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Tag: wearable technology

  • The coolest technology from Day 2 of CES 2026

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    LAS VEGAS — Crowds flooded the freshly opened showroom floors on Day 2 of the CES and were met by thousands of robots, AI companions, assistants, health longevity tech, wearables and more.

    Siemens President and CEO Roland Busch kicked off the day with a keynote detailing how its customers are harnessing artificial intelligence to transform their businesses. He was joined onstage by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang to announce an expanded partnership, saying they are launching a new AI-driven industrial revolution to reinvent all aspects of manufacturing, production and supply chain management.

    Lenovo ended the day with a guest star-rich visual banquet dedicated to spotlighting how its AI platforms can help people personally (wearables), with their businesses (enterprise platforms) and the world around them. To strike home his points, its CEO Yang Yuanqing was joined by tech superstars like Nvidia’s Huang, AMD CEO Lisa Su and Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan.

    The CES is a huge opportunity annually for companies large and small to parade products they plan to put on shelves this year. Here are the highlights from Day 2:

    Gaming tech company Razer is well known for bringing buzz-worthy hardware to CES, like haptic, or tactile, seat cushions and tri-screen laptops.

    This year, it’s reaching beyond its standard gaming base and demonstrating two AI-powered prototypes — an over-ear gaming headset that doubles as a general-purpose assistant, and an AI desk companion that can provide gaming advice and also organize a user’s life.

    The holographic companion, based on a Razor on-screen AI assistant launched last year (Project Ava), has transitioned off-screen into a small glass tube that sits near your computer. The animated sprite has built-in speakers and a camera so it can see the world around it.

    Both devices are AI agnostic, so you can use your preferred model. For the demo, the headset — Project Motoko — ran on OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Project Ava worked off xAI’s Grok. Although still in development, Razer said it expects both to be released commercially later this year.

    Imagine your plane lands and, when you look out the window you see autonomous robots guiding it to the gate and then unloading the luggage. Oshkosh Corporation is pitching that future for airports big and small.

    At CES, it debuted a fleet of autonomous airport robots designed to help airlines pull off what it calls “the perfect turn” — a tightly timed process that happens after a plane lands, including fueling, cleaning, handling cargo and getting passengers off and back on.

    For travelers, CEO John Pfeifer says the goal is fewer delays without compromising safety. The technology is also designed to keep those tarmac tasks moving even during severe weather, like winter storms or extreme heat, when conditions are daunting for human crews, Pfeifer said. Testing with major airlines is already underway, and the robots would likely debut at large hub airports like Atlanta or Dallas, with a goal of rolling them out over the next few years.

    Chinese robovac maker Roborock has introduced a vacuum that literally sprouts chicken-like legs to navigate stairs and clean steps along the way.

    The newly introduced Saros Rover was a tad slow in its ascent and descent (but it was cleaning each step) during the demo, but Roborock says it will be able to traverse almost any style of stairwell, including spiraled. No release date was given for the Rover, which the company says is still in development.

    While it may look like a typical scale you’d buy for your bathroom, Withings’ new Body Scan 2 measures much more than weight. Taking off their shoes and socks, people lined up to try out the “smart scale” that in 90 seconds measures 60 different biomarkers, including their heart age, vascular age and their metabolism using the pads of their feet and hands.

    The $600 scale, which will be available for purchase in the spring, also provides a nerve health score and measures changes in someone’s electrodermal activity, or the skin’s electrical properties due to sweat gland activity. The smart scale and a corresponding app, which costs $10 a month or $100 a year, provide personalized advice and a health trajectory for its users. The French company’s goals are to help people monitor their health and reverse bad habits to promote longevity.

    Commonwealth Fusion Systems, NVIDIA and Siemens announced Tuesday that they are working together to use AI to hasten making nuclear fusion a new source of carbon-free energy.

    In Massachusetts, Commonwealth Fusion Systems is building a prototype fusion power plant called SPARC, which is about 70% complete. Through the new partnership, it will create a “digital twin,” or online simulation, of the physical machine.

    CFS CEO Bob Mumgaard said it will ask questions of the simulation to speed up progress on the physical machine and rapidly analyze data, compressing years of manual experimentation into weeks of understanding.

    SPARC is a prototype for the company’s first planned power plant, called ARC, that is meant to connect to the grid in the early 2030s. The device will use very strong magnets to create conditions for fusion to happen. Mumgaard also said CFS’s first high-temperature superconducting magnet has been installed in SPARC.

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  • 8 innovative gifts you didn’t know you needed

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    There are gifts, and then there are gifts, the ones inventive enough to surprise and delight the recipient. Some are fun; others, practical. They all aim to improve how we do or enjoy things.

    Consider adding these innovative gifts to your shopping list. There’s something here for every budget.

    Elevated luggage

    Invented by a mom of four who sought to cut down on hotel-room chaos, Props carry-on suitcases have luggage racks built right in. Like a folding table, each suitcase has legs that unfold easily to elevate it off the floor. You could even use it as a snack table or laptop stand at the airport.

    Other features include an interior compression packing system, an integrated TSA-approved combination lock, a telescoping handle, two 360-degree spinning wheels at each corner and carry handles on three sides. Available in five colors; 21.5” x 14” x 9.5” (width expandable to 11.5”). $399.

    A smart collar

    Like a fitness tracker for pets, the PetPace V3.0 smart collar is an AI-powered health-monitoring device that tracks pets’ locations via GPS and monitors their vital and biometric signs.

    Using AI analytics and machine learning, the smart collar gets to “know” your dog or cat over time, collecting data on activity, body temperature, pulse rate and so on. The mobile app tracks and displays subtle changes.

    Users also get free access to a veterinarian via 24/7 chat, and the ability to share a link with their own vet to provide historical physiological and behavioral data. $299-$399. plus subscription fees, which start at $13.90 per month.

    Secure shade

    If there’s a beach lover on your list, the AnchorOne Classic Beach Umbrella System will keep them comfortable and safe from the inconvenience — and danger — posed by wind-borne umbrellas.

    Setting up the umbrella takes about five minutes, and an anchor filled with sand keeps it from blowing away in winds up to 25 mph (40.2 kph).

    An adjustable tray keeps snacks, drinks and cellphones off the sand, and the umbrella’s 7-foot (2.1-meter) canopy has an Ultraviolet Protection Factor of 50+. Available in five colors. Carry bags are included for both the umbrella and anchor. $119.99.

    Cuddly calm

    Talking dolls and stuffed animals have been around for decades; some even “read” books and tell stories. But Pause with Panda uses interactivity for more than entertainment, providing kids with exercises designed to help them regulate their emotions and practice mindfulness.

    The cuddly panda’s programming guides children through audible, age-appropriate “pauses,” including ones aimed at reducing anxiety, improving attention, building emotional awareness, developing compassion, and supporting daily routines and transitions, like bedtime. Caregivers can monitor on the accompanying mobile app.

    Topics can be customized for anxiety, sleep and ADHD, and adults can even record their own “pauses” for children to hear.

    Suitable for ages 3 and up. $99, including a storybook and stickers.

    Sparkle anywhere

    Sparkling water and seltzer lovers know they can either pay for the bottled stuff or use a kitchen-counter model to carbonate liter-size bottles at home. Now, Aerflo, a portable soda-maker system, lets them make fizzy drinks on the go.

    Fill the stainless steel and BPA-, lead- and PFAS-free plastic bottle with water, attach a mini capsule to the cap and screw on the lid. Then tap the cap to release beverage-grade carbon dioxide into the water and give the bottle a shake, repeating as desired for more bubbles.

    The set includes a 17-ounce bottle; four refillable capsules, which carbonate four bottles apiece; a three-capsule travel case; and a prepaid shipping box for zero-waste capsule exchanges. $84.

    Airborne audio

    Many in-flight entertainment systems still require users to plug wired headphones into an airplane’s one- or two-pronged audio jack. And the system’s lack of a Bluetooth option leaves most folks with wireless earbuds or headsets with two options: Buy a cheap pair from the flight attendant or sit in silence.

    The JBL Tour One M3 Smart TX headphones change that. You plug the included touchscreen Bluetooth transmitter into the jack, and the device will connect to the headphones, allowing you to listen to high-resolution, 24-bit audio — with or without noise cancellation — and move about freely.

    The system also connects to other audio sources, like computers, cellphones and older TVs, and allows two listeners to connect to one transmitter for shared listening. The Zoom-certified headphones let you control how much of your own voice you hear on calls. Available in three colors. $449.95.

    A frigid friend

    Die-hard cold plungers know that tap water isn’t frosty enough to provide the chilling effects they seek, and standalone cryotubs can take up too much space in small bathrooms.

    Enter HomePlunge, a portable water-cooling unit that can transform any bathtub into an ice bath.

