The Falster is Skagen’s first touchscreen smartwatch, and it runs Android Wear

Skagen is known for its simple watch designs that still make a statement on the wrist. While the company has a line of hybrid smartwatches, it had yet to offer a full touchscreen smartwatch alternative. At CES 2018, the fashion brand debuted the Falster, a smartwatch powered by Android Wear.

On the outside, the Falster features a fully-round touchscreen and a 42mm stainless steel case. Under the hood — as with almost all Android Wear smartwatches — the watch is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor.

While the dial is black on all of the color variants, you can choose between a silver, rose gold, or black case. Depending on the case color you choose, the smartwatch will include either a mesh or leather strap. Since they’re interchangeable, you can always switch the combinations to your liking.

The watch runs Android Wear 2.0 — Google’s latest version of the Android Wear operating system. By connecting your smartphone to your watch via Bluetooth and allowing it to wirelessly sync, you will be able to access notifications like incoming calls, texts, along with emails straight from the watch.

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Other features include activity tracking, music control through third-party apps such as Google Play, and voice commands via Google Assistant. For those who travel to destinations in different time zones, the automatic accuracy feature will adjust your smartwatch accordingly. There’s no Skagen-specific app yet, but the brand told Digital Trends a micro-app may be added later.

Skagen incorporated its minimalist design into the interface of the watch as well. With its OLED screen and a lineup of OLED watch faces, the Falster emphasize a battery-efficient design. Using the all-black background on your watch’s default screen can save up to 20 percent of energy over lit pixels. The screen will be always-on by default, but turning it off will save even more battery life.

As for charging the device, it comes with a wireless charging puck that magnetically connects to the smartwatch.

While the operating system is functional with iOS 9.0 and beyond, it’s important to note your capabilities with the iPhone are limited. As with an Android device, you have to download the Android Wear app — but will have to keep running it in the background  to ensure the smartwatch is still connected. With an iPhone, you will still be able to see almost all your notifications but you won’t be able to answer almost all of them. For instance, iMessage and SMS messages will show up but you won’t be able to reply. But you should be able to answer emails if you have a Gmail account, specifically.

The Skagen Falster Smartwatch officially goes on sale on January 25, and it can be purchased through Skagen’s website as well as its retail locations. The smartwatch will cost you $275 for the black case with a brown or black leather watch strap, and $295 for the rose gold or silver cases with matching mesh watch straps.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Skagen Signatur T-Bar review
• DKNY Minute hybrid smartwatch merges tech and fashion for a neglected audience
• The ultimate guide to 2017’s Android Wear smartwatches
• Emporio Armani Connected smartwatch review
• The Misfit Path is Misfit’s smallest hybrid smartwatch yet

Razer Project Linda Preview

Project Linda wants to turn your Razer Phone into a laptop, but it’s very much a prototype.

Razer surprised smartphone fans by releasing its own gaming-focused phone this year. It focused on powerful hardware and debuted a 120Hz display, making it a unique option for Android fans. Out of nowhere, Razer has become a player in the smartphone space.

The phone’s successor hasn’t even been hinted at, but Razer has found a way to take its phone and spin it into a weird, exciting new idea with a prototype project its calling ‘Project Linda.’ What is it? Put simply, the company wants its Razer Phone to also be your laptop.

That’s not a new concept. Asus debuted its similar PadFone three years ago, and there’s a variety of third-party docks on the market. What sets Project Linda apart from these is how the Razer Phone is used. It becomes the laptop’s touchpad. If you’re thinking that means the touchpad is also a 5.7-inch, 2,560 x 1,440, 120Hz display – you’re right. And Razer intends it to be used exactly as that.

A touchpad that’s also a touchscreen sounds intriguing, but what would you actually use it for?

If you’re finding this hard to imagine, we don’t blame you. A touchpad that’s also a touchscreen sounds intriguing – it’s a similar idea to the MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar, only bigger – but what would you use it for?

That’s a good question, and one Razer had some trouble answering. We used the Project Linda prototype to play a game of Vainglory, edit a photo, and navigate Android’s interface. It worked as a touchpad in all cases, but none of the demos made good use of the Razer Phone’s screen. It remained dim throughout, usable as a touchpad, but it didn’t display useful information. Razer did have one demo machine playing a video of what it hopes the feature would look like when complete, and we liked what we saw – but could that become reality? No one can say, including Razer.

We can understand why. Project Linda requires developer support to function, yet it’s a prototype, built deep in Razer’s R&D labs. Still, we hoped to see at least one knockout, interactive demo that proved its use – and we didn’t.

What about the rest of it?

