ElevationLab Debuts $30 Apple Watch ‘NightStand’ [iOS Blog]

ElevationLab early this morning revealed a new product aimed at charging and securely fastening the Apple Watch, called the “NightStand.” Aimed at securing the Watch with a strong base, NightStand isn’t only one of the more reasonably priced Apple Watch stands to come along, but has the unique functionality of being able to mount vertically onto surfaces as well.

Similar to ElevationDock, the company’s popular iPhone charging base, the NightStand for Apple Watch aims “to make charging un-annoying and effortless.” Thanks to what the company calls the “NanoPad”, the dock holds strong to any smooth surface it is placed on, which ElevationLab assures will provide customers with a quicker, one-handed charging experience.

NightStand makes daily charging a breeze. Just set your watch on, from out of the corner of your eye, no careful alignment required. Locks to your bedside table so you never have to hunt for the cord. Undocking is one-handed. Solid, soft, seamless construction. Low-profile, minimal design.

NightStand is molded in solid, medical-grade silicone with a gorgeous matte finish. Its softness protects from scratching (like traditional padded watch stands and winders do), it naturally kills germs, has a pleasant amount of flex, and comes in beautiful colors.

One of NightStand’s most interesting features is its ability to be mounted vertically, thanks to an included “ultra-strong, optional to use, custom 3M adhesive back.” ElevationLab promises it’s as easy to place on a wall with a smooth surface as it is on a horizontal area, assuring a painless removal process as well that may require the adhesive to be slightly heated with a hair dryer in extreme cases.

The NightStand is available in three colors – Bright Red, Matte Black, and Cerulean Blue – and can be pre-ordered from ElevationLab’s official website right now for $29. The docks, unfortunately, won’t ship for over a month, with an estimated May 29 date currently sitting as the ballpark dispatch date for pre-orders made soon.

Djay for Apple Watch Lets You Mix Tracks on Your Wrist, Djay Pro for Mac Gains Video Mixing

Algoriddim’s been in the business of turning iPads, iPhones, and Macs info full-fledged DJ systems for both pros and home mixers for years now, and as of today, the company’s also ready to bring DJing to the wrist with the new djay app for the Apple Watch.

Built into the latest djay 2 iPhone update, djay for Apple Watch is an app that came to fruition after months of testing and experimenting with ways to bring a functional, ultra portable DJing experience to the wrist. Algoriddim’s developers set out to distill the essence of DJing into an Apple Watch-sized package without compromising on function — the goal was to create an app that could be used to DJ an entire party on the wrist.

djay for Apple Watch interfaces with the iPhone’s iTunes music library, letting DJs select tracks from playlists and mix songs on their wrists. Several songs can be cued up and there are controls for navigating backwards and forwards and looping sections of a song, all in sync with the beat. A Glance view gives a quick look at what’s currently playing.

Mixer and transition controls let DJs sync the beat of two songs and introduce crossfading to meld one song into another gradually. There are a set of audio effects that can be added to songs, and an Automix mode can be activated with a Force Touch press to let the app automatically mix songs from an iTunes playlist or Spotify with beat-matched DJ-style transitions. A Spotify Match feature like the one in the djay iPhone app will even find tracks that go well with the song that’s currently playing in Automix mode.

Whether practicing on-the-go, mingling with guests at a party, or rocking out on the dance floor, djay on Apple Watch frees the DJ from the DJ booth and opens the door to completely new ways to mix tracks.

With djay on Apple Watch, users can browse their entire iTunes library plus cue up and mix their favorite songs, all while controlling audio effects and loops for each deck individually – right from their wrist. Or they can simply use Apple Watch to engage djay’s popular Automix feature that pulls tracks from Spotify and mixes them automatically.

Along with djay for Apple Watch, Algoriddim is also launching a major update to its djay Pro app for the Mac. Free for all existing users, the 1.1 update adds live video mixing, bringing all of the features of vjay to djay, and it introduces support for several Pioneer CDJ and XDJ systems, popular equipment choices for professional DJs.

With support for the Pioneer CDJ, djay Pro is the first and only app that lets the CDJ interface directly with Spotify and iTunes playlists. The app’s new video mode lets djay Pro users add visualizers to music and mix videos in real-time, with transitions, title and image overlays, and visual effects.

In celebration of the launch the new djay Pro Mac app and the Apple Watch app, Algoriddim is making djay 2 for the iPhone and the iPad free for the next week. That means all users who download djay 2 for iPhone will have access to the djay Apple Watch app beginning April 24.

djay 2 for iPhone can be downloaded from the App Store or free. [Direct Link]

djay 2 for iPad can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

djay Pro for Mac can be downloaded from the Mac App Store for $49.99. [Direct Link]

Custom 1.3GHz Retina MacBooks Begin Shipping Out to Customers Early [Mac Blog]

With most of the past few days covered in Apple Watch shipping news, the build-to-order version of the new 12-inch MacBook has flown slightly under the radar. But, this morning, Apple began updating customers who opted-in for the 1.3GHz model of the notebook with shipping dates almost two weeks earlier than initially expected.