    The wheeled unit rolls up to the tub and has a hose arm that draws in water, cools it and then returns it to the tub, reaching set temperatures as low as 34 degrees F (1 degree C) in 30-60 minutes.

    When you’ve had enough, roll the modular chiller out of the way until the next session, which you can schedule in advance via the accompanying mobile app. $2,999.

    Flushed for the holidays

    Toilet paper — original and inventive? You bet!

    It may get some laughs when they open the box, but Charmin’s new supersize Forever Roll just might be the most practical gift you’ll ever give.

    Although it won’t live up to the “forever” hyperbole in its name, each giant roll — measuring 1 foot (.3 meters) in diameter, weighing 2 pounds (.9 kilograms) and providing 1,700 sheets of 2-ply, septic-safe toilet paper — promises to last a whole month in an average two-person household.

    The starter kit includes two Forever Rolls and a brushed stainless-steel stand, with refills sold separately. $39.99.

    ___

    For more AP gift guides and holiday coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/gift-guide and https://apnews.com/hub/holidays.

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  • How Wearable Tech Could Become ‘Big Brother’ in the Workplace

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    Wearable tech continues to be one of the Next Big Things in technology innovation, thanks to what many experts expect to be the replacement for the humble smartphone—AR and VR headsets, as well as other AI-powered devices. But wearables like fitness monitors and smartwatches are already part of some workplaces as a useful tool for monitoring employees — providing data on everything from performance to employee well-being. But this sometimes controversial data collection carries some risks, as a new report highlights.

    A team of management researchers from the U.K.’s University of Surrey recently did a meta-analysis of previous studies on the benefits and risks of using wearable worker monitoring tech. They found that most workplaces that have deployed wearable tech are using them to track employees’ well-being and health data. The devices were helpful for accurately tracking “sleep quality, stress markers, physical activity, and even team dynamics,” science news site Phys.org reported. That, which aligns with some of the ways devices like FitBits and Apple Watches are promoted. 

    But the way some businesses roll out these devices is problematic the researchers said, since many of these efforts aren’t fully transparent and leave employees guessing about what personal data is being collected by their companies and why it’s being gathered. Meanwhile, many businesses have inconsistent policies for analyzing collected employee data, and they may even store it insecurely. This behavior risks making workers feel insecure and suffering the effects of “invasive surveillance,” Phys.org says. That level of explicit oversight can harm workplace culture. 

    When used properly, these wearables, many of which are commercial off-the-shelf products, can warn HR departments in real time about potential problems. One good example is their potential to spot “rising stress before burnout or to safety hazards before accidents,” wrote Dr. Sebastiano Massaro, a neuroscience lecturer and co-author of the study.

    But unless companies have “robust methodological and ethical guardrails,” there’s a risk of blurring the lines between “science and pseudoscience, between real support and dangerous surveillance,” Massaro worries. In their best uses, wearables can “help create safer, healthier, and more responsive and productive workplaces” he thinks. Done badly, they could “normalize unnecessary monitoring and paradoxically increase workplace stress rather than reduce it.”

    Recently, Amazon revealed it was developing smart glasses (a little like Meta’s recently unveiled AR glasses) the company said will help its delivery drivers “identify hazards, seamlessly navigate to customers’ doorsteps, and improve customer deliveries.” The goggles sound like powerful tech, melding “AI-powered sensing capabilities and computer vision” with cameras and a display so a driver can see “everything from navigation details to hazards to delivery tasks,” as well as spotting the right packages in their truck at a delivery address. It’s plausible that these devices could speed up deliveries—a form of 21st century optimization that’s akin to a business efficiency decision that means UPS delivery trucks almost never turn left.

    But Amazon’s product announcement immediately triggered ethical and privacy worries, both about the drivers’ well-being and about data collected outside the trucks, when drivers are at a delivery location, for example. Amazon, after all, has repeatedly been in the news over the way it surveils its workforce, including landing a 32-million euro fine ($36 million) in France in 2024 for doing so excessively. 

    How can you best apply this research for your own company?

    Offering your workers wearable tech can be presented positively — the devices have a certain social cachet, and if they help workers monitor their health and fitness for their own purposes (as well as for more workplace-directed reasons, like monitoring stress levels) then they can be seen as an attractive workplace perk. The data they collect can, if used responsibly, also help you avoid complex health issues like burnout.

    But if you do deploy tech like this, it’s important to be open and transparent about what data is being collected, and what for, and also to be rigorous in protecting sensitive employee medical data. Otherwise you risk harming employee well-being and your company’s reputation. 

    The early-rate deadline for the 2026 Inc. Regionals Awards is Friday, November 14, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply now.

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    Kit Eaton

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  • Apple Fast Facts | CNN

    Apple Fast Facts | CNN

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    CNN
     — 

    Here’s a look at Apple, Inc, creator of the Mac computer and the iPhone.

    The corporate headquarters are in Cupertino, California.

    As of September 2023, the company reported that it employs approximately 161,000 people full-time.

    April 1, 1976 – Apple Computers, Inc. is founded by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. Their first product is the Apple I personal computer.

    June 1977 – The Apple II is released.

    December 1980 – Apple conducts an initial public offering of 4.6 million shares at $22 per share.

    January 1983 – Apple introduces the Lisa, a new brand of personal computer.

    January 22, 1984 – The Macintosh computer is introduced with a futuristic commercial that airs during the Super Bowl.

    1985 – Apple discontinues the Lisa after a disappointing run, and Jobs leaves the company.

    December 1996 – Apple buys Jobs’ company, NeXT Software.

    1997 – In the wake of corporate shakeups and a sales slump, Apple welcomes Jobs back as interim CEO.

    August 15, 1998 – The iMac, a streamlined personal computer, debuts.

    January 2000 – Jobs becomes permanent CEO.

    January 9, 2001 – iTunes is introduced.

    October 23, 2001 – The iPod MP3 player makes its debut.

    January 2003 – Apple releases the Safari web browser.

    April 28, 2003 – Apple introduces the iTunes Music Store.

    January 2006 – Apple rolls out its first Intel-based computers, the iMac and the MacBook Pro.

    January 9, 2007 – The iPhone is unveiled.

    March 2007 – Apple TV hits stores.

    January 27, 2010 – The iPad is announced.

    June 6, 2011 – Apple announces iCloud, an online media storage system.

    August 24, 2011 – Jobs resigns as CEO. Tim Cook takes his place.

    October 5, 2011 – Jobs dies after battling cancer.

    February 6, 2013 – Apple announces that iTunes has reached a milestone of 25 billion songs sold.

    May 28, 2014 – Apple announces deal to buy Beats for $3 billion.

    June 9, 2014 – Apple conducts a stock split, bringing the price down from $647.50 to $92.44.

    September 9, 2014 – Apple unveils the Apple Watch, a wearable device.

    December 16, 2014 – Apple wins an antitrust lawsuit brought by eight million iPod owners who alleged that Apple abused its monopoly power in the music industry to force out competition.

    June 8, 2015 – Apple unveils Apple Music, a streaming music service, live radio station and social network.

    February 3, 2016 – A jury orders Apple to pay $626 million in damages after finding that iMessage, FaceTime and other Apple software infringed on another company’s patents. The lawsuit, originally filed in 2010 by the company VirnetX, accuses Apple of violating four patents, which mostly involve methods for real-time communications over the Internet.

    February 16, 2016 – Apple refuses to comply with a California judge’s order to assist the FBI in hacking the iPhone of the San Bernardino gunman. A public letter signed by Cook states why the company is refusing to abide by the government’s demands.

    March 28, 2016 – The Department of Justice says the FBI has “successfully retrieved the data stored on the San Bernardino terrorist’s iPhone,” and is dropping the case against Apple, since it no longer needs the company’s help.

    August 30, 2016 – The European Union rules that Apple must pay Ireland $14.5 billion in back taxes. According to the EU, Ireland had been giving the tech company a break on taxes for more than two decades. Ireland’s finance minister issues a statement criticizing the EU’s ruling and declares that the country does not play favorites with a lower tax rate for certain companies. In a letter, Cook says he anticipates the EU’s tax ruling will be reversed on appeal.

    September 12, 2017 – Apple unveils the iPhone X, alongside the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus – all of which support wireless charging. The iPhone X will also feature facial detection technology, no home button, a 3D camera and an edge-to-edge screen.

    December 21, 2017 – Apple issues a statement saying that it has used software updates to limit the performance of older iPhones that may have battery issues that would cause them to turn off suddenly.

    December 28, 2017 – Apple apologizes to customers for how it rolled out an update that can slow down older iPhones. It is offering cheaper battery replacements to make up for it.

    June 15, 2018 – Oprah Winfrey signs a multiyear deal with Apple to create new original programming.

