Kate Spade Hybrid Smartwatch preview: Fashion and tech in perfect harmony
New York fashion brand Kate Spade is entering the smartwatch world, with a little help from the Fossil Group. The two companies have teamed up to launch the Kate Spade Hybrid Smartwatch, following in the footsteps of Michael Kors and Skagen, both of which launched smartwatches recently.
Michael Kors went down the Android Wear path with its Access smartwatch, while Kate Spade has opted for the hybrid route, like Skagen did with the Skagen Connected. Here are our first impressions.
- Michael Kors Access review
Kate Spade hybrid smartwatch: Design
Kate Spade’s smartwatch is based on the company’s Grand Metro watch with the main differences being a slightly thicker casing and a couple of extra function buttons on the right-hand side of the casing. The extra thickness isn’t overly noticeable when on the wrist and the underside is still finished in stainless steel rather than plastic like some smartwatches, helping the watch continue to feel like a premium product as the original Grand Metro.
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The watch face looks just like a traditional Kate Spade watch, which is the beauty of a hybrid smartwatch over Android Wear. You’d never know it was a smartwatch on first glance, which is great for the Kate Spade fans out there who want a little extra functionality from their wrist but don’t want to lose their style. The finish is lovely and feminine and considerably smaller and daintier than many smartwatch and hybrid smartwatches currently out there.
Small, unnumbered lines are positioned around the face representing each hour, while 12 o’clock is represented with a Kate Spade logo and six o’clock with two champagne glasses. A cluster of crystals above the glasses are combined with a moon-like symbol that does more than meets the eye – more on that in a second. The hands are plain simple, taking nothing away from the design, while the word “cheers!” is positioned just below the spade symbol at the top of the face in true Kate Spade style.
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There are three designs available, all of which offer the same face design and a traditional buckle fastening. The rose gold casing has a black soft leather strap and a black face, while the gold and silver case options have white faces. The gold model has a pale pink soft leather strap and the silver model has a grey one. Kate Spade is etched into the buckle and the spade symbol is also present on the middle button.
Kate Spade hybrid smartwatch: Features
The Kate Spade smartwatch might look just like the Grand Metro watch but it does a lot more than look pretty and tell you the time. A dedicated app, compatible with Android and iOS devices, will allow you to track activity and sleep, as well as set the watch to vibrate or move the hands to a certain position for particular smartphone notifications.
A press of the top button on the right-hand side of the watch will show your step progress, spinning the hands round briefly to display a percentage of the goal you set within the app. The middle button can be used to quickly display another time zone and the bottom button will enable you to control music on your smartphone, or remotely control the camera.
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Features are more basic than the likes of Android Wear or Apple Watch in that you won’t be able to see who is calling, or read a text or a Tweet directly from your wrist, but you’ll be able to fine tune notifications on the app to ensure your watch vibrates when you really need to look at your phone. As it’s a haptic vibration it’s unobtrusive too, meaning the person next to you shouldn’t hear it.
Enter a new time zone and your watch will update automatically so you don’t need to mess around trying to pull out the crown to change the time, while the moon-like symbol on the face acts as a countdown to your next celebration, whether it’s a birthday or a night out.
First Impressions
The Kate Spade Hybrid Smartwatch is a beautiful device. It has quite a thick casing and there is currently only one watch face design available, which may not be to everyone’s taste, but overall it’s small, stylish and smart.
The Hybrid Smartwatch offers that little bit extra functionality over just being a time teller, while staying true to Kate Spade’s style and there is a lot to be said for that.
At £199, it isn’t too much more than a traditional Kate Spade watch so for those that love Kate Spade and want a smartwatch that doesn’t look like a piece of tech on their arm, this device appears to be a real winner. We will bring you our full review soon so keep an eye out in the next couple of months.
BBC and ITV launch ‘BritBox’ streaming service in the US
The two major broadcast networks in the UK are jointly launching a streaming service under the name BritBox. The BBC and ITV are backing a Netflix-esque service that’ll showcase the best of the two firm’s output. Users will be able to watch a wide range of the pair’s programming, including premium dramas and sitcoms. In addition, Anglophiles will be able to view some of the country’s most popular soap operas, including EastEnders and Emmerdale, a day after they air in the UK.
The service will also offer a host of archive material including classic premium BBC dramas like State of Play and Pride and Prejudice. ITV, which is more traditionally downmarket than the publicly-owned broadcaster, will offer up detective shows like Inspector Morse and Rosemary and Thyme. In addition, classic sitcoms like Fawlty Towers and Keeping up Appearances will help explain Britain’s obsession with class and gardening. In total, there will be “thousands of hours” worth of material for people hungry for new content to binge.
We are curious what this will mean for BBC America in the long run, since that has been the home of so much British TV content. AMC Networks invests in the channel and has taken a minority stake in BritBox, so it’s likely that one won’t attempt to hurt the other. Instead, the service may pull together the otherwise piecemeal distribution of British TV in the US, which is scattered around several different broadcasters. It’s likely that flagship shows like Doctor Who and Top Gear will remain available on cable rather than behind a paywall.
