Boeing is reportedly in talks with major tech companies such as Apple and Google in providing “high-throughput communications satellites.”

According to Reuters:

Jim Simpson, vice president of business development and chief strategist for Boeing Network and Space Systems, told Reuters the big technology firms were keen to expand Internet access around the world to help them grow.

The real key to being able to do these type of things is ultra high-throughput capabilities, where we’re looking at providing gigabytes, terrabytes, pedabytes of capability.

Though Boeing declined to share specific details regarding the discussions, the Reuters report mentions that a deal is likely to be finalized by the end of the year. As to what Apple will do with a communications satellite is unknown at this stage, it is possible the Cupertino giant is looking to Boeing’s offerings to enhance its mapping data.

Source: Reuters

Apple has divided the Apple Watch into three collections, each featuring a distinct material — stainless steel, aluminum, and gold.

Those three collections come at three very different price points. That might make it seem easy to choose between the less expensive Apple Watch Sport, the premium Apple Watch, and the high-end Apple Watch Edition, but there are a few other factors to consider — including weight, durability, color options, and collectability. Here’s everything you need to know to pick the perfect Apple Watch collection for you.

Heavy metal

Apple uses four distinct materials in its three watch collections — 7000 Series aluminum for the Sport, 316L stainless steel for the Watch, and 18-karat gold and rose gold for the Edition. (The space gray anodization on the Sport and space black diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating on the Watch don’t add to its weight).

Apple Watch Sport (aluminum) weights:

• 38mm: 25g
• 42mm: 30g

Apple Watch (stainless steel) weights:

• 38mm: 40g
• 42mm: 50g

Apple Watch Edition (gold) weights:

• 38mm (rose gold): 54g
• 38mm (yellow gold): 55g
• 42mm (rose gold): 67g
• 43mm (yellow gold): 69g

So, if money is no object but weight — either lightness or heaviness — is important to you, that’s a good starting point.

Scratch resistance

All versions of the Apple Watch have the same density and quality of Retina display on the front, though the material used to protect that display differs between the Sport and the Watch and Edition. Likewise, all three models include inductive charging and heart-rate sensors on the rear casing, but the material used for those backs and the lenses differs.

• Apple Watch Sport offers an Ion-X glass display, composite back, hard coated optical polymer lenses.
• Apple Watch and Apple Watch Edition offer a Sapphire crystal display, ceramic cover, and sapphire lenses.

As such, if the absolute highest levels of durability are important to you, the sapphire and ceramics offered by the Watch or Edition might be important to you.

Strap ins

All Apple Watch bands are compatible with all Apple Watch cases of the same size. So the 38mm white sport band can fit the 38mm Sport, Watch, or Edition; the 42mm Milanese loop can fit the 42mm Sport, Watch, or Edition; but you can’t mix a 38mm casing with a 42mm band.

When you buy your first Apple Watch, you must choose a paired band, but those bands differ between collections. For example, the sport band included with the Edition has a matching gold pin. Other bands aren’t available as part of an initial purchase: If you’re looking into buying a Sport watch, you’re stuck with a sport band of some color unless you wish to purchase a separate band.

That said, not all bands may be available for purchase separately on launch day, and we expect certain bands to be in short supply once they are in stock. So if there’s a particular band that interests you, you may want to make sure you get it as part of your initial purchase (if available). Additionally, not every band is going to good with every collection, so if fashion is a concern, getting a collection that Apple has carefully matched may end up looking better for you in the long run.

Bands also have their own distinct weights; Rob Griffiths of Many Tricks collected and created a spreadsheet with each collection’s band weights and options, if you want to weigh your choices.

Apple Watch Sport collection includes:

• Silver case with white sport band
• Silver case with blue sport band
• Silver case with green sport band
• Silver case with pink sport band
• Space gray case with black sport band

Apple Watch collection includes:

• Steel case with white sport band
• Steel case with black sport band
• Steel case with black classic buckle
• Steel case with Milanese loop
• Steel case with link bracelet
• Steel case with black modern buckle (38mm only)
• Steel case with blue modern buckle (38mm only)
• Steel case with pink modern buckle (38mm only)
• Steel case with brown modern buckle (38mm only)
• Steel case with black leather loop (42mm only)
• Steel case with blue leather loop (42mm only)
• Steel case with stone leather loop (42mm only)
• Steel case with brown leather loop (42mm only)
• Black case with link bracelet

Apple Watch Edition includes:

• Rose gold case with white sport band
• Yellow gold case with black sport band
• Rose gold case with rose pink modern buckle (38mm only)
• Yellow gold case with bright red modern buckle (38mm only)
• Yellow gold case with black classic buckle (42mm only)
• Yellow gold case with midnight blue classic buckle (42mm only)

You can add to your band options over time, but if you want a certain one now, you might want a watch from the collection that includes it.

Who should get the Apple Watch Sport?