Project Linda’s unusual use of a phone’s touchscreen is the headline feature, but the dock it attaches to is worth discussion. You can dock or detach the phone with the press of a button, which causes a USB-C port to appear and connect to the Razer Phone. It’s a neat piece of engineering that comes complete with a cool mechanical whir.

Matt Smith/Digital Trends

The laptop dock looks great. It’s basically a Razer Blade with the internals stripped out, except for a small battery. It offers a slick black look, thin design, pleasant keyboard, and Chroma backlighting. In these respects, at least, it’s the best Android laptop dock we’ve seen.

We left our time with Razer’s Project Linda feeling equal parts interest and bewilderment. It’s an eye-catching demo, no doubt, and the idea seems fun. Yet we have a hard time imaging how we’d use it. This is an idea that’s never been tried, so there’s no prior examples of it working in the real world.

Whatever you think of the idea, you shouldn’t expect to see it for sale soon. Razer has a long history of introducing concepts, like last year’s Project Valerie and 2014’s Project Christine. These rarely translate literally to a product you can buy, but they do become features on future Razer devices.

If we had to bet – and CES is held in Vegas, so we do – we’d say this will lead to a new touchpad/screen for the Razer Blade. The company in fact had a Blade model that used a touchscreen as a touchpad, but it was small, and quickly dropped from future models. Perhaps the lessons learned from Project Linda can help Razer perfect a bigger, better version of that concept.

Editors’ Recommendations

• The best gaming laptops you can buy
• Max your mobile: How to use the Game Booster app on the Razer Phone
• Win the game with these handy Razer Phone tips and tricks
• ‘Smart’ sunglasses from Vuzix work with Android and iOS, will debut at CES
• Battle of the beautiful: How does the Pixelbook stack up to the MacBook Pro?

Kate Spade’s smartwatch for women shuns tired old ‘shrink it and pink it’ style

“There’s a viewpoint in the technology space that all you have to do to make a product for women is, ‘shrink it and pink it,” Kate Spade executive vice president and chief marketing officer Mary Beech told Digital Trends, “and we didn’t want to approach it that way.”

The lifestyle brand has announced its first Android Wear smartwatch, the Kate Spade Scallop, and like DKNY recently, it definitely hasn’t followed that lazy, well-trodden path. Instead, it has made beautiful piece of jewelry, that not only complement’s the wearer’s lifestyle, but the rest of the Kate Spade range as well.

The Scallop follows a selection of hybrid smartwatches from Kate Spade, and it’s the wide-range of functionality offered by Android Wear that attracted it to go ahead with the project. Beech continued: “We’re excited about the function. We’ve always approached our products this way. Our first bag was a perfect blend of design and utmost functionality, and so when it came to smartwatches, we wanted a package that fitted her look and lifestyle, and that also helped manage her busy life.”

Iconic design elements, and custom watch faces

At the center of the watch is a 1.9-inch touchscreen with a 390 x 390 pixel resolution, showing Android Wear 2.0, and powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 2100 processor. Like other smartwatches, it will deliver notifications from a Bluetooth connected smartphone, run apps, count steps and calories, play music, and allow you to use Google Assistant on your wrist. There are two body colors available — rose gold and yellow gold — along with three different strap styles.

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Design is an important part of the watch, and it was, “important to make a product that fitted into the Kate Spade range,” Beech said. “When you look at the watch with the screen off, it’s so Kate Spade. The iconic scallop design is on the top ring, there is a spade insignia on the crown, and the metal colors are the current best sellers throughout the rest of the Kate Spade range.” The bracelet colors and leather from the bands are also shared with other Kate Spade designs, resulting in a cohesive, attractive look.

There are also several custom watches faces. “The animated ones are lots of fun,” Beech told us, describing faces with taxi cabs, falling daisy petals, and winking eyes. They’re also part of Kate Spade’s commitment to giving the watch an up-to-date look, and it will deliver new faces every quarter, with a popular monogram face coming next. In addition to these, the Scallop watch has a Choose Your Look custom watch face. Here, wearers can create a watch face that matches their bag, jewelry, and outfit. “It’s fun, useful, and we’re really excited about it,” Beech enthused. Apart from the watch face updates, in the future the company will look at expanding the range of bands.

Make life easier

True wearables designed for women are still a rarity, with those that fit into the accepted stereotype of glittery and pink being prevalent. This was on the company’s mind during the watch’s development. Beech said, “We didn’t want a new product to be ‘me too.’ Making a smartwatch felt natural, but the older bulkier designs didn’t feel right, so when the tech caught up and allowed us to have the slimmer case we felt it was the right time to bring out a smartwatch.” The idea was to combine features usually seen in multiple devices into one watch. “Making women’s lives easier is one of our favorite things to do,” said Beech.