    August 2, 2018 – Apple becomes the first American public company to surpass $1 trillion in value.

    October 10, 2019 – In a memo to employees, Cook defends Apple’s decision to pull a map app that Hong Kong protesters used to track police, saying that it had been used in ways that “endanger law enforcement and residents in Hong Kong.”

    November 1, 2019 – Apple TV+, a subscription streaming service containing original programming, launches.

    November 4, 2019 – Apple announces a $2.5 billion financial package to help address the housing crisis in California, which has worsened in part because of the rapid growth of tech companies.

    July 29, 2020 – Cook, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, CEO of Google’s parent company Sundar Pichai and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg all testify before a House subcommittee on anti-trust to address concerns that their businesses may be harming competition.

    August 20, 2020 – Apple reaches the $2 trillion market value mark.

    November 18, 2020 – Apple agrees to pay $113 million to settle an investigation by states including California and Arizona over how Apple wasn’t transparent about its iPhone battery problems that led to unexpected device shutdowns.

    December 14, 2020 – Launches Apple Fitness+, a service built around Apple Watch.

    November 23, 2021 – Apple files a lawsuit against NSO Group and its parent company, accusing the Israeli firm of violating a federal anti-hacking law by selling potent software that clients have used to spy on Apple customers. The lawsuit alleges that NSO’s spyware, known as Pegasus, and other malware have caused Apple monetary and property damages, and violated the human rights of Apple users along the way.

    January 3, 2022 – Apple becomes the world’s first company valued at $3 trillion.

    May 10, 2022 – Apple announces that it is ceasing production of the iPod.

    June 18, 2022 – Workers in Maryland vote to form the first-ever labor union at one of Apple’s US stores.

    June 30, 2023 – Apple’s stock ends trading valued at $3 trillion, the only company ever to reach that milestone.

    December 18, 2023 – Apple announces plans to stop selling its Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 in US due to a patent dispute. In January 2024, a federal appeals court denies the company’s motion to temporarily pause the ban while it appealed the US International Trade Commission ruling.

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  • Apple's stock falls after 'sell' call from Barclays

    Apple's stock falls after 'sell' call from Barclays

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    Shares of Apple Inc. are starting 2024 with a selloff, after Barclays analyst Tim Long said it was “time for a breather,” citing weak hardware sales as iPhone 15 demand disappoints.

    “We are still picking up weakness on iPhone volumes and mix, as well as a lack of bounce-back in Macs, iPads and wearables,” Long wrote in a note to clients. “The biggest takeaway from the latest checks is incrementally worse [iPhone] 15 data points out of China, together with developed markets remaining soft.”

    He cut his rating on the stock
    AAPL,
    -0.54%
    to underweight from neutral, and trimmed his price target to $160 from $161. The new target implies about 17% downside from Friday’s closing price of $192.53.

    The stock slumped 1.8% in premarket trading Tuesday, putting it on track to open at a seven-week low.

    Long said iPhone 15 sales have been “lackluster” and believes Phone 16 sales will be the same, as he expects other hardware categories to remain weak. He said it’s time for investors to take a “breather” on the stock, as he doesn’t think it can keep rallying in the face of downbeat demand data, like it did in 2023.

    “We expect reversion after a year when most quarters were missed and the stock outperformed,” Long wrote.

    He expects Apple to report “in-line” fiscal first-quarter results, which runs through December, but he trimmed his second-quarter to further below consensus expectations.

    He now expects earnings per share and revenue for the quarter through March to be down in the low-single-digit percentage range, while the FactSet consensus calls for EPS to be up 2.6% at $1.57 and revenue to rise 1.1% to $95.8 billion.

    Apple’s stock surged 48.2% in 2023, or almost double the S&P 500 index’s
    SPX
    gain of 24.2%, even as revenue for each quarter of fiscal 2023 through September was below that of a year ago.

    Long is now one of just four of the 44 analysts surveyed by FactSet who are bearish on Apple’s stock, while 27 (61%) are bullish and 13 are neutral. His $160 price target is 19.2% below the average target of $197.92.

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  • Apple can sell its latest smartwatches again after court pauses FTC import ban

    Apple can sell its latest smartwatches again after court pauses FTC import ban

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    The latest Apple Watches are available again after the company scored a legal victory Wednesday.

    “We are thrilled to return the full Apple Watch lineup to customers in time for the new year,” Apple
    AAPL,
    +0.05%
    said in a statement to MarketWatch. “Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2, including the blood-oxygen feature, will become available for purchase again in the United States at Apple Stores starting today and from apple.com tomorrow by 3 p.m. ET.”

    A U.S. appeals court earlier Wednesday temporarily blocked a government commission’s import ban on popular Apple Watch models following a patent dispute with medical-technology firm Masimo Corp.
    MASI,
    -4.57%    .

    The court’s order allows Apple to temporarily resume selling the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2. Both watches were pulled from Apple’s website last week and off store shelves this week when the ban went into effect. The appeals court is weighing a longer halt on the import and sales ban.

    Masimo declined to comment.

    On Tuesday, the tech giant filed an emergency request for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit to halt the ban at least until U.S. Customs and Border Protection decides whether redesigned versions of its watches infringe Masimo’s patents.

    The appeals court’s decision will allow the U.S. Customs department to consider Apple’s redesign of the offending Apple Watch models. A fix is expected by Jan. 12. Apple said in the motion Tuesday it could “suffer irreparable harm” if the ban is kept in place while the appeal is ongoing.

    Shares of Apple were flat in trading Wednesday.

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  • Apple event: iPhone 15, Apple Watch Series 9 and everything else on the way

    Apple event: iPhone 15, Apple Watch Series 9 and everything else on the way

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    Apple refreshed its iPhone and Apple Watch lineups at a Tuesday event that focused on camera and processing improvements for the phones as well as new gesture controls for the watch.

    Apple
    AAPL,
    -1.71%
    kept prices the same on three of its iPhone models, while boosting the starting price of the iPhone 15 Pro Max for the first time when it eliminated what previously was the smallest and cheapest configuration. The least expensive iPhone 15 Pro Max will cost $1,199 for 256GB of storage, which is what that configuration cost a year ago, though at that time there was also a cheaper 128GB option. Apple previously had stuck with a $1,099 base price on the iPhone Pro Max since it rolled out that model in 2019.

    Both the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max will feature Apple’s custom designed A17 Pro processor, a faster chip that the company says will boost the mobile gaming experience.

    The Pro models are getting slight design enhancements, including new titanium casing and slimmer edges. Apple says that the use of titanium, rather than stainless steel, makes the models lighter than their predecessor.

    Perhaps the best camera upgrade is exclusive to the Pro Max. That phone will have a better telephoto camera supporting up to five-times zoom, compared with three times before, and will be able to capture three-dimensional video that can be viewed with Apple’s soon-to-launch Vision Pro headset.

    See also: Vision Pro could be Apple’s biggest hit since iPhone

    The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus will receive enhancements, too, including speed boosts via Apple’s A16 processor and camera upgrades that will support better use of portrait mode. The satellite connectivity feature that launched on last year’s iPhones will expand to include roadside assistance as well.

    After facing criticism for the iPhone’s “notch,” Apple turned that space into a Dynamic Island on Pro models last year. Now that technology is coming to the base-level models as well, so users will be able to use that space for more functional means like changing songs.

    iPhone users may be able to throw away their Lightning cables if they get the new models, as all four will charge with the more universal USB-C connectivity, as will other Apple devices such as AirPods Pro. Apple did not spend a lot of time addressing the change from its proprietary “Lightning” connecter, which was forced by new European rules requiring universal connections.

    More on iPhone 15: Apple increases base price on highest-end iPhone for first time

    Apple also detailed the new Apple Watch Series 9 lineup, which includes the second version of the Apple Watch Ultra. The new base Apple Watches will have a new S9 chip that could lead to speed and efficiency improvements and faster load times, the same 18-hour battery life, a new FineWoven fabric band and up to 2000 nit brightness display. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 has features including 36 hours of battery life, an S9 SiP chip, and a 3000-nit brightness display

    The new Apple Watch Series 9 also features a new “double-tap” gesture, which allows people to answer calls and interact with their watch by tapping their index finger and thumb together when their non-watch hand is being previously occupied.

    For more: New Apple Watch Series 9 — cost, new features, and when it comes out

    The new Apple Watch models are set to become available for preorder immediately following the Sept. 12 launch event, and will be available for regular purchase on Friday Sept. 22.

    Apple said the new Apple Watch would be its first fully carbon-neutral device, and dedicated a solid chunk of its hour-and-a-half presentation to discussing environmental sustainability efforts. The company is aiming to be completely carbon-neutral across its operations and supplier operations by 2030.