If you’re into physical fitness and you want the lightest Apple Watch you can get; if you’re going to be rough enough with it — or likely to lose it — and want the most affordable replacement option possible; if you’re not sure about Apple Watch and want to try it out at the lowest cost-of-entry; or if you simply love the way the bead-blasted aluminum and those bright sport straps look, the Apple Watch Sport is for you.

Who should get the Apple Watch?

If you love watches and want something heavy but not too heavy; classic on the outside but ultra-modern within; made out of strong materials like stainless steel and sapphire crystal; and with the widest range of bands curated for any collection; or if you want a watch but aren’t precious about your metals, the Apple Watch is for you.

Who should get the Apple Watch Edition?

If money is no object; if you’re into haut couture, first class cabins, and 5-star or higher hotels; or if you simply want the first-run, first-expression product of Jony Ive and Marc Newson as smartwatch designers, get an Apple Watch Edition.

Ed: Welcome to this week’s edition of The Pixel Project: a weekly comic from Diesel Sweeties‘ Rich Stevens on Apple, technology, and everything in-between. Today: The Secret History of Rejected Apple Wearables

Read more comics from the Pixel Project on iMore.com.

The iPad Air 2 is an invaluable productivity tool when paired with a keyboard case that’s right for you. These are currently the best you can buy!

The iPad Air 2 is thinner, powerful, and more portable than any iPad before it. If you want to ditch your Mac and head out the door with your iPad, a well designed keyboard case can let you get some serious work done. As with most accessories, one keyboard case isn’t always one size fits all. These are currently the best iPad Air 2 keyboard cases in their respective categories.

1. ClamCase Pro

All around

The ClamCase Pro provides a decent amount of all over protection, has one of the best keyboard layouts we’ve ever used, and doesn’t add a lot of bulk. That’s why it gets our vote for best all-around keyboard case. It’s the best compromise and an option we think the vast majority of iPad Air 2 owners will love using.

• $169 – Buy now

2. ZAGG Rugged Book

Best protector

ZAGG offers a great typing experience, complete with a backlit keyboard. The Rugged Book offers the ultimate in protection as it contains several layers of shock absorbing materials. Disconnect the top portion of the case and use your iPad in tablet mode.

The Rugged Book adds some bulk but promises to protect your iPad Air 2 in the most extreme of circumstances.

• $149 – Buy now
• ZAGG Rugged Book for iPad Air 2 review

3. Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover

Best ultra-slim

The Ultrathin series by Logitech snaps on just like a Smart Cover would and protects the screen when not in use. It’s a good option for people that don’t want a keyboard cover attached all the time. The keyboard layout on the Ultrathin is spacious and a breeze to type on and the hinge lets you quickly adjust viewing angles to suit your needs.

• $79 to $89 – Buy now

4. BrydgeAir

Best quality cover

The BrydgeAir is a high quality cover style case that is made of high grade aluminum. The hinge style lets you easily slide in your iPad Air 2 and then remove it when you need to. The BrydgeAir affers a great typing experience with backlit keys and built-in speakers. It’s also one of the only options that’s compatible with both the iPad Air and iPad Air 2.

• $169 to $189 – Buy now
• BrydgeAir for iPad Air 2 review

5. Logitech Type+

Best folio

If folios are your thing, the Logitech Type+ offers a great typing experience but protects your iPad when not using it. You can also fold over the case and the keyboard gets de-activated to avoid accidental presses when using it in tablet mode. The Type+ is also available in a plethora of colors to suit any personality.

• $99 – Buy now

Your best?

If you regularly depend on a keyboard case to get things done on your iPad, what is your favorite for the iPad Air 2 and why? Be sure to let me know in the comments!

See also:

• Best keyboard cases for the original iPad Air

Doties is a minimalistic Windows Phone game that will test your speed, concentration and patience. The goal is simple – drag matching colored dots to the colored center dot. The challenge with Doties is that the center dot will randomly change colors.

Available for low-memory devices, Doties is a colorful time waster of a Windows Phone game that has a certain level of appeal. I see it being a nice option to pick up from time to time when you need a little help passing short bits of time.

MixRadio has broken away from Microsoft after the Line acquisition completed. To celebrate, MixRadio is running a limited beta program for both iOS and Android.

MixRadio today announced on its official Twitter account that this very day marks the transition to a limited company. We recently managed to take a good look at MixRadio for iOS, which was in private beta testing at the time, but now you’re able to sign up and get started with the popular music service.

Ready to get started? Check out the MixRadio website for more details on how to join the beta program.

Source: MixRadio (Twitter) (1) (2)

MixRadio has broken away from Microsoft after the Line acquisition completed, and is running a limited beta program for both iOS and Android.

Last week Apple dropped the price on the current 1080p Apple TV to $69 and announced an exclusive deal with HBO Now.