The Kate Spade Scallop smartwatch is available to pre-order from January 9, with sales beginning online and in stores on February 5. The two styles with leather straps will cost $295, and the model with the rose gold bracelet strap will be $325.

Editors’ Recommendations

• The ultimate guide to 2017’s Android Wear smartwatches
• The Falster is Skagen’s first touchscreen smartwatch, and it runs Android Wear
• Nixon’s Star Wars watches aren’t smart, but you’ll still desperately want one
• A strap for everyone: The best Apple Watch bands you can buy right now
• The Misfit Path is Misfit’s smallest hybrid smartwatch yet

Powermat admits defeat as Qi wins wireless charging

For the last few years there has been a war raging for dominance in the wireless charging space, with two competing standards emerging as the front runners: Qi and Powermat. With the news that Powermat has now joined the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC), throwing its weight behind rival Qi, it looks as though the war is finally over.

Qi has been dominating for the last few years, with all the best wireless chargers in the consumer space, while Powermat pursued partnerships with chains like Starbucks. Samsung hedged its bets, supporting both standards in flagships like the Galaxy S8, but when Apple went all-in with Qi on the iPhone X, Powermat finally threw in the towel.

Powermat is now set to contribute to the WPC, which will “leverage Powermat’s expertise in technology innovation to support more use cases including higher power and expanded special freedom,” according to WPC’s chairman, Menno Treffers.

Existing Powermat hardware can support the Qi standard, though it requires a software update. That has already happened at Starbucks and we imagine other Powermat partners will get similar updates. Powermat will now help to develop new wireless charging technology, while remaining backwards compatible with Qi.

“Qi has become the dominant wireless charging standard on the market and the recently launched Apple iPhone lineup is evidence of this success,” explained Elad Dubzinski, Powermat CEO in a press statement. “Powermat will share technology innovation to further unlock wireless charging potential, and will expedite the growth of the wireless charging infrastructure, bringing wireless charging to wherever users need it.”

Powermat merged with A4WP, with its Rezence technology, back in 2015 to form the AirFuel Alliance, but it failed to keep pace with the WPC’s Qi which has seen steady growth. Apple’s adoption of Qi forced Powermat partners like Starbucks to update their wireless charging pads and spelled the end for Powermat. This is great news for regular folks as it makes wireless charging simpler. With Apple, Samsung, LG, and a host of other companies (more than 360 in total) pushing the Qi standard, it looks as though wireless charging is finally going mainstream.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Powermat’s Charging Spot 4.0 is compatible with more devices, easier to install
• Mophie vs. Belkin vs. RavPower: Who has the best wireless charging pad?
• Charge up your iPhone or Android with the best wireless phone chargers
• How does wireless charging work? Here’s what to know before you cut the cable
• Grovemade unveils a beautiful new Wireless Charging Pad

Battle of the high-end laptops: HP Spectre x360 vs. Microsoft Surface Book 2

One of the hottest high-end laptop comparisons we made in 2017 was when pitting the HP Spectre x360 against the Microsoft Surface Book 2. Both are seriously top-tier notebooks with a tonne of fantastic features and enough performance to rival even decently powerful desktops in a variety of applications. While the Surface Book 2 may have won the day, that may not be the case forever. In 2018, HP is back with a vengeance with a second generation of its Spectre x360 15.

Can the new Spectre with uprated processor and graphics help it come out on top in a brand new head to head? Are the Surface Book 2’s days numbered before it’s even had the chance to gloat? Let’s find out.

Specifications

HP Spectre x360 15 (2018)

 Microsoft Surface Book 2 15-inch

Dimensions
14.1 x 9.8 x 0.76 (in)
13.5 x 9.87 x 0.56-0.90 (in)
Weight
4.62/4.72 pounds
4.2 pounds
Keyboard
Full-size, island-style backlit keyboard
Full-size backlit keyboard
Processor
Eighth-generation Intel Core i7-8550U / eighth-generation Intel Kaby Lake-G
Up to eighth-generation Intel Core i7-8650U
RAM
Up to 16GB
16GB
Graphics
Nvidia GeForce MX150 w/2GB of VRAM / AMD RX Vega M GL
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 w/ 6GB of RAM
Display
15.6-inch WLED-backlit touchscreen
15-inch LED-backlit display with IPS technology
Resolution
3840 x 2160
3240 x 2160
Storage
Up to 1TB PCIe M.2 SSD
Up to 1TB PCIe SSD
Networking
802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2
802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2
Ports
1 USB 3.1 Type-C, 1/2 Thunderbolt 3 USB Type-C, 1 USB 3.1 Type-A, 1 HDMI, 3.5mm headphone/mic jack, SD card reader
2x USB Type-A ports, 1 Thunderbolt 3 USB Type-C port, 3.5mm headphone jack, 2x Surface Connect ports, SD Card reader
Webcam
HP Wide Vision full HD infrared Camera
5.0MP 1080p front-facing camera, 8.0MP 1080p rear-facing autofocus camera
Operating System
Windows 10
Windows 10
Battery
84 watt-hour
90 watt-hour
Price
Starts at $1,370
Starts at $2,500
Availability
March (HP Store)
Now (Microsoft Store)
Review
Coming soon
Full review: 8/10