    Apple also noted that it will no longer use leather in Watch bands, nor any other product. The company also moved up its goal for ditching all plastic packaging — it now expects to accomplish that by the end of 2024.

    See: Apple to drop plastic packaging by end of next year, no leather cases for iPhone15

    Apple added new pink colors to its iPhone and Watch lineup as well. The company also added two new tiers to its iCloud product, which will offer options for 6 and 12 terabytes of remote storage after previously topping out at 2 terabytes.

    Apple stock declined during and after the event, ending the day’s session with a 1.7% drop at $176.30 that helped push the Dow Jones Industrial Average
    DJIA
    to a slight daily decline. That’s a larger decline than Apple’s average daily performance on iPhone event days historically, but the past has also shown that shares typically rise between the September announcement and the actual launch of the phones.

    Market snapshot: Stocks fall after Apple unveils iPhone 15, with U.S. inflation data looming

    Apple’s stock has increased 35.7% so far this year, easily outpacing the 16.9% increase of the S&P 500 index.
    SPX

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  • New Apple Watch Series 9: cost, new features, and when it comes out

    New Apple Watch Series 9: cost, new features, and when it comes out

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    Apple’s AAPL keynote event on Tuesday debuted several new products including the iPhone 15, and the much-anticipated Apple Watch Series 9.

    Prices for Apple’s refreshed new watch start at $399 — the same price as the previous watch models when they first debuted.

    Among the new features in the Apple Watch Series 9 is a new S9 chip that could…

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  • What to expect from Apple’s iPhone 15 reveal | CNN Business

    What to expect from Apple’s iPhone 15 reveal | CNN Business

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    CNN
     — 

    Apple is expected to debut its iPhone 15 lineup Tuesday at the company’s annual September keynote event, and it could introduce the biggest change to the phone’s design in 11 years.

    The press event, which Apple teased with a “wonderlust” tagline, will take place at the company’s headquarters in Cupertino, California, and will be livestreamed on its website, starting at 10 a.m. local time.

    Although the annual iPhone event has become formulaic over the years, announcing incremental changes to battery life, camera system and displays, this year Apple is expected to introduce USB-C charging to its smartphones for the first time. The change could ultimately streamline the charging process across various devices and brands.

    But the company will have to show off more than just a new charging system to get users to upgrade. Last month, Apple’s sales fell for the third consecutive quarter. iPhone revenue came in at $39.7 billion for the quarter, marking an approximately 2% year-over-year decline.

    Here’s more of what to expect:

    Apple has previously switched its iPads and MacBooks to USB-C charging, but now may be the time for the company to finally make the change on iPhones. The move would come less than a year after the European Union voted to approve legislation to require smartphones, tablets, digital cameras, portable speakers and other small devices to support USB-C charging by 2024. The first-of-its-kind law aims to pare down the number of chargers and cables consumers must contend with when they purchase a new device and to allow users to mix and match devices and chargers even if they were produced by different manufacturers.

    “This is arguably the biggest disruption to iPhone design for several years, but in reality, it is hardly a dramatic move,” said Ben Wood, an analyst at CCS Insight.

    Last year, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing, Greg Joswiak, publicly stressed the value and ubiquity of the Lightning charger, which is designed for faster device charging, but noted “obviously we will have to comply” with the EU mandate. The Lightning charger was introduced in 2012.

    The change to USB-C would also likely usher in a wave of charging accessories, potentially in various colors. It’s possible iPhone users will also pay up for a USB-C wall adapter because it will be a different size connector.

    The entire iPhone 15 lineup is rumored to get the “Dynamic Island” feature — an interactive home for alerts, notifications and various controls — that replaces the notch on top of the screen. The tool launched on the higher-end iPhone 14 Pro models last year.

    Although there are few other rumors circulating about its entry-level iPhone models, the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max models are expected to get a handful of new features, according to a Bloomberg report. This may include a rear-facing periscope lens, which allows for more optical zoom, and a titanium casing to make the device up to 15% lighter and thinner. The Pro models are also expected to get Apple’s latest A17 chip – the first with 3 nanometer technology, which could deliver faster processing and a longer-lasting battery.

    The lineup is also expected to come in various new colors, as hinted at in the Apple logo featured in the event’s invitation, including navy and updated shades of gray, white and silver.

    In June, Apple introduced the Vision Pro, a mixed reality headset that the company says will usher in a new era of “spatial computing.” Yoram Wurmser, an analyst at Insider Intelligence, believes the company will tease “some new features and deeper collaborations” to drum up excitement ahead of its 2024 launch. (It’s also possible Apple could announce a launch date). The headset blends both virtual reality and augmented reality, a technology that overlays virtual images on live video of the real world. The headset is Apple’s biggest, and riskiest, product launch in years.

    New AirPods, Apple Watches and software release dates

    The company typically unveils its latest Apple Watches alongside the iPhone each year, so it’s likely we’ll see the debut of the Apple Watch Series 9 and possibly its next-generation Ultra 2 smartwatch, its more rugged wearable for serious sports enthusiasts. According to Bloomberg, Apple is working on a full revamp of its smartwatch for next year’s Apple Watch Series 10, so this year’s updates will be relatively minor.

    In addition, Apple is expected to show off its next-generation AirPods with a new charging case that will work with USB-C cables. It’s also likely to announce launch dates for its next-generation operating systems for the iPhone, iPads, Mac computers and Apple Watch.

    In May, for example, Apple showed off a slew of new tools coming to iOS 17, such as a more accurate autocorrect, a new feature called Live Voicemail that will transcribe a caller’s message in real time, and a NameDrop tool that lets users share their contact information by holding two iPhones close together. The iPhone’s phone app will also reposition the hang up button to the bottom right of the screen, next to other functions.

    With the new iPhone expected to take center stage, many analysts don’t anticipate Apple will release new iPads or Mac computers until October. And despite rivals Samsung and Google doubling down on foldable devices, Apple is still not expected to unveil a similar version this fall.

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  • 6 takeaways from Apple’s iPhone 15 event | CNN Business

    6 takeaways from Apple’s iPhone 15 event | CNN Business

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    CNN
     — 

    Apple unveiled its iPhone 15 lineup along with other major updates during its September keynote event on Tuesday.

    The company announced it will switch to USB-C charging from its proprietary Lightning charging cable with the iPhone 15, marking a milestone for the company by adopting universal charging. The change aims to ultimately streamline the charging process across various devices — and brands.

    The company also showed off its Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 smartwatches, with new colors and features including gesture control, and a new iteration of its AirPods Pro wireless earbuds, also with USB-C charging.

    The iPhone charger update, along with changes to its design and camera system, comes as Apple looks to give consumers more reasons to upgrade their iPhones. Last month, Apple’s sales fell for the third consecutive quarter. iPhone revenue came in at $39.7 billion for the quarter, marking an approximately 2% year-over-year decline, as people update their devices less often.

    Apple on Tuesday said it will not raise prices for the iPhone 15 lineup, which could further incentivize users to upgrade.

    Here are the main takeaways from Apple’s Tuesday event:

    The latest iPhones are packed with subtle but significant design changes. To start, the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max now feature a titanium casing, allowing the design to be slimmer and thinner than before.

    Other design changes on the premium models include a more-advanced 48 megapixel main camera with a larger sensor and a new telephoto lens for 5x optical zoom camera, exclusively on iPhone 15 Pro Max. The new Pro models’ design also features contoured edges and a customizable Action button, which gives the ring/silence button additional controls, from starting a voice memo to writing a note.

    Meanwhile, the basic iPhone 15 phones now include updated image stabilization for taking photos and videos, 2x optimization and updated portraits with richer color and better low-light performance. They will also come with the “Dynamic Island” tool – home to alerts, notifications and other controls, in place of the notch – which were previously only available on the iPhone 14 Pro.

    The iPhone 15 lineup also includes an Ultra-Wideband chip to power a handful of new features, including one that makes it easier to find friends who share their location in crowded areas.

    The iPhone 15 comes in 5 colors (white, black, pink, green and yellow) and in two sizes: A 6.1-inch screen for the iPhone 15 and 6.7 inches for iPhone 15 Pro.

    The iPhone 15 will start at $799, and iPhone 15 Pro will start at $999. The iPhone 15 models will be available for pre-order on Friday and for sale in stores on Friday, September 22.

    Perhaps the biggest change coming to the iPhone 15 models is that they will now use a USB-C charging cord, ending an 11-year run with Apple’s proprietary Lightning charging cable.

    Now Apple customers can use the same USB-C chargers to power their iPhones, iPads and Mac computers — no more scrambling to find the right charger for each device. Apple said a dedicated USB-C controller will allow for transfer speeds of up to 20 times faster than with USB-2 technology for the iPhone 15 Pro.

    The new iPhone 15 models will now use a USB-C charging cord, ending an 11-year run with Apple's proprietary lightning charging cable.

