Tag Heuer’s new smartwatch has 500 style combinations, and costs at least $1,600

Why it matters to you

Tag Heuer has completely embraced the smartwatch with its new model, which offers a dizzying total of 500 style combinations.

Swiss watch brand Tag Heuer has returned to the world of smartwatches, after first embracing the technology in 2015 with the Tag Heuer Carrera Connected. The new model, called the Connected Modular 45, makes the Carrera Connected look like a tentative, exploratory first step. For the new watch, Tag Heuer will offer 11 standard models, with another 45 available to special order, and a huge range of interchangeable parts for a total of 500 different style possibilities.

Intel worked with Tag Heuer on the Connected Modular 45, providing its Atom processor and technical abilities to engineer a full titanium metal body, yet still include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and NFC. The watch will run Android Wear 2.0 and support Android Pay, plus a companion app provided by Tag Heuer will expand the range of features accessible on the device. A microphone built into the watch will enable voice activation. You can even use the watch without a smartphone, at least for tracking exercise and location. The app also boasts an unusual calendar feature that works with certain watch faces, reminding you if you’re running behind by still showing past due appointments.

More: Our first look at the TAG Heuer Carrera Connected

A 1.39-inch screen covered in a 2.5-inch piece of sapphire glass will dominate the water resistant body, while the battery inside provides a day’s worth of use before it needs a recharge. The body itself comes in polished or satin finishes, and the customization options range from different bracelets, straps, buckles, modules, and even watch dials. It’s a shift away from the handful of options buyers had with the Carrera Connected, and a move into the direction pioneered by the Apple Watch and Fossil’s Android Wear lineup.

This is a Tag Heuer watch, so you’ll pay a premium for owning one, and the Connected Modular 45 will start at $1,600. Don’t worry about splashing out on a piece of technology that will one day be out of date, as Tag Heuer will swap the Connected Modular 45 for a Heuer 02T Tourbillon Chronograph, or just change the guts for a mechanical watch if you’d prefer to keep the body, when you think that day has come.

Head over to Tag Heuer’s website from March 14 to start customizing your Connected Modular 45. The watch will be on display at the Baselworld 2017 watch show in Switzerland, so look out for further coverage at the end of March.

Tag Heuer doubles down on luxury smartwatches with the Connected Modular

Luxury watch owners have a reason to care about smartwatches now.

Not only is designing a smartwatch difficult from a technical perspective, it’s a unique challenge from a design perspective. The tech world wants lighter, thinner, faster, and more battery. If you go look at an actual watch, especially an expensive one, you’ll find almost none of them fit this description. Luxury watches are often huge, flashy things that stand out on the wrist and demand to be noticed, not to mention considerably more expensive than your average Android Wear watch.

Last year the folks at Tag Heuer bucked the Android Wear trend with a watch that was expensive by techy standards, but greatly exceeded company sales expectations. In response, the company has doubled down on the luxury part of the Connected line with the ability to swap out many different pieces on the watch body to match your needs. It’s called the Connected Modular, and if you were hoping the price was coming down this year you should probably stop reading now.

As specs sheets go, the Tag Heuer Connected Modular isn’t going to wow anyone familiar with smartwatches. Like its predecessor, this is an Intel-based watch with a single crown button on the side that doesn’t rotate. Unlike its predecessor, there’s only 512mb of RAM onboard. The 410mAh battery powers a 287ppi display in a 45mm casing that is 7.5mm thick and can handle water down to 50 meters. There’s no heart rate monitor, no barometer, no LTE radio, and the watch itself charges with a magnetic pin dock. You get WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC for Android Pay, and GPS onboard. Oh, and this watch is the first smartwatch to ever be certified as “Swiss Made” to help indicate quality.

The Tag Heuer Connected Modular comes in several base kits.

Where this watch really gets interesting is in all of the things that aren’t underneath the display. As our initial reporting suggested, the Connected Modular separates in several unique positions. The lugs, straps, and buckles on the watch will all be replaceable, with many different options ranging wildly in price. If you decide you’d rather not have Android Wear 2.0 on your wrist for a day, the whole watch body can be swapped out with a special Calibre 5 movement from Tag. There is also a limited tourbillon movement to be available with one of the models available at launch.