Design

When you’re spending as much as a few thousand dollars on a laptop, you would expect it to look the part. Although these two notebooks have quite different aesthetic designs, they both have a premium look to them. The Surface Book 2 is a little more generic, with a design that will be familiar to Apple fans, while HP has enhanced its new Spectre x360’s originally understated design with a more angular casing and slimmer monitor bezel — similar to the new Spectre x360 13. That gives it an arguably more modern feel, though those who prefer the original Dark Ash Silver and Copper Luxe color schemes will still be able to pick them if preferred.

Both devices are classed as 2-in-1s, so can operate in both laptop and tablet-mode. The way they each achieve this effect, however, is slightly different because of the difference in hinge design. The Spectre x360 leverages the more typical 360-degree hinge found on many convertible laptops, which lets it fold completely flat to the back of the screen for tablet operation.

The Surface Book 2 has a “dynamic fulcrum hinge,” in the same fashion as the original Surface Book. That means you can completely detach the screen from the base, making for a much more lighter tablet solution — 1.6 pounds versus 4.6 pounds for the new Spectre x360.

Although your opinions of the aesthetics of these laptops will be very much up to personal opinion, in terms of functionality, the Surface Book 2’s more capable hinge design offers more for those looking for a versatile convertible laptop.

Winner: Surface Book 2

Performance

Performance comparisons between these two notebooks are a little difficult to make right now, as the new HP Spectre x360 isn’t available yet and we’ve not had the opportunity to get our hands on it. That said, while specifications would suggest that the Surface Book 2 will be the more powerful, there are certainly some interesting options in the Spectre’s lineup that could make it intriguingly competitive.

The Surface Book 2 is an established and understood piece of hardware, with an eighth-generation Intel Core i7-8650U CPU, a flat 16GB of memory and a GTX 1060 graphics chip with 6GB of VRAM. In our own testing, we’ve seen the Surface Book 2 handle 1080P gaming in a manner that’s comparable to midtier gaming laptops and business applications like that of a decently powerful workstation.

The new Spectre x360 is a little harder to pin down, because as well as not being available just yet, it has two specific hardware lineups. The first has an eighth-generation Core i7-8550 CPU with a choice of 8GB, 12GB or 16GB of memory, and a GeForce MX150 with 2GB of VRAM (effectively a mobile version of the desktop GT 1030). In that setup, as with our comparison of the previous version, the Surface Book 2 should be noticeably more powerful, especially in the graphics department.

Things could be much more competitive with the second iteration. It comes with the new Intel eighth-generation Kaby Lake G processor, which combines one of the latest Intel CPUs with an on-die AMD graphics chip from its Vega lineup, known as the Vega M GL. Although we will need to get some hands-on experience with the chip and the laptop itself to have a concrete idea of its performance, we would expect such a hardware design to have comparable performance to a seventh-generation Intel Quad Core HQ chip and a GTX 1050.

HP claims that this hardware configuration is about 40 percent quicker at editing and transcoding 4K video to 1080P than the i7-8550u/MX150 design. In terms of raw power, though, it still seems unlikely to eclipse the Surface Book 2.

Although the Microsoft 2-in-1 is likely to exhibit greater performance than the Spectre x360, the new additions to the HP offering certainly give potential buyers more choice and it may well be that the Intel/AMD combi-design delivers performance that’s not much weaker than what the Surface Book 2 is capable of.

Until we know more, the Surface Book 2 has the competitive edge.

Winner: Surface Book 2

Display

The displays that Microsoft and HP have integrated with these premium laptops are both well beyond the 1080P standard of recent years, but their visuals and resolution offerings are quite different. The Surface Book 2 comes equipped with a 15-inch PixelSense display running at a resolution of 3240 x 2160. That’s a step back from full 4K resolution, but the dense pixel-per-inch count of 260 means it still has lots of high-definition clarity.

