Digitimes is frequently wrong, although its tech coverage specializes in getting close to suppliers and working from there. That's why it's interesting to note that they're reporting that the Apple Watch display will be an AMOLED screen made by LG -- and that LG is on the hook to supply 5 million screens a month, and that Apple expects to sell more than 50 million watches in … [Read more...]
Gruber Predicts a $5,000 Apple Watch
One of the best tech blogs going John Gruber's Daring Fireball. Gruber's a programmer -- he wrote the increasingly common Markdown editor -- and is particularly insightful about most things Apple-related. Gruber's posted a long and thoughtful take about the Apple Watch that's well worth reading. He suggests that the Watch is Apple's play not only into the general consumer … [Read more...]
Misfit Unveils the Flash: Same Function, Plastic, and Half the Price
Misfit, makers of the popular Shine fitness tracker, has taken the wraps off its second piece of wristware, with the same functionality of the Shine but at half the price. The Flash is made of soft-touch plastic and comes in seven colors, some of them quite bright and attention-getting. Like the Shine, it can be worn in a sport band or a pocket clip. And like the Shine, it … [Read more...]
Five Small Items in an Apple Watch Roundup
There's a bunch of little pieces in the news about the Apple Watch, none of them really worth their own abstract. So we're pulling them all into one briefing: -- Two hospitals will be experimenting with Apple's HealthKit software, coming at the end of this week in iOS8. Stanford University Hospital is working with Apple on bloodlessly measuring glucose levels. And Duke … [Read more...]
Smartwatch Coming From HTC?
HTC made the first Android phone and has built some sweet units since, although they've had some clunkers along the way, too. There have been rumors that they were coming after the watch business, too, but then there were rumors that they were spooked and backed off. Now, the company is reportedly back in. Cnet says HTC will release a smartwatch running a heavily modified … [Read more...]
As a Timepiece, the Apple Watch Scores. But.
The vast majority of electrons that have been spilled about the Apple Watch have come from tech journalists to are, at best, qualified to write about technology and not a lot else. Certainly not about fashion. But the Apple Watch needs to function as a timepiece and appeal to watch fans and fashionistas, who sensibly seem to have stayed silent until they could get their hands … [Read more...]
Announcing the Apple Watch. $349. Early 2015.
It looks kind of boxy, in a rounded kind of way. Gorgeous screen, but not curved, as rumors had it. Innovative UI. Two sizes, three editions, six interchangeable bands. Starts at $349. Available early 2015. Requires an iPhone 5 or iPhone 6. About those editions: The base Apple Watch has a case made of steel alloy. The Apple Sport has an aluminum case, and the Apple edition … [Read more...]
iFixit Moto360 Teardown
The excellent folks at iFixit break tech gear so you don't have to. Today, they've posted a teardown of the Moto360 smartwatch, which is good because they're apparently pretty hard to get. In a mere 21 steps, they strip the thing down to its guts, show what hardware tech went into the thing, and demonstrate you probably don't want to the same thing yourself. Replacing the … [Read more...]
Monday Morning iWatch Rumor Roundup
The trickle of rumors about the forthcoming Apple wearable is becoming a torrent. Rather than cluttering the site with every one, here's a roundup of what people think they know as of Monday's East Coast start of business: 1. There'll be an app store for the iWatch and major software developers have been seeded with an SDK. This doesn't really qualify as news so much as Duh. … [Read more...]
Offline Music, GPS and Watchfaces Coming to Android Wear This Year
Now that the first Android Wear watches are on the market, it's time for Google to announce what's next for the software. A post on Google's official blog said today that AW watches will be able to play back music stored on them over Bluetooth headphones, without the need to tether to a smartphone. Also, AW will enable GPS functions, allowing wearers to not get lost -- or, at … [Read more...]