It’s not all hardware with this watch. Tag has seen the benefit of not only including custom watchfaces with its branding onboard, but making it easy for users to create their own Tag watch face. On top of several unique Tag faces with customizeable options built in to the watch, users will be able to create personalized options in the new Tag Studio app. This app will include many different Tag inspired options, as well as updated later on with pre-set options from Tag Ambassadors like Tom Brady and Mats Hummels. Most of these faces will support the new Android Wear complications feature, so they’ll be more than just nice looking on your wrist.

Naturally, these features come with an impressive price tag. The base model of this watch with a rubber strap is going to run you $1,650. There will be other kits available at higher price points with different modular options available, going all the way up to $18,500. And, to appeal to those eager to get their hands on one right now, Tag Heuer has made the watch available starting today. You can head to the Tag Heuer website, or check out your local store and be able to walk out with one on your wrist.

A close look at the Tag Heuer’s detachable buckles and lugs.

While these watches are unlikely to appeal to the budget focused and tech-obsessed among us, the Connected Modular will appeal greatly to those who collect nice watches and appreciate the ability to appear as though you’re wearing many different watches just by swapping core pieces. This particular feature is one notably missing from even the most expensive of Apple Watch variants and is something Tag Heuer is going to be able to do very well.

For those still eager to use the original Tag Heuer Connected, the Android Wear 2.0 update will be rolling out starting today.

Google could team up with India’s Jio over an affordable 4G phone

A Google-branded budget phone could be in the works.

Google is reportedly working with Jio — which recently crossed 100 million subscribers — to launch an affordable 4G-enabled phone that will work exclusively on Jio’s network. The phone is likely to make its debut before the end of the year, according to The Hindu.

Google is looking to expand its reach in India, and one way to do that would be to collaborate with Jio. The company’s efforts in providing free internet access at railway stations across the country have borne fruit, with over 5 million customers using the service every month.

However, Google has failed to attract any mainstream attention for its Android One program, and in a recent interview, CEO Sundar Pichai said that smartphones need to be priced as low as $30 to succeed in the market. A partnership with Reliance could serve as a catalyst for Google’s device ambitions in the country, while allowing Jio to reach a wider customer base.

Reliance’s own Lyf brand of devices have fared well in the country mainly because of the fact that the carrier’s network was limited to its devices initially. In addition to collaborating on a budget phone, The Hindu noted that Reliance’s upcoming smart TVs will feature software from Google, which suggests they’ll run Android TV.

OnePlus UK is now taking applications for a student marketing campaign

OnePlus wants you to come up with a new marketing campaign.

OnePlus’ marketing efforts have had their ups and downs in recent years, and the company is now looking to raise its brand awareness in the UK by launching a new marketing campaign. To that effect, OnePlus is rolling out a challenge through which students will be able to pitch their ideas to OnePlus’ marketing division, with the winning entry eligible for a paid summer internship at the company’s London office.

From the website:

Calling all students: think you have what it takes to create and execute an innovative marketing campaign?

Welcome to the first ever OnePlus Marketing Challenge. Pick your teammates, put your heads together and come up with a killer marketing campaign.

The five best teams will be invited to our European HQ in London to pitch their campaign in person.

The winning team will be selected for a summer internship to run their campaign.

OnePlus is now taking submissions for ideas, and will put up the 20 best ideas for a public vote on May 12. The five finalists from the vote will fly to London to pitch their campaign to OnePlus’ marketing team, and the team that wins the challenge will get to work with OnePlus and walk away with a OnePlus 3T each:

• First place will be awarded to one team who will receive a paid summer internship at the European HQ in London for the team to implement their marketing campaign and a OnePlus 3T for each team member.
• Second place will be awarded with a OnePlus 3T for each team member and one £500 Amazon voucher for the team.
• Third place will be awarded one £500 Amazon voucher for the team.
• Runner-up prizes will be awarded to the teams who come fourth and fifth, receiving one £300 Amazon voucher per team.
• The top 20 shortlisted teams, outside of the top five, will receive a £50 Amazon voucher per team member.

The contest is limited to those living in the UK. If you’re interested, head to the link below for all the details.

