Gold rose and yellow, bands white and black, buckles pink and red and blue — even the special Apple Watch Edition offers a variety of choices.

There may not be the range of band styles enjoyed by the Apple Watch, or the range of colors available in the Apple Sport collection, but the Apple Watch Edition does have unique bands carefully paired in distinct, and distinctly elegant, combinations. There are bands with pins for those who are active and athletic, and there are buckles both modern and classic for those who want take it out on the town. Colors range from traditional black to deep blue to soft pink to bright red, allowing for both understatement and making a statement. If you’re having trouble deciding, here’s some help!

Two cases, six bands

The Apple Watch Edition comes in two different case colors, yellow gold and rose gold. The yellow gold case is available with four different band options. The rose gold case is available with two band options. Some are exclusive to the 38mm size, some to the 42mm.

You’ll be able to get the full range of Apple Watch Sport and Apple Watch bands separately, though Apple Watch Edition bands currently aren’t available on their own. That means, if there’s a band you have your heart set on, you might want to get it right away to make sure you have it.

Band exclusives

All the Apple Watch Edition bands are exclusive to the collection. The sport bands, for example, while in the same style as the Apple Watch Sport and Apple Watch bands, include gold pins to match the Edition material.

If you want a 38mm watch, you’ll need to get:

• Black sport band with yellow gold case
• White sport band with rose gold case
• Modern buckle with yellow or rose gold case

If you want a 42mm watch, you’ll need to get:

• Black sport band with yellow gold case
• White sport band with rose gold case
• Classic buckle with yellow gold case

If you want a yellow gold case, you’ll need to get:

• Black sport band in 38mm or 42mm
• Bright red modern buckle in 38mm
• Classic buckle in 42mm

If you want a rose gold case, you’ll need to get:

• White sport band in 38mm or 42mm
• Rose gray modern buckle in 38mm

If you run the set theory, you’ll find, for example, that if you want a 42mm Apple Watch Edition is rose gold, you’ll need to get the white sport band. If you want a leather buckle at 42mm, you’ll need to get the yellow gold.

Loops and link bracelets

Apple currently doesn’t offer loops, either leather or Milanese, or link bracelets, for the Apple Watch Edition. If you have your heart set on a leather loop, you’ll be able to purchase one separately from Apple. If you have your heart set on a Milanese or link bracelet, you’ll be able to get them separately in stainless steel, but they may not match the yellow or rose gold color of the case.

There’s no word on when or if Apple will offer Milanese or yellow or rose gold link bracelets for Apple Watch.

Band sizes

Apple Watch Edition bands come in a range of sizes fitting between 120mm and 220mm. Not all bands fit all sizes, however. Also, while the sport bands come in two sizes, other bands will require you to pick the right size at the time of purchase.

Here are the 38mm Apple Watch band sizes:

• Sport band: 130-180mm, 150-200mm
• Modern Buckle: 135-150mm, 145-165mm, 160-180mm
• Classic buckle: 125-200mm

Here are the 42mm Apple Watch band sizes:

• Sport band: 140-185mm, 160-210mm
• Classic buckle: 145-215mm

The sport band offers the best range on the smaller size and the classic buckle on the larger size. If you fall towards one of the extremes, you’ll need to consider a band that has you covered.

Band weights

Just like sizes, the different Apple Watch bands also have different weights. Whether you want to keep things as light as possible, or you want to get heavy, it’s something else to consider.

38mm band weights, from lightest to heaviest:

• Black sport band: 38g
• Modern buckle: 40g/40g/41g
• White sport band: 48g

42mm band weights, from lightest to heaviest:

• Classic buckle: [20g]
• Black sport band: 42g
• White sport band: 53g

Apple hasn’t listed the exact weight of the classic buckle with gold closure, so that weight is an estimate.

Band prices

If you’re getting an Apple Watch Edition, the cost of the different band options may be insignificant to you. If money does matter, however, the different bands can increase the price by up to 70%. Here are the prices, from least to most expensive.

