Apple Gives Custom Apple Watch With Gold Link Bracelet to Designer Karl Lagerfeld
Several celebrities like Katy Perry, Drake, and Pharrell Williams have been spotted with the gold Apple Watch Edition ahead of the device’s launch, but Apple gifted designer Karl Lagerfeld with something even more special — a custom gold Apple Watch with a gold Link Bracelet.
In an image shared on Instagram by Lagerfeld’s assistant and bodyguard Sebastian Jondeau, Lagerfeld wears a yellow gold Apple Watch with the one-of-a-kind yellow gold Link Bracelet, which Jondeau says was “specially made” by Apple.
Karl Lagerfeld is a well-known fashion designer who’s the head of both Chanel and Fendi, in addition to his own fashion house. Lagerfeld was present at the Apple Watch’s first public appearance at French Parisian boutique Colette and as a style icon, he could be an important asset for Apple’s Apple Watch marketing efforts.
Though there’s a Link Bracelet for the Silver and Space Gray stainless steel Apple Watches, Apple did not make a similar band available for the gold Apple watch Edition, presumably due to price and the sheer amount of gold that would be necessary for such a band. The existence of a custom gold Link Bracelet does, however, suggest that such a band could be made available to the public in the future.
Just the gold used in the Modern Buckle band raises the price of the Apple Watch Edition from $10,000 (with Sport band) to $17,000, so the price of a pure gold Link Bracelet would likely be upwards of $25,000. The Link Bracelet for the standard Apple Watch is priced at $449 and is Apple’s most expensive band.
As we creep closer to the April 24 launch of the Apple Watch, we may see more custom designs like this on the wrists of celebrities and other fashion designers as Apple hopes to use these influencers to convince people to drive Apple Watch sales.
(Thanks, John!)
Here’s how the Galaxy S6 can help Samsung overcome the iPhone 6
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The Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge are by far Samsung’s best devices to date. It all started out as “Project Zero”; that’s when we found out Samsung was serious about revamping their design. What sets the S6/S6 edge apart from their predecessors is not only their high-quality build construction, but what’s on the inside powering the devices. The S6 is the features the highest specs of any Samsung device to date, which includes a beast of a processor in the Exynos 7420, 3 GB of RAM, and a best in class 16 megapixel rear-facing camera that sports optical image stabilization.
What makes the Galaxy S6/S6 edge so different is that Samsung has a full-on premium device. Not only that, but with Samsung pushing full force into marketing, they have a legitimate chance at taking down Apple and the hugely successful iPhone 6. The iPhone has long held the throne over Android phones as a premium manufacturer. While companies, such as HTC, have a premium Android device, they don’t have the marketing ability or the money that Samsung has. Now that Samsung has a premium device that they can tout, it’s their time to assume the throne. Here are five ways for Samsung to make that happen.
Keep the device in stock
When new devices come out that are extremely popular, the easiest way to be successful is keep the device in stock. Nothing can kill a devices buzz more so than lack of availability. For example, the Nexus 6 received wide demand, but Motorola had a tough time keeping the device in stock. This led to consumers (sans die-hard Nexus fans) to choose a different device. There is nothing worse than waiting for a new phone, only to find out it is backordered.
For the most part, Samsung is doing a swell job. They have already sold more devices than they expected and have already surpassed Galaxy S5 sales. Most carriers continue to have the devices available, and only some outlets, such as Best Buy, have the S6 edge on backorder.
This is by far the easiest solution for Samsung to overtake Apple. With the latest reports, the Galaxy S6 edge demand has risen much higher than Samsung expected, so they have to up production. The Galaxy S6 buzz is in high gear and the last thing Samsung wants to do is let that die off. Samsung hasn’t received this much attention since the Galaxy S3, so they are definitely on to something. Easiest solution: keep making the Galaxy S6 and MORE Galaxy S6 edges.
Fast updates
This has been a sore spot for users of Samsung devices in the past. Google would come out with the latest version of Android, but Samsung wouldn’t push out updates for quite a while; sometimes upwards of six months in between updates. There is only one thing worse than waiting for a backordered device, and that is waiting for it to receive the next major Android update. If you pay for a premium device at a premium cost, you expect for it to receive timely updates.
