Runkeeper’s new Apple Watch app lets you jog phone-free
The Apple Watch got a lot more useful with WatchOS 2.0, an update that let developers write apps that can run natively on the Watch without the need for your iPhone. Runkeeper’s latest app update enables exactly that — you can now use the Apple Watch to track a workout without needing to bring your phone with you, something that’ll certainly be appreciated by those who don’t want to have an iPhone 6 Plus strapped to their arm during a run.
When you open the app on your Apple Watch, you’ll be asked if you want to start a run, walk, cycle or “other” workout. Once you give the Runkeeper app permissions to access the data stored in the iPhone’s central Health app, you’re good to go — the Watch app can track time, distance, and minute per mile as well as your heart rate data for the entire run.
What’s not clear yet is how the Runkeeper app will track your route. One of the iPhone app’s main features is the ability to see exactly what route you take as well as the elevation you climb throughout your run — that all comes thanks to the GPS in the phone as well as its motion processor. While the Apple Watch can certainly track steps and distance on its own, it doesn’t seem possible for the Runkeeper app to show you the route you take when using it just with the Apple Watch.
Still, if you’re more interested in just tracking your distance and run stats and don’t need to know the exact route, Runkeeper’s Apple Watch app should provide another good option compared to the built-in Apple Workout app. Still, serious runners should use caution: our testing showed that the Apple Watch’s distance tracking features were a bit hit-or-miss, even when you carry your iPhone with you. Going without your phone reduced its accuracy even more, so take these readings with the appropriate grain of salt. We’ve reached out to Runkeeper to get more details on the new app — and if we take it for a run, we’ll let you know how that goes as well.
Via: Venturebeat
Source: iTunes Store
iPad Tops Holiday Technology Wish List, Apple Watch Ranks 12th
In a new nationwide study conducted by retailer Best Buy, the top gadgets and products planned to be gifted and asked for this holiday season were detailed in a “Top 15 Tech Gifts for 2015” list. Apple’s iPad (with no specific preference given to the Air or Mini line) came out on top, with the Bose QuietComfort Noise Cancelling Headphones, MacBook, and smart HD TVs rounding out the top five spots.
1. iPad
2. Bose QuietComfort 25 Noise Cancelling Headphones
3. MacBook
4. Samsung 48” Smart 4K Ultra HD TV
5. Sharp 43” Smart HDTV with Roku
6. Microsoft Surface
7. Bose SoundLink Mini Bluetooth Speaker II
8. Fitbit Charge HR Heart Rate and Activity Tracker
9. Samsung Galaxy Tab S2
10. Dyson V6 Absolute Bagless Cordless Vacuum
11. Vizio 43” Smart 4K Ultra HD TV
12. Apple Watch
13. SONOS PLAY:1 Wireless Speaker
14. iRobot Roomba Vacuum Cleaning Robot
15. GoPro HERO4 Action Camera
Apple’s products account for three of the top 15 gifts this year, with the newest device — the Apple Watch — also ranking the lowest of the company’s devices in the twelfth spot, four places below the Fitbit Charge activity tracker. Unsurprisingly, Best Buy’s study also found that those aged 18-34 placed consumer electronics highest on their wish lists, prioritizing technology over other categories like clothing, books, and jewelry.
The report also found that men are both more likely than women to want tech-related gifts for the holidays are be the ones who gift consumer electronics to friends and family more frequently. Self-gifting was also factored into the survey thanks to the highly discounted nature of holiday shopping, with 19 percent of those interested in Apple’s iPad planning on buying it for themselves during the gift-giving season. Similarly, 15 percent of those who chose the MacBook said it would be a present for themselves.
HTC Says ‘It’s Apple That Copies Us’ After One A9 Called iPhone Lookalike
HTC has denied claims that its new flagship One A9 smartphone copies the iPhone. At a press briefing in Taiwan, company executive Jack Tong said that “it’s Apple that copies us” in terms of antenna design—the Taiwanese handset maker was first to release a metal unibody smartphone nearly three years ago.
The HTC One A9 compared to the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus (via The Verge)
The response was reported by Want China Times (via BGR):
“We’re not copying. We made a uni-body metal-clad phone in 2013. It’s Apple that copies us in terms of the antenna design on the back,” Jack Tong, president of HTC North Asia, said at a press briefing at the Taiwan launch of the One A9.