• 38mm Apple Watch Edition with sports band: $10,000
• 42mm Apple Watch Edition with sports band: $12,000
• 42mm Apple Watch Edition with classic buckle: $15,000
• 38mm Apple Watch Edition with modern buckle: $17,000

Different bands include different amounts of gold for the clasp, but again, at these prices, there’s no direct correlation between materials and price.

Water and wear

Most of the Apple Watch Edition bands should work fine for you under most conditions. If you want to work out with your Apple Watch Edition, and take advantage of all the fitness features, you might want to get the sports band — or get an extra sport band to swap on for workouts.

Also, if you plan to get your Apple Watch Edition wet, especially in the shower, a sport band will be a far better choice than leather.

If you want something softer and more supple, however, and something that will wear in the way only leather can, the modern and classic buckles will suit you better.

Band swapping

Apple will be selling Apple Watch bands separately. They won’t be the gold trimmed Edition bands, at least not at first, but they will offer more options, including leather loops for those who want them. All 38mm bands are compatible with the 38mm Watch, and all 42mm bands are compatible with the 42mm Watch. (38mm bands are not compatible with 42mm Watches or vice versa.)

• Sport bands: $49
• Classic buckle: $149
• Milanese loop: $149
• Leather loop: $149
• Modern buckle: $249
• Link bracelet: $449

All colors cost the same, so it’s really just the style you have to consider.

Who should get the Apple Watch Edition with sport band?

The Apple Watch Edition sport band is made of fluoroelastomer — think high-performance rubber — with a matching gold pin. It offers the most options in the Edition collection, coming in both sizes, 38mm and 42mm, and in both materials, yellow gold and rose gold. If you want to work out with your Apple Watch Edition, if you plan on it getting wet within reason, or you simply want the lowest point of entry price, you’ll want the sport band.

The rose gold case only comes with the white sport band and the yellow case only comes with the black sport band. So, if you have one color preference, it’ll dictate the other. Moreover, the white sport band is the only way to get the 42mm Apple Watch Edition in rose gold, so if that’s what you want, that’s what you’ll need to get.

• Read more on Apple Watch sport band colors

Who should get the Apple Watch Edition with classic buckle?

The leather for the classic buckle comes from the ECCO tannery in the Netherlands, and is milled to a distinct texture and finished with a simple stainless steel closure. As the name implies, if you love traditional watch straps and closures, you’ll love the classic buckle.

It’s the only leather option for the 42mm size, however and it only comes with a yellow gold case, so choice is limited to color — black or midnight blue.

Black is traditional and will go with everything. Midnight blue is for those who want something other than traditional, something with a little more depth, even at the expense of color options.

• Read more on Apple Watch classic buckles

Who should get the Apple Watch Edition with modern buckle?

The leather for the modern buckle is from a small tannery in Granada in the French alps. It’s lightly milled and tumbled to maintain a smooth, refined texture. To that, Apple adds a Vectran (liquid crystal polymer) fiber weave to increase strength and resist stretching. It’s the same material NASA used for the airbags in the Mars Lander. The clasp is actually a two-part magnetic clip, also made of matching gold. Bring it together and it locks into place.

The modern buckle is the only option for a leather band at the 38mm size. If you want that size, and you want comfort and class, you’ll want the modern buckle.

Rose gray is subtle, bright red is — bright. In some cultures the pink will be considered a better choice for women. In others, the red will mean luck and good fortune. Since the bright red modern buckle is the only option for both a leather band and a yellow gold case, and the rose gray, the only option for both a leather band and a rose gold case, however, if you have a preference for case color, you’ll only have one choice for band color.

• Read more on Apple Watch modern buckles

Still undecided?

At the end of the day, the only real answer is get the band you like best. Everything else is manufactured anxiety. Just close your eyes, picture your Apple Watch Edition on your wrist, and picture the band around it. Then buy that. If you later change your mind, you can always pick up an extra band in a different style or color.

Microsoft is preparing to launch the Lumia 532 in Malaysia and is set to arrive on March 27. The Windows Phone is an affordable smartphone with capable hardware for an enjoyable user experience.