See at OnePlus

OnePlus 3T and OnePlus 3

• OnePlus 3T review: Rekindling a love story
• OnePlus 3T vs. OnePlus 3: What’s the difference?
• OnePlus 3T specs
• Latest OnePlus 3 news
• Discuss OnePlus 3T and 3 in the forums

OnePlus
Amazon

How to set up the fingerprint sensor on the LG G6

Set it up so that all you have to do is touch the sensor to unlock your phone.

I’ve been spoiled by rear-facing fingerprint sensors these past few years. They’re easier for my smaller hands to access and the mechanism itself just feels quicker than placing a thumb on the front side of the device. The LG G6 features its own rear-facing fingerprint sensor, too, and once you register a print, you can use it to lock up content in LG’s Gallery and QuickMemo+ apps. Here’s how to set up the fingerprint sensor.

How to set up the fingerprint sensor on the LG G6

Swipe down from the top of the screen to reveal the notification shade.
Tap the Settings icon in the upper right corner.
Tap General.

Select Fingerprints & security.

Tap Fingerprints.
Tap Add fingerprint.

Scan in the finger of your choice repeatedly until the interface indicates it’s been registered.

You can now use the fingerprint sensor on the back to quickly unlock your phone with just the touch of that registered finger.

Questions?

We’re standing by to answer any questions you may have. Just leave a comment!

LG G6

• LG G6 review!
• LG G6 specs
• LG G6 vs. Google Pixel: The two best cameras right now
• Everything you need to know about the G6’s cameras
• LG forums

NVIDIA Jetson TX2 is the supercomputer that’s going to build the next great idea

NVIDIA’s Jetson TX2 is more than a worthy successor to the original. It’s a new way to do things.

Artificial Intelligence and machines that can learn are how the things we use every day will be improved. Google and Android are all-in with AI through Google Assistant and machine learning, so it’s important to know how the back end operates, how they got there and what types of equipment makes it all possible. And it’s really cool, too!

The people who will build this technology of the future will need the tools to do so. In 2017, NVIDIA is doing its part, and the Jetson TX2 is the embodiment of this idea. Developers need hardware that’s not only capable of doing the computing and thinking (yes, I’ll say it) that our smarter future is going to need, but is also easy to use and deploy.

AI at the Edge.

NVIDIA refers to this as “delivering AI at the Edge” and it’s an apt description. The TX2 is a complete supercomputer. It’s able to process data on its own at the place and time it’s actually happening instead of thousands of miles away via the internet. We take connectivity for granted because of the way we use it right now, but there are plenty of cases where waiting for a data round trip from a smart piece of machinery is just too long to wait. And a large part of this blue marble we live on doesn’t have a connection to the internet, and won’t for a very long time.

A small computer that can do just about anything and process all the data it collects itself is how you tackle these problems. NVIDIA seems to have nailed it here.

What is this thing?

This isn’t something you can find at Best Buy to use for things you do with your phone. It doesn’t run Android (but it certainly wouldn’t be difficult to fix that) and it’s something most of us won’t be buying. But it’s still a very important part of the things we love.

The Jetson TX2 is a development tool. The Jetson TX2 is also a field-ready module to power any AI-based equipment. It’s a computer the size of a credit card with all the inputs and outputs a “regular” computer has. When you plug the TX2 module into its specially designed backboard (that’s part of the development kit) it mostly turns into a typical small form factor PC complete with all the ports and plugs your desktop also has.

Developers can use this to build equipment around and actually use the Jetson itself to run demos and simulations. It’s a capable little machine that can do all the calculations something much bigger can do while using a minuscule amount of power to do so. The tech specs are impressive.

• NVIDIA Parker series Tegra X2: 256-core Pascal GPU and two 64-bit Denver CPU cores paired with four Cortex-A57 CPUs in an HMP configuration
• 8GB of 128-bit LPDDR4 RAM
• 32GB eMMC 5.1 onboard storage
• 802.11b/g/n/ac 2×2 MIMO Wi-Fi
• Bluetooth 4.1
• USB 3.0 and USB 2.0
• Gigabit Ethernet
• SD card slot for external storage
• SATA 2.0
• Complete multi-channel PMIC
• 400 pin high-speed and low-speed industry standard I/O connector

The best tech spec is that the Jetson TX2 is a pin for pin drop in replacement for last year’s Jetson TX1. Let that sink in for a bit — developers who are using existing NVIDIA TX1 computers to power the brains behind their equipment will be able to shut things down, pull the old board and put in the new one. The software for the TX1 will be updated to the same software the TX2 is using so it will literally be a drop in replacement. If you’ve ever done any type of field or factory work on equipment that costs a lot of money when it has any downtime, you understand how important this is. While the next generation equipment is being developed, it’s using hardware that works 100% with the existing generation.