The panel is very bright too, with powerful colors. In our testing we did find them a bit oversaturated and arguably too vibrant, with a slightly disappointing color accuracy rating. That’s not to say it looks bad — it really doesn’t — but personal preference is an important point to consider. If you are buying a laptop to edit photos on and accuracy is at the top of your wishlist, the Surface Book 2 does lack a little in that respect.

In comparison, the HP Spectre x360 features a true-4K display (3840 x 2160) with much more typical color accuracy for a laptop at its price point. It isn’t as bright as the Surface Book’s, and the contrast falls behind by a noticeable margin (720:1 versus 1,410:1).

Displays are as much about personal preference as the are about raw specifications, but to our eye, the Surface Book 2 offers the better option for the broadest segment of potential buyers.

Winner: Surface Book 2

Portability

Alongside the new internal hardware options for the 2018 version of the 15-inch HP Spectre x360, the other big changes come in the form of its physical design and battery life, both of which impact portability. The new version is ever so slightly thicker — by around 1.5mm — in order to handle the new graphics configuration, and that in turn has meant a slight increase in weight. The new version is 4.62 pounds for the Nvidia version and 4.72 pounds for the AMD version — an increase of around five percent.

That’s not likely to be noticeable at this weight range, though it does mean there is a slightly greater disparity between the HP laptop and the Surface Book 2, which has a static weight of 4.2 pounds. Neither feels heavy, but due to the Microsoft 2-in-1’s ability to detach entirely from its keyboard, the weight difference when in tablet mode is far more stark. While the Spectre x360 will remain its full weight whatever configuration it’s in, the Surface Book 2 can become as light as 1.7 pounds when in tablet mode.

Another reason that the 2018 Spectre x360 is a little heavier is due to a slightly larger battery. It now comes with an 84 watt-hour battery, versus a 79.2 watt-hour version with its previous edition. Estimations peg it as lasting 13.5 hours with the Nvidia version and 12 hours with the AMD version, depending on usage.

While more juice is always good for those using their system on the move, it’s going to be hard to beat the Surface Book 2’s battery life, which was its most standout feature in our testing. We found that in some cases it was able to last as long as 20 hours when watching videos, a staggering amount of time for such a high-powered laptop.

With that kind of battery life and the sheer weight difference in tablet-mode, we need to give the nod to the Surface Book 2 for portability once again.

Winner: Surface Book 2

Pricing and availability

None of the above categories truly matter if the hardware is priced out of reach, and there is certainly an argument to be made for that here. While the Surface Book 2’s 13-inch version can be had for the much more reasonable price of $1,500, the 15-inch version in this comparison starts at $2,500. If you want more storage, you can spend up to $3,300 which is far from cheap, even if you do get a lot for your money.

The HP Spectre x360, on the other hand, benefits from its wider range of hardware options to come in at a much more reasonable price point. When it goes on sale, the 15-inch version will start at $1,370, a far cry from Microsoft’s pricing. That would be the weakest of the configurations, though, so if we look at the new version with the Intel Kaby Lake G chip with AMD graphics, the 16GB version with 512GB  solid-state storage is $1,700.

In pricing, therefore, the HP 2-in-1 has a clear advantage, especially considering how competitive it is with the Surface Book 2, despite falling behind throughout most of this comparison piece. But since it won’t become available until March, for now, the Surface Book 2 is your best (and only) option unless you opt for the previous edition of the Spectre x360.

Winner: Surface Book 2

Bottom line

Both the 2018 version of the HP Spectre x360 and Surface Book 2 are fantastic 2-in-1 laptops. We should all be so lucky to work and play with them. When it comes to which is the best option, however, the Microsoft Surface Book 2 is the winner, though not by any huge margin.

There’s certainly an argument to be made that the price of the Surface Book 2 ($2,500-$3,300) doesn’t justify its minor improvements in performance over the Spectre x360 ($1,370-$1,700), but its hinge system and greater battery life are an important part of that discussion. The fact that the HP notebook has yet to go on sale is also a sticking point.

If you want one of the best laptops we have ever tested right now, the Surface Book 2 is the way to go. If you are happy to wait a few months and find that your budget lines up more with the Spectre x360, you will still be a very happy new owner.

Overall winner: Surface Book 2

Editors’ Recommendations

• Battle of the 15-inch 2-in-1s: HP Spectre x360 vs. Microsoft Surface Book 2
• HP Spectre x360 13 (Late 2017) Review
• HP Spectre x360 13 vs. Lenovo Yoga 920: Fighting for convertible 2-in-1 primacy
• HP supercharges Spectre x360 15-inch with Intel 8th-Gen Core and AMD Vega graphics
• Samsung Notebook 9 Pen hands-on review

Yuneec unveils three new drones, including updated Typhoon H Plus

Yuneec International has unveiled three new drones at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) — including a new and improved version of its Typhoon H drone, arguably one of the best drones available on the market, despite debuting all the way back in 2015.