Got a message on your Mac that says you have to update Flash? Make sure it’s not a malware hijack, and update Flash safely!

Adobe frequently updates its Flash software with security improvements and other changes. Seeing update messages has become routine enough that some malware developers have started using “Flash updates” as a way of infecting your computer. Learn how to safely update your Mac to the latest version of Flash without worrying about malware or adware getting on there too.

What is Flash?

Adobe’s Flash multimedia software remains very popular for web content. Apple no longer pre-installs Flash on the Mac, but many of us have put it on on so we can access the web sites we use.

With Flash installed, Mac users can access multimedia content on the Web using Safari and other Mac-compatible web browsers.

Flash and malware

Adobe’s trying harder than ever to stay on top of security problems and exploits by regularly updating Flash software. Sometimes these updates are mandatory in order for you to continue to use Flash.

The updates have become frequent enough that developers of malware — software that hijacks your computer and potentially opens you up to security problems — have figured out that they can fool users into installing their software by making it look like Flash.

Fortunately, you can make sure you’re installing the real Flash by only downloading from Adobe’s web site. If you’re prompted to install a Flash file from anywhere besides a domain ending in “adobe.com,” close your web browser window immediately. If you’re confused or scared of what to do next, I’d recommend taking your Mac to an Apple Store or Apple-authorized service provider for further assistance.

If you’d like to make sure you’re on top of things yourself, follow these steps to install or update Flash on your Mac safely.

Bonus tip: If you don’t mind using a third-party Web browser on your Mac, there’s another solution, too. You can download Google’s Chrome web browser for OS X. Chrome “sandboxes” Flash — keeping it from installing malware.

Sandboxing is a security method for apps that restricts how they can access system resources. Apple requires apps downloaded from the Mac App Store and iOS App Store to be sandboxed. Google’s taken it a step further by sandboxing Flash itself inside the browser.

(Hat tip: Adam Spelbring)

To install (or update) Flash on your Mac

1. Double-click on Safari (or your preferred Web browser) to open it.
2. Type http://www.adobe.com in the address bar and press the return key.
3. Click on Search in the upper right hand corner.
4. Type Flash in the search field then click on Get Adobe Flash Player.
5. Click on the Install Now button on the right hand side.
6. A file whose name starts with “AdobeFlashPlayerInstaller” will now download to your computer. For most of us, this file goes in the Downloads folder. This file ends with .dmg. It’s a “disk image” file.
7. In Safari, click on the Downloads button in the search bar, then click on the magnifying glass to go to the .dmg file. Double-click on the AdobeFlashPlayerInstaller file to open it.
8. Quit Safari.
9. A new window will appear in your Finder. Double-click on the icon called Install Adobe Flash Player.
10. You may get a message saying, “‘Install Adobe Flash Player’ is an application downloaded from the Internet. Are you sure you want to open it?” It will tell you that the file came from “get.adobe.com.” Click on Open to proceed.
11. Type in your administrator password and click on OK.
12. The Adobe Flash Player installer will download additional content it needs to proceed. If you haven’t quit Safari, it will then tell you to close your web browser. Click on Safari, then click on the Safari menu, then click Quit Safari and click the Retry button in the installer.
13. Once the Flash Player Installer is done, it should say “Installation Complete.” Click on the Finish button.
14. Safari should relaunch. You should get a thank you message.
15. Flash should now be installed and up to date on your Mac. Make sure you’ve checked Allow Adobe to install updates (Recommended) in the Flash Player system preference, under the Updates tab, to stay on top of future security issues.

Baby Toy Phone is a Windows Phone game that turns your phone into an interactive toy phone for your toddler.

Available for low-memory Windows Phones, Baby Toy Phone has decent graphics, bright colors and a large collection of nursery rhymes that are played when your child makes calls from Baby Toy Phone. Obviously, this Windows Phone title isn’t going to be for everyone but for those with small children, it comes across as a great attention getter.

