Here are the best fitness apps for the Apple Watch

With built-in heart rate monitoring and movement analysis, the Apple Watch — and its successor, the aptly-titled Apple Watch Series 2 — is an ideal fit for the fitness lifestyle. If you love tracking your exercises and meeting your goals, or you just want a little extra motivation, then you’ll probably want to download a few of the best fitness apps for the Apple Watch. Thankfully, we’ve rounded up a selection of our favorites, so you can spend less time perusing the App Store and more time hitting the treadmill (or browsing our roundup of the best Apple Watch apps).

Strava

Strava was one of the first running apps that adapted to the Apple Watch in an organic way, allowing you to start, complete, and log a fitness session directly from your wrist. While recording, the app shows the distance you’ve traveled, how long you’ve run for, your average pace (in kilometers or miles per hour), and your current heart rate. In other words, it provides pretty much everything you need! When you’re finished, you can also save your session. Not running today? Strava also allows you to switch to a different sport, if you want to record other activities.

Download now from:

iTunes

Runkeeper

Runkeeper got a big update for the Series 2 that allows it to internally generate its own map using the watch GPS, which helps with tracking your location and progress and, after a period of “teaching,” doesn’t even require you to run with your iPhone. The app also comes with some nice customization features; the run screen shows the elapsed time at the top, but you can alter the middle and lower portions to show distance, current pace, average pace, average heart rate, and a slew of other metrics in whichever order you prefer. The ability to customize the run screen is a great feature we wish more fitness apps provided, one that’s ideal for runners who know just what they want to focus on.

Download now from: 

iTunes

Streaks Workout ($3)

Streaks is available for nearly every Apple device, whether you want to work out in front of your TV or quietly in the park. Moreover, the app’s simple, rounded icons and basic choose-and-swipe controls make it ideal for the Apple Watch. Choose a type of workout based on how long and hard you want to exercise, and Streaks will cycle between several different activities with the number of reps you should be doing. Activities are timed and saved, too, so you can improve over time. However, some of the more complicated features, like exercise demonstrations, are intended for other devices.

Download now from:

iTunes

Gymaholic

Gymaholic focuses on complex strength training that uses both 3D modeling techniques and augmented reality. While the images on the Apple Watch are tiny, the screen focuses on reps and sets over the modeling features, ensuring it’s usefulness no matter what sort of activities you’re engaging in. You can also edit your sets, track your heart rate, and add or remove exercises directly from the Watch. However, you do need to have a pretty good handle on what moves are called, how you want to do them, and how you want to improve over time. This app is ideal for weightlifters and strength trainers who are interested in their gains more than anything else.

Download now from:

iTunes

Gymatic

Gymatic offers a fun twist on traditional fitness apps. The inventive app automatically identifies the exercise at hand, and starts tracking it so you know exactly how many reps you’ve done without ever needing to count in your head (you can also search for specific exercises or sports and put them together into customized workouts). The app also offers the ability to track your heart rate, rest and workout times, velocity, temperature, consistency, and more. Think of it as a milder alternative to Gymaholic, one well-suited for those who aren’t as obsessed with the details but still want a good, easy-to-use tracker.

Download now from:

iTunes

Carrot Fit ($4)

Are you looking for a more lighthearted workout app that will help guilt you into exercising? Carrot fit is entertaining enough to be worthwhile, but it can also help you start an active lifestyle with a series of smart workout choices. The app quickly moves between 30-second sets for 12 different exercises, helping break you into interval training and saving you as much time as possible. But the entertainment value comes from how the app sarcastically tracks your weight and provides timely insults, bribes, and even a little inspiration while you’re active. Rewards include fun cat facts, along with app upgrades, meaning there is some incentive to keep using the service.

Download now from:

iTunes

Apple may finalize deal to invest in LG Display’s OLED plant, report says

Why it matters to you

Apple’s rumored investment with LG Display’s OLED plant could mean the latest iPhone display will make the switch from LCD to OLED.

According to the latest report by The Investor, Apple is discussing plans with LG Display to invest about 2 to 3 trillion won — the equivalent to about $1 to $2 billion — into new OLED production lines exclusive to Apple orders.

Although not definite, the two firms have apparently agreed on the investment plans but details when it comes to timing and size have yet to be finalized. The decision is expected to be finalized later in July after the company’s board meeting.

