iwatch
Latest
Now Apple files for iWatch trademark in Mexico, Taiwan, and Turkey
Just yesterday word spread through the technology sphere that Apple had filed for an iWatch trademark in Japan. The news seemed to give some limited credence to earlier rumors that Apple had filed for the same iWatch trademark in Russia. Now, less than 24 hours after that Japan trademark surfaced, trademark registrations for iWatch have appeared in Mexico, Taiwan and Turkey, according to MacRumors. As I wrote yesterday, a trademark registration does not mean the imminent arrival of Apple's fabled smartwatch. However, the fact that Apple is registering iWatch in countries across the globe does now seem to strongly suggest that work on the device is well underway and we may see it early next year. But only time will tell.
The Daily Roundup for 07.01.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Apple files for 'iWatch' trademark in Japan
Apple has filed for an "iWatch" trademark in Japan, according to Yahoo! Japan. This trademark filing is significant because Japan is the second known locale in which Apple has filed a trademark for its mythical future product. Last month, Apple applied for an "iWatch" trademark in Russia. The Japanese trademark says the "iWatch" mark refers to a "handheld computer" and "watch device." Does this second filing mean an iWatch is imminent? Probably not. It's doubtful we'll see an iWatch before 2014. What this trademark filing is probably doing is just reserving the mark for Apple. The company is obviously aware of all the speculation around its rumored watch device and likely wants to reserve the "iWatch" name for itself so a competitor doesn't claim it and start selling their own watch that consumers might mistake as Apple's.
Apple files application for 'iWatch' trademark in Japan
Evidence is mounting that Apple might out a smartwatch in the near future after Yahoo Japan noticed that the company applied for the "iWatch" trademark in Japan on June 3rd. Our Japanese editor noticed that several other companies have applied for that term as well, though this one (released on June 27th) is from Apple Inc. of Cupertino. That follows a patent application from Apple we saw earlier in the year for a watch-like AMOLED device that proposed a slap bracelet, kinetic energy charger and "end-detection" user sensor, among other features. In addition, other rumors from Bloomberg back in February suggested that 100 Apple employees were working on a smartwatch of some kind. If we don't see a device after all that, Cupertino's gone to a heck of a lot of trouble for nothing. Check after the break for a screen grab (in Japanese) of the trademark application. Update: As it turns out, Cook and Co. have applied for the "iWatch" trademark in Mexico and Taiwan too. A Russian newspaper claims that Apple has also filed for the trademark in the country, but the official paperwork hasn't surfaced quite yet.
Daily Update for June 27, 2013
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
Who needs Apple? Foxconn makes an iPhone-friendly smartwatch
Apple has not announced an iWatch, as many folks hoped it would, and that didn't bother Foxconn. The company that manufactures most of Apple's iPhones and iPads has made its own iPhone-compatible smartwatch, which it showed off earlier this week. The watch looks relatively simple, but it can check your pulse and respiration, as well as interact with Facebook and Messages, all while your phone is still in your pocket. There's no information about a launch just yet, but this basically sounds like a proof of concept, a sign that Foxconn is ready to create a device for the quickly growing wearable market. Apple hasn't announced anything yet (and may not ever), but given the rise of Google Glass and other iPhone-compatible wearable electronics, there's certainly a growing expectation that the biggest mobile device manufacturer in the world will eventually step into the wearable market. [via Engadget]
Tim Cook thinks Google Glass lacks broad appeal, but wearables are 'incredibly interesting'
Today on stage at the D11 conference, Tim Cook indicated that Apple's interested in wearable tech, including Google Glass, even though he thinks it's "tough to see it [Glass] having a broad-range appeal." When asked about the current state of wearables, he mentioned that fitness devices like the Nike FuelBand (he owns one) perform well, but devices that attempt to do more than one thing haven't impressed him thus far. Generally, he sees wearables as "an area that's ripe for exploration" and that "there will be tons of companies involved" in making such devices. He also mentioned that biometric sensors, in particular, are an area of growth that Apple will be watching with interest, and Cook sees the potential of the wearables space to accelerate the industry further into a Post-PC era as smartphones and tablets did. When asked about Apple's plans to make a wearable, Cook wouldn't comment on the existence (or non existence) of an iWatch. So, while this is far from a confirmation of a forthcoming Apple wearable, it seems certain that the crew in Cupertino is considering them carefully. Update: Check out the video of Cook's comments embedded after the break. Follow along with our D11 liveblog right here.