    The switch would come less than a year after the European Union voted to approve legislation to require smartphones, tablets, digital cameras, portable speakers and other small devices to support USB-C charging by 2024. The first-of-its-kind law aims to pare down the number of chargers and cables consumers must contend with when they purchase a new device, and to allow users to mix and match devices and chargers even if they were produced by different manufacturers.

    Apple will also sell a $29 USB-C Lightning adapter to let people connect their existing Lightning accessories to a USB-C-enabled iPhone or iPad to charge or share data.

    The company told CNN that iPhone users can recycle their old Lightning chargers via its in-store recycling program.

    Apple Watches are displayed during an announcement of new products on the Apple campus Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023, in Cupertino, Calif.

    Apple kicked off Tuesday’s event by announcing the new Apple Watch Series 9, which features Apple’s in-house silicon chip and ultrawideband connectivity. The updated Apple Watch will let users log health data with their voice, use “name drop” to share contact information by touching another Apple Watch and raise their wrist to automatically brighten the display. The Series 9 will come in colors such as pink, navy, red, gold, silver and graphite.

    Apple also showed off the second iteration of its rugged Ultra smartwatch line, featuring the updated S9 custom chip and a new UWB chip. It also features more information on the display for more intensive tracking.

    The Apple Watch Series 9 will start at $399 and the Ultra is priced at $799. Customers can place orders today and they will be available on September 22.

    Apple on Tuesday announced the new Watch Series 9, with new gesture controls and improved connectivity.

    Apple is introducing an innovative and unique way to control its new lineup of smartwatches. The Watch Series 9 and high-end Ultra 2 watch will include a new gesture control called Double Tap, allowing allow users to tap their index finger and thumb together twice, to answer or end phone calls, play and pause music, or snooze alarms. The hand gesture can also scroll through widgets, much like turning the digital crown.

    The company said Double Tap is enabled by an enhanced neural engine that processes data from sensors and machine learning, and by monitoring the change in blood flow when two fingers are tapped together. It is available starting next month.

    A similar hand tap will be used to control the Vision Pro mixed reality headset when it launches next year.

    Apple’s next-generation software for the iPhone will be available to download starting on Monday, September 18. In June, the company showed off a slew of new tools coming to iOS 17, such as a more accurate autocorrect, a new feature called Live Voicemail that will transcribe a caller’s message in real time, and a NameDrop tool that lets users share their contact information by holding two iPhones close together. The iPhone’s phone app will also reposition the hang up button to the bottom right of the screen, next to other functions.

    The update will also bring adaptive audio to the AirPods Pro, which will adjust the noise cancellation and volume based on a user’s surroundings, and introduce conversation mode, which customizes the sound of what you’re listening to and softens when you start speaking to someone nearby.

    The iPhone 15 Pro is displayed after its introduction on the Apple campus, Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023, in Cupertino, Calif.

    Lisa Jackson, Apple’s VP of environment, policy and social initiatives, said that the company’s Watch Series 9 will be Apple’s “first-ever carbon-neutral product,” thanks to efforts to reduce its carbon footprint and to offset emissions with carbon buybacks. She said this has been certified by an independent third-party.

    Doubling down on sustainability initiatives, Jackson also said the tech giant will no longer use leather in any new Apple product, including watch bands.

    Instead of leather, Apple said it will begin using a new textile that it is calling “fine woven.”

    Fine woven will be made of 68% post-consumer recycled content, giving it a significantly lower carbon footprint than leather, Apple said.

    “Beyond expected improved performance and incremental innovation embedded into Apple’s new products, it is great to see Apple communicate on sustainability as a new competitive advantage — especially with Apple’s first carbon neutral products,” Forrester Principal Analyst Thomas Husson said in emailed commentary following the event.

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  • Apple Watch’s new gesture control feature will have everyone tapping the air | CNN Business

    Apple Watch’s new gesture control feature will have everyone tapping the air | CNN Business

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    CNN
     — 

    You’re about to see people in public tapping two fingers together in the air.

    Over the past few days, I’ve been taking phone calls, playing music and scrolling through widgets on the new Apple Watch Series 9 without ever touching the device. I’ve used it to silence my watch’s alarm in the morning, stop timers and open a notification while carrying too many bags.

    It may sound like a gimmick — and it most certainly feels strange to do it in public — but considering the small size of the Apple Watch screen, the tool offers an effective hands-free way to interact with the device.

    Apple’s latest lineup of smartwatches, the Watch Series 9 and high-end Ultra 2, feature a new gesture tool called Double Tap, allowing users to tap their index finger and thumb together twice, to control the device. It can also scroll through widgets, much like turning the digital crown.

    The feature isn’t entirely new; the previous generation of Apple Watch Ultra was capable of similar pinch-and-clench gestures via its Assistive Touch accessibility tool. But Apple’s decision to bring a feature like this to the forefront hints at an increasingly touch-free future. It also comes three months after the company unveiled the Vision Pro mixed reality headset, which will launch next year, with a similar finger tap control.

    Double Tap works in combination with the latest Apple Watch accelerometer, gyroscope and optical heart rate sensor, which looks for disruptions in the blood flow when the fingers are pressed together. That data is processed by a new machine learning algorithm and runs on a faster neural engine, specialized hardware that handles AI and machine learning tasks.

    While the concept is similar, gesture controls are different on the Vision Pro, which will track users’ eyes and hand movements. Apple told CNN it added gesture control to the headset because it needed a different, seamless interface for users to interact with, whereas Double Tap is more about simplifying the Apple Watch experience.

    When the Apple Watch’s display is turned on, the device automatically knows to respond when it senses the fingers are touched together. It essentially works as a “yes” or “accept” button; that means if a call comes through, you can Double Tap to accept it (covering the watch with your full hand, however, will silence it quickly). If a song is playing, you can pause it by double tapping, and then again to start it.

    Although you can subtly flick on the display and do the gesture close to your body, trying to conceal the movement when around other people, I found it works much better when it’s raised a bit higher. This, however, makes the action more obvious — and it’s something that will take a little getting used to seeing in person.

    “This is also about social acceptance. At the moment, I find the idea of people making this gesture more often than not in public a bit funny. But time will tell if users find it acceptable,” said Annette Zimmerman, an analyst at Gartner Research. “I think Apple is very use-case driven and focuses on user feedback on things they could improve.”

    Similarly, it took a while for people to get used to the design of Apple’s AirPods when they were announced in 2016; many criticized how they looked dangling out of users’ ears. Now they’ve become part of modern culture.

    Other learning curves exist with the Double Tap feature. Because I am right handed and wear an Apple Watch on my left hand, tapping my left fingers together to trigger the control takes an extra second or two of mental coordination.

    The future of hands-free devices

    The new Apple Watch Series 9 can be controlled by tapping two fingers together.

    Apple isn’t the only tech company developing gesture controls like this. Samsung TVs, some smartphones and Microsoft’s mixed reality headset all incorporate some hand gesture functionality. But this is Apple’s biggest push to date, and adding it to a flagship device like the Apple Watch will soon put all eyes on the concept of hand gestures.

    “It’s a great move by Apple as it differentiates the company from other brands when it comes to innovation and ease of usability. It also shows Apple’s commitment in the fields of artificial intelligence,” said Sachin Mehta, senior analyst at tech intelligence firm ABI Research. “The new double tap gesture is not a surprise as Apple keeps on developing a unified and intuitive user experience across its product line up. It will cement the Apple Watch as the smartwatch to have.”

    It works differently on the Vision Pro, which will track a user’s eyes and hand movements to make punching and swiping controls. The headset needed a different user interface for users to interact with it, and gestures give that control even when a face is covered by the hardware.

    Further showing how Apple is thinking about gesture control long term, it recently filed for patents focused on gesture controls, including for the Apple TV. That said, Mehta believes there’s no question “we expect more gesture features in Apple’s product lineup in the future.”

    In addition to Double Tap, the Apple Watch Series 9 features Apple’s powerful new in-house silicon chip and ultrawideband connectivity. It will let users log health data with their voice, use “name drop” to share contact information by touching another Apple Watch and raise their wrist to automatically brighten the display. The Series 9 will come in colors such as pink, navy, red, gold, silver and graphite.

    Apple also showed off the second iteration of its rugged Ultra smartwatch line, featuring the updated S9 custom chip and a new ultrawideband chip which uses radio waves to communicate. It also features more information on the display for more intensive tracking.

    The Apple Watch Series 9 will start at $399 and the Ultra is priced at $799. Although they start shipping on Friday, September 22, the Double Tap feature will launch via a software update next month.