BritBox will launch at some point at the start of 2017 for an as-yet undisclosed price, but we can expect it to be around the ten dollar mark. The platform will be available online, as well as on iOS and Android devices — not to mention on the Apple TV, Roku and Chromecast TV gear. It’s about damn time too, given that the international version of the iPlayer never made it to the US and was shuttered back in 2015.
Source: ITV Press Office
Watch Twitter’s CEO interview Edward Snowden at 12PM ET
The world’s most famous whistleblower, Edward Snowden, will be interviewed by Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey in less than an hour. Those of you who are interested in watching can do so live via the Pardon Snowden Twitter account, and you can also participate by submitting your own questions using the hashtag #AskSnowden. There are no details on what the conversation will be about, but chances are we’ll hear something related to Russia “hacking” the US Presidential election and other things of that nature. Tune in at 12:05PM ET.
We’ll be live streaming a Q&A between @Snowden & @Jack TODAY at 12:05pm EST! Tune in here and submit your questions now using #AskSnowden
— Pardon Snowden (@PardonSnowden) December 13, 2016
Source: Pardon Snowden (Twitter)
Google makes it easier to get Internet of Things devices online
It’s relatively easy to build your own Internet of Things hardware, but the software is another story. How do you connect it to cloud services, push updates or just write code? Google might help. It’s trotting out a developer preview of Android Things, a toolbox that theoretically makes connecting IoT devices as straightforward as writing an Android app. Think of it as a more mature, more accessible Project Brillo. You’re not only using ordinary Android developer tools (Android Studio and the official SDK), but tapping into Google Play Services and Google Cloud Platform. In theory, most of the heavy lifting is done for you — future versions in the months ahead will even grab regular updates (both from you and Google) and use Google’s ad hoc Weave networking.
This is ostensibly designed for companies building custom hardware, but you don’t need pro engineering skills to get started. Android Things already works with Intel’s Edison, Raspberry Pi 3 and NXP’s Pico, so you can whip up a Google-powered gadget with minimal effort.
Appropriately, Google is improving Weave itself. There’s a new device developer kit for certain kids of hardware (lights, switches and thermostats right now), and Weave devices can hook into services like Google Assistant. And it’s only going to get more ambitious: in addition to more device developer kit support, Google will both offer tools to help write mobile apps and merge its own take on Weave with Nest’s version. Between this and the Android Things release, it’s evident that Google doesn’t want to sit on the sidelines while Microsoft and others make their own IoT platforms. It wants Android at the heart of many of your connected devices, and that means removing as many hurdles as possible.
Source: Google Blog
Chevy delivers its first Bolt EVs in Tesla’s backyard
The high-range, reasonably priced Bolt EV is finally here. Introduced at CES 2016, the car’s delivery to a dealership in Fremont, California is the completion of an aggressive roadmap for the automobile set forth by GM CEO Mary Barra when the vehicle was unveiled. And it’s probably not a coincidence that the cars will be transferred to their new owners approximately three miles from the Tesla assembly plant.
The electric Bolt has a range of 238 miles and comes in at $37,495 before US tax credits. That puts it in the same class as the Tesla Model 3 that won’t start being delivered until around the end of 2017. With potentially a year separating the two vehicles, GM has a huge jump start on reasonably priced, high-milage EV market. And dropping those first cars off near Tesla doesn’t seem like a coincidence.
While getting the Bolt EV into the hands of actual customers a year from its unveiling is impressive, it’s important to note that only three cars are being delivered today. But, Chevy says that additional vehicles are currently in transit to California and Oregon and will arrive before the end of the month. Mid-Atlantic states will see the car in showrooms this winter after the beginning of new year with the rest of the United States getting it before before the middle of 2017.
‘Drive!Drive!Drive!’ is the most fun you can have on 16 wheels
I’m not sure when I fell out of love with driving games. Sure, I’ll still play Mario Kart multiplayer when the occasion calls for it, but somewhere between the various Gran Turismo, Forza and Need for Speed titles I got bored. Drive!Drive!Drive!, which arrived on Steam and the PlayStation Store this morning, got me interested again.
Drive!Drive!Drive! is… different. You’re not just in command of one vehicle in a single race. No, you’re in charge of two, three or sometimes even four cars, each racing on their own track against AI opponents.
In the bottom-right of the screen, you see all of the tracks currently in play (they typically overlap), together with the current position of each of your cars. When you’re not actively controlling a car, the AI takes over, and it is awful, by design. Your job is to switch cars, and get them all across the finish line.
The AI being useless is a great mechanic. You can leave a car way ahead in first place, and within five seconds it’s driven off the edge of a track and is dead-last. That means you have to always be switching, juggling your various cars to ensure that all of them end up in a respectable position. You can either switch between cars using the d-pad, or enter a kind of pause mode to choose a particular track to race on, which is helpful when things get really hectic.
The driving part of Drive!Drive!Drive! is well executed: You race across various sky-bound neon tracks controlling various cars that handle in various ways. You can drift, you can boost; it handles somewhat like a Burnout game, in so much as you’re rewarded for aggression, for shunting, crashing and otherwise incapacitating your rivals. It all feels fun, if a little pedestrian. But that’s all it had to be given the extra mechanic of car switching.