Apple CEO Tim Cook's interview at D11 is tomorrow, get your liveblog here!
Just a year after Tim Cook sat down for his first non-financial interview as CEO of Apple, the man himself is back for yet another round. He'll be seated in Rancho Palos Verdes, California tomorrow evening at the D11 conference, taking questions from hosts Kara Swisher and Walt Mossberg, and we'll be liveblogging every moment of it. The interview is taking place with under a fortnight to go until Apple's WWDC, where we're expecting to see details on iOS 7, the Mac lineup and perhaps a glimpse at whatever the company is (presumably) cooking up in the wearables department. The action begins at 6PM PT (9PM ET) tomorrow, so feel free to bookmark this link and return at the time listed below. Tues May 28 06:00:00 PM PDT 2013
Talkcast tonight, 10 pm ET: Watching the detectives
At last weekend's Engadget Expand conference, three Apple-centric brains put on their thinking caps to forecast the company's next big product move. Although analyst Gene Munster, blogger/investor MG Siegler and our own fearless leader Victor Agreda, Jr. may not have found consensus on the prospects for an Apple-branded TV set, they all did agree that there's a wearable device (presumably worn on the wrist) coming in the not too distant future. Now's your opportunity to chime in, tonight at 10 pm ET. The Talkcast is about watches: making them smart, making them useful and making them Apple-style. Is the hypothetical iWatch a product you could use, or just an expensive and unneeded luxury? Call in, we'll talk. To participate live during the show, you can use the browser-only Talkshoe client, the embedded Facebook app, or download the classic TalkShoe Pro Java client; however, the best way to have your voice heard is to call in. For the web UI, just click the Talkshoe Web button on our profile page at 4 HI/7 PDT/10 pm EDT Sunday. To call in on regular phone or VoIP lines (viva free weekend minutes!): dial (724) 444-7444 and enter our talkcast ID, 45077 -- during the call, you can request to talk by keying in *8. If you've got a headset or microphone handy on your Mac, you can connect via the free X-Lite or other SIP clients (aside from Skype or Google Voice), basic instructions are here. Talk to you tonight!
Apple patent app describes flexible, wearable, watch-like AMOLED device
Apples and oranges watches. Today's bumper pack of patent applications from Cupertino included this nugget, outlining a small flexible screen that's paired with a "bi-stable spring." In normal lexicon, we're talking about one of those slap bracelets that go from completely straight to wrap-around in an instant. Interestingly enough, Apple isn't the only tech company sniffing around these bracelets as a possible holster for their tech -- Nokia mused on slightly similar notions back in March 2012. This is an application, so most of what today's filing tells us is certainly not set in stone, but new ideas include a "kinetic energy gathering component" within the band -- like the trickle charge feature found on watches -- to pump energy back into the device. One example embodiment of the idea includes a touchscreen interface that will allow music browsing, phone call reviews and even text input through a "simple virtual keyboard." The concept also mentions AMOLED screen tech, as those deactivated (so, black) pixels would assist in eking out battery life in a device where space is definitely at a premium. The filing also suggests that the device could house an end-detection sensor, allowing the wearable to configure itself to each user, regardless of differing wrist measurements, and deactivate sections of the flexible display that aren't on show. This particular application was made in August 2011 -- a fair while before the recent increase in iWatch murmurings. As is the case with Apple's patent contributions, however, we'll wait to see whether the patent is granted and whether these ideas will ever crystallize into a genuine product. In the meantime, maybe it's time to buy up some snap bracelets on eBay: they might just be making a comeback.
