Alert For Homepod Users: Homepod Bricking with Apple’s Latest Software Update
The new release of iOS 14.6 has been reportedly causing issues to the Homepod users. After being discontinued for several months, the owners of the full-seized homePods have now faced the unpleasant situation with their devices bricking and dysfunctioning.
However, the problem has not affected the mini-HomePods, and no complaints have been received from the mini-HomePod users yet.
Below are the main problems that users have come across and discussed in forums like Reddit after starting to use the devices with the iOS update.
- Sudden dysfunctioning
- When plugged in doesn’t power up
- No response to touch
- Not connecting to a stereo pair or Apple TV
- Unresponsiveness with constant flashing volume buttons
- Overheating
Apple’s Solution
It is not clear to which extent the problem has occurred, and the company has not made any official statement yet on the issue or a solution.
However, Apple has released the third beta version of Homepod software 15 as a part of the AppleSeed program. Subsequently, users running the Homepod software 15-beta have noticed the device getting overheated for no particular reason. Also, this update is available through the AppleSeed program, where only exclusive users are invited.
A senior Apple technician has advised on the Reddit platform to avoid downloading Apple’s recent software updates for the time being, which is not the solution for everyone or those who are already left with a dysfunctioning HomePod.
Warranty Issues
Most of the users who have faced the issues are owners of Homepod devices that have already completed the warranty period. A user with 19 HomePods had seven of them suddenly turn into paperweights. He has further claimed that all of them are out of warranty, and he won’t purchase new ones assuming they will break sooner or later.
One HomePod owner has walked into an Apple retail store with the bricked device for a replacement and has been asked to get it repaired at about 20Euros less than the retail price whereas another has been asked to pay $270 to get a new replacement. The support seems to be ludicrous when the reason for the bricking is the software update from Apple. However, those with active Applecare can replace the product outright.
Apple has yet to acknowledge the issue and come up with a solution that can end the persisting problems faced by the HomePod users. If your HomePod is working fine at the moment, it is best suggested to avoid the software updates until the company comes up with a reliable solution.
Benefits of Mobile Applications for the Healthcare Industry
The long hours in queues waiting to get healthcare needs are now over with the revolutionized web and mobile solutions provided in the health industry. The need for online medicare solutions has been gradually increased with the Covid-19 pandemic, where people can safely consult their doctors without getting exposed to the general public.
The increasing number of healthcare applications for devices like smartphones, tablets, and other wearable devices has enabled people to use them and take care of their health in an advanced and effective manner. These applications often include health management, healthy living and wellness, clinical reference, and diagnostic applications.
Significance of eHealth Solutions
According to the World Health Organization, digital health solutions can upscale people worldwide to achieve a higher standard of health and protect well-being. The organization has implemented a three-tier approach to digital health delivery in terms of policymakers, practitioners, and populations.
These seamless and secure technologies can provide effective clinical and public health solutions to the public while accelerating the achievement of the health and well-being related sustainable development growth (SGDs)
Advantages Of Using The Mobile Application In The Healthcare Industry
Seamless Data Flow
Healthcare domains usually consist of complex network web. Apart from the data flow between patients and healthcare personnel, it also needs to be administrated for accounting purposes. Mobile applications can cut off this complex network web allowing the data to move efficiently and faster. It further helps in eliminating extensive paperwork and not to worry about physical document misplacement and damages.
Real-time And Easy Communication Methods
The communication between each party is more streamlined to connect with each other from any place. It helps people in remote areas to get in touch with their doctors without the need for travel. The eHealth modes constitute a significant boom for disabled and older people with chronic conditions who need constant support.
Reduced Risks Of Diagnosis Errors
Numerous types of clinical resources are required to make accurate diagnostic decisions. Mobile health applications can help medical professionals to reference drug guides, medical calculators, clinical guidelines, and other required references. The all-inclusive details in one application can enhance disease diagnosis and treatment decisions with high accuracy.
Encourages A Healthy Lifestyle
Healthcare apps can track and monitor the irregularities in an individual’s health and help them become conscious and motivated to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Digital accessories such as smartwatches, fitness, and health tracking apps enable people to constantly monitor their diet, weight, heart rate, pressure, stress levels, etc., and set goals to achieve fitness and health plans.
