Apple Watch Series 7

Watch Series 7 now has a rounded corner design, and we can say that it looks much more aesthetic. Battery life remains unchanged (approximately 18 hours), but the device can now charge 33% faster. This model is also the first Apple Watch with IP6X (dust resistance) certification. In other words, you can use it more comfortably in outdoor activities, and the screen is 50% thicker and durable than the previous model.

There are two models in this series with 41mm and 45mm cases, and both run WatchOS 8. This operating system has new dial designs, new features to automatically track cycling workouts and more advanced sensors. It can also track breathing during sleep and offers a swipeable keyboard.

If you think these are not very innovative features and are disappointed, be patient: It is known that Apple will add many more features to this model in 2022. These include even a thermometer that can determine the optimal time for fertility. Likewise, additional features are expected to be added to sleep tracking.

Apple Wallet

This is a simple innovation that can make daily life easier: Apple Wallet users can now add their ID and driver’s license information to their wallets. You no longer have to carry them with you, and every device that has your Apple Wallet installed will also have a copy of your ID or driver’s license.

In order for this system to work, official institutions must also support this feature. Currently, Arizona and Georgia have announced their support, and the states of Connecticut, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Oklahoma, and Utah are expected to do the same. In other words, this feature will be available in the US first but may become available in other countries in 2022.

AirPods 3

AirPods 3 were never mentioned at the organization where the iPhone 13 series was introduced, but that doesn’t mean Apple forgot about them. According to many different reports, AirPods 3 is currently in production and will be available for $159 before the end of 2021. (The release date and prices are, of course, subject to change.) AirPods 3 are expected to feature fitness tracking, motion sensors, and noise canceling. The device will support spatial audio and offer better battery life.

iOS 15

At the time of this article, iOS 15 was ready to go: you can install it on any iOS-powered device right now. iOS 15 has many interesting and useful innovations. To briefly list the most important ones:

• Spatial audio technology can now be used in FaceTime calls. In other words, the voices are heard as if they are coming from where the speaker is on the screen. You can also block out background noise and prioritize your own voice with the Sound Separation feature – this feature can be further enhanced using artificial intelligence technology. One of the most remarkable innovations for FaceTime is that people using Android or Windows devices can now join the call via their browsers.
• Notifications now use a Focus system. This means that notifications are automatically filtered based on what the user wants to focus on at that moment (work, entertainment, sleep, etc.). For example, if you select Work Focus mode, you will only see notifications from your colleagues. Notifications have also been redesigned and now include larger icons.
• Safari browser now supports extensions, and new tabs are placed at the bottom of the screen. This way, you can switch between tabs more easily and group them. The Safari start page is also now more customizable.
• New Privacy Control features offer more options to protect your personal information. For example, you can now prevent the sender from knowing if you have opened an email. Likewise, senders can no longer see your IP address unless you ask for it. In addition, Siri now processes voice commands in-device, further protecting user privacy.

iPad Mini

The new iPad Mini model is quite an impressive device: it has an 8-inch Liquid Retina display and uses the new A15 Bionic chip. This makes it 80% faster than other models. Cellular models have 5G support, and all models have a USB-C port. The device still uses TouchID, but the sensors are placed at the top of the screen. In this way, the iPad Mini can use a full-screen design. Thanks to the 12MP front and rear cameras and Smart HDR technology, it is possible to take great-looking photos regardless of the light level.

The post Latest News from Apple appeared first on Armchair Arcade.

The Best Apps For Your Apple Watch

Becoming mobile is the immediate aim of current technology. All new age gadgets, like a chronograph watch, are portable and convenient. Various apps allow you to turn just about any smart mobile device into a toolbox, ready for any job. Now with the inception of wearable smart tech like smartwatches, we get to carry a whole new bag of tricks with us, on our wrists.

Wearable tech is fast becoming an extension of our very persona. Assimilating itself with your body for a seamless piece of tech, which helps you power through the day.

