Apple’s reported ‘HomePad’ may launch as early as October

For years, we've heard rumors of a new home hub device from Apple, meant to take on smart home devices like the Google Nest Hub Mini and Amazon's Echo Show. Besides "HomePod with a screen," details have been sparse. But now, a new report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman sheds some light on the alleged device, as well as a potential release window. According to Gurman, the new smart hub will feature a 7-inch square display and a brand new operating system based on Apple's tvOS, with "grids of icons,…