The secret here is through NVIDIA’s Pascal GPU cores. The same reason Pascal cores are used in very high-end video cards designed for VR and 4K 3D gaming is why they’re used for the Jetson TX2. GPU cores are a more efficient way to crunch numbers. They’re faster and use a lot less power.

The holy grail of computing is artificial intelligence (AI): building a machine so intelligent, it can learn on its own without explicit instruction. Deep learning is a critical ingredient to achieving modern AI. Deep learning allows the AI “brain” to perceive the world around it; the machine learns and ultimately makes decisions by itself. It is now widely recognized within academia and industry that GPUs are the state of the art in training deep neural networks (DNN), due to both speed and energy efficiency advantages compared to more traditional CPU-based platforms.

NVIDIA GPU computers already do some amazing things. They drive the deep learning used for self-driving cars, teaching robots human-like motor skills such as walking and grasping, analyzing video at high-speed to provide text captions and even play Go. And beating really good human opponents.

GPU cores can do the same work using less power as traditional CPU computing.

The real test of AI and the brains that can drive it is on the horizon. Autonomous robots and drones are being developed for jobs like industrial inspection, portable medical devices that can be taken in the field to help those in need are desperately needed and even smart security cameras that can analyze what they are seeing and take appropriate action are soon to be realities. These ideas need computing that can drive AI with deep learning algorithms and the ability to analyze neural network collected data on their own. They can’t be attached to a cable and will be used in places where even Verizon has no coverage.

Besides being powerful, a computer designed to be small and portable has to be power efficient. Testing shows (.pdf file) that NVIDIA GPU-based computing can be equivalent to an Intel core i7 6700K CPU and use 6 watts of power compared to 60. For equipment that’s not connected to the power grid, that’s important.

We ran some benchmarks using AlexNet and GoogLeNet — CV based object category classification and detection testing software and the results were fantastic. In Max-P (high-power) mode, the Jetson TX2 was able to analyze an average of 641 images per second using the AlexNet Network while using just 13 watts of power. The GoogLeNet testing averaged 278 images per second while using 14 watts of power. Max-Q (low power) tests scored an average of 481 images per second on AlexNet and 191 images per second on GoogLeNet while using just 7 watts of power. This is just about twice what last year’s Jetson TX1 could deliver, and it was pretty good at it, too.

When you can process information this fast and this accurate on-site, a connection to the cloud isn’t the limiting factor it used to be.

In the lab

The Jetson TX2 should be very capable in the field. It’s the first of the next generation machines that will learn by doing without a connection to the cloud and a substantial upgrade from existing equipment. But it also has features that developers will love.

The credit card sized compute module can plug into a complete carrier board available as part of the Jetson TX2 development kit. The carrier board uses the 400 I/O pins on the Jetson module to provide standard desktop connections. A software developer can use a standard USB keyboard and mouse, a standard monitor and the Jetson TX2 to create a complete development environment.

Running on an Ubuntu 16.04 based Linux4Tegra operating system, all the tools you might need to develop and debug deep learning AI applications are included as part of NVIDIA’s JetPack software. Developers can download the package from NVIDIA’s Developer Zone as well as follow tutorials and community knowledge to see what the Jetson can do then begin work on their own ideas. Included software in the JetPack is pre-configured to run optimized on the TX2 processing system:

• cuDNN – a GPU-accelerated library of primitives for deep neural networks.
• NVIDIA VisionWorks is a software development package for Computer Vision (CV) and image processing.
• CUDA Toolkit – a comprehensive development environment for C and C++ developers building GPU-accelerated applications.
• TensorRT – a high performance deep learning inference runtime for image classification, segmentation, and object detection neural networks.
• NVIDIA Nsight Eclipse – A full-featured and customized Eclipse IDE for developing, debugging and profiling CUDA-C applications.
• Tegra System Profiler and Tegra Graphics Debugger – tools to profile and sample applications using OpenGL.
• The necessary collateral and assets to develop and design hardware using the NVIDIA Jetson TX2.