While Samsung is considered to be the top manufacturer — dominating more than 95 percent of the smartphone OLED market — LG already provides the AMOLED display for the Apple Watch. So, this new investment would not involve diving into unchartered territory for Apple when it comes to the iPhone’s OLED displays.

An industry source told The Investor that while Samsung is the only display maker that meets the strict criteria for Apple, LG Display is said to be catching up — meeting up to 70 percent of the requirements.

In 2015, LG announced its investment of 10 trillion won — $8.7 billion — into a South Korean factory committed to building OLED displays. The company had already been planning to upgrade space in the facility in order to attract Apple.

The new possible investment from Apple is supposedly going toward LG Display’s new plant — titled E6 — rumored to be for iPhone orders. About 3.5 trillion won is required to produce almost 30,000 OLED units of the glass to then be manufactured in multiple iPhone screens.

There have already been delays with LG Display’s OLED supply for iPhone when purchasing the Canon Tokki’s vacuum machine — the most advanced OLED production equipment — failed. However, sources according to The Investor say the company has secured two units of the machine which should speed up production for Apple speculated to start in 2019.

As for the iPhone 8 design, there are many different rumors about the new specs and OLED screen. Some sources claim it will have the same dimensions as the iPhone 7 with a 5.8-inch OLED screen and 4 mm bezels on every side. Other rumors claim the device will have an OLED screen, no bezels, and a body made of stainless steel.

The switch from LCD to OLED technology will not only change the traditional design of the iPhone by creating one giant display, but will introduce new features like embedding the touch ID sensor into the display. OLED will also contribute to saving battery life since LCD uses more light.

Best iOS app deals of the day! 6 paid iPhone apps for free for a limited time

Everyone likes apps, but sometimes the best ones are a bit expensive. Now and then, developers put paid apps on sale for free for a limited time, but you have to snatch them up while you have the chance. Here are the latest and greatest iOS app deals available from the iOS App Store.

These apps normally cost money and this sale lasts for a limited time only. If you go to the App Store and it says the app costs money, that means the deal has expired and you will be charged. 

Sorted

Sorted is a minimalistic, yet remarkably powerful day planner. It helps you master your day and take back control of your time.

Available on:

iOS

PhotoSynthesis

PhotoSynthesis allows you to make a composite of several photos, creating an effect similar to repeated exposure. It’s easy to operate, and you’ll definitely find lots of fun along the way.

Available on:

iOS

Mini Mouse

Mini Mouse is a wireless mouse and keyboard that gives your iPhone plenty of functionality. For example, you can play your computer’s video and music using your iPhone.

Available on:

iOS

Corgioji

React to texts with cute Corgioji — Corgi emoji dog stickers and emoji packs for the Corgi dog lover (and most animal lovers, too).

Available on:

iOS

Memoir

Memoir helps you relive and share the memories that matter the most with just the right people. The app helps you remember all of your favorite memories every single day.

Available on:

iOS

Air Contacts Pro

Air Contacts is the only contact launcher you’ll ever need thanks to its ability to call and text your favorite contacts directly from the widgets screen.

Available on:

iOS

Transform your room into a real-life Holodeck with this 360 VR projector

Why it matters to you

360-degree projector can create awesome virtual reality scenarios without requiring users to wear a headset.

Fancy a Star Trek-style Holodeck in your own home? A VR startup based in Barcelona, Spain, wants to make such a thing a (non-virtual) reality.

What BroomX has developed is a freestanding virtual reality projection system called the MK Player360, capable of transforming any room into… well, pretty much anything you can imagine. From an entertainment tool that could make your bedroom a convincing underwater simulation to one that would allow an interior designer to show off concepts for a finished apartment, the potential use-cases are nigh-on unlimited.

“We’ve created a tool that lets people enjoy virtual reality scenarios without having to wear a heavy, not entirely comfortable device like a headset,” Ignasi Capellà, head of business development for BroomX, told Digital Trends. “What we’ve done goes one step further than a lot of VR setups by making it a social technology that allows multiple people to enjoy the same experience at the same time. We think this will be great for everything from hotel rooms to classroom environments.”

Other possible applications Capellà talked about include viewing 360-degree video in a way that would allow a user to instantly be placed in their favorite city. It’s also possible to imagine potential medical use-cases, such as putting a terminally-ill person in hospice care back in a projection of their own bedroom, or — on the other end of the spectrum — helping treat PTSD by placing a patient back in a traumatic environment as a way of helping them.