Wearable tech like the Apple Watch is not just comfortable and aesthetically pleasing; it’s super smart and has the ability to install various apps, which turn your Apple Watch into a mobile gadget for just about anything.

The following are the best apps for your Apple smartwatch; they truly offer the user the best in the world of iOS watch apps.

Workout With Strava

Strava is the perfect standalone app for running and cycling enthusiasts. This means you can tackle the tar with your Apple Watch alone, so there’s no need to lug your iPhone around. It’s notorious amongst fitness freaks and embraces the road with fully-fledged GPS tracked running and cycling.

Previous smart phone versions were dedicated to live pacing and live segment data as well as the rest of the features. The Apple Watch Strava app struggles with these two features, but the iOS watch app is a brilliant holistic fitness tracker for monitoring all around performance on the road or off the beaten track.

Keep Track Of The Game With ESPN

Sports fans don’t always need the complete low down of what’s happening in the game. Sometimes an update on the score will suffice. Couple that with breaking news snippets and you have the perfect app for any sports fanatic that’s constantly on the move.

That’s ESPN’s sports app for your Apple Watch. It’s a sport-monitoring app perfectly optimized for your smartwatch. It’s easy to access and navigation is a breeze, displaying your up to date sports news conveniently on the go.

Just Press Record

The Just Press Record app for iPhone was a revolutionary tool that rules out the hassle of having to navigate to Voice Memos. Simply hit the record button and you can save these files at any time for future use.

Now iOS fans can get this technology on their Apple Watch. Just Press Record is available for Apple watches and allows users full voice memo software that is easy to use and reliable. One of the best forward thinking features of the new voice app is its ability to save a copy of what you said to a text document for future use.

Play With Rules

The Rules watch game is by far the best Apple watch game available. Its premise is simple enough, you need to memorize rules and tap cards to compliment one another.

Rules will trigger your brain to start memorizing actions, it has a double twist effect between fun and memory that can lead to frustration, but it’s a ton of fun that simply must be tried. If Rules is not the game for you, then you have to try  a few of the mobile pokies games that have been optimised for enjoyment on your wrist.

When In Doubt, Simply Yelp

Everyone has heard of or used Yelp at some point on a smartphone. It’s a brilliant app that allows users to locate entertainment- and culture-like bars and restaurants in their immediate vicinity.

You can now Yelp on your Apple Watch. It’s easy. Simply boot up the application on your smartwatch and select a category; wait a few seconds for the best recommendations and pick one. This is the perfect app for the city slicker on the go daily.

The post A collection of the best apps for your Apple smart watch appeared first on Armchair Arcade.

With the fast-paced life that most of the people are living today, however, tracking and staying true to fitness aspirations seem to be harder than it looks. People tend to forget about their diets and miss workout sessions due to disorganized schedules.

In response to the needs of these people, numerous developers and corporations have now invested in applications that can teach people how to get jacked and ultimately help people reach their goals.

Here are five of the most helpful apps in the Apple App Store for 2017:

1. MyFitnessPal

Starting off as a website for calorie counting, MyFitnessPal has now expanded to become one of the most helpful and famous apps on the scene today. The app was developed by two brothers for their own needs, but soon caught the attention of others, and ultimately its backer, Under Armor. The app calculates the calories, proteins, and fats that the user needs to intake based on his/her current weight and fitness goal.

2. Sworkit

Variety is a very important aspect of health and fitness, specifically in working out. Sworkit offers its users a wide range of exercise videos which contain workouts and routines that can be done anywhere. Aside from that, the app also features fitness plans created by personal trainers that can suit anybody to help them reach their individual fitness goals.

3. MapMyRun

MapMyRun is another app backed by Under Armor which focuses on cardio, specifically jogging/running. The app creates a running route for the users after they input their current location. MapMyRun also lets the users track their statistics such as the distance and time of the run in order to gauge it with previous and future runs. This app is helpful when it comes to tracking progress in terms of cardio.

