beats Music; Beats Music streaming is now integrated into the set-top machine.
Apple might have more up its sleeve, however. Citing an anonymous source, Forbes said the Apple TV update also included support for HomeKit, which can turn the set-top machine into a central smart-home hub.
Apple's home automation platform, unveiled in June, pairs with the iPhone to provide control over the Internet of Things from your fingertips. The platform allows grouping of gadgets and changes in ambiance. So, for example, if you tell Siri to "get ready for bed," HomeKit will automatically make sure the garage door is closed, the thermostat is lowered, and the lights are dimmed.
Except now it will reportedly do it through the Apple TV—an always-on device that uses Bluetooth low energy and Wi-Fi technology to communicate with iOS-connected devices.
According to Forbes' source, the Apple TV update is based on the same software pushed to iOS 8 developers last week, with release notes that "HomeKit support is built into the Apple TV firmware now." Which means anyone with a third-generation set-top box and the latest software update reportedly has a HomeKit-enabled hub.
Apple did not immediately respond to PCMag's request for comment.
What Cupertino once called a "hobby" has become a legitimate business: 20 million Apple TV units have been sold since its debut, earning more than $1 billion in revenue for the company via direct access to movies and TV shows.
For more, see PCMag's review of the Apple TV and the slideshow above. Also check out 9 Smart Devices That Need Apple HomeKit, as well as Why Apple's HomeKit Could Make the Smart Home Mainstream.