The increased leverage in eHealth and mobile application development outlines the need of having custom-made mobile applications catering to your customers. Fidenz technologies has the skills and expertise to make your idea a reality and develop a mobile application that matches your requirements. We also have hands-on experience in developing applications while complying with industry standards like HIPAA (Health Insurance Probability And Accountability Act) and GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation).
Fidenz’s all-inclusive software solutions can benefit every user, such as doctors, patients, medical staff, and other administrators. If you are looking forward to making the right decision in developing a healthcare app that can outsmart the competition, contact our team of engineers for further consultation.
Agile Transformation: How Agile Software Development Has Gone Mainstream
In software development methodology, with the thought of “How to make an idea into a reality,” the agile method is the first thing that comes to mind to step up into the process. In simple terms, agile is a set of values and principles that teams can use to make decisions on developing software.
Evolutionary project management and software development methods can be traced back to 1957 where heavyweight methods were used in the development process. Lightweight software development methods started to evolve in the 1990s with different executions.
The traditional waterfall or the incubate method takes a lot of time and work and is often described by critics as a micro-managed and overly regulated methodology. The collection was inclusive of 17 software development methods where the developers met in 2001 and published the manifesto of Agile Software Development.
Overview of Agile
With the publication of the manifesto for agile software development, four values were outlined by the Agile alliance. These values enabled a faster process, excellent customer collaboration, adapt and revamp planning and put people before processes. The values are:
- Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
- Working software over comprehensive documentation
- Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
- Responding to change over following a plan
Furthermore, it was finalized with 12 development principles. These fundamentals help user involvement and a cooperative approach where stakeholders can monitor and examine the progress of their products. It further helps in identifying issues during the development process and gives assurance of achieving satisfying expectations. The 12 agile software development principles are;
- Customer satisfaction with prompt delivery of valuable software.
- Welcome changing requirements, even in late development.
- Deliver working software frequently in shorter springs
- Close engagement and collaboration between business people and developers
- Projects are built around trusted motivated individuals
- A face-to-face conversation is considered as the best form of communication
- Working software is considered as the initial measurement tool of the progress
- Sustainable development is used to maintain a constant pace
- Constant attentiveness to technical excellence and designing
- Use of simplicity and maximizing the amount of work not done is required
- Use of finest architectures, requirements, and designer ideas.
- Regular effectiveness and adaptability of the team for adjustments.
How Agile Has Gone Mainstream
The methodologies and applications of agile have led to the mainstream in software development with proven results in making efficient and effective products. The diversification and constant changes in technology have raised the need for flexibility and adaptability of software to meet future changes. With agile, products were engineered and developed in a way that they are nimble enough to adjust to the changes and the businesses.
The global competition in every industry to develop the best user-friendly and feasible product keeps rising with numerous attempts from all corners of the world to deliver the most refined technology solutions. Hence, business owners often prefer a method that can create a more durable, flexible product to beat competitors. The practices used in agile methodology come in handy here to deliver a top-notch solution.
With the Agile method, practices like MVP are used to get faster test runs and feedback from users before developing the complete solution. This helps to receive an assurance on the strategies used and to receive an idea of the success rate of the ultimate expectation to build up the business value.
The stakeholder engagement before, between, and after each sprint results in higher collaboration and helps to deeply engage in the project, which eventually results in delivering a high-quality product. It further helps in transparency where clients can be involved in prioritizing features and other changes with the right guidance and understanding in each review session.
The agile method of software development also helps in improving quality by breaking down its units where the team can focus and concentrate more on each section with testing and reviews. It also helps in finding defects easily and quickly and figuring out the mismatches that need to be altered accordingly.
The powerful tool of agile consisting of components such as project planning, roadmap creations, sprint planning, sprint reviews, and retrospective helps every participant to enhance the product quality in terms of control, flexibility, adaptability, etc. The testing methods help in developing a product speedily and cost-efficiently while focusing more precisely on the final goal. It helps to overcome pitfalls like scope creep and waive off the unnecessary costs while engineering the product.
Practicing these methodologies helps the development team to work collaboratively with higher transparency to deliver a product with a higher success rate. It further aids in developing software that is nimble enough to adjust to future changes and requirements in the business.
It is essential to find a team that follows these practices and principles of agile correctly during a software development process to deliver a high-quality, superior product. At Fidenz, we have a proven record of building successful products with the right strategies and implementations. If you are looking for a software solution to upscale your business, contact us to receive the best consultation on product development with agile methodologies. Our team can provide you with robust software solutions that can serve your organizational goals and adapt to future changes along the way.