The projector itself is linked to a mobile device, which makes changing the scenario as easy as turning on a smart light. “Another use-case is interactive apps,” Capellà said. “For example, we have one use-case where can draw on your iPad, which then projects the image in real-time on the wall. You can customize your surroundings, like a virtual reality Banksy.”

Right now, Capellà said the company is having discussions with a number of different sectors. No price for the units has been set, but we hopefully won’t have to wait too much longer to find out.

“We’ve been receiving a lot of requests,” he said. “Our plan is to start in Spain and the south of Europe, targeting B2B markets at first. We’re also talking to different distributors in various markets, including the U.S. The product is ready; we just need to find the best way of getting it into the hands of customers!”

Best T-Mobile Phones

The best phone options available from the third-place U.S. carrier.

Whether you’re a long-time T-Mobile subscriber looking to upgrade your phone or you’re switching and want to find out what’s available at a glance, we’re here to help.

We’ve broken down the best devices available to buy through T-Mobile. Check out our reviews to learn more about each of these and if you’re ready to take the plunge, we’ve included links to buy directly from T-Mobile.

• Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+
• LG G6
• LG V20

Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+

Every carrier has to offer the latest Samsung Galaxy, and for good reason: this is the top-end phone everyone knows and lusts after right alongside Apple’s latest iPhone. T-Mobile of course offers both the Galaxy S8 and larger Galaxy S8+, but which size you want is purely personal preference — the experience is ultimately the same on both.

Samsung continues to go all-out on its hardware design, and the Galaxy S8 does it up right. The sleek and slim metal frame is accented by curved glass all over, and the new extra-tall 18.5:9 screen with tiny bezels is breathtaking.

Inside you obviously get all of the latest specs, including Samsung’s go-to features like wireless charging, waterproofing and an industry-leading display. It’s expensive, but you just can’t skip over considering the latest Galaxy when shopping for a flagship phone.

Be sure to read our Galaxy S8 review for the full take.

Samsung Galaxy S8 review

See at T-Mobile

LG G6

The G6 is easily LG’s best overall flagship phone to date, and it directly competes with the top phones from other companies well. LG gave up the hardware gimmicks and stuck to a tried-and-true formula of a strong metal frame with a solid glass back, but picked up the style with a new 18:9 display that has really small bezels all around.

LG’s software still isn’t its strong point, but the styling has improved and it’s still fast and fluid. What is a point of strength is the pair of rear cameras, with an excellent main camera backed up by a great wide-angle camera for breathtaking shots you just can’t get anywhere else.

It may have an “older” Snapdragon 821 processor, but everything else on the G6 is top notch and you should absolutely consider it on T-Mobile.

You can read our LG G6 review for the full take.

LG G6 review

See at T-Mobile

LG V20

The LG V20 is a big phone with some powerful specs, and though it doesn’t have the general appeal of the LG G6 or Galaxy S8 it’s still a good choice for those who want something big, brawny and with some niche features.

With a pair of excellent rear cameras, a big, beautiful 5.7-inch screen, a removable battery and a high quality DAC, it has a lot going for it. Sure it’s big and doesn’t have the same svelte looks as the LG G6, but it has a lot going for it in its own right.

Making the V20 extra appealing is its generous price discount now that it’s a handful of months old — you can get it for under $500.

LG V20 review

See at T-Mobile

You can now buy retro NES-style controllers for your Nintendo Switch

Ever wish your Nintendo Switch looked more like the original NES?

No? Just us? Well, either way, ColorWare thinks someone out there wants a NES-style Switch, because it has just launched the Joy Con Classic, a pair of custom-painted Switch controllers. They’re painted in black and grey to resemble the original NES, but they’re only available for a limited time. And, yes, they function just like any other Switch controllers and work with your existing Switch system.

ColorWare has been releasing custom versions of the Switch for several months, giving consumers the chance to literally switch up the look of their Switch. The company’s new Joy Con Classic features a two-tone design in black and grey with glossy red buttons and accents, just like the Nintendo Entertainment System that originally released in 1985. But these retro controllers aren’t exactly cheap.

• How to build a SNES Classic Mini for just £50
• SNES Class Mini: Everything you need to know

ColorWare

They come with a $200 price tag ($120 more than the standard Joy-Cons), though they feature all the same hardware – accelerometers, gyro sensors, buttons, and even matching wrist straps. So you’re probably only going to pick these up if you’re diehard Nintendo fan. Keep in mind shipping for the controllers is currently starting at three weeks from the time of checkout.