I first played Drive!Drive!Drive! back in September at a game show, and have been looking forward to its release ever since. The main campaign is filled with plenty of variety, and there’s a robust level creation tool that should give plenty of longevity to proceedings. Today, it launches on Steam (for both Windows and Mac) and PlayStation 4, and for $19.99 (£15.99), it’s a safe bet for some fun times.
Source: Drive!Drive!Drive!
Google spins out its self-driving car division
Google isn’t wasting much time validating rumors that it’s shaking up its self-driving car efforts. The internet giant is spinning out its self-driving project as a new company, Waymo, with current division head (and Hyundai veteran) John Krafcik as its CEO. It’ll still have access to the resources of Google’s parent company Alphabet, but it’ll act more as a “venture backed startup,” Krafcik said in a press conference. Appropriately, there’s much more talk of turning autonomous vehicle tech into a practical business.
Waymo sees its technology applying to numerous areas, including ridesharing, trucking and personally-owned cars. It could also be licensed out to car manufacturers, Krafcik adds. Also, there’s an emphasis on real-world improvements, such as a more comfortable (that is, less jarring) experience for passengers and support for driving in heavy rain and other harsh road conditions.
The move isn’t exactly a shock — there have been rumors of Google spinning out its self-driving division for roughly a year. Still, it’s an important step. It’s an acknowledgment that driverless tech has matured to the point where building a sustainable business around it isn’t just fantasy. Also, it’s no secret that Alphabet wants to see a better return on investment from its many experiments. The creation of Waymo should light a fire under the self-driving team, giving it a stronger incentive to make money and show that its research has tangible benefits.
Source: TechCrunch, Business Insider
Someone Google Translated ‘Final Fantasy’
As much as we love them, Japanese role-playing games can be baffling at the best of times. Yet thanks to some clever localization, teams of writers and translators around the globe have managed to make sense of these intriguing adventures. But what if these localization teams didn’t exist? That’s the question translation enthusiast Clyde Mandelin asked, resulting in him rigging up a program to Google Translate Final Fantasy IV.
Calling the project Funky Fantasy IV, his software extracts all the game’s original Japanese text and replaces it with a straight Google translation – with predictably hilarious results.
In a time where many gamers are demanding literal translations of Japanese games, this project really highlights the great work that localization teams do. More importantly, it’s also really, really amusing. Funky Fantasy IV is still in the testing stage and will be made available once its bugs have been ironed out. In the mean time, all your Funky Fantasies are belong to Clyde.
Source: Legends of Localization
Snapchat Gains Shazam Integration, Group Chats, and Sticker Creation
Snapchat has gained Shazam’s music recognizing abilities in its camera screen, which Shazam says is an even easier way to discover new songs and send each one to friends as Snaps. To use the new feature, all users have to do is press and hold anywhere on the Snapchat camera screen when music is playing nearby to begin the Shazam process. From there they can dig deeper into more info about the song and artists thanks to a new Shazam card, and send the recommendation to friends.
Today, Snapchat also announced a new group chat feature that the company says is meant to help family members stay in touch over the holidays. Up to 16 people can join in on the group message, and each one will be deleted after 24 hours, just like Snapchat’s normal Stories section. Names of every participant are listed at the bottom of the window, so users can also tap one and jump into a one-on-one chat at any time.
Groups can be created while sending a Snap, or when you’re making a new Chat. When your friends are present in a Group Chat, we show their name at the bottom of the Chat. Simply tap their name to start a 1:1 Chat, and then easily return to the Group in one swipe! We call this Quick Chat, and it’s the fastest way to keep the conversation going with one friend without spamming the entire Group.
Two new “Creative Tools” will allow Snapchatters to create stickers from their own Snaps, using Scissors on the Preview Screen to cut a section of a picture out and turning it into a reusable sticker. A new Paintbrush tool will be available in the Memories section of the app and Snapchat says it “turns a Snap into an artistic masterpiece.”
The update is available now for the iOS Snapchat app. [Direct Link]
Tags: Shazam, Snapchat
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AirPods Launch in Stores Next Week as Online Delivery Estimates Quickly Lengthening
Apple has announced AirPods will be available for purchase at Apple Stores, authorized resellers, and select carriers next week, providing customers who did not quickly pre-order with a chance to buy the wireless earphones before the end of the year. Apple said stores will receive “regular AirPods shipments.”
AirPods launched on Apple’s website earlier today for $159. The all-new wireless earphones had an initial delivery estimate of around December 21 for many customers in the United States, but that date quickly slipped, and Apple is now quoting “4 weeks” for orders yet to be placed on its U.S. storefront.
AirPods are also estimated to ship in 4 weeks in Canada, where they are priced at $219. In Australia ($229) and the United Kingdom (£159), customers can still get earlier December 19 delivery as of the time this article was published. In Singapore, customers can get AirPods delivered by December 22 for $238.
In the Eurozone, AirPods cost €179. In Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands, customers face a two-week wait for AirPods. Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Japan also have 2-week estimates. In Hong Kong, it is 4 weeks. AirPods are available in more than 100 countries overall.
Tags: AirPods, Apple retail
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