This is something that always shied die-hard Android users away from the South Korean giant, but they have been making strides to improve that. Nearly every Galaxy device from the past two years has already received Android Lollipop, which is amazing when coming from Samsung. The newer devices, such as the Galaxy S5, Galaxy Note 3, and Galaxy Note 4, all received the update within 90 days, give or take.
If Samsung wants to take another shot at Apple, they need to continually improve their update times. One thing that Apple has over Android is that they make the device and the operating system. This expedites the process; one update applies for all devices; whereas there are thousands of Android devices on the market and they all have to wait until Google pushes out the newest version. Once that happens, the smartphone manufacturer needs to tailor the upgrade to their device and their specified hardware.
If Samsung can continually deliver Android updates in 90 days or sooner, they will be well on their way to making consumers happy. The Galaxy S6 has changed many things about Samsung, so let’s hope update times follow suit.
Hardware
If there is one area where Apple phones, specifically the iPhone 6 are criticized, it’s in the hardware department. It’s 2015 and the latest iPhones run dual-core processors and 1 GB of RAM. Now, I will add it is quite a feat to get the performance they do out of those phones, but Apple is definitely behind the times. Enter Samsung.
Samsung has always put the top of the line equipment in their devices. They have always used the latest processor on the market and packed it with ample amounts of RAM. What makes the Galaxy S6 so special is that they went with the “top of the line” equipment that was available, which just so happened to be their in-house processor. That in-house processor is the octa-core Exynos 7420, which tops the benchmarks through and through. The Exynos 7420 coupled with 3 GB of LPDDR4 RAM brings out a blazing fast device.
One of the most used features on a smartphone in 2015 is the camera. Everyone loves taking pictures, whether it is of themselves, others, or even the scenery around them. Smartphones have turned everyone into professional (or so they claim to be) photographers.
Not only does the Galaxy S6/S6 edge blow the iPhone away in the performance category, it also features the best camera in a smartphone on the market… yes on the market. Once again, Apple is behind the times with an 8 megapixel camera whereas the S6/S6 edge touts a 16 megapixel monster that has optical image stabilization. Although, megapixel count doesn’t necessarily mean better picture it sure helps.
The Galaxy S6 may have twice the megapixels as the iPhone 6, but it also has a larger aperture. The S6 has an f/1.9 aperture compared to the smaller f/2.2 aperture of the iPhone 6. This means crisper shots in lower light, which is a challenge for most phones.
Market, market, and… market!
The standard Galaxy S6 is definitely a well-crafted device, there is no denying that. The S6 edge on the other hand is more than just a well-crafted device, it is an innovative device. Samsung needs to continue to market the device and not let up. The more people see the device, the more they will realize how premium the devices actually are.
The timing is perfect for Samsung to take hold of Apple defectors as well. Everyone knows that a year after the latest iPhone comes out, the next year an upgraded device comes out touting the ‘s’ moniker. Many people are waiting to see what Apple has in store for the iPhone 6s, but there is little to no hype surrounding the device. Not only that, it usually gets released sometime in early Q4, so there is a lot of time to sway potential customers.
Apple has had marketing down to a science and definitely knows how to ‘woo’ potential customers. For example, look at how many people are buying a $350+ Apple Watch.; it’s all in marketing. All Samsung needs to do is market the aforementioned categories about how it is better than the Apple iPhone. If Samsung can channel Apple’s marketing genius, they will be well on their way.
Don’t stop here
If there is one thing Samsung has learned is that once you make a great device, you can’t sit back and let other companies pass you by. They’ve done it in the past by being complacent with their new devices and their designs. The Galaxy S5 was just a slightly updated Galaxy S4, so much that it could have been called the Galaxy S4s in my opinion.
If Samsung really wants to take down the Apple giant, they need to continually build off their strong performances. The Galaxy S6/S6 edge are one of a kind devices and it will definitely be hard to build upon the strong showing the devices have made so far.
The Galaxy S6 edge is innovative, but there is so much potential for it to be improved. If the Galaxy S6 edge shows Samsung anything, it is that there is room for devices like that on the market. Hopefully, Samsung will put more time and effort into making it more usable and practical than ever.
According to analysts, the Galaxy S6 edge makes up for 50% of the S6 sales, so come this time next year, we may be looking at only a Galaxy S7 edge; you never know. It is feasible, and if that’s the case, the edge must bring along more defining features.