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  • Apple CEO Tim Cook explains why consumers would want a mixed-reality headset

    Apple CEO Tim Cook explains why consumers would want a mixed-reality headset

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    Apple Inc. Chief Executive Tim Cook, GQ’s latest cover boy, has a sales pitch for a mixed-reality headset.

    “The idea that you could overlay the physical world with things from the digital world could greatly enhance people’s communication, people’s connection,” Cook told GQ, without confirming the rumored June 5 announcement of Apple’s
    AAPL,
    +0.77%
    Reality Pro headset.

    Apple’s plunge into the so-called metaverse would offer a jolt to a flagging industry as well as serious competition to Facebook parent Meta Platforms Inc.
    META,
    +0.53%    ,
    Alphabet Inc.’s
    GOOGL,
    +0.61%

    GOOG,
    +0.88%
    Google, Microsoft Corp.
    MSFT,
    -0.37%    ,
    Snap Inc.
    SNAP,
    +0.27%
    and others.

    “ ‘It’s the idea that there is this environment that may be even better than just the real world — to overlay the virtual world on top of it might be an even better world.’ ”


    — Tim Cook

    Creative users, the lifeblood of Apple’s business model, stand to gain the most from virtual-reality products, according to Cook.

    “It’s the idea that there is this environment that may be even better than just the real world — to overlay the virtual world on top of it might be an even better world,” Cook told GQ. “If it could accelerate creativity, if it could just help you do things that you do all day long and you didn’t really think about doing them in a different way.”

    Cook also looked inward during the far-ranging interview, explaining his persona and the challenges in succeeding the legendary Steve Jobs as Apple CEO. Jobs died in 2011.

    “I always hate the word normal in a lot of ways, because what some people use to describe normal equals straight,” Cook said. “Some people would use that word in that kind of way. I don’t know — I’ve been described as a lot of things, but probably normal is not among those.”

    Added Cook: “I knew I couldn’t be Steve. I don’t think anybody could be Steve. I think he was a once-in-a-hundred-years kind of individual, an original by any stretch of the imagination. And so what I had to do was to be the best version of myself.”

    From the archives (October 2011): Steve Jobs: MarketWatch’s CEO of the Decade

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  • Disney eliminates metaverse division in cost-cutting purge: report

    Disney eliminates metaverse division in cost-cutting purge: report

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    The metaverse is among the first victims of Walt Disney Co.’s cost-cutting purge.

    The Magic Kingdom is shutting down its next-generation storytelling and consumer-experiences unit, the small division that was developing metaverse strategies, as part of a plan to slash 7,000 jobs, according to a Wall Street Journal report on Tuesday.

    Disney…

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  • Google Glass is being discontinued, again | CNN Business

    Google Glass is being discontinued, again | CNN Business

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    New York
    CNN
     — 

    Google will no longer sell the latest Enterprise Edition of Google Glass, the company announced this week, effectively killing off an innovative but failed wearable product line from another era that many consumers may have assumed was long gone.

    First unveiled in 2013, Google Glass was initially marketed for a general audience, with the promise of giving people access to a computer on their face rather than having to pull out a phone. But the smartglasses were discontinued in 2015 after beta versions failed to gain traction due to its high price tag, clunky design and concerns about privacy.

    Google then shifted the focus from consumers to enterprise. The first Enterprise edition of Glass, announced in 2017, was pushed for use in industries such as manufacturing and logistics. The Enterprise Edition 2, released in 2019, was Google’s last attempt at saving the Glass product. But the $999 product failed to catch on.

    “Thank you for over a decade of innovation and partnership,” Google wrote on its FAQ page announcing the decision. The company will continue to support the phased out Enterprise Edition until September.

    Google did not respond to CNN’s request for comment.

    Google’s decision to discontinue the product comes amid cost cuts across the company. Like many of its peers, Google has recently announced plans to lay off thousands in response to recession fears and shifting pandemic demand for digital products.

    Still, the dream of Google Glass lives on. Snapchat’s parent company sells Spectacles, another set of smartglasses that has struggled over the years to gain traction. Apple is reportedly working on augmented reality glasses. And even after the setback of Glass, Google said last year it was continuing to test other AR glasses.

    “Augmented reality (AR) is opening up new ways to interact with the world around us,” the company said in a blog post last summer. “It can help us quickly and easily access the information we need — like understanding another language or knowing how best to get from point A to point B.”

    A decade after Google launched Glass with a similarly ambitious objective, the future is still coming into focus.

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  • Forget smartwatches, consumers are snapping up these quirky alternatives | CNN Business

    Forget smartwatches, consumers are snapping up these quirky alternatives | CNN Business

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    CNN
     — 

    In 2015, the same year Apple introduced its smartwatch, a Kickstarter campaign launched for a very different kind of wearable device: a wellness-tracking ring called the Oura.

    Seven years later, the Apple Watch is the most popular wearable device while other similar products from Google and Samsung also dominate the wearables market. But something notable is underway: products like Oura, which look and sometimes function markedly different from more mainstream wearables, are gaining renewed traction.

    The Oura ring ($399) experienced a spike in sales during the pandemic, and has seen continued momentum this holiday season, CEO Tom Hale told CNN Business. It provides sleep tracking data without needing to wear a smartwatch to bed and can detect subtle changes in body temperature. It also has no screen. Earlier this year, the company announced it had received a $2.55 billion valuation and has since rolled out partnerships with Gucci, Strava and other brands.

    The ring is among a small but increasingly buzzy group of alternative wearable devices that people are gravitating toward right now, including a fitness band tracker with no screen and headphones that don’t need to be put in the ear. Some of the demand stems from shifts during the pandemic, as consumer interest in health monitoring surged. People turned to activity trackers, smartwatches and other devices to keep tabs on their steps, vital statistics and more. Many were also willing to experiment with different form factors, as long as they provided accurate data and were still comfortable – a trend that continues today.

    “The funny thing is that most of these devices have been around for a while but have slowly built a name for themselves in recent quarters,” said Ramon Llamas, a research director at IDC Research. “But it takes time for word of mouth to spread.”

    The devices may also tap into a desire to get the benefits of wearable trackers without necessarily having a screen or device on their body at all times.

    Take the WHOOP band, a health tracker without a screen that first came out in 2015. It has a very specific focus on workout recovery, resting time, training and coaching. Founder and CEO Will Ahmed told CNN Business this year’s Cyber Monday was its largest sales day ever.

    “It wasn’t that long ago that people only wore a health monitor if something was wrong. Now, we’re seeing people take a much more proactive approach to their health,” he said. “This trend has continued even as the pandemic subsides.”

    Like Oura, the WHOOP is a subscription-based device and targeting a more niche audience. It’s pricy, too: $480, including a two-year subscription plan.

    The WHOOP band

    “The challenge is that most of these devices are vying for single-digit market share behind the market leaders, [such as Apple and Samsung],” Llamas said. “That’s why it is key to have a well-differentiated segment that you can serve almost exclusively. Companies like WHOOP have been successful because they focus on athlete rest and recovery so well, and those are key factors for many athletes today.”

    Ahmed said the product is evolving to support this growing interest in health by adding new features related to pregnancy, stress and deeper biometric monitoring. In August, WHOOP announced it raised $200 million in a funding round led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2, giving the company a valuation of $3.6 billion.

    Health tracking devices continue to take on new shapes and sizes, too, including some that don’t require being worn at all. In September, Amazon showed off a non-wearable sleep tracking monitor, Halo Rise, which sits on a nightstand and tracks breathing patterns while the user is asleep. Meanwhile, some companies like Withings let users slip sensors under the mattress to collect sleep data.

    There’s also a shift in demand for what is arguably one of the original wearables: headphones.

    Bone conduction headphones, which like the Oura have been around for years, are also “having a moment,” according to Steve Konig, head of the research department at the Consumer Electronics Association. Rather than sitting inside or on top of the ear canal, bone conduction headphones rest in front of the ear, leaving it uncovered. They transmit audio along the user’s bones and jaw to the ears instead of directly into the ear canal. The headphones also feature a soft band that runs behind the upper portion of the neck to secure it in place and minimize sound distortions.

    Bone conduction headphones by Shokz.

    At the same time, the exposed ear allows users to pick up on sounds and the environment around them, crucial for safety when doing activities such as riding a bike or jogging. Unlike earbuds, there’s also less concern about it popping out of your ears.

    Shokz ($125) pioneered bone conduction headphones, but the market has since expanded with other brands offering similar designs. Open earbuds – such as ones designed by Sony and Bose – feature a similar design that leaves the ear canals completely open so that the user can hear the outer noise. But some audiophiles say the sound quality on bone conduction headphones and open earbuds is less than stellar.

    “In the past 10 years, audio innovation in general has soared because of the introduction of new features, such as noise cancellation technology, built-in wireless capabilities and more,” Konig said. “Now, people own multiple pairs of personal listening products for different locations and use cases; some leave them at the office, others prefer bigger, beefier ones on airplanes. They also make a great holiday gift because, in the grand scheme of gift giving, they’re fairly reasonable to buy.”