4. BodySpace – Social Fitness App

This app is developed and backed by Bodybuilding.com, which is one of the largest fitness communities on the web right now. BodySpace lets the user access the discussions of almost 2.7 million members active on the website. Discussions may include what supplements to take, what are the right routines specifically for the user, and more. The discussions can even contain results of previous people who have tried the workouts to validate the routines’ effects.

5. FitNotes

Among all of the apps in this list, FitNotes is probably the simplest but definitely still helpful. Judging by its name, the app acts as a list that’s perfect for those who are trying to reach their fitness goals. The app lets users input what workout they are planning to do in order for users to forecast their workout sessions. Aside from its quick data entry features that can serve as a to-do list for users, the app also has reminders and alert features to make sure the user is on the right track to fitness.

Get out there and put in the work!

There are numerous other apps out there that can help people reach their goals comfortably. However, these apps are rendered useless if the user is not motivated enough. Aside from downloading these apps, before hitting the road to fitness one must always have their eyes on the prize and expect to do the work without any grumbles.

The post Five Helpful iOS Apps to Help You Reach Your Fitness Goals appeared first on Armchair Arcade.

Source. Edited transcript:

Gartner Inc. has forecast that 274.6 million wearable devices will be sold worldwide in 2016. If the current market trends are any indication, then the majority of those devices will be designed to transform personal health. Here are five examples of how wearable devices will do just that:

5. Monitoring Diabetes: Researchers from the Institute for Basic Science in Seoul, South Korea, have created a dual patch to help diabetics monitor their blood glucose levels. The device replaces the need for diabetics to prick their fingers to test their blood’s glucose level. Instead, it monitors the wearer’s glucose levels by analyzing sweat. If high levels of glucose are detected, the patch releases a drug to help lower it, giving diabetics an easy, pain-free way to monitor their health.

4. Brain Wearables: EEGs or Electroencephalograms are wearable devices designed to detect and measure brain activity. They are usually deployed to measure frequencies during specific times like sleep or stressful events. These wearable devices will help doctors “read” your mind.

3. Monitoring the heart: ECGs are Electrocardiograms; these devices record electronic activity in the heart via external electrodes placed on the skin. Many also believe that in the future, the heartbeat profile of the user can be used as a biometric password through a sensor placed in a smart watch or other devices. This could do away with credit cards, keys, and tickets, providing new meaning to having a key to someone’s heart.

2. Nanosensors: Scripps Health is currently working on a nanosensor that can be injected into the bloodstream, which will provide a live glucose reading and transmit them wirelessly to a smartphone app. This is just one of the many ways that nanosensors could be deployed to monitor a person’s health.

1. Wearable Circuit Board Tattoos: Tech tats are peel-and-play biometric wearables that utilize special conductive ink and biosensors to monitor a person’s vital signs. This information can be sent to directly to a user’s smartphone or health care professional.

There is no doubt that the next major evolution of smart technology will come in the form of devices like these. However, the future of wearable device technology is dependent on the number of qualified electrical engineers available to help with development. To learn more about how you can impact the future through an exciting career in electrical engineering fill out the form below.

Sources:

http://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS25519615
http://www.businessinsider.com/wearable-computing-market-statistics-2015-1
http://www.wareable.com/wearable-tech/biometrics-blow-your-mind-sensors-wearable-future-776
http://nerdist.com/wearable-circuit-board-tattoos-could-save-lives/
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/biohacking-care/
http://www.wareable.com/wearable-tech/biometrics-blow-your-mind-sensors-wearable-future-776
http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/3198018
http://www.popsci.com/this-wearable-patch-uses-sweet-to-monitor-blood-glucose-levels

The post Five Ways Wearable Devices Will Change Personal Health appeared first on Armchair Arcade.

The back of the package.

The front of the package.