The flashing LED has to be one of the most loved, iconic, features when it comes to using a BlackBerry. It’s been around for years and I would imagine that most BlackBerry users would feel lost without it – including me.

Read More »

The Microsoft Store site currently has discounts of most of the Surface Pro 3 tablets. The price cuts are between $100 and $150 and Microsoft is also throwing in a free sleeve for the tablet with any Surface Pro 3 purchase.

It took 18 months to for authors Brent Schlender and Rick Tetzeli to get Apple executives on board with their new biography, Becoming Steve Jobs.

The book explores the personal and professional evolution of the late Steve Jobs. Drawing Schlender’s 25 years of reporting on Jobs, the book also features several interviews with Apple executives, including Jony Ive and Tim Cook. However, Apple initially declined to participate, according to The New York Times:

Apple’s cooperation wasn’t easily won, Mr. Schlender and Mr. Tetzeli said in an email interview. When the veteran tech journalists first approached the company about the book in 2012, both were told executives would not give any interviews. Apple changed its mind 18 months later, they said.

The company eventually agreed out of a sense of responsibility to say more about Steve Jobs as they knew him:

“After a long period of reflection following Steve’s death, we felt a sense of responsibility to say more about the Steve we knew,” Steve Dowling, an Apple spokesman, said. “We decided to participate in Brent and Rick’s book because of Brent’s long relationship with Steve, which gave him a unique perspective on Steve’s life. The book captures Steve better than anything else we’ve seen, and we are happy we decided to participate.”

Becoming Steve Jobs is one of a number of works about Jobs have been released in the years following his death, including the Walter Isaacson-penned authorized biography. A movie based on that biography will be released in theaters on October 9, starring Michael Fassbender as Jobs.

You’ll be able to get your hands on Becoming Steve Jobs tomorrow, March 24. It can be pre-ordered right now on iTunes for $12.99, and on Amazon as both a hardcover and Kindle book.

• Pre-order from iTunes
• Pre-order from Amazon

Source: The New York Times

Meet the case that’s going to transform your BlackBerry Z30 into a media viewing machine! This versatile hard case not only protects against those unforeseen drops, but also folds out to prop up your device in both portrait and landscape positions. Available in black or white today for only $14.95!

Snapchat is fun, fast, and super-popular, but it’s not for everyone all the time. And that’s okay.

If you decide that you don’t want to use Snapchat any more, you can permanently delete your account in just a few easy steps. Unfortunately, you can’t delete your account right from the Snapchat app for iPhone, but you can use Safari or any web browser on any computer. Deleting your account not only makes sure you won’t see any new snaps that might be coming in, but that no new snaps can come in.

How to permanently delete your Snapchat account

1. Go to https://support.snapchat.com/delete-account in any web browser. You can even use Safari on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Enter your Snapchat username and password.
3. Check the box confirming you aren’t a robot
4. Click on Submit.
5. Re-enter your password on the next page
6. Click on Delete My Account.

Just remember that once you delete your account, there’s no going back. If you want to make sure it’s really deleted, just attempt to log in using your old credentials. If it’s gone, there’ll be no way to log back in.

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak talks about the Apple Watch, the rumored Apple Car, and more in a new interview.

Wozniak expressed his belief that apps are going to be key to the Apple Watch’s success. He also said that, at least at first, he won’t be going for the more expensive watch models, opting instead for the Apple Watch Sport, according to Financial Review:

“I’m just not going to buy it for jewellery’s sake until I know it’s something I’m going to want around me and on me and use every single day continually as a permanent part of my life,” he said. “Then maybe I’d consider looking into getting the nicer jewelry version.”

Wozniak is also excited by the prospect of Apple building a car. A Tesla owner, Wozniak says that electric cars would be a good area for Apple to explore:

“There are an awful lot of companies right now who are playing with electric cars and there’s a lot more playing with self-driving cars, this is the future and it might be huge … there are so many openings here and it is perfect territory for a company like Apple.”

You can read the whole interview with Wozniak in at the link below.

Source: Financial Review