Samsung has definitely come a long way and their fate is completely in their hands. They have a ‘hit’ device on their hands and it is completely up to them where they are headed. If they have learned anything, they need to continue to push forward.
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Tim Cook Auctions Apple HQ Lunch Meeting, VIP Passes to Apple Keynote for Charity
For the third year in a row, Apple CEO Tim Cook is participating in a charity auction through CharityBuzz, offering whoever bids the most the chance to enjoy lunch with him at Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino. This year’s auction also includes two VIP passes to an Apple keynote event to watch Apple unveil new products.
Two people can have lunch with Cook, and the experience will last for approximately one hour. Lunch is included in the auction price, but the winning bidder will need to cover travel and accommodations. The exact date of the lunch will be scheduled at a mutually agreed upon time after the auction ends on May 6, 2015.
Join me for lunch (and a keynote!) and help a great cause. @RFKHumanRights is working toward a more just world. https://t.co/QxaKne4itb
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) April 15, 2015
The auction has an estimated value of $100,000, and bids are currently up to $37,500. This is the third year that Tim Cook has auctioned off an opportunity to spend time with him, offering a coffee meeting in 2013 that sold for $610,000 and a lunch meeting in 2014 that sold for $330,001.
Proceeds from the auction will once again benefit the RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights, a charity that aims to achieve a “just and peaceful world by partnering with human rights leaders, teaching social justice and advancing corporate responsibility.”
Apple Now Awarding Up to 350 WWDC Scholarships for Students
Apple will award up to 350 students and developers belonging to select STEM organizations that promote diversity with scholarships to attend its recently announced Worldwide Developers Conference next June 8 to 12 in San Francisco, as spotted by Re/code. The company previously limited WWDC scholarships to 200 students and developers at past conferences, and is raising that limit in an effort to promote diversity within the developer community.
WWDC scholarships are available to students aged 13 or older and members of participating organizations around the world that promote science, technology, engineering and math education for young women and other ethnic groups. Apple awards selected students with a free WWDC ticket, normally $1,599, and may cover travel and accommodation costs at its discretion. All other expenses incurred during the trip must be covered by the student.
WWDC scholarship submissions, including a Mac or iOS app, can be made April 22 at 10:00 AM PDT through April 26 at 5:00 PM PDT, and all applicants will be notified about their selection status by May 8. Apple specifies that developers between 13-17 years of age must have their submission completed by their parent or guardian. Eligible students can read Apple’s WWDC Scholarships page and WWDC Scholarship Guidelines and Terms for more information.
‘Glide’ Update Brings Video And Text Messaging Service to Apple Watch [iOS Blog]
Every day more and more companies announce Apple Watch versions of popular iOS apps. The trend continues today, with video and photo messaging app Glide confirming a companion app on Apple’s new wearable will be available to its users when the Watch launches on April 24.
The Glide iPhone app allows users to send and receive live video messages from friends – up to five minutes long – even letting its users watch someone live as they record a Glide video, or catch up later if they missed anything.
The Apple Watch version will act as a companion to its iOS counterpart, notifying users of live Glides, missed messages, and allow them to peruse the app and watch videos right on their wrist. The wrist-worn app will only allow users to preview full video messages, however, pointing them towards the iPhone to view the full-length versions.
The app, like Apple’s own Messages, will also allow users to send truncated text, emojis, or use speech-to-text to dictate a response to someone’s Glide video. It will also support Handoff, so users can go from watching a video on the Watch to an iPhone without missing a single beat.
Although impossible with the current Apple Watch hardware, Glide CEO Ari Roisman looks to the future to envision Glide and future iterations of the Apple Watch – with a front-facing camera – working together to provide incomparable video chatting services to users right on their wrists. Speaking to VentureBeat, Roisman believes that live video messaging, via wrist-worn devices, will become the most widely used way in which to catch-up with friends and family, possibly even without a paired smartphone.
“We are very bullish on the Apple Watch and believe that live video messaging from your wrist will rapidly become the easiest way to keep in touch with friends and family on the go,” said Glide CEO Ari Roisman in a statement.
“We are going to be communicating with computers using natural language, in the same way we communicate with humans,” Roisman said. “What that feels like is what we’ve been dreaming up in the world of science fiction for years. This is nothing short of epic, and the Apple Watch is just the first, tiny little half-baked manifestation of that, but it’s here.”
