Monthly Archives: May 2015

ASUS Vivo Watch

ASUS VivoWatch sports 10-day battery life

Wearables, , , ,

The device you’re about to see does not run Android Wear. Instead, ASUS has opted to run their own Android-based operating system aboard this new ASUS VivoWatch under a black-and-white panel. There’s also a lovely green-colored bar which we’ll find the meaning to in the near future – this is the pre-announcement that ASUS has released this morning, after all, while they’ll be holding a full event tomorrow. This event takes place during Milan Design Week.
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https://www.slashgear.com/asus-vivowatch-sports-10-day-battery-life-13378676/

Apple Watch: by the (unofficial) numbers

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Apple isn’t talking about Apple Watch figures. They’ll probably hit us with official numbers at WWDC this year, so expect a massive screen boasting how many Apple Watches were ordered or sold at that point. Analytics firm Slice Intelligence has the numbers we want, though — unofficially, of course. They estimate that on day one of Apple Watch pre-orders, just shy of one million of us — 957,000 to be precise — ordered an Apple Watch. Analyzing eReceipt data, Slice says the average sale price was $503.83.


That’s $482,165,310. In one day. Of preorders. For a device people won’t get until later this month.
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https://www.slashgear.com/apple-watch-by-the-unofficial-numbers-13378671/

xperia-z4

Sony Xperia Z4 unveiled without fuss or fanfare

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Sony is being strange lately, at least when it comes to its mobile devices. We already know that the Xperia Z4 would be coming soon, considering it was a no show at MWC last February even while the Xperia Z4 Tablet debuted with the name. The OEM seems to also flip flop on its position about releasing a flasghip once or twice a year. And now it just revealed the Xperia Z4 and, unlike its rivals in the market, it didn’t even hold a special event to do so, which is a weird treatment of a flagship.

Seeing the Xperia Z4 might trigger a sense of deja vu. Yes, it looks exactly like the Xperia Z3, give or take a few tweaks in the external design. To say that Sony’s flagships haven’t undergone a significant evolution over the past 2 or 3 years would be an understatement. Even HTC changed clothes in more visible and easily identifiable ways. Then again, maybe Sony is aiming for brand and design familiarity more than any novelty that could have brought in fresh new blood. It is slimmer, at 6.9 mm, and lighter, at 144 g, than its predecessor, but these are subtle differences that are unlikely to win new hearts, or win back old ones.
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https://www.slashgear.com/sony-xperia-z4-unveiled-without-fuss-or-fanfare-20379792/

LG G Stylo Supports 2TB Storage Expansion

LG takes another stab at a penabled phablet with the G Stylo

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With the probable renaissance of the digital pen, in part thanks to rumors of a certain iPad Pro, it seems that LG is willing to give another whack at a stylus-enabled smartphone. After the somewhat lackluster LG G3 Stylus, the Korean OEM is now coming up with a still disappointing LG G Stylo. While that might sound a bit too harsh for a new smartphone, especially considering it does improve on the G3 Stylus just a bit, it does fall short in others and is in no way fit to take on Samsung’s Galaxy Note line.

Let’s see what has changed, hardware-wise. The screen has definitely been improved, from qHD then to 720p HD now. Sadly that also resulted in an increase in display size, from 5.5 inches to 5.7. The new processor might seem like a downgrade if you only look at the numbers, but the key improvement here is that the Snapdragon 410 is a 64-bit processor. RAM, however, has been bumped up only by half, now at 1.5 GB. The new cameras are a strange mix. The rear shooter has been downgraded to 8 megapixels while the front one was upgraded to 5 megapixels. LG was, perhaps, more interested in pandering to selfies.
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https://www.slashgear.com/lg-takes-another-stab-at-a-penabled-phablet-with-the-g-stylo-22380200/

Zero G 1

Zero G smartphone case enables hands free selfies

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There are hoards of people out there who take selfies all the time. The catch is that if you want to take selfies with a group, sometimes it can be hard to get everyone in the shot without resorting to something annoying like a selfie-stick. A new case called Zero G has debuted that promise to stick to surfaces without being sticky and eliminates the need for a selfie stick.

That means you can stick your smartphone in the case to the wall and take hands free selfies all you want. The case is on Kickstarter and will be offered for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus as well as the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge.
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https://www.slashgear.com/zero-g-smartphone-case-enables-hands-free-selfies-21380027/

LG Windows Phone

Verizon’s new LG Windows Phone leaked

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When you hear of Windows Phone, you usually immediately think of formerly Nokia now Microsoft Lumia devices. That said, there are some hidden treasures in this corner of Microsoft’s world, like theHTC One M8 with Windows launched last year. There are also quite a number of device makers that have one or two Windows Phones in their roster, and it seems that LG will be adding to that growing list. A new Windows Phone from the Korean OEM has been spotted and it will be heading to Verizon at a yet unknown time.

Not much is known about this LG device aside from this solitary leaked render that bears both LG’s and Verizon’s logos. At first glance, it would be easy to mistake this for a Nexus 5, which was also made by LG, though the placement of components are quite different. It doesn’t have any buttons, physical or capacitive, like the Nexus 5, and instead relies on virtual software buttons.
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https://www.slashgear.com/verizons-new-lg-windows-phone-leaked-16379333/

g4-vs-s6-main

LG G4 reportedly priced slightly higher than Galaxy S6

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Leading into the April 28 launch of their latest flagship, the G4, LG has been busy teasing us with all the cool features it has, as well as a glimpse of what the new-look UX 4.0 is all about. We also know it’ll have a (potentially) nice camera, which they promise we can get DSLR-esque pics from. We’re still in the dark on one major aspect of the G4, though: the price. While we won’t know until we know, a new rumor suggests you’ll pay a bit of a premium.


