Withings Adds to Activity Tracker Lineup With New Activité Steel
Adding to its lineup of Activité-branded watch-style activity trackers, Withings today announced the Activité Steel. The Activité Steel is designed to fit in between the expensive original Activité and the more affordable Activité Pop.
Like the other Activité activity trackers, the Activité Steel is designed to look more like a traditional wrist watch than a fitness device. It features a stainless steel case, chrome hands, and a sub-dial that was inspired by a tachymeter. According to Withings, the Activité Steel was designed to have a “distinctive masculine feel.”
“While the tracker market is booming we see growing demand from health conscious people who are not willing to compromise their style,” says Cédric Hutchings, CEO of Withings. “Steel is the perfect Christmas gift for those demanding trendsetters.”
The Activité Steel keeps track of steps taken, showing progress towards a daily goal on the small sub-dial on the watch face. It is also able to automatically detect several activities, including running and swimming, and at night, it’s able to monitor sleep length and quality.
There’s a standard watch battery inside so there’s no need to charge the Activité Steel, but the battery will need to be replaced approximately every eight months. As it does not charge, the Activité Steel is water-resistant up to 50 meters like the other two Activité watches.
All of the information gathered by the Activité Steel can be viewed in the accompanying Withings Health Mate application, which lets users insert activity goals, keep track of food consumed, and interact with friends to reach fitness goals.
The Activité Steel, initially available in classic black, can be ordered from the Withings website for $169.95.
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New 4-Inch iPhone Again Predicted to Launch in 2016
IHS Technology research director Kevin Wang, who previously said a new 4-inch iPhone would launch by the end of 2015, has now changed his prediction to mid 2016 on Chinese microblogging service Sina Weibo (via GforGames), corroborating information shared by reliable KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
Wang did not provide any new details about Apple’s oft-rumored 4-inch iPhone, beyond confirming the smaller screen size, but Kuo recently said the device will “resemble an upgraded iPhone 5s,” including a metal design with an A9 processor, and launch in the first quarter of 2016.
As there is still demand for a 4-inch iPhone, we believe Apple will upgrade this product line. Because the iPhone 5s is more popular than the iPhone 5c, we think Apple is likely to launch an upgraded iPhone 5s. We predict Apple will mass-produce this new 4-inch iPhone in 1H16 with metal casings. In order to make the current iOS 9 or next-generation iOS 10 run smoothly, Apple may adopt an A9 chip for this new phone.
Kuo believes the so-called “iPhone 6c” will not feature 3D Touch to differentiate it from Apple’s flagship iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. Foxconn is expected to be the primary manufacturer of the 4-inch smartphone, with 20-30 million shipments projected through the end of 2016.
Given his recent track record, Wang’s new prediction should be treated with a proverbial grain of salt, but it does corroborate multiple rumors suggesting Apple will release a new 4-inch smartphone in 2016. The so-called “iPhone 6c” was originally rumored to launch in 2015, but those plans were reportedly scrapped.
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OnePlus One and OnePlus 2 will get Marshmallow in Q1 2015
OnePlus announced on its forums a rough timeline for the Marshmallow update for its three smartphones.
The original OnePlus One will receive its serving of Marshmallows sometime in Q1 2016, via Cyanogen Inc. Despite the public breakup between OnePlus and Cyanogen, Steve Kondik’s company continues to support the OnePlus One with updates, as per its original commitment.
Kondik recently revealed that Cyanogen targets a release for CyanogenMod 13 (based on Android 6.0) by Christmas. However, this tentative ETA refers to CyanogenMod, the community project, while the commercial Cyanogen OS 13 will only follow suit in 2016.
Concerning its semi-official Oxygen OS build for the OnePlus One, OnePlus said it will offer an update “when the time allows.”
See also: Android 6.0 Marshmallow updates roundup – November 12, 2015
Moving on to this year’s devices, founder Carl Pei said that the OnePlus 2 will get a Marshmallow-based build of Oxygen OS in Q1 2016. Pei specified that the update won’t bring a custom fingerprint API, as some users have requested; instead, the firmware will make use of Google’s standard fingerprint sensor API, which is built into Marshmallow.
As for the new OnePlus X, OnePlus is not ready to offer any information at this point.