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  • Google unveils new Pixel 7 smartphones and first-ever Pixel smartwatch | CNN Business

    Google unveils new Pixel 7 smartphones and first-ever Pixel smartwatch | CNN Business

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    CNN
     — 

    Google on Thursday unveiled its new Pixel 7 smartphone lineup and its first-ever Pixel smartwatch, packed with tracking and health features from its subsidiary Fitbit.

    At a press event in New York City, Google showed off the new Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro devices, which largely look the same as the year prior but with new camera features, an improved screen and battery, and an updated Google Tensor processor.

    While many of the updates are iterative, the lineup will likely appeal to tech enthusiasts who want the latest version of Android and an alternative to Apple or Samsung smartphones, as well as those who haven’t upgraded their Pixel device in a few years.

    The 6.3-inch Pixel 7 features a glass back, aluminum frame and a sleek band on the back with black cutouts for the camera system. Its always-on OLED display allows for quick checking of widgets that highlight useful information, such as baggage claim details at the airport or when packages are arriving (not unlike what’s been recently made available on the new iPhone 14 line with the lockscreen).

    Google

    (GOOG)     said the Pixel 7’s screen is now 25% brighter for visibility indoors, and the device can go a full day on a single charge (or 72 hours when on extreme battery saver mode). It comes in three colors – obsidian, snow and lemongrass – and starts at $599, or $200 less than a baseline iPhone 14 with the same amount of storage.

    “We want people to give Pixel a try, so while phones in this tier typically start at $799, we’re starting the price at $599,” Brian Rakowski, Google vice president of product management, said on stage during the event.

    The larger 6.7-inch Pixel Pro – which comes in a matte aluminum finish – features an always-on display, the same long-lasting battery as the Pixel 7 and a new triple rear camera system, which includes a 5x telephoto lens, 30x super resolution zoom and an upgraded ultrawide lens. The ultrawide lens comes with autofocus capabilities to support new features including Macro Focus that picks up on fine details.

    Both models run on Google’s new Tensor G2 processor, which powers the device’s machine learning and speech recognition capabilities, and several camera features. With Night Sight, for example, the camera now processes photos twice as fast. The tech also drives Cinematic Blur, a new dramatic blurring effect for videos.

    A new accessibility feature called Guided Frame helps visually impaired users take better selfies by vocally instructing them to move the device in specific directions. Google also announced updates to making calls, including cutting down on background noise and the ability to transcribe audio messages into text messages.

    The Pro model, which comes in obsidian, snow and hazel, starts at $899. Pre-orders start on Thursday for both models and the devices hit shelves on Thursday, October 13.

    Google’s Pixel line remains a niche product. Its global market share for smartphones has never surpassed 1% on an annual basis, according to data from IDC Research. Google also limits sales to only a handful of countries, so keeping the volume low has been strategic as Google remains predominantly a software company with many partners running Android. (Google said the Pixel 7 line, however, will launch in sevral new countries, including India, Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands.)

    Google won’t likely take much market share away from Apple with these Pixel updates, as iPhone owners are known to be brand-loyal. Other Android smartphone makers, however, such as Samsung or smaller Chinese manufacturers may feel the pressure from consumer interest in Google hardware, according to Ben Wood, an analyst with CC Insight. “But given the incremental updates, it’s possible there will be less excitement than there has been in the past,” he said.

    At the event, Google also teased another early look at its upcoming Pixel tablet, which will feature the Tensor G2 processor, and is expected to launch in 2023.

    But one area where Google could make a greater impact this year is with the introduction of the Pixel watch. It is Google’s first wearable that plays up Fitbit’s strengths in health, fitness and wellness since closing its $2.1 billion acquisition of the smartwatch company early last year. Until now, Google had been quiet about how the Fitbit brand would integrate with its Wear OS software.

    The Google Pixel Watch

    The new 41 mm Google Pixel Watch features a circular, domed-shaped Gorilla Glass display that’s scratch- and water-resistant. It promises up to 24 hours of battery life and is compatible with Android 8 and newer devices. Built with Fitbit’s tracking capabilities, the Pixel Watch can monitor a user’s heart rate and sleep quality, offers 40 workout modes, and learns user behavior over time.

    The device also assists with emergency SOS and supports a handful of Google services, including Google Wallet, Gmail and calendar updates, as well as sending messages and talking over 4G. The Pixel Watch comes in black, gold and silver finishes. It will cost $349 for Bluetooth and $399 for 4G LTE.

    “Pixel Watch poses zero threat to the Apple Watch, but it has an important role to play in raising the awareness of smartwatches for Android smartphone owners,” Wood said. “Given the success of the Apple Watch, there has to be a bigger market for smartwatches in the Android segment and together with Samsung’s Galaxy Watch, the new Pixel Watch should be a key driver for growth.”

    It may take the Pixel Watch a few generations to catch up to the Apple Watch in terms of usability, however, as Apple’s smartwatch is now in its ninth iteration. But coupled with the Fitbit acquisition and the formation of Wear OS in collaboration with Samsung, Google is showing its greater commitment to the smartwatch market and perhaps hoping the time may finally be right for it.

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  • Amazon is always watching | CNN Business

    Amazon is always watching | CNN Business

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    CNN Business
     — 

    A TV that knows when you’re in and out of the room. A gadget that monitors your breathing pattern while you sleep. An enhanced voice assistant tool that highlights just how much it knows about your everyday life.

    At an invite-only press event last week, Amazon unveiled a long list of product updates ahead of the holiday shopping season that appear designed to further insert its gadgets and services into every corner of our homes with the apparent goal of making everything a little easier. But the event was also another reminder of just how much Amazon’s many products are watching us.

    During prior events, Amazon

    (AMZN)     raised eyebrows with blatant examples of surveillance products, including drones and Astro, the dog-like robot that patrols the home. But this year, Amazon

    (AMZN)    ’s advancements in everyday tracking were a bit more subtle.

    The new Halo Rise sleep tracking device, for example, sits on the nightstand and monitors a person’s breathing and micro-movements as they sleep without the need to wear a sleep tracker. The device is said to work even if the person is turned in the other direction, or covered up by pillows and blankets.

    On the new Echo Show 15 smart display, Amazon’s voice assistant Alexa can now rattle off a morning routine for each person in the home, provide calendar updates and highlight traffic reports for the commute to the office. There’s also an option to ask Alexa to turn off the lights up to 24 hours in the future if they won’t be home.

    Amazon continues to expand Astro’s features, too. It can now detect the faces of pets in the home and stream footage to owners when they’re out of the house. The robot can also make sure windows and doors are closed and it can perform deeper monitoring when the owner is away as part of a virtual surveillance subscription.

    Amazon is far from the only tech company offering products that monitor users or collect data with the promise of improved conveniences, productivity and safety. But Amazon, perhaps more than any of its peers, has created a sprawling suite of products and services that arguably track more of our daily lives in and around our homes.

    In the months leading up to the product event, Amazon made two big announcements that could expand its reach into our lives even more. Amazon agreed last month to acquire iRobot, the company behind the popular automated Roomba vacuums, some of which create maps of the inside of our homes. It also announced plans to broaden its reach in the health care market by buying One Medical, a membership-based primary care service.

    In the process, Amazon is possibly testing customers’ comfort levels with how much any single company should know about our lives, and perhaps shifting our tolerance, too.

    Jonathan Collins, an analyst at ABI Research, said the scope and breadth of the company’s consumer offerings may be a concern for some, but many may simply accept the tradeoff for conveniences.

    “By and large, negative consumer attitudes to data collection across smart home and other areas have largely been ameliorated by the services received in return,” he said. “Even if not explicit, there is a tradeoff between lower priced or free services and the data sharing and collection that supports their availability.”

    Stephen Beck, founder and managing partner of consultancy cg42, said the views of customers “will likely remain unchanged after Amazon’s event because items like a TV, smart speaker, or sleep tracker feel familiar and do not pose obvious, new threats to privacy.”

    Amazon has a history of being caught collecting user data without consumers knowing. In 2019, reports surfaced that Amazon was recording snippets of conversations from Alexa users that were sometimes reviewed by humans. In the wake of backlash, Amazon changed its settings so people could opt out of this.

    For its latest products, the company states on its website how Astro is designed to detect only the chosen wake word, and no audio is stored or sent to the cloud unless the device detects that word. It also emphasizes the sensor data that Astro uses to navigate the home is processed on the device itself and not sent to the cloud, and the robot only streams video or images to the cloud when a feature like Live View in the Astro app is in use.

