Skagen’s new Falster 2 smartwatch comes with built-in GPS, heart-rate tracking

Back in January, Skagen debuted its first-ever touchscreen smartwatch, the Skagen Falster. Only one day ahead of IFA 2018 in Berlin, the company announced the launch of a new smartwatch to add to its lineup, and it’s called the Falster 2 — complete with even more features.

In terms of design, the second-generation smartwatch features a fully round touchscreen display and stainless steel case. But this time around, the company has added two additional pushers to allow for more customization when accessing specific apps. The case is also swim-proof, giving users the ability to track laps in the pool and also hop in the shower without ruining the watch.

While not much has changed aesthetically, the Falster 2 brings far more functionality than its predecessor. With a built-in heart rate sensor powered by Google’s Wear OS, it will automatically track your heart rate throughout workouts. And NFC is now integrated into the device, allowing users to make hands-free payments.

For those who like to leave their smartphones at home during their workout, the Falster 2 also includes built-in GPS. You’ll be bale to leave your phone at home during runs, bike rides, or walks, and still have the ability to track your route without having to stay tethered to your phone.

Unfortunately, the Falster 2 comes with the same 300mAh battery as the Falster — which we experienced really poor battery life with. The addition of heart-rate monitoring and built-in GPS, will only cause the battery to deplete even faster. Skagen says its new smartwatch does include “battery-saving watch dials,” but whether the smartwatch can power through an entire day with all those features packed into it is yet to be seen.

Under the hood, is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Wear 2100 chipset which has been around for almost two years now. Interestingly enough, the Falster 2 is launching on September 12 — around the same time Qualcomm is rumored to be launching its new wearable chipset. For now, there’s no details on what we can expect if the company does launch a new one.

Additional features on the Falster 2 include smartwatch notifications, activity tracking, and customizable watch faces. The magnetic steel-mesh strap is also interchangeable for those who want to switch up their look. As for the price, the Falster 2 will start at $275 and will be available for purchase through Skagen’s website.

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The upcoming Acer Predator Triton 900 laptop has a display that flips

Although it wasn’t included in Acer’s product announcements during the IFA 2018 show in Berlin, the company provided a sneak peek for a gaming laptop called the Predator Triton 900. We don’t know any hardware specifics just yet, only that it sports a unique display frame that enables you to “flip” the screen 180 degrees.

Technically, the Predator Triton 900 isn’t a 2-in-1 device, but rather a laptop with a unique display hinge. For instance, you’re not going to use this device in Tent and Stand modes, and given the laptop’s cooling design, you likely won’t use it in Tablet mode either. If anything, the hinged screen brings the visuals closer to your face, or flip the screen, turn the laptop around and grab a controller for up-close-and-personal action in a Drive-In Theater-like mode.

According to Acer, the CNC-machined hinge will support a G-SYNC display at a 3,840 x 2,160 resolution, powered by a discrete GeForce graphics chip and an Intel processor. Given this is a “sneak peek,” we’re going to presume this mobile gaming monster could rely on Nvidia’s new GeForce RTX 20 Series although Nvidia has yet to announce its new GPUs for laptops. What’s inside will depend on when Acer actually launches this laptop.

Other tidbits provided in Acer’s tease include a new fourth-generation AeroBlade 3D fan design. The CPU and GPU will reside in the area between the screen and the keyboard underneath an intake vent. A fan will reside on each side of the CPU/GPU pair, pulling in air from the keyboard area rather than through the bottom. Hot air is then jettisoned out the back and sides as usual. This is a great design given that your legs won’t block the air intake, but not ideal for a Tablet mode scenario.

The tease also shows that the Predator Triton 900 will include a low-profile RGB backlit mechanical keyboard, and a switchable trackpad located on the right side of the keyboard. With one touch, it transforms into an LED-illuminated number pad. Meanwhile, dedicated media keys appear above the top-left corner of the keyboard, and there also appears to be a front-facing speaker mounted on each side of the keyboard as well.

Port-wise there appears to be plenty although we currently don’t have a definitive list. You can clearly see USB-C and USB-A ports, an Ethernet port, an SD card reader and more along both edges while a few others reside at the back. A glowing power button seemingly sits on the right edge, possibly including a fingerprint scanner.