If you live in the UK, ColorWare says it ships there, too. We’ll update this post when we find out more about UK pricing.

Samsung made a prototype of a standalone VR headset – see it here

Forget about the Samsung Gear VR. Samsung is officially exploring standalone VR headsets.

Samsung currently dabbles in the virtual reality headset space, thanks to the Samsung Gear VR, which is basically a high-tech virtual reality viewer that works with specific Samsung smartphones. The Gear VR needs a phone for display and processing power. But Samsung has been developing another VR headset that doesn’t require a phone. In other words, it’s a standalone VR headset.

A VR eye-tracking firm called Visual Camp just posted a press release that appears to reveal an early version of an all-in-one VR headset developed by Samsung. Visual Camp developed the eye-tracking technology used in this unannounced Samsung device, which is labeled “Exynos VR III” in the press release. Presumably, the headset is a follow-up to a Samsung Exynos VR II headset.

• Samsung eyeing up next-gen Gear VR headset with OLED screen
• Samsung Exynos has ambitions beyond the Galaxy S8

The new prototype runs on 10nm SoC with Mali G71 graphics (maybe the Exynos 9 Series chip?), which powers dual “WQHD+” displays at 90Hz or one 4K display at 75Hz. We don’t know which screen is inside the pictured VR headset. In addition to eye-tracking, the Exynos VR headset, which looks quite large, supports “hand tracking, voice recognition, and facial expression recognition.”

Now, Samsung apparently showed off this headset in March at MWC 2017. At the event, Samsung also revealed its new Exynos 3 and VR reference platform. Keep in mind it’s not unusual for chipmakers to demo the potential of – and uses cases for – their silicon. However, it was reported last year that Samsung was working on a standalone headset and had an interest in hand tracking to boot.

• New Samsung Gear VR headset is Galaxy S8 compatible
• Best VR headsets to buy in 2017, whatever your budget

But we still have our doubts that this headset will ever come to market, considering we never heard of the Exynos VR II that came before it, and the prototype pictured looks wholly unfinished.

Motorola just launched a 360-degree camera mod for Moto Z devices

Lenovo-owned Motorola has quietly introduced a new Moto Mod for its modular smartphones.

It unveiled a 360-degree camera mod for Moto Z devices while at an event in Ghana, West Africa. Called the Moto 360 Camera mod, it features two camera lenses. The actual camera attachment sits on top of a plastic back plate, which attaches to a Moto Z phone just like any other Moto Mod. The JBL SoundBoost speaker, for instance, attaches to the rear of the Moto Z via a 16-pin connector.

• Moto Z2 Play review
• Moto Z Play review
• Moto Z review

The camera mod’s two lenses, which are positioned on both sides, can capture 360-degree images of its surroundings. We don’t know any other specifications or details, including a price or release date. We only know that it was unveiled thanks to a report from TechDroider, the video below posted by GhanaWeb TV, and the above press render posted by noted leaker Evan Blass.

It’s unclear if this is a Ghana-exclusive product, but if so, that would be really odd. Why Ghana? We’ll keep you posted as we learn more. Meanwhile, check out Pocket-lint’s guide on all existing Moto Mods.

‘Baby Driver’ is an ode to iPod nostalgia

It took a while to get going, but it’s safe to say we’re living in a golden age of digital music. Terrible compression is a thing of the past, and the rise of streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music give us instant access to almost anything we’d want to hear. But while we’ve gained so much, there’s also a sense that we’ve lost something. Sharing a playlist isn’t the same as burning a CD for your sweetheart, or going even further back, manually dubbing a mixtape. As our music has become less physical, so has our attachment to it.

That’s something that struck me while watching Baby Driver, director Edgar Wright’s new mashup of car chases, heist films and excellent tunes. Its lead character, Baby (Ansel Elgort), is perpetually connected to a pair of headphones, experiencing life as if it’s a never-ending music video. But his earbuds aren’t attached to a smartphone; they’re plugged into one of his many iPods. He has a box full of them, each with their own colors and ornamentations. Basically, a different iPod for every mood.

While they’re filled with digital files, the iPods also serve as a physical connection to all of his music. The film opens with Baby in a getaway car, cool as a cucumber while wearing white earbuds, launching into a jam out session with Bellbottoms by The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. That song also serves as the backdrop for the film’s electric opening chase, where you can almost feel the iPod’s tiny mechanical hard drive (remember those?) racing alongside him.