Available in Brown, Black, Blue, Red, or White, the SUNKONG has a striking appearance. I chose the Blue, which as you can see in the photos has bold coloring on its leather material. As with other watch bands of this type that I’ve liked, the magnetic clasp is both convenient to put on and adjust, and strong enough to keep the positioning exactly where I want it, even during the most strenuous of activity.

The band.

One of the great features of the Apple Watch is how easy it is to slip new bands on and off.

Another angle.

I wear my Apple Watch Sport all of the time, except when I’m sleeping. So that also means it gets worn at the gym and during showers. After weeks of use, the band is no worse for the wear. The color still pops, there’s no fraying or breaking of the leather, and it remains just as comfortable as the day I got it. Thanks to that and its bold coloring, I’m giving the SUNKONG an Armchair Arcade Editor’s Choice award for 2016.

It’s easy to get a perfect fit.

Another angle.

Pluses:

• Bold coloring
• Leather
• Magnetic clasp
• Comfortable
• Good price

Minuses:

• Generic packaging

Armchair Arcade Editor’s Choice Award 2016

Thanks to SUNKONG for the discounted review unit.

The post Review: SUNKONG Apple Watch Leather Band appeared first on Armchair Arcade.

The packaging.

The box.

The band.

As you can see from the photos, it looks fantastic. Real world fit and finish are also excellent. And unlike Apple’s own watch bands, Morningsun XG’s band is incredibly inexpensive. While I’m reviewing the 42mm band with my Apple Watch Sport, it’s also available in a 38mm size and other colors. This is definitely a quality product and well worth the asking price.

As per the usual with the Apple Watch, sliding a band off and on is super easy.

It looks great.

The magnet makes for an easily customizable fit.

Thanks to Morningsun XG for the review unit.

The post Review: Morningsun XG Genuine Leather Loop with Magnet Lock for Apple Watch appeared first on Armchair Arcade.

The storage case.

In the package you get the following items:

• Zipper Storage Case
• Instructions/Inventory List
• Link Remover (for bracelet-style watch bands)
• Watch Case Opener Knife (opens rear covers)
• Watch Case Holder (10 – 45mm diameter watch cases; helps keep watches in position when working on them)
• Stainless Steel Tweezers (for removing and inserting batteries)
• Spring Bar Tool (strap removal)
• Watch Back Pry Opener (yellow handle; opens rear covers)
• Three (3) Precision Anti-magnetic Screwdrivers (removes battery cover)
• Three (3) Pin Punches (remove watch chain)
• 18 Interchangeable Chucks (used on watch case opening)
• Adjustable Case Opener (to open watch case)
• Three (3) Link Remover Spare Pins
• Two (2) Sping Bar Tool Spare Tips
• 108 Watch Strap Spring Pins

What you get.

So, while the interchangeable chucks and spare watch strap spring pins make up the bulk of the 144 pieces of the kit, it still includes every tool you’ll probably ever need. It’s a great deal that will pay for himself after avoiding just one trip to the watch shop/jeweler.

Thanks to BTSKY for the discounted review unit.

The post Review: BTSKY Professional 144 Piece Watch Tool Kit appeared first on Armchair Arcade.

The front of the package.

Fortunately, the SE JT6218 Watch Band Link Pin Tool Kit delivered. I took the opportunity to do this during some downtime at a family Easter holiday visit and enlisted the help of my father. While you can do this by yourself, it’s definitely good to have someone by your side to help you figure things out.

The back of the package includes the instructions.

The kit comes with a dual-head hammer, with one metal side and one nylon side, a watch band holder, and three pin punches of various sizes. While I couldn’t tell which pin punch was which, they’re 0.8, 0.9, and 1.0 mm thickness; at least two of those sizes were definitely needed for the two watch bands I was doing.

Getting to work.

Success.