Using the same platform to build and debug any application is a must for anything intricate and complicated. It’s one of the ways developers can simplify the process and anything that can help make things easier makes for happier developers. While the Jetson TX2 may not be designed as the sole development and build computer any group would be using, knowing that it is capable is a boon for installation and field work. Making small adjustments and changes can be done on the Edge the same way the processing is without sending data back to another computer bank to process and return.

Equipment can be designed using the available hardware assets and drawings to not only reduce complexity but to allow an easy interface using readily available peripherals and software. Armed with a laptop and a USB cable, an engineer or field tech has everything needed to rebuild from the ground up if necessary.

The NVIDIA Jetpack software means developers can focus on their work, not setting up a build environment.

Even the installation of NVIDIA’s Jetpack is streamlined. Reviewers were provided with an updated version to install, and following a few simple instructions through a clever GUI had a complete rebuild of all the software finished with just a few steps and a cup of coffee. Again, we see NVIDIA making things easier so developers can focus on their work rather than maintaining the build environment itself.

You can actually build and debug software on the Jetson TX2, while having an assortment of other applications running to write a blog post.

After a few days of setting things up and testing everything, I came away very impressed with what NVIDIA is delivering here. The first Jetson TX1 was a great product that filled a need for fast development using GPU cores to do the heavy lifting for deep learning neural network applications. In a very short time, NVIDIA has raised the bar with a successor that can break the dependency on the cloud using the same familiar development tools and techniques.

The technology of the future will excite and inspire us all. Products like the Jetson TX2 are what will make that future possible. The NVIDIA Jetson TX2 Developer Kit is priced at $599 for retail orders and $299 for students.

See at NVIDIA Embedded Developers portal

Waze now integrates with Spotify to help de-stress your commute

Waze is adding a big new integration — and sorry, it isn’t Android Auto.

Waze and Spotify have inked a deal to deeply integrate into each other’s apps, both giving you access to the best tunes during your commute and keeping your route easily in hand while browsing your music. With the latest version of the Waze app and your Spotify account connected, you’ll be able to access your Spotify playlists from inside Waze or quickly skip between tracks and see upcoming music. You can even have music start automatically when your navigation begins.

From the Spotify side of things, you’ll be able to start navigation from within the Spotify app while you’re browsing for tunes to take on the road. When your car is at a complete stop, you’ll be able to quickly switch between the Spotify and Waze apps with a single tap, and you won’t lose your place in either app as music information will continue to display in Waze and direction information will show up in Spotify.

We sure would appreciate a more general extension network that would let you integrate any popular music service into Waze — or, how about just integrating Waze into Android Auto? — but this is a big deal for the millions who use both services.

Waze says the rollout for these new features will take a couple of weeks, so be patient if you don’t see it show up immediately. Just make sure you have both apps installed and up-to-date, and you’ll be in line to get the latest playlist partnership for your commute.

Volvo electric car targets 250 miles, mass-market pricing, 2019 launch

Volvo is no stranger to technology. The car maker’s autonomous plans have been well documented, running hand-in-hand with the company’s desire to ensure that there are no deaths on the road that lay at the fault of a Volvo car. Safety is synonymous with Volvo.

The company is also no stranger to electric, offering hybrid cars through its Twin Engine option on the XC90 and V60. News that Volvo is aiming to get a pure electric model on the road with a range of 250 miles, then, should come as no surprise. 

Talking to Automotive News, Lex Kerssemakers, CEO of Volvo Car USA, is reported to have confirmed the company’s plans to get an EV on the road to challenge the likes of the Tesla Model 3. 

A range of 250 miles is the target, addressing the biggest barrier to electric cars which has been range anxiety – people just think it won’t go far enough to meet their needs.

Higher ranges are being pushed by companies like Tesla with its premium cars, but companies like Chevrolet are offering 238 miles with Bolt and Hyundai offering 124 from the Ioniq Electric (EPA figures).