As someone who reminisces fondly about my Zune HD, Rio Karma, Toshiba Gigabeat and countless other players of varying quality, Baby’s connection to his iPods struck a chord. With older media players, there was a sense of physicality, before cloud syncing made it a cinch to keep track of all your music. If you somehow managed to hit a double whammy of bad luck and lost both your player and your computer’s hard drive, you were out of luck.

These days, you can hop between phones within minutes, porting over your entire library without a sweat with iTunes, Google Play and apps like Spotify. You don’t even have to wait for your music to download; you can just stream it all from the server heavens.

Baby’s iPod addiction seems fitting today, at a time when we’re all plugged into headphones most of the day. Just look up from your phone once in a while and you’ll see it: a crowd of people, each in their own world with their own private soundtracks. In Baby Driver, that soundtrack underscores everything, be it a chase, a shootout or even a stroll for coffee. The film also takes pains to choreograph the tunes with what’s happening on screen (there’s a shootout set to Tequila that’s pitch perfect). Baby also uses music as a form of therapy, due to a tinnitus condition that resulted from a childhood car accident. It’s a way to drown out the “hum in the drum,” as Kevin Spacey’s criminal mastermind, Doc, tells us.

Tristar Pictures

Since the film is practically an action musical, it’s no surprise that Baby’s relationship with everyone is centered around tunes. He strikes up a conversation with his sweetheart, Debora (Lily James), by comparing the songs that feature both of their names. He forms a kinship with Jon Hamm’s bank robber as they share earbuds, reminiscing about their go-to tracks during a getaway. (Baby’s is Queen’s Brighton Rock, which should come as no surprise to fans of Edgar Wright’s Shaun of the Dead.) Meanwhile, Jamie Foxx’s Bats, who’s particularly unstable, hates the idea of listening to music during robberies. That’s a major red flag that tells us not to trust him.

Baby’s connection to music extends beyond Apple’s devices: his apartment practically has wall-to-wall records. He also spends his time mixing sound clips with a unique rig, developed by Kid Koala, which consists of a magnetic card reader, a distorted Buddhist meditation box and a pen controlled device. There’s even an E-mu Emulator II, for good measure. In true, anachronistic music nerd fashion, Baby also records all of his mixes to cassette tape.

Since he’s a collector of old-school musical gear (although not many CDs, from what I could gather), Baby’s iPod obsession seems almost peculiar. But I suppose he’s just like plenty of other hip music nerds. We live in a world where the digital and analog still coexist — record sales, paradoxically, are actually on the rise, along with streaming music sales. Baby just latches onto the things he can actually touch and feel.

And, after all, who wants to deal with their favorite track buffering when you’re in the middle of a life or death car chase?

The next iPhone reportedly scans your face instead of your finger

Rumormongers have long claimed that Apple might include face recogition in the next iPhone, but it’s apparently much more than a nice-to-have feature… to the point where it might overshadow the Touch ID fingerprint reader. Bloomberg sources understand that the new smartphone will include a depth sensor that can scan your face with uncanny levels of accuracy and speed. It reportedly unlocks your device inside of “a few hundred milliseconds,” even if it’s laying on flat of a table. Unlike the iris scanner in the Galaxy S8, you wouldn’t need to hold the phone close to your face. The 3D is said to improve security, too, by collecting more biometric data than Touch ID and reducing the chances that the scanner would be fooled by a photo.

Does that sound good to you? You’re not alone. The leakers claim that Apple ultimately wants you to use face recognition instead of Touch ID. It’s not clear whether this will replace Touch ID, though. While the tipsters say that Apple has run into “challenges” putting a fingerprint reader under the screen, they don’t rule it out entirely. There are conflicting reports: historically reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is skeptical that under-screen Touch ID will make the cut, while a representative at chip maker TSMC supposedly claimed that it’s present. Your face may be the preferred biometric sign-in approach rather than the only one.

The Bloomberg scoop largely recaps existing rumors, including an all-screen design (with just a tiny cut-out at the top for a camera, sensors and speaker), a speedier 10-nanometer processor and a dedicated chip for AI-related tasks. However, it adds one more treat: if accurate, the new iPhone will get an OLED version of the fast-refreshing ProMotion display technology you see in the current-generation iPad Pro. So long as the leaks are accurate, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the next iPhone represents a massive hardware upgrade, even if the software is relatively conservative.

Source: Bloomberg