“The A9 is made thinner and more lightweight than our previous metal-clad phones. This is a change and evolution, and we’re not copying,” he said.
The original HTC One M7 launched in March 2013 with an aluminum unibody frame and plastic antenna lines along the top and bottom of the smartphone, both design cues that Apple adopted for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, released 18 months later, and has since carried over to the iPhone 6s lineup.
The original HTC One with an all-metal unibody design launched in March 2013
The One A9 is considered an iPhone lookalike because it has a similar rounded chassis, plastic antenna lines and a protruding rear-facing camera, and because it is available in almost identical colors as the current iPhone lineup. The smartphone also has one speaker located next to the charging port on the bottom.
HTC’s rebuttal comes after The Verge described the One A9 as “the most blatant and highest-profile iPhone ripoff since Samsung’s original Galaxy S,” a bold argument that has been contested by some HTC supporters. The copycat allegations have received significant media coverage this week.
Ultimately, while there is no denying that HTC’s One A9 is an iPhone-driven evolution of the HTC One series, it is clear that both smartphone makers have borrowed similar design qualities from each other over the years. Apple has not commented on the matter, but has taken legal action against Samsung for copying in the past.
The One A9 is HTC’s latest flagship Android smartphone, featuring a 5-inch screen with a curved-edge display, 13-megapixel rear-facing camera, 1.5 GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 processor, 3GB of RAM, 16GB or 32GB storage, Quick Charge 2.0 and Android 6.0 Marshmallow. The smartphone is available in a range of colors, including Carbon Gray, Opal Silver, Deep Garnet and Topaz Gold, for $399 unlocked.
Google begins pushing the redesigned Google Play Store
Last week, a former Google designer revealed plans for the next redesign of the Google Play Store. Folks have been wondering when they will be getting their hands on them, and it seems that the wait will be over soon.
According to some users, the roll out has started, and has even reached their devices. It seems that there won’t be a new APK to install, but instead, this updated UI has been built into a recent update, meaning that all Google has to do is flip the switch.
Google’s started flipping the switches, so your device should be seeing the new update sometime this week. The redesigned Play Store puts an emphasis on easier navigation between Apps and Games and Entertainment. Each section will have subsections for specific categories that you’re looking for, such as Movies & TV, Music, Books, etc. under the Entertainment section. The Apps & Games section will have sub-categories for Top Charts, Games, Categories, and more.
We are expecting to see this roll out to our devices this week, but just be patient, and we’ll be sure to update everyone once more information becomes available. In the meantime, drop us a line below if you’ve already received the redesigned Google Play Store.
The post Google begins pushing the redesigned Google Play Store appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Nexus 6P listed as out of stock in the US Google Store
That’s right, folks. The Nexus 6P is sold out on the Google Store. Well, sort of. Both the 64GB and 128GB models are completely out of stock, but if you don’t mind settling for less, Google still seems to have some 32GB variants available.
There’s no telling when the higher storage sizes will become available at this point, but we presume that it shouldn’t be long. However, if you’re not smitten on the Nexus 6P, the Nexus 5X seems to be available in all variants.
Let’s just hope this isn’t the beginning of another Nexus 4 fiasco.
source: Google Store
Come comment on this article: Nexus 6P listed as out of stock in the US Google Store
Xiaomi to eventually sell phones in the United States
There have been numerous rumors about Chinese manufacturer, Xiaomi, possibly entering the United States market. Today, we received more information on this claim.
Bin Lin, president of Xiaomi, recently stated that it’s considering selling handsets such as the Mi Note and Mi Note Pro in U.S. markets. However, the company didn’t mention any time window. The United States could use more competition especially in the mid-range market. With the possible release of these two handsets in U.S. markets, it would expand the company’s influence to the western hemisphere. The company also has similar goals for India.
Xiaomi has been working hard lately and it’s proving to be well worth while. As recently reported, the company may be one of the first Chinese manufacturers to sell over 100 million smartphone units in a single year. We’ll keep you posted.
Source: Re/code
Come comment on this article: Xiaomi to eventually sell phones in the United States
Like to fall asleep with headphones on? The SleepPhones Kickstarter is for you
If you like to listen to music or soothing sounds while you sleep but find that traditional ear buds are irritating or painful to wear in bed, then you should definitely check out this product. AcousticSheep has launched a KickStarter campaign for its SleepPhones Effortless, which is a pair of comfortable wireless headphones that you can wear as you sleep.