The new Typhoon H Plus packs a larger, highly stable six-rotor hex airframe, promising a 40-percent reduction in noise from previous hex models. It also comes equipped with a high aperture one-inch sensor camera for capturing 20-megapixel stills and 4K resolution video at 60 frames per second. Compared to previous models, the Typhoon H Plus boasts improved low-light camera performance, while a continuous rotation gimbal and retractable landing gear offers seamless 360-degree unobstructed views.

Making things even better is the Typhoon H Plus’s smart collision avoidance technology, which will detect obstacles and then intelligently navigate around them, leaving photographers to concentrate on their camera work and flight path instead of having to keep an eye out for objects that are in their way. Finally, the Typhoon H Plus ships with a redesigned controller, including a sizable seven-inch integrated display and HD 720p video downlink for stunning real-time video reception.

Yuneec is also using CES to unveil two completely new drones in the fixed wing and racing categories. The lightweight Firebird FPV offers a flight time of up to 30 minutes, and promises a flying experience similar to a real full-sized aircraft. Using the Firebird FPV, you’ll be able to pull off acrobatic maneuvers such as inverted flight, rolls, and loops, safe in the knowledge that beginners can opt for an in-built Safety Mode that makes it impossible to descend below a certain altitude, while Return Home, Geo Fence and Auto Landing capabilities further reduce your fears about ruining your brand-new drone.

Finally, Yuneec’s HD Racer is a palm-sized racing drone, promising nimble flight with smart stabilization. The HD racer is designed to be safely flown indoors, due to its compact size, protected blades, and durable construction. It is piloted via an optimized, all-digital, low -latency HD video downlink, and there’s even the option to record and share your best racing moments in high resolution 1080p.

All three new drones will be available this year, with the $1,800 Typhoon H Plus and $700 Firebird FPV slated for the first half of 2018, and the $180 HD Racer coming in for a landing sometime during the second half of the year. We couldn’t be more excited!

Editors’ Recommendations

• CNN can now fly its news drone over crowds in an industry first
• NASA: Cigar-shaped ET asteroid buzzed by at over 85,000mph
• Using simple code, kids can teach the $99 Tello drone their own tricks
• Drone-owning Brits face clampdown as government moves to make skies safer
• A drone you can’t crash? It’s finally here, thanks to AR and smart glasses

France is investigating Apple over planned obsolescence of iPhones

Planned obsolescence is a touchy subject for any tech lover. No one likes the idea that their time with their new tech toy is somehow limited — and the concern that a corporation may be pulling strings to make your tech slower and force you to upgrade sooner is one that appeals to conspiracy nuts and normal folks alike. And when it comes to this issue, Apple has usually gotten the worst of it over the years. The Cupertino, California giant was recently forced to admit that yes, tech does exist that slows down older iPhones, but Apple claims it’s for the overall good of the consumer.

It appears that Apple’s explanation isn’t good enough to fly in France, which has begun an investigation of Apple. France has some tough laws against planned obsolescence, with a maximum sentence of two years imprisonment and up to 5 percent of a company’s annual turnover. With a company the size of Apple, that’s likely to be in the billions.

The news comes from French news agency AFP, while the actual investigation stems from a complaint made by the consumer rights group HOP (Halte à l’Obsolescence Programmée). The complaint (the essence of which can be read on HOP’s site, via Google Translate) is clearly not convinced by Apple’s report on the matter, claiming that the timing of the slowdown is too close to the release of the latest iPhone range, and suggesting that there is another issue at play here.

This isn’t the first time that HOP has moved against a company. It previously filed a complaint against the printer manufacturers Epson, HP, Brother, and Canon, accusing them of underhanded tactics that forced consumers to buy more ink. An investigation has since opened on that matter, as well.

Following the results of the original Geekbench tests that proved that iPhones were being slowed down over time, Apple has extended an olive branch to consumers to attempt to make the situation right. Since the culprit of the slowdown is often reduced battery effectiveness, Apple is offering cut-price battery replacements for older iPhone models, while iPhone 6s owners could receive a replacement battery for free.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Yes, Apple is slowing down your old iPhone. But if you’re angry, you’re crazy
• If Apple Is Slowing Down Your iPhone, Here’s How To Fix It
• Apple vs. Qualcomm: Everything you need to know
• Apple’s not very happy holiday party: Lawsuits filed over iPhone slowdowns
• Not us! Android makers say they never slow phones over battery problems

Skagen Falster hands-on review

Research Center:
Skagen Falster

Under the Fossil Group, Skagen has produced a number of gorgeous hybrid smartwatches such as the Signatur T-bar and the Signatur Hybrid. The Danish brand has struck gold again with its first touchscreen smartwatch: The sleek Skagen Falster. In the brief time we’ve spent with the watch, we’re happy to say it’s one of the best designed Android Wear smartwatches to date. In our Skagen Falster hands-on review, we take a look at what makes the unisex watch so appealing.

