Apple Watch
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iPhones and China fuel Apple's growth, not the Watch
It's that time again — Apple just dropped its Q3 2015 earnings and despite missing Wall Street's always-lofty expectations, it's been a solid three months of growth thanks to the two usual suspects. Say it with us now, folks: It's all thanks to the iPhone and China. (If you're the sort who cares, Apple just missed most Wall Street estimates by posting earnings of $1.85 per share.)
Chris Velazco07.21.2015
The best of Public Access Vol. 5: Paying tribute to a gaming giant
It is with great sadness that the world mourns a man responsible for many treasured gaming memories. Nintendo President Satoru Iwata, who died Saturday, had a history with the company that pre-dated even Mario. In honor of Mr. Iwata and Nintendo's cultural impact, we're turning to the Public Access community for your tributes to the consoles, controllers and games that Iwata and co. made possible. On a lighter, still nostalgic note, y'all continue to excite our inner-childhood geeks with reflections on your early human-machine interactions. These rememberings and an explainer on drone journalism make up the best Public Access entries of the week that was. It's all available for you after the break, so dig in. P.S. The homepage is coming soon! in the meantime you can check out the latest from Public Access right here. Not a member? Apply, and keep the weird alive.
Christopher Trout07.16.2015
Apple Watch getting the same anti-theft security as the iPhone
One thing Apple failed to mention last night at its WWDC 2015 shindig is that its WatchOS 2 update will have much improved security. Early Watch adopters noticed that all a thief would need to do to pair the wearable with a new iPhone would be to reset it. Although that's documented as a "feature" in case you forget your passcode, Watch will get the same Activation Lock as an iPhone when WatchOS 2 arrives this fall. Activating it will then require your iCloud Apple ID and Password, making it effectively useless for thieves. Apple may have also made the move because the new OS will support native apps, so more of your personal info could end up in the Watch's 8GB of internal storage.
Steve Dent06.09.2015
Apple's WatchOS 2 update brings native apps, new features
When Apple's Watch first arrived, we couldn't help but notice that the first third-party apps on it were a tad sluggish. But that's because they were running on an iPhone and not natively on the Watch, as Apple's own health tracker and other apps do. That's about to change now, however, as Tim Cook just unveiled a new WatchKit SDK at Apple's WWDC 2015 event that opens up all the wearable's functionality to developers in advance of the Watch OS2 release this fall. That means app-makers will be able to tap the Digital Crown, health and orientation sensors, "taptic" feedback feature and more.
Steve Dent06.08.2015
Here's what our readers think of the Apple Watch
Long-awaited and eagerly anticipated by many, the Apple Watch finally arrived in April to fairly positive reviews. In our own write-up of Apple's first wearable, we admired its construction, calling it the finest we've ever seen from a smartwatch and similar to "something made by Tag Heuer or Cartier." In use, we found it "straightforward, if not always intuitive" with good notifications and comprehensive activity-tracking abilities. However, we had our reservations, noting that while it was the nicest smartwatch available, it wasn't very revolutionary and as such: "It's probably not compelling enough to buy one." But many of you did buy one, and you let us know in your reviews whether you were amazed by its capabilities or merely found it acceptable for a first-generation product.
Kris Naudus06.04.2015
Apple Watch finally arrives at Apple Stores in two weeks
Apple says the Watch will finally hit its US retail stores in two weeks, and it expects to clear up most of its May pre-order backlog by then, as well. The wearable is also coming to seven more countries starting June 26th, namely Italy, Mexico, Spain, Taiwan, Singapore, Switzerland and South Korea. Folks there will also be able to grab it at Apple's online and retail stores, along with other select upscale outlets. The news is a pretty good sign that Apple is beginning to clear its order backlog, though it emphasized that demand had "surpassed our expectations."
Steve Dent06.04.2015
Apple Watch charges faster with secret port, but not by much
Apple doesn't want you hacking around its Watch, so it was kind of a deal when an accessory maker discovered a diagnostic port that would enable just that. The company, Reserve Strap, now has a video (below) that proves direct charging via the port is about 5 percent faster than the standard inductive way. While that might not sound like a lot, it confirms that it'll be relatively easy to build straps that add battery life and other functionality. In fact, Reserve Strap pivoted on its own design ($250 on preorder) after making the discovery, as shown below. If that's too rich for your blood, we imagine other accessory makers will now follow suit.