Roisman’s hopeful future is no doubt far away, but it’s still interesting to note how current app developers, with their own skin in the Apple Watch game, view not only the device’s current state but its long-term future, as well.
Glide can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
Coppertino Launches New VOX Music Player for iOS, LOOP Music Locker With Limited Time Discount [Mac Blog]
Last month we shared news of Coppertino’s upcoming VOX Music Player for iOS and its new LOOP music locker, and some MacRumors readers helped beta test the new products. As of today, Coppertino is launching the new LOOP music storage service, updating its Mac app, and releasing its new iOS app.
Coppertino has had a VOX Music Player app for the Mac since 2013, but today’s iOS app release marks the company’s first expansion to Apple’s mobile devices. Like the Mac app, the iOS app is designed to play any type of music file, including high-quality FLAC files.
VOX for iPhone’s key features include:
– Support for nearly all lossless (FLAC) and lossy (MP3) file formats;
– Full quality playback with no downscaling or converting;
– Proprietary BASS engine delivers crystal clear audio and even makes and MP3 sounds amazing;
– Easy iTunes integration including playlists;
– Soundcloud, Last FM and other third-party integration.
Along with the iOS app, Coppertino is also debuting its cloud-based music locker service, LOOP. LOOP is built into both the VOX Music Player for Mac and the new iOS app, offering users unlimited cloud-based storage for all of their music files. Songs stored in LOOP can be streamed in full quality to any device using the VOX Mac and iOS apps, and songs can be cached for offline playing.
Unlike many popular music lockers like iTunes Match and Google Play Music, LOOP is able to support any type of audio file, including FLAC, playing songs natively through the VOX apps with no transcoding. VOX Music Player for iOS and Mac are free, but using the LOOP cloud music storage service requires a subscription that’s priced at $49.99 per year or $4.99 per month.
Key LOOP features include:
– Infinite storage space for nearly any audio file, from FLAC, CUE, WAV, MP3 and more;
– High-quality playback on iPhone or Mac;
– Manage, organize and play your entire music collection on iPhone or Mac;
– Unlimited offline playback and cache for music on the go.
MacRumors readers who beta tested the LOOP music service have the option to purchase a subscription at the discounted price of $34.99 to thank them for their help, but Coppertino is also providing all MacRumors readers with a $10 discount. Any MacRumors reader who subscribes to the LOOP music service between 10 a.m. Eastern Time and 5 p.m. Eastern Time on April 15 will be able to get a year of LOOP service for $39.99 instead of $49.99.
VOX Music Player for Mac can be downloaded from the Mac App Store for free. [Direct Link]
The new Vox Music Player app for iOS can be downloaded from the App Store for free and should be rolling out now. [Direct Link]
The Galaxy S6 is more durable than the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, Galaxy S6 Edge, and even the Galaxy S5
SquareTrade already started a swarm of speculation that the Galaxy S6 Edge is more bendable than the iPhone 6 Plus, but this new video is a little more positive for Samsung.
It pits the Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge, Galaxy S5, iPhone 6, and iPhone 6 plus against each other to find out how they compare as far as durability. The Galaxy S6 took 1st place overall, which is surprising in that I would have figured that the S5 would win this one. The S6 was found to be the least bendable at 110 pounds of pressure, and all three Galaxy phones survived the drop test with flying colors.
The S6 came in with a Breakability Score of 4, which is considered medium risk. Here’s the complete rundown of the results….
- Galaxy S6 4.0
- Galaxy S5 4.5
- iPhone 6 4.5
- Galaxy S6 Edge 5.0
- iPhone 6 Plus 6.0
Check out the video below showing the above mentioned tests as well as a slide test and dunking test, in which each phone was submerged in water for 10 seconds.
Click here to view the embedded video.
source: VentureBeat
Come comment on this article: The Galaxy S6 is more durable than the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, Galaxy S6 Edge, and even the Galaxy S5
Retina MacBook Teardown Reveals iPad-Like Battery Connector, Details Force Touch Trackpad
After Apple revealed the new 12-inch Retina MacBook at its March “Spring Forward” event, the performance and speed of the sleek-but-slightly-underpowered machine came into question by many. Unlike the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, the Retina MacBook comes with an Intel Core M Processor and provides only a single USB-C port to double as an accessory and charging port.