Elegant and minimal

The Falster doesn’t have a lot of bells and whistles. The design feels utilitarian, and it looks quite simple. It’s in that simplicity where the Falster shines, and the lugs are a big part of what make this watch look and feel great on the wrist.

The lugs look like bars sticking out of the circular case, and it’s a style we haven’t really seen before with a smartwatch. Attached to these lugs are either a rose gold or silver mesh strap, or a black or brown leather band. We opted for leather, but the mesh straps look stylish and elegant. The leather is easy to strap on, and it feels lightweight. The mesh strap requires a little more effort, and it did painfully clip our wrist hair. It may just take some time getting used to it.

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Whichever strap you choose, this is a watch that works well at a party, a night out, or simply as an everyday watch. It sits well on the wrist, with no awkward gaps. There’s a fast-release mechanism below the metal lugs, so you can swap bands for different styles at a moment’s notice.

There’s only one button on the 42mm circular metal case, and pushing it to open Google Assistant or your app drawer is quite nice — it’s a very springy button. The case has a sizable bezel surrounding the display; it doesn’t stick out as the pictures may suggest, and the bezel often blends in with the rich, inky black OLED screen.

A focus on OLED

The OLED screen turns off individual pixels to show off the color black. That allows for rich blacks that look great, but it also is energy-efficient. It’s why the Falster’s lineup of watch faces all make use of an OLED black background, with a minimal amount of information on the screen. It’s hard to tell where the screen ends, and where the bezel starts.

Skagen’s Falster packs a brilliantly minimal design that has us yearning to put it on our wrist.

The watch faces are attractive and easily capture a classic Skagen style. You can customize the information the “dials” show, such as a battery indicator, or quickly see how many steps you’ve taken so far.

The case comes in three different styles, depending on the type of strap you choose. It’s completely black for the leather variants, but it’s a mix of rose gold and black when you opt for the rose gold mesh strap. It’s silver and black when paired with the silver mesh strap.

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Like most Android Wear smartwatches, the Falster is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor. The watch zipped through menus and apps with ease, and we didn’t see any issues with performance. The Falster connects to your Android or iPhone via Bluetooth, and you can see and respond to notifications, access the Google Assistant to ask about the weather or add a calendar event, download music to the watch and stream it to Bluetooth earbuds, and install apps directly to the watch via the Wear Play Store. The watch’s capabilities are limited on iOS.

Skagen doesn’t have a micro-app like many fashion brands do to further distinguish the watch, but it may add one in a future update.

We opted for leather, but the mesh straps look stylish and elegant.

The watch charges via a magnetic puck that attaches to the back, and the company estimated a full day of battery life. We think it will last a little less considering the screen is set to “always-on” mode by default, but turning it off and swapping to an ambient mode — where the screen dims into a monochrome mode when it’s not used — could stretch battery life.

Skagen’s watch may not have its own micro-app, but the Falster does have a quirky animated man called “Dan,” who shows up in the user interface when you do certain things like put the watch on the charger: Dan pulls a cable and plugs it into the watch. It’s a fun way to add a little more personality.

Price and availability

The Skagen Falster will be available on January 25 on Skagen’s website as well as its retail stores. The black and brown leather versions are priced at $275, and the mesh leather strap models will set you back $295.

Skagen Falster Compared To

Apple Watch Series 3

Michael Kors Access Grayson

Motorola Moto 360 (2015)

LG Watch Sport

Martian Alpha T10

Huawei Fit

Nixon Mission

Apple Watch Series 2

Asus ZenWatch 2

Martian Passport MP100WSB

Garmin fenix 2

LG G Watch R

Martian Notifier Watch

Phosphor Touch Time

Magellan Echo

The Falster reminds us of the Movado Connect, which to us felt like a watch more than a smartwatch. There’s no denying the Falster looks like a smartwatch — it’s still a little thick, and no matter how black the screen can get, it still is a digital screen. Regardless, it’s a brilliantly minimal design that has us yearning to wear it again.

Samsung wants to transform your white board experience with the Samsung Flip

White boards may be a mainstay at startups and tech companies across the country, but just as we tired of dusty chalkboards, we are likely to soon tire of pen-stained white boards, too. Fret not, though — this doesn’t mean that the entrepreneurs of the world won’t be able to continue throwing their ideas in indecipherable penmanship on walls around the office, but rather that they’ll have a more tech-forward way of doing so.