Steve Dent05.28.2015
Fetch's shopping app puts a smarter concierge on your wrist
Talking into a smartwatch still isn't the most socially acceptable thing to do, but a pair of startups is hell-bent on at least making it worthwhile. Fetch and Expect Labs -- a personal shopping service and a purveyor of a voice-driven AI, respectively -- have teamed up to make shopping on your Apple Watch a little less tedious with an improved concierge that works from your wrist.
Chris Velazco05.19.2015
Your Apple Watch can be reset pretty easily (update)
Apple's Activation Lock made the iPhone less desirable to thieves, since they'd also need your Apple password to use it. The Watch is supposed to be similarly unhackable, but the built-in security apparently doesn't work very well, according to a site called iDownloadBlog. It demonstrated that the passcode protection that's supposed to kick in when you take the watch off can easily be bypassed by "force touching" the power-off option, as shown in the video below. That will erase everything sans passcode, letting thieves pair your Watch with another iPhone and make it their own. Since the Watch is currently desirable and hard to get, Apple had better jump on the problem, stat. Update: The bypass is documented as a feature on Apple's support site, as a way in if you've forgotten the passcode, and don't have the paired iPhone around. While some sort of activation lock seems like a good idea in case of theft, Apple clearly knows this workaround exists, and has opted on the edge of convenience over additional theft protection for now. [Thanks, Glenn Fleishman!]
Steve Dent05.14.2015
I regret buying an Apple Watch (and I knew I would)
I bought an Apple Watch. I didn't preorder it, because at first I didn't even want one. I warned people who asked me about the company's first wearable: These things (Apple things) always get much better on the second attempt. Apple's product history, perhaps even more so than other tech companies, is peppered with examples: the substantially thinner second iPad, the next iPhone that had 3G data, the MacBook Air sequel that had decent battery life and a slimmer design. Despite knowing that, something changed for me. I became an early adopter.
Mat Smith05.13.2015
Keep tabs on your Volkswagen with the Apple Watch
Volkswagen America announced Tuesday that its Car-Net app is coming to the Apple Watch and will allow drivers to remotely interact with their cars using it. The Car-Net platform is VW's driver safety and fuel efficiency suite. It offers features like automatic crash emergency response notifications, remote vehicle access and "health updates" on wearing parts like brake pads -- all delivered through the Car-Net mobile app. Now, instead of fishing for their phones in pockets and purses, drivers of many 2014 and newer VW vehicles worldwide will simply have to look at their wrists to know how their cars are doing.
Andrew Tarantola05.05.2015
Apple confirms tattoos can mess with the Watch's heart sensor
After the Internet was awash with reports that tattoos can negatively affect the Apple Watch's heart rate sensor, Apple has confirmed the issue on its website. In a page dedicated to explaining how the Watch captures your vitals, the company notes: "Permanent or temporary changes to your skin, such as some tattoos, can also impact heart rate sensor performance," adding that "the ink, pattern, and saturation of some tattoos can block light from the sensor, making it difficult to get reliable readings."
Matt Brian05.01.2015
Here's the Apple Watch torn apart for your pleasure
You likely won't be able to repair the Apple Watch on your own -- shocking, we know. The gadget eviscerators over at iFixit put the Apple Watch under the knife today, just as people who've preordered the Watch have begun receiving their shipments. After a complete dissection, iFixit ended up giving the Apple Watch a repairability score of five out of 10 -- making it something you likely wouldn't want to mess with. Removing the screen was "difficult, but not impossible," iFixit said, and once you've dealt with that the battery is "quite easy to remove." But anything beyond the battery, including the Taptic Engine and Apple's S1 chip, is pretty much out of bounds. Basically, if you're getting an Apple Watch, consider an Apple Care plan, or be ready to pay hefty fees in case anything goes wrong.
