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Apple is allowing Solo Loop returns without sending back the Watch
Apple is now letting Watch buyers send back the Loop Solo bands without returning the entire Watch.
Replacing an Apple Watch Solo Loop could be a headache
Good luck replacing your new Apple Watch Solo Loop if it doesn't fit.
Amazon Halo is a subscription fitness wearable and platform
Amazon's launching its own Fitbit rival, with a screen-free wristband and an app that can do at-home body fat scans.
Wyze's Alexa-equipped fitness tracker costs $25
Smart home security company Wyze announced last month its plans to launch an Alexa-supported fitness tracker, among other products. Now, the wearable -- simply called the Wyze Band -- has arrived, and is available now as part of an early access launch, and to the general public from April.
Dropkick Murphys will livestream a St. Patrick’s Day show with no audience
The Dropkick Murphys have been playing St. Patrick's Day shows for 24 years. This year the show, like most things, will be a little different. In an attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19, the band is canceling its regular concert but will livestream a free performance tomorrow at 7pm ET.
Wyze is working on a fitness tracker that puts Alexa on your wrist
Wyze initially made a name for itself offering home security devices for low prices, but a major data leak at the end of 2019 -- where the sensitive information of 2.4 million customers was exposed -- has put big question marks over its reputation as a security company. Nonetheless, Wyze seems determined to put its past transgressions behind it, and is working on a bunch of new products -- one of the more interesting of which is the Wyze Band with Alexa.
Microsoft ends support for the Band wearable on May 31st
It's been over two years since Microsoft discontinued its Band fitness wearable and axed any future plans for it. Now, tech giant is putting the product line to rest: it's shutting down the Health Dashboard and pulling all Band apps from the iOS App Store, Google Play and the Microsoft Store on May 31st. It will also be deleting all the data users uploaded to the Health dashboard that day.
Aura squeezes its fitness band into an Apple Watch 'Smart Strap'
In May Aura closed a relatively modest $109,000 Kickstarter for its Band, a fitness tracker that it says uses biompedance analysis to monitor "fat, muscle mass, minerals, and body water." We spoke to the people behind the Band, who said it is available for sale now and starting to ship to backers -- it was scheduled to ship in August, but comments on the page suggest few, if any have received one yet.
The Japanese ensemble making music from old tape reels
Open Reel Ensemble doesn't play conventional instruments, like guitars, drums and keyboards. Instead, the Japanese band uses reel-to-reel tape recorders built by Pioneer and TEAC in the 1970s and '80s. They weren't designed, of course, with musical creation and manipulation in mind. Ei Wada, the leader of Open Reel Ensemble, discovered their performative qualities by accident. More than 15 years ago, he was given a couple of tape recorders by a friend of his father who worked at a radio station. He tripped over them one day and, in a mixture of panic and sadness, tried to rotate the broken reels with his hands. To his surprise, the sound changed.
Microsoft Band 3 prototype reveals the wearable that might have been
When Microsoft killed its Band wearables, a leak emerged of what was believed to be the cancelled third-generation model. Well, it's real -- and it says a lot about what Microsoft was thinking before it pulled the plug. Windows Central has obtained a Band 3 prototype and given it a shakedown to see how well it would have worked. True to the rumors, the biggest deals were the additions of waterproofing, swim tracking and (most importantly) an electrocardiogram sensor to track your blood pressure. We now know that the Band 3 could tell if you were stressed out, check your body temperature or otherwise track your health beyond fundamentals like heart rate and calorie burn.
FDA clears first EKG band for the Apple Watch
AliveCor's KardiaBand, a device that detect dangerous heart rhythms, has become the first Apple Watch accessory cleared for medical use by the FDA, the company announced. It can capture your EKG in 30 seconds, then detect problems like atrial fibrillation, a type of heart arrhythmia.
Preorder AIAIAI's wireless upgrade for its modular headphones
In 2015, AIAIAI introduced its TMA-2 modular system that lets you configure your headphones with on- or over-ear cans, different drivers, cables and other options. Perhaps the most useful option was the H05 Bluetooth band that let you go cable-free, first unveiled for a Kickstarter campaign late in 2016. That option is now on pre-order for all at $125 (£120) with delivery expected in three to four weeks.
Nike's latest Apple Watch bands match your VaporMax shoes
You probably haven't thought about color-coordinating your smartwatch with your running shoes, but Nike is willing to give it a shot. The sportswear brand is launching four Apple Watch bands that are designed to match its upcoming Nike Air VaporMax Flyknit "Day to Night" runners. If you're determined to look the part while you run (and track) a half-marathon, you don't have to give up Nike's sweat-friendly perforated strap.
Microsoft was working on a Band that tracked your swimming
Just because Microsoft axed its Band wearable doesn't mean that there wasn't another Band in the works. Windows Central forum goer FUD Hater has posted what he says are details and images of a third-generation Band. Reportedly, the activity tracker's star attraction would have been watersport -- much like the latest Apple Watch, you'd have had water resistance and a swimming workout mode. Microsoft would have one-upped its rivals through an EKG sensor with blood pressure monitoring, however, and there's also talk of RFID support.
Microsoft discontinues its Band fitness wearable
The Microsoft Band is likely no more. While signs pointed to the wearable line's possible demise a few weeks ago, there was always the chance that the tech giant would flip its noncommittal stance and announce a Band 3. But the final nail seems to be in its coffin: As of today, every listing and mention of the fitness wearable has been completely removed from the company's Store site.
Fender's FXA2 in-ear monitors sound great onstage and off
When you think "Fender," your brain conjures up images of guitars, of long-haired tattooed musicians exploding into ear-piercing solos. It's an appropriate assessment -- the Stratocaster (or one of its many clones) is usually the first instrument of aspiring rock gods. What you don't think about are earbuds. But after a recent acquisition, the guitar maker is hoping to change that with its line of in-ear monitors.
Microsoft renames its Health app after the Band wearable
Sure, Microsoft may not be releasing a new version of its Band activity tracker this year. But that hasn't stopped the company from rebranding its generically named Health app on Android, as noticed by Paul Thurrott. "We've got a new name! The Microsoft Health app is now the Microsoft Band app, everything else is the same," the patch notes say.
Microsoft probably won't release a Band 3 this year
Microsoft has no plans to release a new Band this year and reportedly disbanded a team that was working on a port to Windows 10, according to ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley. In response to a question about the device's future, it said it will continue to sell and support the current Microsoft Band 2, but was otherwise noncommittal. Sources inside the company, meanwhile, say that no new device is coming in 2016, and if one launches one after that, it'll still run custom firmware, not Windows 10.
Unofficial Apple Watch battery band put on hold
There's a good reason why you don't want to base a business around unsupported solutions to other companies' problems: those companies can break compatibility at any given moment. And unfortunately, Reserve Strap is discovering this first-hand. The company has stopped shipping its namesake Apple Watch battery band to most customers after learning that WatchOS 2.0.1 and later breaks the strap's charging functionality... you know, its reason for being. Reportedly, Apple doesn't want anyone using the Watch's hidden port (tucked just inside one of the band slots) until there's an MFi accessory program in place.
Apple Watch gets a price cut to $299, along with new bands
It's been just over a year since Apple announced the Watch, but we're not getting a new model just yet. Instead, Apple used its "Loop You In" event to announce a few new bands. The most dramatic change in style comes from the new nylon straps with a unique "four-layer construction." Leaks suggested they'd be something like the military-inspired "NATO" bands popular in the '70s, but instead they'll arrive in a range of neon colors: blue, pink and orange.