Today, iFixit answered some of those early questions in its teardown of the new MacBook, revealing a few unsurprising details of the base model MacBook, which includes a 1.1GHz processor, 12-inch Retina display, 256GB of flash storage and Intel HD Graphics 5300. What the company did find that was surprising was a battery connector hidden under the logic board, just one of a few internal comparisons to Apple’s iPad line made with the new MacBook.
Next, iFixit looked at Apple’s new method of tapered battery cells, finding the glued-down cells particularly challenging to remove and replace. Finally emerging from the MacBook’s innards, the company discovered a 7.55 V, 39.71 Wh, and 5263 mAh battery, what iFixit calls “just a hair more” powerful than this year’s 5100 mAh 11-inch MacBook Air.
Lastly the teardown focuses on the MacBook’s much-touted Force Touch trackpad, which iFixit calls a “slimmer, daintier version” of the 13-inch MacBook Pro’s trackpad. Delving further, the repair website found a Broadcom BCM5976 touchscreen controller, ST Microelectronics 32F103 ARM Cortex-M based microcontroller, and Linear Technology LT3954 LED Converter with Internal PWM Generator as the main trio of chips running the new trackpad.
All of iFixit’s breakdown resulted in a repairability score of 1 out of 10 for the new MacBook, a 10 being easiest to repair. The company points to Apple’s proprietary pentalobe screws surrounding the outside case, the tricky-to-remove tapered batteries, and the processor, RAM, and flash memory being soldered to the double-sided logic board as main reasons for the score.
iFixit’s full teardown is worth a read, showing intricate details of the Retina MacBook’s double-sided logic board and new USB-C connection port. The 12-inch Retina MacBook went on sale on Apple’s online store last Friday, April 10, along with pre-orders of the Apple Watch.
Although the base 1.1GHz version of the MacBook appeared to many as an underpowered machine, recent benchmarks of the 1.2GHz model showcased decent speed and power boosts over its entry-level counterpart. No doubt more will be known when consumers begin receiving their MacBooks in the mail, especially regarding the 1.3GHz model, currently at a mid-May dispatch date due to its made-to-order upgrade parts.
Samsung Creates Team of About 200 Employees Working Exclusively on Apple Products
Samsung has created a standalone team of about 200 employees working exclusively on displays for Apple products, according to Bloomberg Business. The report claims the secretive team was formed on April 1 to build screens for iPads and MacBooks, develop products and help with sales.
The newly formed team implies that the relationship between Apple and Samsung, two fierce technology rivals, may be improving after the two companies spent millions of dollars fighting each other in the courtroom. Samsung was also recently awarded the majority of orders for Apple’s A9 chip for next-generation products.
“Samsung is relying more on its display and semiconductor units after falling into a tie with Apple for leadership of the global smartphone market. Relations between the companies thawed after they dropped all lawsuits against each other outside the U.S., and Apple is now the biggest external customer for Samsung components, one of the people familiar said.”
LG Display also has a standalone team dedicated to Apple, the supplier’s biggest U.S. customer, according to the report.
Microsoft Updates Office 2016 for Mac Preview with Updated Look and New Features [Mac Blog]
Microsoft today updated its Office 2016 for Mac Preview, just over a month after it first launched, with an updated look and new features. Word received the most new features while OneNote received no new features. Visual updates include a colored top bar and a more refined bottom bar for Word, Excel and PowerPoint; Outlook and OneNote did not receive visual updates.
The new look of Microsoft Word in Office 2016
The new version of Word received scrolling performance improvements, new user information settings in preferences, support for the most popular Word keyboard shortcuts, improved support for VoiceOver and other performance enhancements and bug fixes. New features include “custom dictionary” and “exclude dictionary” support, a new search feature for online document templates and a new Macro recording feature.
Outlook’s improvements include networking enhancements for Exchange accounts, bug fixes and a new feature called Propose New Time. Meeting attendees can propose a new time for a meeting and the meeting organizers can view the proposed time and modify meeting proposals and then send updates to all of the attendees.
The older look of Microsoft Word in Office 2016
The additions to Excel include a new Analysis Toolpack, a new feature called “Solver” and improved support for VoiceOver and bug fixes. Finally, PowerPoint received improved VoiceOver support and known bug fixes.
Microsoft’s Office 2016 for Mac Preview is available at no cost for all Mac users running OS X Yosemite. Microsoft has plans to officially launch the software in the second half of 2015, following this beta testing period.
AIVAnet 