Editorial: iWatch app speculation is filler, not killer
Innovation is problem-solving. Radical innovation is seeing normalcy as problematic, and solving it. That level of invention, which solves a generally unrecognized problem to create a new product category, or user experience, can be difficult to recognize in the conceptual stage. A far-reaching idea can seem trivial if it solves routineness. Sometimes it takes the product itself, the manifested experience, to demonstrate how to rise above the customary. Email solved postal mail, which died another incremental death last week by announcing a proposal to end Saturday letter deliveries. Cell phones solved the disconnect between phones and the walking-around life. Mobile apps solved the gap between computers and cell phones. Perhaps HTML5 will solve apps. So forgive me if I'm being small-minded, but Bruce Tognazzini's speculative manifesto about an Apple iWatch fails to make a convincing futurist case for the imagined device -- despite whipping up a whirlwind of attention. What is the future of wearable computing?
NYT: Apple experimenting with wrist-worn iOS devices using curved glass (updated)
Rumors of Apple building a watch-like device have existed since time immemorial -- they've built up the same near-mythical status that the iPhone did pre-2007, or a TV set does today. The New York Times, however, claims that the watch concept exists as more than just some fan art. Reportedly, Apple has been "experimenting" with wrist-wearable devices that would run iOS and use curved glass. Other details are left to feverish speculation, although the OS choice suggests it would be more than just a glorified iPod nano watch. Before we get too excited, we'd do well to remember that any testing in a design lab doesn't equate to production plans: the company might well scrap its work before it ever becomes public, if it's indeed real to start with. Still, there have been enough advances in flexible displays and miniaturization that the notion of connected, wearable Apple gear is no longer as far-fetched as it once seemed. Update: Not to be left out, the Wall Street Journal has made a similar claim. It adds that Apple has explored possibilities with its contract manufacturer Foxconn, although there's not much more to learn at this stage.
Kickstarter project aims to add Bluetooth and waterproofing to your nano-powered iWatch
iPod Nano watches have taken off. With the addition of a well designed strap, your iPod Nano becomes an iWatch with different time faces, a music library, pedometer and a cool touch screen interface. But some things have been lacking. For instance, the iWatch is obviously not waterproof, like so many traditional watches out there. And what about taking your iWatch to the next level with Bluetooth? Wouldn't it be cool to be able to stream your music to wireless speakers from your wrist? Boombotix seem to think so. Through a Kickstarter project aiming to raise US$17,000, Boombotix is hoping to release the Proof: an iPod Nano watch strap with all-round rugged protection and three interchangeable adapters. One for waterproofing, a slightly larger adapter with Bluetooth support for wireless audio devices and one that simply locks your Nano into the strap as is for use with headphones. If this sounds like the iWatch you've been looking for, check out the Kickstarter promo video here and the Boombotix website here. [Via PCWorld]
Incipio Linq keeps the iPod nano watch craze going with $25 'carrying solution'
Did you find the iLoveHandles iPod nano wrist strap a little bit too restrained? Never fear, Incipio has served up this new Linq case, which swells up the 6th-gen nano with an ostentatiously rugged shell, a velcro strap, and a couple of daring new color options. Whether you're a fan of baby pink or macho blue, there will be a Linq... just for you. Damn, you can build a whole advertising campaign around that. Anyhow, this new take on the iWatch concept will be available early next month for $25 with additional straps setting you back another $10. Or you can just buy a real watch -- the choice, as always, is yours.
iLoveHandles turns nano iPods into oversized watches
What happens when Apple introduces a square-shaped new iPod and adorns it with an analog watch face for a lock screen? A whole new cottage industry sprouts up, whereby entrepreneurial types dust off old and mostly worthless watch straps, cut out an iPod nano-shaped compartment in them, and charge you $19.99 for the privilege of turning your tiny PMP into a somewhat bulky wristwatch. The saddest part about this is that we've got a feeling they might be on to a winner here.
Visualized: the Apple iWatch
Japanese freelance writer Kei Ogikubo was seemingly in attendance at Apple's fall event, and wasted no time affixing the new iPod nano to his black watch strap. This week, he's causing tech journalists around the globe to ask themselves the fatal question: "Why didn't I think of that?" Speaking of questions, it sounds like the answer to ours may well be "all of the above." Image copyright: ogikubokei.