At CES 2018, Samsung Electronics offered up a vision for the “Workplace of the Future,” beginning with the new Samsung Flip digital flip-chart display. The new Samsung Flip WM55H promises more collaborative digital learning to help teams organize, facilitate, and recap meetings.

Improving upon both standard flip charts made of paper and analog white boards, the WM55H feels like a familiar board, but is far more advanced. Up to four participants can add content or annotate the screen at the same time, either using their fingers or a special dual-sided pen. All users can customize their writing style, size, and color, and all marks are made more legible with viewer-friendly UHD resolution.

To ensure as much interactivity as possible, Samsung Flip offers device compatibility via wireless connectivity as well as USB, PC, and mobile ports. With screen-sharing features, Flip content is available on connected computers, smartphones, and tablets, all without interruptions or reduced visual quality. Similarly, you can broadcast your own content from an external device onto the Flip display for easy idea sharing.

The Samsung Flip seeks to be as user friendly as possible, which is why erasing is as easy as swiping with your palm, and searching for content is as easy as scrolling back through the rolling stream (which contains up to 20 pages of writing space). All displays can be configured to either portrait or landscape modes depending on your needs, and can either be mounted on a wall or placed on a height-adjustable stand.

Once you’re finished using the WM55H for the day, all content is stored within a central database, so you don’t have to take a photo to make it last longer. And a password-based protection system will guarantee that only authorized individuals can access information.

“The often-flawed logistics of the modern meeting make it easy for participants to feel disengaged and for vital ideas and discoveries to become lost,” said Seog-gi Kim, executive vice president of visual display business at Samsung Electronics. “Today’s workers require more powerful and flexible technologies, and we truly believe that our new Samsung Flip display offers endless possibilities for driving impactful collaboration.”

Editors’ Recommendations

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Swappable modules make the Blocks smartwatch a puzzle you’ll want to work out

It has been two years since we last took a good look at a very early version of the Blocks modular smartwatch — with the watch itself being talked about for even longer than that — and now it’s finally being properly announced. Blocks is very different from any other smartwatch out there, not just because of the switchable modules that enhance its functionality, but also because it uses full Android 8.0 Oreo rather than Android Wear 2.0. The Blocks Core watch still does everything you’d expect from a smartwatch, plus a whole lot more.

Suitable for Android and iOS smartphones, the Blocks Core will track your fitness, deliver notifications, show call information, run stand-alone apps, and supports If This Then That (IFTTT) custom alerts. Rather than Google Assistant, the Blocks smartwatch has Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant on board. The circular screen measures 1.4-inches and has a 400 x 400 pixel resolution, while the chip inside the watch is a MediaTek MTK6580M with 512MB of RAM and 4GB of memory. The battery has a 350mAh capacity.

Functionality is extended by adding modules to the watch’s stainless steel body, each of which features a different sensor. It’s a sensible approach to wearables. Not everyone will want GPS,for example, as it’s an expensive and battery intensive component. Those that do want it can still buy the watch, then buy the module, and even then remove it to conserve battery life on the days it’s not needed.

The GPS module is joined by an environment module that contains sensors for temperature, air pressure, humidity, and altitude. Another module adds a torch with strobe and notification features, and another adds a heart rate sensor. Finally, a versatile smart button module can be customised to support various functions. This is just the start, and others modules are planned including an air quality monitor, NFC, a UV sensor, and a stress and sweat sensor. These are being created using a hardware development kit, which allows other companies to create their own Blocks modules.

Blocks started off as a crowdfunded project, and the first versions of the watch are being delivered to backers now. For anyone that didn’t back the crowdfunding campaign, the Blocks Core can be pre-ordered for $260, but this doesn’t include any of the modules. A pack containing the first four modules can be pre-ordered for an additional $140, bringing the complete Blocks package to $400. The good thing is, if you don’t want to buy the modules now, you don’t have to get them.

The fashion industry has recently taken ownership of the smartwatch space, bringing us more stylish and better-looking wearables for our wrists. The Blocks Core takes the smartwatch in a more technical and feature-rich direction, but judging by the images, not at the expense of style. The Blocks Core has the potential to be the Android-based smartwatch that finally bridges the gap between attractiveness and geek appeal.

Editors’ Recommendations

• The ultimate guide to 2017’s Android Wear smartwatches
• Make some time for the best smartwatch deals available right now
• Apple Watch 3: News, new features, and release
• The FitOn is an affordable smartwatch that promises full functionality
• DKNY Minute hybrid smartwatch merges tech and fashion for a neglected audience