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It’s Time: Apple Watch Spring Forward event set for March 9

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Wearables, Corporate News,

Apple Spring Forward Watch

Apple has sent out invitations to selected press for a special event that it's calling "Spring Forward" that takes place on Monday, March 8, 2015 at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, California at 10:00am. While the company hasn't stated any sort of agenda or product focus for the event, it's obvious to anyone paying attention that this will be the place where the company will detail the Apple Watch in full, ahead of the April release of the timepiece. We expect that we will finally get a solid release date, possible pre-order date, and the information that everyone is waiting for--the price of all of the various Apple Watch lines (Apple Watch Sport, Apple Watch, and Apple Watch Edition) and the models within.

Of course, Apple can also use this platform to reveal any number of other things, including that new 12-inch Retina MacBook Air that's been running the rumor mill for the better part of 6 months now, but we won't be holding our breath for that one. We'll have all the news right here as it happens from Apple's Spring Forward event, which is just 10 days away.

Click to continue reading It’s Time: Apple Watch Spring Forward event set for March 9


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Bleeding Edge TV 527: Fitbit Charge activity tracker

The Fitbit Charge Activity + Sleep Tracker is the latest casual fitness tracker from Fitbit, and in this episode we open it up and give you a look at all the features that this wearable packs. With the Fitbit Charge, you can monitor your steps, distance walked, flights climbed, calories burned, and even track your sleep automatically. We will be bringing you a look at the Fitbit Charge HR and Fitbit Surge in future episodes!

You can pick up the Fitbit Charge now on Amazon.

Don't forget to subscribe to Gear Live's YouTube channel--also, we are giving away awesome perks for our Patreon backers - thanks for your support!

 

Click to continue reading Bleeding Edge TV 527: Fitbit Charge activity tracker


2014 Holiday Gift Guide: SOL REPUBLIC Tracks headphones

SOL REPUBLIC tracks headphones

SOL REPUBLIC Tracks are the first interchangeable on-ear headphones featuring V8 Sound Engine speakers, switchable cables, and "Sound Track" headbands. SOL REPUBLIC engineers developed a proprietary new polymer called FlexTech, which makes them virtually indestructible, and we're recommending them in our 2014 Holiday Gift Guide. the company actually stands behind that claim, as you get a 1,000 day warranty on each SOL REPUBLIC headband. they just won't break. For total comfort, the team designed the Tracks ear cushions to be large and lightweight. Tracks offer the optimal balance of size, style, sound and comfort and are available in black, white and red. You can pick up a pair on Amazon for $99.

Click to continue reading 2014 Holiday Gift Guide: SOL REPUBLIC Tracks headphones

Read More | SOL REPUBLIC Tracks headphones

Apple Watch announced, available early 2015 for $349

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Wearables, Corporate News,

Apple Watch

After months of rumors, the iWatch has been made official, and it’s called the Apple Watch. For the first time since the death of Steve Jobs, Tim Cook mentioned that he had “One more thing…” to talk about after unveiling the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Introducing the device as a precise and customizable timepiece that is also a comprehensive health and fitness device, the Apple Watch was unveiled with pride.

A video, narrated by Jony Ive, explained how the watch works. Users navigate using the touch display, as well as a Digital Crown on the side (similar to dials you find on analog watches) that allows you to navigate, zoom, and scroll without covering up the display with your fingers. The Apple Watch display can sense touch and swipes, as well as force.

Click to continue reading Apple Watch announced, available early 2015 for $349


Google Glass now available to purchase in Google Play Store

Google Glass sale

Google continues to slowly-but-surely make Google Glass more widely available. Now, anyone willing to put down $1,500 can head to the Google Play store and grab the Google Glass “Explorer Edition,” previously only available to those who'd scored an exclusive invitation. Yep, here at the end of 2014 Google still hasn't been able to get a mass consumer version of Glass out the door, so the expensive beta developer product is all you can get for now. Alongside Glass, buyers can also pick up accessories like frames, a custom earpiece, and shades.

The Glass Explorer Edition was originally announced in February 2013, with many predicting that a cheaper consumer version would follow in late 2013 or early 2014. Over a year-and-a-half later there still seems to be no sign of it on the horizon. At Google I/O 2014, Google's biggest event of the year, Glass didn't get a mention at all.

Read More | Google Glass

iWatch to ship in two sizes with OLED display and NFC says WSJ

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Wearables, Rumors,

iWatch features

One of the big questions about Apple’s upcoming Wish We Could Say More event, taking place next week (which you can watch live,) is whether the company will finally reveal the iWatch, and if it does, what will it do? Today, the Wall Street Journal released a report that Apple will indeed announce the iWatch on Tuesday, and gave details on what we can expect from the mystical wearable.