    The Halo Rise sleep tracking device, meanwhile, encrypts the collected data and stores it in the cloud, according to the company. Users can later download or delete it.

    But Amazon’s continued rollout of products that can monitor customers to varying degrees comes at a time many Americans have more reason to be mindful of data collection given the shifting legal landscape around abortion. Digital rights experts have warned that people’s search histories, location data, messages and other digital information could be used by law enforcement agencies investigating or prosecuting abortion-related cases.

    “The danger of this tracking has never been so clear,” said Albert Fox Cahn, founder and executive director of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project and a fellow at the NYU School of Law. “Far too few customers think about how the information they give to companies can be misused by governments, hackers, and more.”

    While some of the newly announced features, such as Astro’s increased monitoring of doors and windows, may be aimed at helping people feel more secure in their homes, Cahn worries these seemingly small updates also push people even deeper into Amazon’s ecosystem.

    “Thankfully,” Cahn said, “even if you can teach an old robotic dog new tricks, you can’t change one fact: It’s still creepy.”

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  • This could be Apple’s biggest product launch since the Apple Watch | CNN Business

    This could be Apple’s biggest product launch since the Apple Watch | CNN Business

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    CNN
     — 

    Apple may be just one day away from unveiling its most ambitious new hardware product in years.

    At its Worldwide Developers Conference, which kicks off Monday at its Cupertino, California, campus, Apple

    (AAPL)     is widely expected to introduce a “mixed reality” headset that offers both virtual reality and augmented reality, a technology that overlays virtual images on live video of the real world.

    The highly anticipated release of an AR/VR headset would be Apple’s biggest hardware product launch since the debut of the Apple Watch in 2015. It could signal a new era for the company and potentially revolutionize how millions interact with computers and the world around them.

    But the headset is just one of many announcements expected at the developers event. Apple will also show off a long list of software updates that will shape how people use its most popular devices, including the iPhone and Apple Watch.

    Apple may also tease how it plans to incorporate AI into more of its products and services, and keep pace with a renewed arms race over the technology in Silicon Valley.

    The event will be livestreamed on Apple’s website and YouTube. It is set to start at 10:00 a.m. PT/1:00 p.m. ET.

    Here’s a closer look at what to expect:

    For years, Apple CEO Tim Cook has expressed interest in augmented reality. Now Apple finally appears ready to show off what it’s been working on.

    According to Bloomberg, the new headset, which could be called Reality One or Reality Pro, will have an iOS-like interface, display immersive video and include cameras and sensors to allow users to control it via their hands, eye movements and with Siri. The device is also rumored to have an outward-facing display that will show eye movements and facial expressions, allowing onlookers to interact with the person wearing the headset without feeling as though they’re talking to a robot.

    Apple’s new headset is expected to pack apps for gaming, fitness and meditation, and offer access to iOS apps such as Messages, FaceTime and Safari, according to Bloomberg. With the FaceTime option, for example, the headset will “render a user’s face and full body in virtual reality,” to create the feeling that both are “in the same room.”

    The decision to unveil it at WWDC suggests Apple wants to encourage developers to build apps and experiences for the product in order to make it more compelling for customers and worth the hefty price tag.

    The company is reportedly considering a $3,000 price tag for the device, far more than most of its products and testing potential buyers at a time of lingering uncertainty in the global economy. Other tech companies have struggled to find mainstream traction for headsets. And in the years that Apple has been rumored to be working on the product, the tech community has shifted its focus from VR to another buzzy technology: artificial intelligence.

    But if any company can prove skeptics wrong, it’s Apple. The company’s entry into the market combined with its vast customer base has the potential to breathe new life into the world of headsets.

    A mixed reality headset may not be the only piece of hardware to get stage time this year.

    Apple is expected to launch a new 15-inch MacBook Air packing the company’s M2 processor. The current size of the MacBook Air is 13 inches.

    Previously, users who wanted a larger-sized Apple laptop would need to buy a higher-end MacBook Pro.

    Considering WWDC is traditionally a software event, Apple executives will likely spend much of the time highlighting the changes and upgrades coming to its next-generation mobile operating systems, iOS 17 and iPadOS 17.

    While last year’s updates included a major design overhaul of the lock screen and iMessage, only minor changes are expected this year.

    With iOS 17, Apple is expected to double down on its efforts around health tracking by adding the ability to monitor everything from a user’s mood to keeping tabs on how their vision may change over time. According to the Wall Street Journal, Apple will also launch a journaling app not only as a way for users to log their thoughts but also activity levels, which can then be analyzed to reveal how much time someone spends at home or out of the house.

    The new iOS 17 is also said to get a lock screen refresh: When positioned in horizontal mode, the display will highlight widgets tied to the calendar, weather and other apps, serving as a digital hub. (iPadOS 17 is also expected to get some of the same lock screen capabilities and health features.)

    Other anticipated upgrades include an Apple Watch OS update that would focus on quick glances at widgets, and more details about its next-generation CarPlay platform, which it initially teased last year.

    While much of the focus of the event may be on VR, Apple may also attempt to show how it’s keeping pace with Silicon Valley’s current obsession: artificial intelligence.

    Apple reportedly plans to preview an AI-powered digital coaching service, which will encourage people to exercise and improve their sleeping and eating habits. It’s unclear how it could work, but the effort comes at a time when Big Tech companies are racing to introduce AI-powered technologies in the wake of ChatGPT’s viral success.

    Apple may also demo and expand on some of its recently teased accessibility tools for the iPhone and iPad, including a feature that promises to replicate a user’s voice for phone calls after only 15 minutes of training.

    Most of the other Big Tech companies have recently outlined their AI strategies. This event may be Apple’s chance to do the same.

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  • Myant’s Connected Clothing Brand Skiin Announces Open Beta Launch for Garments Enabling Connected Care

    Myant’s Connected Clothing Brand Skiin Announces Open Beta Launch for Garments Enabling Connected Care

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    Skiin’s connected garments help people care for loved ones, wherever they are and whenever they need peace of mind. By knitting the ability to measure one’s well-being into everyday clothes, Skiin has created a way for people to live independently yet still feel connected to those who are invested in their health. Created by Myant, industry pioneer in textile computing, Skiin is now publicly available for the first time ever.

    Press Release
    –


    updated: Mar 18, 2021


    TORONTO, March 18, 2021 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Myant Inc. (www.myant.ca), industry leaders in textile computing and ISO 13485 certified medical device manufacturer, and Skiin (www.skiin.com), Myant’s connected clothing brand, have announced the open beta launch for their collection of smart garments that enable families to care for their loved ones from afar. The Baseline Collection of biometric sensing clothes provides a caregiver with a more continuous and holistic view of their loved one’s well-being and physical status, allowing families to have richer and more informed conversations about health through the built-in communication features in the Skiin Connected Life app. The Open Beta launch is the first time the general public has been invited to purchase and experience the product, now available at an introductory price of $99 USD / $129 CAD for the starter kit.

    Read the full announcement: https://skiin.com/blogs/education/close-to-what-matters-most-launch-of-phase-2-of-the-skiin-early-access-program-open-beta

    The Baseline Collection by Skiin: Clothes That Connect to Care

    Skiin was created to address the challenge of finding a better way to connect aging parents to their families who want to care for them. Though many wearable devices are able to track biometrics, adoption of these technologies can be a challenge for elderly users. Moreover, these solutions often require elderly users to actively interact with their devices and manually log readings. By knitting the ability to sense into everyday clothing, Skiin continually tracks a loved one’s well-being and physical status without requiring them to constantly interact with technology. This gives caregivers and their loved ones peace of mind wherever they are and whenever they want. 

    The Baseline Collection consists of a line of garments knitted using premium materials such as bamboo as well as unique conductive yarns that make the garment feel like any other piece of everyday clothing. The collection at launch will include men’s and women’s underwear in various styles, while other garments like bras and tank tops will be introduced in the coming months. Planned updates in the coming months to the app will include access to ECG tracking, pending Health Canada and FDA approval (feature not currently available), notifications to caregivers about slip and fall incidents, machine learning to provide more meaningful insights and behavioral changes suggestions, that can help improve one’s health & well-being.

    Special Introductory Open Beta Pricing for Skiin

    The starter kit is specially priced for the Beta Launch at $99 USD / $129 CAD (official price: $299 USD / $369 CAD) and will include four pairs of underwear in the style of choice, one Skiin pod, Skiin Connected Life app, charging accessories and a garment wash bag. Please note that the launch price is for a limited number of kits.

    Visit www.skiin.com to discover a better way to connect to care.

    For media inquiries:

    Hannah Fung
    Director of Marketing @ Myant
    hannah.fung@myant.ca

    For business inquiries:

    Ilaria Varoli
    Executive Vice President @ Myant
    ilaria.varoli@myant.ca

    Source: Myant Inc

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