Devindra Hardawar04.24.2015
Misfit's Apple Watch app is a tiny, fast-paced fitness coach
If you can get a decent workout in just a few minutes, you've got no excuse to be a lazy bum. That's the thinking behind Misfit Minute, a new Apple Watch app launching today from the fitness wearable company Misfit. The app basically takes the place of a fitness coach, leading you through a series of exercises in one, four or seven minute intervals. Every session targets different parts of your body, and the app also keeps track of your progress to keep you extra motivated. It doesn't send your workouts to Misfit's mobile health apps yet, which power its many wearables, but the company says that's coming soon. Sure, it's not as fully featured as a full-fledged fitness app, but Misfit Minute is a good example of the focused experiences we can expect from other Apple Watch apps.
Devindra Hardawar04.23.2015
Here's how much you'll pay to protect that Apple Watch
Scores of you - an obscene number, maybe - have already pre-ordered your Apple Watch. Perhaps you even sauntered into a well-appointed Apple Store-within-a-store for some valuable shopping advice before you took the plunge. Regardless, after you've made up your mind about which fancy wrist-computer will be yours in several weeks, you might want to take a look at how much Apple wants to protect it for you.
Chris Velazco04.10.2015
What it's like to shop for an Apple Watch
The Apple Watch is unlike any product the Cupertino company has released before. To succeed, it needs to appeal as both a useful gadget and a luxury timepiece that people want to wear on their wrists. With this in mind, Apple has chosen to display its debut wearable in more than just the retail meccas where it normally sells its iPhones, iPads, iMacs and MacBooks. It's also built special "shops-within-shops" inside a trio of high-end department stores in Tokyo, London and Paris. We visited the one in England, which resides inside the famous Selfridges department store on Oxford Street.
Nick Summers04.10.2015Apple Watch and MacBook pre-orders are open (updated)
Apple's Watch is now on pre-order at Apple's Store, but unlike Katy Perry, you're going to have to wait until at least April 24th to get one. It could take a lot longer than that if you don't order one sooner than later, however, and if time is of the essence, you may have to settle for a model you didn't have your heart set on. Apple said that it expects "strong customer demand will exceed our supply at launch," and information on the Apple Store backs that up. For instance, the 38mm sport model is shipping between April 24th and May 8th, but the 42mm model isn't going out until May 8th at the earliest.
Steve Dent04.10.2015
Apple's secret fitness lab revealed by 'Good Morning America'
Apple just gave Good Morning America a first look at its secretive fitness lab, where it's spent the past few years putting employees through a battery of tests. And no, they didn't even know they were helping the company get ready for the Apple Watch, which packs in a bevy of sensors for health tracking. "We hooked them up with all the masks and so forth, but we would put on an Apple Watch covered up," Apple SVP of operations Jeff Williams told ABC. Still, we can't imagine Apple's workers didn't know something was up. Aside from all the sensors, and the fact that it's in a nondescript office building, the lab doesn't look that much different from your average gym -- it's packed with treadmills, fitness bikes, and rowing machines. And, most intriguingly, there are climate chambers which allow Apple to replicate a variety of different places (it also tested the Watch all over the world).
Devindra Hardawar03.20.2015
A new MacBook, net neutrality and other stories you might've missed!
Did you miss some of this week's biggest stories? Fear not, because we have you covered. First up, check out our impressions of Apple's new MacBook, then read Jeb Bush's thoughts on net neutrality (hint: it's crazy) and take a closer look at the Apple Watch. You can find all this and more in our weekend roundup.
Dave Schumaker03.14.2015
As Apple moves into fitness, rival wearables vanish from stores
Apple is pitching its first smartwatch as the ultimate health and fitness coach, so of course, it doesn't want to remind customers about the competition. According to Re/code, the company is no longer selling the Nike+ FuelBand and Jawbone Up, among other popular activity trackers, in its flagship retail stores across San Francisco, Palo Alto, Los Angeles and New York. As early as last October, Apple was planning to pull Fitbit hardware from its shelves ahead of the Apple Watch's launch. A cursory glance at the company's US online store shows that almost all of the wearable's competition has now been removed, save for Jawbone's Up Move clip-on pendant and Wahoo's TICKR fitness trackers.
Nick Summers03.12.2015