OnePlus – like other Android OEMs – found itself in an embarrassing situation early this year, when it failed to deliver on its promise to bring Lollipop to the OnePlus One within 90 days of its official launch. This time around, Carl Pei and the team seem to be taking a cautious approach, which can’t hurt the young company, by Pei’s own admission.
US customers can pay 20 times more for their data plans than those in the EU
It’s no secret that some US customers spend a small fortune on mobile call and data plans, and with a new world of digital music and video content out there, big data bundles are becoming a way of life. However, the difference in price between the US and the EU turns out to be quite staggering. According to data collected by the International Telecommunications Union, the difference can be up to twenty times more expensive.
In the UK, France, and Sweden, unlimited data packages can be found for as little as £27 ($41), which is quite reasonable. The US has seen some price cuts, with unlimited call and data packages dropping from $180 to $80 a month at one operator, but that is at the very least double the price. At its most extreme, around 50 gigabytes of data, unlimited texts and international calls can be found in France for as little as €20 (€21.50) per month, while an equivalent plan the US can cost as much as $390.
See also: No more roaming fees in Europe from mid-2017
The reason for the huge gap is said to quite simply be one of competition. The cheapest and most diverse mobile markets in the EU each have at least four major carriers and quite often a number of smaller networks buying up lines from wholesale. Although the US has a number of major players, coverage is more hit and miss across different regions, meaning that there may only be two major carriers and a smaller local option to choose from in some places. Less competition usually leads to higher prices.
“Of course where you have less choice you are going to have higher prices” – Steven Hartley, Telecoms and IT consultancy Ovum
Although the EU market may appear highly competitive from the consumer’s point of view, the European Commission has been heavily regulating parts of the industry and imposing mandatory downwards pressure on prices. The Parliament also recently announced a price cap on roaming charges for 2017, limiting the costs to the same as domestic charges.
While European consumers may be feeling the benefit of these low charges, the competitive nature of many markets has its own drawbacks when it comes to market stability. Carriers are in hot competition to cover the number of subscribers needed just to survive, particularly in France. This can become an issue when it comes to future upgrades and investments in infrastructure, where moving over to new technologies, such as 5G, carries a considerable cost. The UK, for example, was notably slower at rolling out 4G compared to the US.
“the EU has gone out of its way to encourage more competition and to regulate prices, and to regulate them down”,
Of course, not everyone buys this as a legitimate excuse to hike up prices or to impose expensive penalty charges on consumers for breaching allowances, something which is far more common in the US than in the EU.
Read on: T-Mobile will let its customers stream Netflix, Hulu and more for free
There is clearly a major price difference between the two regions, but the US market has seen its share of increased competition lately, with a number of carriers shaking up their mobile plans. T-Mobile is now allowing customers to stream from popular video services without eating into their data allowance, while Verizon has just been given the all clear to bring WiFi calling to its network.
Do you think that your monthly mobile allowance and bill offers good value for money?
Researchers use satellite launch blunder to test relativity
Pop quiz, hotshot. You’ve just launched a pair of GPS satellites into the wrong orbit, rendering them useless for navigation. What do you do? If you’re the European Space Agency (ESA), you re-purpose them to do the most precise test ever of Albert Einstein’s theory that clocks slow down near heavy objects. The Galileo satellites were placed in elliptical, rather than circular orbits by Russian Soyuz rockets, meaning they pass closer to Earth at certain points. Since our planet bends the fabric of space-time, the super-precise atomic clocks on-board will theoretically slow during those times, then speed up again when the craft move away.
Via: Gizmodo
Source: European Space Agency
Lowe’s updated connected home system is built for your phone
While most connected home devices on the market were introduced as mobile-first solutions, the Lowe’s Iris system on the other hand, required new users to set it up via a browser. After set up — while the mobile app was able to share status information and access features like turning items on and off — it was still a desktop-heavy setup. Today the hardware store-turned developer is fixing that with a new platform built from the ground up with a mobile-first strategy and updated devices.