The SleepPhones Effortless headphones is Bluetooth wireless enabled and the speakers are tucked away in the side of a soft, stretchable headband, rather than on the end of a cable. Wearers can slip on the headband and not have to put up with the pain of jamming an ear bud in a little too far while they sleep or waking up tangled in cables.
The headband communicates with Bluetooth master devices, such as your Android phone, like any other pair of wireless headphones. It supports a wide range of music apps, including streaming services like Spotify and Pandora, as well as the company’s own music app.
SleepPhone is charged up via a wireless induction charging base, which connects up with a familiar micro USB cable and takes approximately three hours to power up the headphones completely. Once full, the headphones will apparently last for between 10 and 13 hours of playback. SleepPhones also comes with an auto-sleep feature, to turn off the device if your playlist comes to an end. This isn’t the company’s first go at building this product either, they are in the fourth generation.
AcousticSheep has already passed its fund-raising goal of $10,000, but there is still a chance to back the project and grab yourself a SleepPhones Effortless from the first batch, which are expected to begin shipping out in April 2016. The cheapest available package costs $129 for one pair, or you can grab a two pack special for $219.
Like to fall asleep with headphones on? The SleepPhones Kickstarter is for you
If you like to listen to music or soothing sounds while you sleep but find that traditional ear buds are irritating or painful to wear in bed, then you should definitely check out this product. AcousticSheep has launched a KickStarter campaign for its SleepPhones Effortless, which is a pair of comfortable wireless headphones that you can wear as you sleep.
The SleepPhones Effortless headphones is Bluetooth wireless enabled and the speakers are tucked away in the side of a soft, stretchable headband, rather than on the end of a cable. Wearers can slip on the headband and not have to put up with the pain of jamming an ear bud in a little too far while they sleep or waking up tangled in cables.
The headband communicates with Bluetooth master devices, such as your Android phone, like any other pair of wireless headphones. It supports a wide range of music apps, including streaming services like Spotify and Pandora, as well as the company’s own music app.
SleepPhone is charged up via a wireless induction charging base, which connects up with a familiar micro USB cable and takes approximately three hours to power up the headphones completely. Once full, the headphones will apparently last for between 10 and 13 hours of playback. SleepPhones also comes with an auto-sleep feature, to turn off the device if your playlist comes to an end. This isn’t the company’s first go at building this product either, they are in the fourth generation.
AcousticSheep has already passed its fund-raising goal of $10,000, but there is still a chance to back the project and grab yourself a SleepPhones Effortless from the first batch, which are expected to begin shipping out in April 2016. The cheapest available package costs $129 for one pair, or you can grab a two pack special for $219.
Watch how Neon Indian used Kinect for its latest concert
The combination of the electronic band Neon Indian and Microsoft’s Kinect makes so much sense it seems practically inevitable. During Neon Indian’s performance at the CMJ Music Marathon in NYC this month, it used five Kinect sensors to capture the movement of band members, the results of which were projected in a trippy light performance behind them. You can see the Xbox One Kinect sensors set up throughout the stage for its performance of “The Glitzy Hive” from its latest album, VEGA INTL. Night School, in the video below. We’ve seen plenty of other intriguing uses of Kinect for music performances — even the Seattle Symphony has experimented with it — but it’s still interesting to see how different artists approach Microsoft’s motion-sensing camera. Neon Indian will be using the Kinect setup in select locations throughout its upcoming tour, and you can get a better sense of how it works after the break.
Via: Wired
Instagram’s Boomerang app lets you shoot 1-second video loops
Slowly but surely, the Instagram team is building a suite of apps to help you be more creative on its photo and video-sharing platform. Following Hyperlapse and Layout, we’ve now got Boomerang, an app for iOS and Android that lets you shoot one-second videos — made from a burst of five photos — that quickly play forwards and backwards. They’re a little different to Vines and GIFs, given this “boomerang” effect means you’ll see everything periodically in reverse — presumably, it’s this element which Instagram hopes will spark people’s creativity. Like Hyperlapse and Layout, the app doesn’t have a self-contained feed, so the idea is that you’ll want to make these video snippets to share them on Facebook or Instagram. If enough people use it, these clips could diversify Instagram and make its feeds more interesting, pulling users away from rival apps like Snapchat.
https://player.vimeo.com/video/143161189?byline=0&portrait=0
Via: Instagram (Blog)
Source: Boomerang (iOS), (Android)
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