The instructions are straightforward, but the actual process is dependent upon the watch band itself. Basically you place the band on the holder, select which link you want to remove, then hammer out the pin. You’ll want to repeat the same process on the other side of the band, so the locking clip is centered on your wrist. In my case, I had to repeat the process on my two bands and remove two links each. After that, the sizing was spot on. Of course, putting the now separated links back together required some more thought – we didn’t even use any of the tools to do that as they just sort of locked back into place themselves – but in the end, it all worked out great.

We needed pliers to get the pins out of one of the watch bands.

The only major issue that we ran into was the pins getting stuck on one of the watch bands. We grabbed a pair of pliers and pulled it the rest of the way out. Problem solved, but I suppose that’s one other tool that could have probably been included, or at the very least maybe try and provide pin punches longer than 2 inches, which may have also resolved that particular issue.

My suggestion is to skip the trip out, get this kit, do it yourself, and pocket the extra money you would have otherwise spent. It’s a rewarding experience once you figure it all out.

The post Review: SE JT6218 Watch Band Link Pin Tool Kit appeared first on Armchair Arcade.

How it arrives. Is the love mutual? Read on.

The packaging.

The Morningsun XG band comes in black, gold, rose gold, and silver options in both 38mm and 42mm sizes. I’m reviewing the rose gold 42mm for my space grey Apple Watch Sport. As with all watch bands that are compatible with the Apple Watch, installation was easy. Press the button on the back of the watch, slide the existing band off, and then slide the new band on.

The band.

Sliding the band on. One side to go!

While this watch band comes with no instructions, it’s relatively easy enough to figure out. One side of the watch band gets looped, then you unfurl the magnetic clasp. That last part is important, because otherwise, as can be seen in one of the photos, it creates an unsightly bulge and doesn’t stick like it’s supposed to. Once you have it looking like it does in the later photos, as you can see, the band’s profile is slim and I can tell you that the magnetic latch sticks securely.

Putting the watch on.

Remember to unfurl this last bit!

Despite its low cost, the Morningsun XG band is a winner. It’s designed to fit your wrist perfectly and doesn’t require any tools or additional adjustment once you gently press the magnetic clasp in place. The best part is if you can’t decide on what color to get, get all eight–they will all end up costing just a little more than the price of just one official Apple Watch band.

Success!

Looking good.

Looking real good.

Thanks to Morningsun XG for the review unit.

The post Review: Morningsun XG Milanese Loop Magnetic Wrist Band for Apple Watch appeared first on Armchair Arcade.

The packaging.

You get the watch band, wet and dry wipes, sticker guides, and a small screwdriver. The latter is a nice touch, because many of the watch bands don’t come with any type of tool.

What you get.

Instructions are printed on the back of the box, although they didn’t apply since they’re about assembling the connector ends and they were already connected. I have the Apple sports band on my Apple Watch, and it’s a simple matter of pushing the button just above the band connector and sliding it off. I then took the plastic wrap off the Chetoo, which was probably a bit more difficult than it should have been. Once it’s off, you can see that the heavy band is a really nice black and good quality. I then reversed the band removal process and slid this band on. In other words, there was no need for the included tool, the guide stickers, or the wipes.

Installation was easy.

The band itself was a bit loose on my wrist. With that said, I probably have wrists that are on the smaller side, so I wonder if you have larger wrists if this would fit at all without installing extra links (not included). In any case, I decided to remove a link and see if the fit was any better. Using the included tool, I unfortunately wasn’t able to figure out on my own how to remove a link, so this would be something I’d have to take to a jeweler (and almost certainly will).

The clasp has a nice quick release feature.

In the end, this is a high quality band that matches up nicely to the Apple Watch design. The only real failing here is an explanation of how to remove links, and, perhaps if you have larger wrists, the lack of a few additional links. If you don’t mind those issues, which frankly will be present in just any watch band of this type (link style) that you buy, then this is an easy recommendation.

Thanks to BAOBAO for the review unit.

The post Review: Chetoo Ceramic Apple Watch Band with Butterfly Buckle appeared first on Armchair Arcade.