First given a vague 3-4 week shipping estimate by Apple, the 1.3GHz MacBook has now received a delivery estimate as early as the middle of next week for some customers in the United States. The build-to-order option took slightly longer to ship than the basic 1.1GHz and 1.2GHz models due to its custom upgrade processor parts.

Those two regular models of the notebook began shipping out to customers soon after its April 10 launch alongside the Apple Watch. Although many expected the new MacBook to be sold in Apple retail locations, the company opted to keep the 12-inch Retina device mostly to its online storefront for the time being.

Apple Watch Pre-Orders Now Shipping for April 24 Delivery

During the night, Apple quietly began notifying some Apple Watch pre-order customers with updates on their order status, now confirming their packages were indeed shipping out to them, many with a confirmed delivery date for tomorrow’s launch.

With the Apple Store’s order status finally updated in tandem with a few early notifications customers have received from services like UPS, Apple Watch pre-order customers with a confirmed shipping status can now track their package through Apple’s online store. Though yesterday’s UPS notifications sent out to some customers focused mostly on areas in the south, this morning’s official update from Apple unsurprisingly appears to blanket the entire country. There is no word on international confirmations yet, however.

Today’s update comes after a week of slight confusion for most Apple Watch pre-order customers, with credit and debit card charges occurring on Monday and a handful of order status changes soon thereafter, but with most customers still left in the dark for the rest of the week despite early-morning pre-orders. This morning’s news should come as a breath of relief for most customers who got in early on April 10, and Apple still promises that dispatch dates beyond 4/24 – 5/8 could be coming in earlier than expected, as well.

Apple Stores won’t sell the Watch at launch, but six other shops will

You’ve likely heard or read that Apple’s debut wearable isn’t going to be sold quite like the company’s previous products. Whether it’s about where the demand for the product is coming from (or where Apple hopes the demand will come from), there will be no in-store purchases when the Watch finally lands this Friday. Well, not in Apple’s stores. You might have reserved (past tense there) a Watch online, and made an appointment for a fitting of sorts, but there will actually be some places where you’ll be able to pick one up, cash-in-hand, tomorrow. By some we mean a few. And by few we mean precisely six fashion stores. Scattered across the world.

Maxfield in LA, Colette in Paris, France; the Corner in Berlin, Germany; 10 Corso Como, Milan, Italy and Dover Street Market in both the UK and Japan. According to the New York Times, these high-end boutiques will have their own stocks of the watches – something that wasn’t quite made clear when these locations were announced as places that Apple’s new big thing would be available from. And if you’re looking for the instant retail gratification that only bricks-and-mortar shopping can satisfy, be warned: stocks are limited. Dover Street Market will reportedly have less than 1,000 watches between its two stores. And the VIP-baiting gold Edition (if not the VVIP version), is apparently on back-order.

Update: Befitting their status as classy fashion destinations, many require you to make a reservation for launch day, although you’ll be able to buy the Watch at these appointments and take it home with you.

Filed under: Wearables, Apple

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Source: New York Times

‘Things’ for Apple Watch Puts Task Accomplishment Tools on Your Wrist [iOS Blog]

Cultured Code, the company behind popular task management app Things, already announced plans for an Apple Watch app, but as of today, the company is ready to share an in-depth look at how Things for Apple Watch will bring powerful task accomplishment capabilities to Apple’s wrist worn device.

As detailed in a post on the Cultured Code’s blog, Things for Apple Watch was created to guide people through their daily “Get Things Done” goals, much like Apple’s own built-in fitness-based apps help guide people through their daily movement goals.

Things for Apple Watch revolves around a “Today list” that serves as a central place for people to list all of the goals they want to accomplish in any given day. Tasks can be pulled from different to-dos and projects in the Things app and compiled into this daily list, which is what’s displayed on the Apple Watch.

For quick access to the daily task list in Things for Apple Watch, Cultured Code developed a “Glance” view. Swiping up on the Apple Watch’s face brings up Glances, and the Things Glance offers a look at progress that’s been made on a task list as well as remaining tasks that need to be completed. Like Apple’s apps, Things uses a circle to help users visualize their progress — as tasks are completed, the circle fills up.

A tap on the Things Glance view can be used to open the full Things app, where tasks can be viewed in more detail or marked as completed. Tapping on a task brings up information like due dates, notes, and the project it’s in, and from this view, tasks can be postponed until another day.

To add new tasks to a list on the Apple Watch, Things takes advantage of Siri. Tapping on the “+” button within the app will bring up an option to enter a task through dictation, where it can be added to the list of daily to-dos. New tasks can also be added to the Things‘ Inbox by activating Siri with the Digital Crown.

Things for Apple Watch is part of the iPhone app, and as such, it’s integrated into the Things Cloud that syncs all tasks across all devices with Things installed. Changes or additions to to-dos from the Apple Watch will sync to other Things apps, and vice versa.