Delivering it with a price between “$35,000 and $40,000” sees a future Volvo run slap-bang into the middle of Tesla Model 3 and Chevy Bolt pricing, with the Ioniq Electric arriving slightly cheaper at just over $30,000.

There’s no telling what this Volvo might look like, but Volvo has run pure electric cars before with its C30 DRIVe Electric concept. This adapted the company’s smaller hatchback model and offered 93 miles, but that was in 2011 and the world has moved on. 

The time frame of 2019 is rather tight, but Kerssemakers confirmed that Volvo’s modular platforms meant that it wasn’t starting from scratch. Watch this space. 

Tech meets fashion: 6 of the most stylish smartwatches

The worlds of fashion and tech are becoming more and more entwined. The collaborations that happen during fashion week are just the tip of the iceberg though, with numerous devices taking a fashion spin.

It’s smartwatches that have seen one of the biggest fashion influences however. Several companies are jumping on the bandwagon, from Tag Heuer and Guess, to Michael Kors and Emporio Armani, all after a slice of the smartwatch pie.

Not all smartwatches put fashion as a primary consideration, but we are seeing more and more that have at least appreciated that one size doesn’t fit all. For all those out there who are looking to be down with tech without it ruining your style, here are six fashion-friendly smartwatches.

Pocket-lint

Apple Watch

Buy the Apple Watch Series 2 for £369 from Amazon.co.uk or for $578.99 from Amazon.com

The Apple Watch could easily be considered one of the most fashion-conscious smartwatches around. It is well built and it looks great on, but more importantly, it comes in two sizes and there are over 30 models to choose from, and that’s before you start mixing and matching. 

The Hermès collaboration takes the style element of the Apple Watch one step further but you can create a great look with the other models too. You get most of the tech you’d expect from a smartwatch with this device and with so many strap options and body colours available, there is bound to be one to suit various outfits. 

Read the full review: Apple Watch Series 2 review

Pocket-lint

Tag Heuer Connected

Buy the Tag Heuer Connected for £2,995 from Amazon.co.uk or $2,650 from Amazon.com

The Tag Heuer Connected is one of the most expensive smartwatches out there and it only comes in one size – 46mm – but it is a beauty.

It’s a sporty style of Tag’s Carrera family of watches and it is more unique than many of its competitors, with Tag’s 150-year experience shining through. If you have the cash, it’s worth the splash.

Read the full review: Tag Heuer Connected review

Pocket-lint

Michael Kors Access

Buy the Michael Kors Access for £308.50 from Amazon.co.uk or for $350 from Amazon.com

The Michael Kors Access smartwatch is up there with the best in terms of design and wearability. It does what a smartwatch should do: look like a watch you’d want to wear, while adding Android Wear smart functionality.

The dedicated MK faces make the Access feel that little bit more special than some other Android Wear devices and there are several colour options available, as well as alternative straps. For the MK fans who love the signature chunky watches but want it connected, the Bradshaw won’t disappoint.

Read the full review: Michael Kors Access Bradshaw review

Pocket-lint

Emporio Armani Connected 

Buy the Emporio Armani Connected from £183 from Amazon.co.ukorfrom $245 from Amazon.com

The Emporio Armani Connected is a smart, sophisticated and well-built hybrid smartwatch. It joins a Kate Spade model and Skagen model under the Fossil umbrella, bringing an option for those who like the idea of getting more out of their watch but who aren’t quite sold on a fully-fledged smartwatch.

Being hybrid, it misses out on some of the features offered by Android Wear devices or the Apple Watch, but the Emporio Armani Connected looks like your typical Armani watch and that’s where it will gain the hearts of those who want to be stylish and smart.

Read the full preview: Emporio Armani Connected preview: Simple and sophisticated

Pocket-lint

Samsung Gear S3

Buy the Samsung Gear S3 Frontier for £312 from Amazon.co.uk or for $335 from Amazon.com / Buy the Samsung Gear S3 Classic for £319 from Amazon.co.uk or $323 from Amazon.com

The Samsung Gear S3 is available in a couple of different models, the Frontier and Classic, both of which deliver in terms of both design and software. The solid metal chassis of the Classic offers meticulous fine details, 22mm straps and a lovely rotating bezel for navigating the operating system, while the Frontier is sportier but still looks great.

