Usually, an article like the one in Wired about the development of the Apple Watch doesn't run until the product in question actually ships. Long reads that focus on how a previously accomplished executive new to a challenging corporate culture overcame huge odds to produce a world-changing product are more effective if the product is in people's hands and is, in fact, … [Read more...]
Why the Apple Watch Sales Process is Overwrought and Won’t Last
9to5Mac continues to have deep coverage of exactly how Apple plans to sell the Watch, treading the fine line between selling a few-size-fits-all product like an iMac or iPhone to something that's more customized and personal. We do wonder, though, if all this fuss is a short-term thing. Think about it: an iPhone 6 comes in two styles (regular and Plus), three colors, three … [Read more...]
New Boutique Watch Company, Olio, Launches Smartwatch
There have been one or two smartwatch announcements over the last year, mostly coming as extensions of already well-established companies. For all the trumpeting, (and with Pebble as a very notable exception), actual new smartwatch companies are pretty thin on the ground. That's one reason that Olio is so interesting. Here's a company, based in Silicon Valley, with roots in … [Read more...]
Baselworld: Mondiane Shows The First MMT Platform Watch
Mondiane, perhaps best known for its iconic Swiss Railways watch face, today announced the first fruits of the recent MMT smartwatch alliance that puts technology from Philippe Kahn's Fullpower Technologies into watches that can be labeled as "Swiss Made." The Helvetica No 1 Smart has a brushed steel case, white dial, sapphire crystal, and a soft leather strap. It looks like … [Read more...]
Baselworld: will.i.am and Gucci Link Up
Remember will.i.am's PULS wearable? It debuted to much fanfare in October but, despite tremendous promise, has yet to hit the streets. Today, will.i.am and Gucci announced a development partnership to "create an innovative wearable device concept." The PULS is a lovely and innovative device -- it operates untethered and uses an interesting and internally developed UI -- … [Read more...]
TAG Heuer & Intel Unveil Android Wear Smartwatch at Baselworld [UPDATED]
![TAG Heuer & Intel Unveil Android Wear Smartwatch at Baselworld [UPDATED]](https://wearablesinsider.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2015/03/449c820954ad2bf022f50cd6384ca8989a8d5ce6-150x150.jpg)
The watch industry's big trade fair, Baselworld, started today, and the first smartwatch announcement is a bit of a deflation. TAG Heuer and Intel went public with their much-rumored alliance, but it turns out that the software behind it will be Android Wear. Reuters reports that the hardware will be based on TAG Heuer's popular Carerra design, pictured here. There are many … [Read more...]
Re/Code Tries on Tech Clothing; Wishes It Were Better
A reporter for Re/code built a feature story out of trying tech workout clothing from Athos, OmSignal, and Sensoria. She basically acknowledged why someone would want it, but eventually came to the conclusion that it's a little early for general adoption. The drawbacks: none of it, she said, works all that well. Looking at a smartphone (which is how all these devices report … [Read more...]
Chinese Tech Giant Huawei Opens “Aesthetics” Design Center in Paris
Huawei is an immense tech company that you may not have heard of if you're entirely US-centric. It focuses mostly on its domestic Chinese market, India, and emerging economies. You know: most of the world. It had a huge presence at Mobile World Congress. If there was any doubt, though, that its ambitions are large, word comes today that Huawei is opening a "Paris Aesthetics … [Read more...]
Apple Watch Wins Because Function Follows Form, Says Analyst
There's a very nicely reasoned piece on Ben Thompson's StraTechEry site this morning, arguing that Apple's emphasis on design in the Apple Watch is the very thing that will create demand for new types of interactions with devices. Essentially, Thompson argues, the function of wearables won't matter unless people are persuaded to wear them in the first place: There has been … [Read more...]
Want an Apple Watch? Think High Street, Not Main Street
So it's April 24, you want to buy an Apple Watch, but the lines at the Apple Store are too long. Sorry, but don't head to your AT&T store, because they won't have it. You may have better luck at a fashion retailer. WWD, the fashion bible, reports that the Watch will be available at a roster of stores not necessarily known for technology. Places like Galeries Lafayette in … [Read more...]