Source: Lowes
Withings’ third analog fitness tracker is the $170 Activite Steel
Last year, French hardware maker Withings debuted the Activité, a $450 Swiss-made watch that also functioned as a fitness tracker. It then followed that up with the Activité Pop, a much lower-end version that cost only $150. Now Withings has come out with a wearable that sits somewhere in the middle: The $170 Withings Activité Steel. It isn’t quite as luxurious as the Activité — it has silicone straps instead of leather — but it’s certainly a lot classier than the Pop thanks to its stainless steel housing and chrome hands. The Steel also has a distinctive style all its own, opting for a white hand in the sub-dial instead of orange.Slideshow-341457
Source: Withings
Netgear’s Nest Cam competitor has seven days of cloud video recording
These days, connected cameras like the Nest Cam (previously known as the Dropcam) aren’t exactly special. There are a slew of competitors out there, like Logitech’s Circle and Samsung’s SmartCam, so the only way to stand out is by offering something others don’t. And that’s precisely what Netgear is doing its latest connected camera, the Arlo Q, by giving you seven days of cloud video recording for free. Logitech offers 24 hours of free cloud recording, in comparison. And Nest, whose original camera pioneered this whole category, still doesn’t have any video recording without a subscription. Beyond that, the Arlo Q delivers what you’d expect: 1080p video recording and two-way audio that’s accessible through a mobile app. It’ll be available in the US come December for $220, and it’ll eventually head to Australia, Canada and Europe.
Android Marshmallow coming to OnePlus One and OnePlus 2 in Q1 2016
OnePlus is set to roll out out Android Marshmallow updates to the OnePlus 2 and the One in the first quarter of 2016. A OnePlus staffer announced the company’s software update plans today through the official OnePlus forum.
The first one among the lot to get Android Marshmallow’s sweetness will be the OnePlus One since it runs CyanogenMod and the custom ROM maker has already started working on the next software update. OnePlus’s own Oxygen ROM will get updated a bit later, which means that the OnePlus Two and some OnePlus One devices (running the Oxygen OS) will be the next in line to get the software update.
The new update will use standard Marshmallow API for the fingerprint sensor, the OnePlus post revealed.
“The OnePlus 2 will also be updated in Q1, and the update will include the new standard Marshmallow API for the fingerprint sensor. We’ve heard requests for us creating an API for the current fingerprint implementation in OxygenOS, but have decided against this since we’re switching over to the standard Android M implementation soon,” it read.
While the company has refrained from saying anything about the timeframe of Android 6 updates, we are guessing the OnePlus X may have to wait till the second quarter of the next year for it.
Source: OnePlus
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[Deal] Grab the SNES30 Bluetooth Game Controller for only $30
There’s a little “old-school gamer” in almost all of us. Although the SNES came out before my time, I still had one growing up, and it’s on my Top 5 list of all time greatest consoles. Today’s deal will bring back some of the nostalgia from the “good-ole days”.
The SNES30 Bluetooth Game Controller allows you to play your favorite games with that iconic SNES controller. You can connect it to your current system of choice and play your new favorite games with this old school controller.
- Play all the latest games w/ an old school controller
- Connect via Bluetooth or the included USB cable
- Use w/ your PC, Mac, iPad, Android & more
- Play multiplayer games using the dual-keyboard code system for iOS
- Play w/ up to four players on Wii w/ Wiimote emulation support
- Carry it in your back pocket thanks to its slim, portable size
- Game for up to 20 hours without taking a break to recharge the battery
- Play touchscreen-only games w/ touchscreen simulation
- Recharge the battery 1000+ times
Where the SNES30 would really come in handy, would be with your Android devices or computers running those old school emulators. So you can jump back in time to play some Street Fighter with the controller that you used growing up.
Normally priced at $35, you can head over to the AndroidGuys Deals page and grab this for only $29.95. That’s a great price for an iconic controller, and one that can be used cross-platform. Add in the fact that it’s wireless, and has great versatility, and you have a controller that you can use for years to come.
Drop us a line below and let us know if you snagged this great deal on the SNES30 Bluetooth Game Controller. While you’re at it, let us know what your favorite system of all time is and what your favorite game is.
You can find this, and many other great tech bargains through our Deals page. Backed by StackCommerce, there are daily promos, giveaways, freebies, and much more!
AndroidGuys Deals: SNES30 Bluetooth Game Controller
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