Both Gear S3 devices deliver on feeling like a proper watch that happens to be smart. There’s no higher praise than that. They are not as recommendable for the iPhone user, but for Android, it’s a fantastic option.

Read the full review: Samsung Gear S3 review: Android Wear, beware, this is the smartwatch to beat

Pocket-lint

Guess Connect 

Buy the Guess Connect for men for £294 from Amazon.co.ukor $256.95 fromAmazon.com and for women for £249 from Amazon.co.uk or$249 from Amazon.com

The Guess Connect smartwatch was announced at CES 2015, making it one of the oldest smartwatches on this list. The company has been making watches for over 30 years but the fact that it is probably better known for handbags and shoes is perhaps why the Guess Connect could be seen as more stylish than some other smartwatches.

There are two size options – 41mm and 45mm – but there are also five styles available including a rose gold model with a crocodile skin strap. The Guess Connect gets its brains from Martian Watches and the best thing about this device is that it looks like a normal watch despite being a lot smarter than one.

Read the full review: Guess Connect review

The Morning After: Tuesday, March 14 2017

Welcome to Tuesday. Intel has just spent over $15 billion shoring up its self-driving car tech, you’ll be playing PS4 games, officially and legally, on your PC and we explain how a microwave works. Because it certainly isn’t a camera.

Smart cars.

Intel buys self-driving tech firm MobilEye for $15.3 billion

MobilEye is one of the big players in autonomous cars and was an early partner with Tesla on its AutoPilot technology. Now Intel has snapped up the firm for $15.3 billion after the two teamed up on tech for BMW’s iNext platform, expected to debut in 2021. MobilEye’s expertise is in the computer vision and machine learning that helps self-driving cars figure out where to go, and Intel wants to make that a piece of its “automated driving solution.”

PS4 on your PC.PlayStation Now will add streaming PS4 games soon

Sony has been streaming games from the cloud with PlayStation Now since 2014, but so far, that has not included games for its latest console. Now, the company says PlayStation 4 games will join the subscription service, with a “private test” starting in the next few weeks. There’s no word on which games will be available, but remember that Sony is pulling the plug on PS Now for all devices other than the PS4 and PC.

You can decline — and they can keep your phone
US Senate bill would require a warrant for border phone searches

Border Patrol agents searched 5,000 cell phones in February, up from 5,000 in all of 2015. Usually, authorities need a warrant to search your electronic devices. That rule does not apply for international border crossings, however, where searches of devices and demands for passwords to cloud and social media accounts have spiked. Senator Ron Wyden is introducing a new bill that would require a warrant for search and forbid border officials from asking for your passwords.

The explainer you don’t really need.
No, Kellyanne, microwaves cannot turn into cameras

Everyone’s paranoid about cybersecurity and surveillance these days, and rightly so. Thanks to the increase in connected devices in our homes, there are more and more gadgets that can be hacked to spy on you. However, the basic laws of physics still apply. Yesterday, President Trump’s senior counselor Kellyanne Conway told a reporter that microwave ovens can turn into cameras for surveillance. Nope.

Inside ‘Infinity Room,’ a dazzling SXSW art installation

Refik Anadol crafts alternate realities but not for VR headsets

Infinity Room is an enclosed cube measuring 12 feet in all three dimensions. Four laser projectors beam various animations that envelop the square room’s walls, while the floor and ceiling are covered in mirrors. The result is an intense space, one that at once offers sensory deprivation and overload. So we put Aaron Souppouris inside it.

It takes an unusual approach to multiplayer VR.
PlayStation VR horror title ‘The Persistence’ lets friends mess with your game

Firesprite’s upcoming PlayStation VR sci-fi horror title The Persistence will include a mobile companion app that lets nearby friends see the game map. Your pals can make your life easier by steering you toward items, or create havoc by running you toward threats — which probably the fun part. It’ll make it one of the few horror games where the people on your couch may be as much of a threat as those virtual enemies. Friends indeed.

But wait, there’s more…

• Oceans are warming faster, so expect more floods
• What’s on TV this week: ‘Fences’ and ‘Passengers’ on Blu-ray, plus ‘Iron Fist’ on Netflix
• Luxury phone company Vertu gets sold for a third time
• Volvo’s first EV will cost less than $40,000