Classic and Modern Buckle Band Parts Let Third-Party Bands Connect to Apple Watch [iOS Blog]

There are few third-party band options available for the Apple Watch at the current point in time given that it just launched a week and a half ago, but those of you who purchased a stainless steel Apple Watch with a Classic Buckle or Modern Buckle band can use the components from those bands to connect standard watch bands to your Apple Watch devices.

In a newly published video, Lewis Hilsenteger of Unbox Therapy walks through the process of using the parts in the Classic Buckle band to connect a 22mm third-party watch band to the Apple Watch.

As it turns out, there are two small pentalobe screws holding the pin component of the Classic Buckle together, so with a pentalobe screwdriver, the portion of the band that connects to the Apple Watch can be disassembled, slid into a standard pin-based watch band, and reassembled.

The Modern Buckle and the Classic Buckle are the only two bands that have a pin-based connector built-in, so those of you who want to use different watch bands with your Apple Watch devices will need to either purchase one of the models that comes with a Classic Buckle band or purchase a Classic Buckle band separately for $149 (estimated to ship out in May). The Modern Buckle has the same connector, but Modern Buckle Apple Watches have not yet shipped out and those bands are listed as “Currently Unavailable” in the online Apple Store.

Along with a compatible Apple Watch band, a tiny pentalobe screwdriver is also required to swap out the band, but those are available at little cost. With a Classic Buckle and the screwdriver, making a swap is as uncomplicated as simply removing two screws, pulling apart the connector, sticking the pieces into another watch band, and putting it back together again.

Google Acquires iOS-Based Time Management App Timeful [iOS Blog]

Google today announced an acquisition of iOS-based time management app Timeful, which first launched last year. When it was released, Timeful was described as “the first intelligent time manager” for mobile devices, aiming to help users manage their lives by combining a time management app with a calendar, a to-do list, and reminders designed to reinforce positive habits.

In its current incarnation on iOS, Timeful connects to the Calendar app to import existing events into a daily view that includes all tasks that need to be completed. It also lets users create to-dos, and when there’s a block of open time on a user’s schedule, Timeful will insert “Habits.” Habits are user-defined tasks like “Take a Walk” or “Read for 30 Minutes,” and are aimed at fitting recreation or skill-building tasks into each user’s schedule.

Google plans to incorporate Timeful‘s clever time management tools into its existing products like Inbox and Calendar, making it easier for users to schedule events and find time for all tasks that need to be completed in any given day.

The Timeful team has built an impressive system that helps you organize your life by understanding your schedule, habits and needs. You can tell Timeful you want to exercise three times a week or that you need to call the bank by next Tuesday, and their system will make sure you get it done based on an understanding of both your schedule and your priorities. We’re excited about all the ways Timeful’s technology can be applied across products like Inbox, Calendar and beyond, so we can do more of the work for you and let you focus on being creative, having fun and spending time with the people you care about.

According to a blog post on the Timeful site, the Timeful app will continue to be available on iOS, but going forward, attention will be on “new projects at Google.” Current Timeful users can export their data out of the app for use with other apps if desired.

Microsoft Updates Windows 10 Emoji to Resemble Apple’s Collection [iOS Blog]

Microsoft has included several redesigned emoji in Windows 10 that resemble Apple’s emoji found on iPhone, iPad and Mac, including a wide range of faces and even the “sassy” information desk person (via Emojipedia). The update also includes skin tone modifiers, the middle finger, a new haircut emoji and more, although country flags are still not supported on the upcoming operating system.

Windows 10 is currently available in beta for developers and is expected to be released to the public in July. The latest version of Windows will deliver a unified experience and platform integration that will make it easy to put one device down and continue where you left off on another device. The software update will be free for Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 users for the first year.

Many emoji character sets have been incorporated into Unicode, resulting in the icons being standardized across multiple platforms such as iOS, Android, OS X and Windows. The exact appearance of emojis is then left up to companies like Apple, Microsoft, Google and Twitter to decide. In this case, Microsoft’s redesigned emoji and the addition of skin tone modifiers is more uniform with Apple’s collection.

GE to Create Intelligent LED Lightbulbs Compatible with Apple HomeKit

GE today announced plans to take advantage of Apple’s HomeKit platform, creating intelligent, color-charging LED lightbulbs that will interface with iOS devices. GE’s HomeKit-compatible LED lightbulbs will include GE’s Align technology, which aims to improve sleep through controlling blue light output at critical times.

During the day, the Align technology is able to mimic daylight to suppress the production of melatonin for a more awake feeling, adding bright blue tones to white light, and at night, blue light is reduced to promote melatonin production and avoid disrupting circadian sleep rhythms.

“As we continue to grow our infrastructure business by connecting our brilliant industrial machines to the Internet, it is important that consumers experience connected things in easy-to-use, everyday ways. Lighting is how many first experiment with the idea of a smart home, and our insights show that consumers want the ability to control lighting from anywhere, automate lighting and pair lighting with other devices–like sensors, thermostats and door locks,” says Comstock. “We’re excited to announce our support for HomeKit as it will bring a seamless, intuitive user experience using Siri and superior quality of light from America’s most trusted lighting brand for more than a century.”

HomeKit is Apple’s home control platform that will allow Apple devices to control various connected smart home products like lightbulbs, garage doors, locks, fans, thermostats, power outlets, and more. Users will be able to give Siri commands to perform actions that will control physical objects, such as “shut off the lights” or “close the garage,” with the Apple TV serving as a home automation hub.

Through HomeKit, the GE bulbs will integrate with other HomeKit-connected devices and will be able to be controlled by voice using Siri. Lightbulbs will be available for individual control and can also be organized into groups for room-wide lighting scenes.

GE’s upcoming lighting project will be a direct competitor to the Philips hue line of lights, which also allow consumers to choose lighting colors based on mood and control lights with their iOS devices. Philips is also one of Apple’s HomeKit partners and plans to have its hue lighting system integrate with HomeKit.

Apple’s HomeKit hardware specifications were finalized in October of 2014, further paving the way for the first HomeKit devices to come to market. In January, Apple said it was “excited” about the growing number of partners bringing HomeKit products to market. Some of those upcoming products include the iDevices smart plug, Elgato’s range of connected home devices, and the Schlage Sense smart lock.

We still don’t know when HomeKit-enabled devices will be widely available for purchase, but GE says that its lightbulbs will be available later in 2015.