These moves make the Apple TV both more interesting and more affordable — and I have no doubt that the imminent return of Game of Thrones will help sell a lot of the little black boxes. But in the battle for the living room, with competition ranging from the ultra-cheap Chromecast to pricer if more potent consoles like Playstation 4, where does the future of Apple TV fit?

The next Apple TV

The battle for input 1 — the first HDMI port on your TV — is tough. You have lots to choose from: cable and satellite boxes, game consoles, streaming boxes, and more.

Apple entered the living room in 2007, the same year it launched the original iPhone. Based on a lobotomized version of OS X Tiger, the first Apple TV was a big, expensive silver box that ran on Intel, had a hard drive, and focused on syncing with iTunes on the desktop.

It was replaced in September 2010 by the second-generation Apple TV, a small black box that ran iOS on an A4 chipset, supported 720p video, and streamed from the cloud. In March of 2012, Apple bumped that little black box to Apple TV 3, the box we know and use today: It runs on the A5 chipset, supports up to 1080p video, and has been continually adding streaming services since its debut.

Some three years later, we’ve gone from iPhone 4s to iPhone 6, third-generation iPad to iPad Air 2, and we even almost have our hands on an Apple Watch — but that 2012 Apple TV 3 is still the latest and greatest set-top box model from Apple. And it’s showing its age.

If we compile all the rumors and dreams that have been circulating since the last Apple TV update, expectations for an Apple TV 4 certainly run high: Apple has a laptop-class processor now with Cyclone, and console-quality graphics potential with the Metal framework. That combination could stream video and play games like nobody’s business.

But it’s also expensive. The iPad mini 2, which has last year’s Cyclone processor in the Apple A7 chipset, currently starts at $299. (Coincidentally, the same price as the original Apple TV). Go to 32GB of storage, and it’s $349. (Coincidentally, the starting price of the Apple Watch).

To justify that cost, Apple would have to provide equal or greater value. Again, based on long-running rumors, that could include forward-looking support for UHD or 4K video, content deals, and/or the introduction of an Apple TV SDK that does for set-top boxes what the iPad did for tablets — turns them into a gateway to the App (Game) Store.

How we’d control it remains an open question: New, innovative remote? iPhone or iPad remote? Apple Watch remote? There are a bunch of hypothetical options to consider. (And, while we’re talking fantasy, I still love Guy English’s idea of MFi Nintendo controllers tied exclusively to Mario, Zelda, and Metroid for iOS…)

There’s a lot that could make a new, high-end Apple TV a no-brainer — especially if it served as a Siri-powered HomeKit hub, AirPort router, or did any other number of additional, rumored things.

A hypothetical $299 Apple TV could position the “old” $69 Apple TV 3 as the entry-level option: Much like the “old” iPhone 5s or iPad Air hanging around at lower price tiers, it offers basic functionality for those who don’t want or need the latest or the greatest (or the most expensive). That could be very compelling, as stand-alone boxes go. But what about streaming sticks?

Apple TV Direct

While I’ve not found any rumors about this, I’m sure many people looked at the Google Chromecast and wondered what a version made by Apple could do. Not a small, independent box that could browse and play content all on its own — but a tiny HDMI device that could stream content from an iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Apple has already shown decoupled interface and remote-view projection with both CarPlay and Apple Watch. They’ve certainly been using AirPlay to Apple TV for years.

I could easily see the future Apple TV as an interface built into iPhone and iPad as part of a future version of iOS, where the processing occurs on-device, but the interface and content projects onto your television through an HDMI dongle. It would be great for travelers who want to be able to watch what’s on their phone or tablet on the TV but don’t want to carry anything as big as an Apple TV through airports or on long car drives. Likewise, there are folks who simply don’t want another box on or under their TV that might instead prefer an HDMI dongle.

And, like CarPlay, it would make hardware updates less of a concern — every time iOS is updated, Apple TV Direct would update as well. It could also be inexpensive — inexpensive like iPod shuffle cheap. Inexpensive like under $50 cheap.

Just the beginning…

Apple TV Direct, like netbooks and budget phones, may simply be too low-end for Apple to consider. But even without it, that still leaves the current — and currently $69 — Apple TV as a more affordable point of entry than ever before, and room on top of it for that high-end Apple TV 4 of our dreams.

Apple said at the Spring forward event that these Apple TV announcements were just the beginning. So all we know for certain is that there will be more.

Either way, given the HBO Now announcement, the rumors of more channels to come, and the potential of the platform, I find myself really enthusiastic about the future of Apple TV.

China is set to receive a more powerful version of Microsoft’s Lumia 640 XL, according to regulation body Teena. The handset has a large 5.7-inch display and will be updated to Windows 10 (for phones) when available. Simply put, it’s quite the mid-range smartphone, but we’re looking at some considerable improvements for the Chinese version.

It’s been a long time since the Windows Phone version of The Sims FreePlay has received an update, but that changed today with a huge content upgrade for the free-to-play people sim game from Electronic Arts. In fact, you could say that this is a “royal” update for the game.