Things for iPhone with the accompanying Apple Watch app can be downloaded from the App Store for $9.99. [Direct Link]

Apple Contacting Some Early Apple Watch Customers: ‘We’re Working on Your Order’

Apple on Wednesday emailed select customers that pre-ordered the Apple Watch to reassure them that the company is working on their orders and will provide them with specific delivery dates and tracking information when available. Apple appears to have sent the email to customers with Apple Watch pre-orders that have yet to be prepared for shipment ahead of Friday’s launch.

Apple Watch pre-order deliveries will begin on April 24 as scheduled, although it remains unknown how many devices will reach customers on day one. Apple confirmed earlier today that many Apple Watch pre-orders with extended shipping estimates will be delivered sooner than expected, but also noted that some customers with extended shipping estimates may still be in for a long wait.

Apple Watch Will Be Available for Purchase at Select Boutique Stores on Friday

Apple doesn’t plan to offer the Apple Watch for sale in its retail stores on Friday, having opted to restrict orders to online purchases only, but some retail stores around the world will have Apple Watches in stock for customers to purchase on April 24.

Several high-end fashion boutiques will be offering the watch for sale beginning Friday, according to a new report from The New York Times. Stores with stock will include Dover Street Market in Tokyo and London, Maxfield in Los Angeles, Colette in Paris, the Corner in Berlin, and 10 Corso Como in Milan.

All of these stores were previously unveiled as retail locations that would carry the Apple Watch, but it was not known that the stores would have stock for customers to purchase on launch day, given the Apple Watch supply constraints that Apple has highlighted. In a press release sent out on April 9, Apple retail chief Angela Ahrendts said “strong customer demand” would exceed supply at launch.

Many of the stores have the Apple Watch displayed prominently on their websites, along with wording that says the device will be available in store as of Friday. As noted by The New York Times, all of the places that will have the Apple Watch in stock on Friday are high-end fashion-oriented boutiques known as “retail trendsetters.”

It’s not known exactly how much stock each of the stores will be given or of what type, but Dover Street Market did share some detail on its numbers. The store in Ginza, Tokyo will have 350 watches to sell, while the store in London will have 570. Neither store will offer the Apple Watch Edition, as it is backordered.

Apple initially declined to comment on its partner stores offering in-store Apple Watch stock while its own retail stores will not, but later reiterated its earlier comment on getting online orders out to customers earlier than expected. The first Apple Watch shipments will be arriving on the doorsteps of customers beginning on April 24, and as of today, many Apple Watch orders that had shipping estimates ranging into several weeks have seen their shipments advance into the “Preparing for Shipment” stage.

Longtime Apple PR Executive Natalie Kerris to Retire [Mac Blog]

Longtime Apple public relations executive Natalie Kerris is retiring after 14 years with the company, she announced on Twitter. Kerris had worked closely with Jobs and oversaw the launch of the iPod, iPhone, iPad, MacBook Air, Apple Pay and the Apple Watch.

According to Re/code, she had initially sought to succeed longtime Apple PR head Katie Cotton after Cotton decided to retire last year. However, fellow Apple PR veteran Steve Dowling was given the job on an interim basis before being promoted to the role on a permanent basis last week.

After 14 amazing years at Apple, it’s time to move on and see what adventures life holds for me next! pic.twitter.com/9oFp3lGcMB

— Natalie Kerris (@nataliekerris) April 22, 2015

In a statement to Jim Dalrymple at The Loop, Kerris said that the decision to retire and “enjoy life” came after spending two weeks with her family in Italy.

Apple Watch ‘Guided Tours’ Site Updated With Videos on Apple Pay, Activity and Workout

Apple has launched a third update to the “Guided Tours” section on its dedicated Apple Watch website, showcasing new walkthrough videos on using Apple Pay and the Workout and Activity apps on the device. Apple first debuted its Guided Tour website on April 3 and has been gradually adding instructional videos to help people discover all of the things that the Apple Watch is able to do.

The videos are currently only available on Apple’s site, but should be uploaded to YouTube later this afternoon.

The Apple Pay video walks through how Apple Pay is used on the Apple Watch at a location that accepts contactless payments. Double clicking the side button and holding a wrist to the payment terminal initiates a payment, which is confirmed with a vibration and a beep. The video also covers how to add a credit card to an iPhone using Passbook

The Activity video explores the “Activity” app on the Apple Watch, which is the built-in health and fitness app that monitors activity and encourages Apple Watch wearers to move more. It walks through the default fitness goals (exercising, standing more, and meeting calorie burning goals), the steps to set up the app, and the different ways to display the movement goal rings. It also includes a look at the achievements available in the app for reaching fitness goals.

Apple’s Workout video covers the device’s Workout app that can be run whenever an Apple Watch wearer is exercising. The app has several different activities, like running, climbing, cycling, and more, and lets users set workout goals to achieve right on their wrists. It also includes details on calibrating the Apple Watch to work without the iPhone’s GPS.

With the addition of the Apple Pay, Workout, and Activity videos to the Guided Tours page, all of the “Coming Soon” videos are now available to prospective Apple Watch buyers. The completion of the page comes just a few days ahead of the Apple Watch’s official launch on April 24. Apple Watch orders have already begun shipping out to customers, and the first early pre-orderers will get their devices on Friday.