Click to continue reading iWatch to ship in two sizes with OLED display and NFC says WSJ

Read More | The Wall Street Journal

Apple confirms September 9 iPhone 6 event with invitation

iPhone 6 event invite

Apple has said that it plans to make 2014 a banner year for the company, offering its most impressive product line-up in company history. Well, the year's been relatively quiet, but that's about to change. The company has just sent out invitations for an Apple Event, set to take place on September 9, 2014. We've been pointing to this date for a few months as the day when the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6L will be announced, and it looks like that's exactly what's gonna go down.

Additionally, it's been reported that Apple will also announce the long-awaited iWatch, a wearable device that will sync up with the iPhone and provide both health tracking and home automation features.

We'll be bringing you the news live as it happens on September 9, so you know where to be for all the action! Be sure to check out our video previews of the 4.7-inch iPhone 6, and 5.5-inch iPhone 6L smartphones.


Andru Edwards on GeekWire Radio: iPhone 6, Surface Watch, Fire Phone, and more

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Handhelds, Microsoft,

GeekWire Radio andru edwards

I made another appearance on this weeks episode of GeekWire Radio here in Seattle, Washington, keeping my streak alive as the person with the most guest appearances in GeekWire Radio history! In this episode, which also features Eyewitness News reporter Essex Porter (pictured with me above, and a huge Windows Phone advocate), we talk about a couple of recent Gear Live stories, including:

I brought in the two iPhone 6 mockups in both 4.7- and 5.5-inch varieties, which made for some good conversation. We also chat about the news of the week, which included the release of the Amazon Fire Phone, and we also had a discussion about what Microsoft needs to do to make Windows Phone more accepted by the general consumer. You can listen to the show now by grabbing the MP3 below, or hitting play in the widget.

Click to continue reading Andru Edwards on GeekWire Radio: iPhone 6, Surface Watch, Fire Phone, and more

Read More | GeekWire Radio (MP3)

Exclusive: I used Microsoft’s Surface watch

Microsoft Surface Smart Watch

Yes, it’s true—Microsoft is about to get into the smartwatch game, and I got the opportunity to play with it. As we'd previously reported, Microsoft has filed a patent that details a smartwatch. However, often these patent filings aren’t exactly what we see companies end up releasing. So, let’s separate the cruft and get to the meat of the matter. A number of months ago I took a trip to New York where I came across someone who was testing the upcoming Microsoft wearable device. I saw it on their wrist and asked about it. They tried to explain that it was a random fitness wristband ordered from China at first, but eventually (with some prodding) gave me the scoop. Here is your exclusive first look at what Microsoft is planning for its first wearable smart device, what we are referring to as the Surface Watch:

  • As far as looks, the image above is a parody, but not far off. It has an elongated form factor, but isn't as comically large as what's in the image. It is much more akin to something like the Fitbit One or Samsung Galaxy Gear Fit in shape rather than taking on the shape of a traditional watch, like Pebble did, or like what Google showed off with Android Wear. What we saw had a flat display, while the inner portion that would rest against your skin was curved.
  • The icons are the flat style that Microsoft has been using on its other devices like Windows 8, Windows Phone, and Xbox One. That's what tipped me off in the first place.
  • Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy is how it interacts with the rest of the world
  • The flat glass display, and was definitely not high resolution. We hope that both of these change in the final product--a high-resolution curved display already exists on the Samsung Gear Fit, and the Microsoft device just didn't look as good.
  • The watch is packed with sensors. It has a heart rate monitor, accelerometer, gyroscope, GPS, and most interestingly, a galvanic skin response sensor all built-in. The galvanic skin response sensor is built into the watch band, while everything else is built into the unit itself.

Click to continue reading Exclusive: I used Microsoft’s Surface watch


Apple planning to introduce iWatch wearable in October

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Wearables, Rumors,

Apple iWatch concept

Industry sources are aligning, and it appears that Apple is prepping to release its first wearable watch (which many are referring to as the iWatch) this October. According to Re/code and Nikkei, Apple is planning a special event to debut and show off all the features of the new device in October--by our own estimation, this would be a month after the iPhone 6 and iOS 8 launch, and could be within the same timeframe that Apple launches the new Touch ID-enabled iPads.

People familiar with Apple's plans tell Re/Code the company hopes to schedule a special event that month to show off the device, which is designed to make good use of the HealthKit health and fitness information-gathering app it recently showed off at WWDC. Could things change between now and fall? That's certainly possible. But right now October is the target date.

We've been hearing about the rumored fall release of the iWatch for months, while simultaneously also hearing that it might be pushed back to 2015. Now that more reliable sources are in on the reports, it looks like things are coming together. Nikkei is also reporting that the device will sport a curved OLED touchscreen display, and will heavily focused on integrating with the new Health app in iOS 8, tracking things like calories burned, sleep activity, blood oxygen levels, and other fitness-related data.


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