Unfortunately, we couldn’t get Acer to cough up any additional information. A representative said more details will be specified when each region announces the laptop. That said, all we can do for now is drool and read hands-on views stemming from the IFA 2018 show in Berlin.

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Apple Releases Safari Technology Preview 64 With Bug Fixes and Feature Improvements

Apple today released a new update for Safari Technology Preview, the experimental browser Apple first introduced over two years ago in March of 2016. Apple designed the Safari Technology Preview to test features that may be introduced into future release versions of Safari.

Safari Technology Preview release 64 includes bug fixes and feature improvements for Custom Elements, Web API, Media, JavaScript, Storage Access API, Web Inspector, WebDriver, CSS, WebGL, Safari Push Notifications, and Safari Reader.

The new Safari Technology Preview update is available for both macOS High Sierra and macOS Mojave, the newest version of the Mac operating system that’s currently being beta tested by developers.

The Safari Technology Preview update is available through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store (or in System Preferences in Mojave) to anyone who has downloaded the browser. Full release notes for the update are available on the Safari Technology Preview website.

Apple’s aim with Safari Technology Preview is to gather feedback from developers and users on its browser development process. Safari Technology Preview can run side-by-side with the existing Safari browser and while designed for developers, it does not require a developer account to download.

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Apple Says Latest macOS Supplemental Update Addresses Audio and Kernel Panic Issues on 2018 MacBook Pro

Apple on Tuesday released a macOS High Sierra 10.13.6 Supplemental Update 2, exclusively for 2018 MacBook Pro with Touch Bar models, but the release notes only mention improved stability and reliability.

When contacted by MacRumors for clarification, Apple said the Supplemental Update improves system stability and reliability across a number of areas, and addresses several issues, including crackling audio and kernel panics. Apple said it recommends all users install the update on their MacBook Pros.

The 1.3GB update hasn’t been available long enough yet for any conclusive evidence from affected users, with mixed reports across the Apple Support Communities, Reddit, and our own MacRumors discussion forums.

Apple Support Communities user takashiyoshida, for example, claimed his MacBook Pro “no longer outputs the crackling noise” after updating.

“This evening, I set the microphone and speaker’s sampling format to 44100 Hz and began playing back music on iTunes,” he explained. “Before the update, I would normally hear the noise in about an hour. I left my MacBook Pro to play music for about three hours and so far I am not hearing any noises.”

Reddit user onceARMY, however, commented that he was “still getting audio crackling noise while playing YouTube content on Safari.” He did note that there were “no issues with the Spotify app” after installing the update.

As far as kernel panics are concerned, a handful of users have reported experiencing at least one since installing the Supplemental Update.

“Installed today’s update… and then it happened,” wrote MacRumors forum member King724, referring to a kernel panic. He shared a log indicating a system crash related to bridgeOS, the device firmware on the logic board that controls many functions on the 2018 MacBook Pro, including the Apple T2 chip.

Last month, Apple said it was looking into a small number of indirect reports about the kernel panics, but wouldn’t say if the T2 chip was to blame.

Similar reports of kernel panicking began last year with the iMac Pro, which is also equipped with the T2, so it did—or perhaps still does—seem to be a potential issue with the chip, or the bridgeOS firmware that manages it. There was some speculation that the T2 chip was also to blame for the crackling.

For context, the T2 chip integrates several previously separate components, including the system management controller, image signal processor, audio controller, and SSD controller. It also features a Secure Enclave coprocessor for secure boot, encrypted storage, and authenticating Touch ID.

Prior to yesterday’s Supplemental Update, Apple support representatives provided customers with a wide variety of potential solutions to mitigate these issues, ranging from disabling FileVault to turning off Power Nap, but none of the workarounds appeared to permanently fix the problems.

Apple also asked some customers if they would be willing to send in their MacBook Pros so that its engineers can look into the issues. Some customers were apparently told that fixes were in the works, and at least based on what Apple told us, they are included in the Supplemental Update.

This is the second macOS High Sierra Supplemental Update for the 2018 MacBook Pro in as many months, with the first addressing a bug that contributed to excessive throttling of clock speeds under heavy thermal loads.

The Supplemental Update is not available to macOS Mojave users, but the issues could be resolved in future beta versions.

Related Roundups: MacBook Pro, macOS High SierraBuyer’s Guide: MacBook Pro (Buy Now)
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