The LG G4 went up for pre-order yesterday in South Korea, with a listed price of $825 via SK Telecom and LG U-Plus. That’s a bit higher than the 32GB Galaxy S6, which retails for $795.
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https://www.slashgear.com/lg-g4-reportedly-priced-slightly-higher-than-galaxy-s6-23380366/

LG G4 ready to take on Samsung with leather, batteries, curves

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Next week, LG will finally be unveiling its star contender for this year and it undoubtedly believes it has a winning formula. Truly, the LG G4 would have the best of the best components around, but, as Apple and now Samsung have proven, design can go a long way when it comes to drumming up hype, interests, and hopefully sales. In that regard, the G4 does have a few tricks up its sleeves leaning towards “design”, with some of them seemingly taking a jab at its biggest rival, Samsung.

Just when Samsung has finally moved away from plastic and faux leather and into metal, LG has taken a different yet equally radical route. It has actually gone full, genuine leather. Whether that will do wonders for the phone’s cleanliness after months of use still needs to be seen, but leather has always been a hallmark of luxury and prestige, a material so far only found in expensive luxury smartphones. LG G4 buyers won’t have to pay more just get that, and in several colors in fact. Whether the rest of the phone’s body remain plastic or also switch to metal remains to be seen. This new teaser shows just how serious LG is about its “genuine leather” spiel.
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https://www.slashgear.com/lg-g4-ready-to-take-on-samsung-with-leather-batteries-curves-23380348/

Rooting the Galaxy S6 unsurprisingly disables Samsung Pay

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Rooting in the Android world is common place, even among less seasoned users. The reasons for this usually unauthorized process are myriad, but it all boils down to getting more control and sometimes removing the cruft left by OEMs and carriers. Normally, there are very little adverse side effects to rooting an Android device, but there are a few gotchas as well, especially when it comes to Samsung’s devices. The latest word is that rooting your fresh new Galaxy S6 or Galaxy S6 edge will lead you to lose out onSamsung Pay.

To some extent, that isn’t exactly surprising. Samsung Pay most likely relies on KNOX, Samsung’s security framework, and KNOX is notorious for not playing well with rooted devices. Technically, rooting on Android is indeed a form of security exploit, so naturally Samsung KNOX would see this as a violation of trust. And considering a mobile payment system is dependent on that trust, it’s only reasonable to expect it not to work when a phone’s security has been seemingly compromised.
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https://www.slashgear.com/rooting-the-galaxy-s6-unsurprisingly-disables-samsung-pay-22380188/

Xiaomi’s new phone is great – you still can’t have it

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Just like every other Xiaomi product released thus far, the Mi 4i will not be coming to the United States. Instead, this device has been revealed in India, and will bring the same “sell high quality smart devices cheap” tactic Xiaomi is employing in China. They’ll sell a lot of phones. They won’t be selling any phones to you. Working with presentation aesthetics we’ve only otherwise seen used to such effect by Apple, this new Mi phone will have to remain a dream to you reading this article from the USA.
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Read full post here: slashgear.com

Xperia P2 leak resembles a slightly different Xperia Z4

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It’s been quite a while, three years in fact, since we’ve last seen a P series smartphone. In fact, there has actually only been one member of that family, until now. At least, if this latest leak is to believed. The rather strange thing about this Xperia P2 is not that it exists, considering how the Xperia P wasn’t exactly a hit. It is the fact that its spec sheet make it look like a thicker variant of the just announced Xperia Z4, a smartphone that itself is still shrouded in mystery, that makes it rather curious.
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https://www.slashgear.com/xperia-p2-leak-resembles-a-slightly-different-xperia-z4-26380861/

Apple Watch

Why I do not plan on buying an Apple Watch

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I don’t own an iPhone. I really could end this train of thought with that, but here’s what’s more: study after study has shown that most people planning on purchasing an Apple Watch also have an iPhone. Many of those people also wear a watch on a regular basis. Apple is in a pretty good position to displace the watches on the wrists of iPhone users over the next few weeks, as it were. But for me – there’re really no way I’d end up with an Apple Watch on my wrist.

Let me continue to be as up front with you as possible: I am not your average consumer. I haven’t paid full price for a smartphone… ever. Over the past several years I’ve been using review unit after review unit for my main daily mobile phone, and I have no intention of changing out from this pattern of exchanges.
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https://www.slashgear.com/why-i-do-not-plan-on-buying-an-apple-watch-22380248/

iPhone 7 and an Apple Watch

iPhone 7 and an Apple Watch: a monstrous creation

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Today a new concept has arisen showing what the iPhone 7 could be if Apple absolutely lost its mind and decided to retrofit Apple Watch features to it. What you’re about to see is a monster. A Dr. Frankenstein’s creation made with the most iconic pieces of the iPhone 6 Plus and the Apple Watch. What reason would there be for a digital crown to be on a smartphone? Who cares? Let’s just make it a reality with absolute wild abandon for all things sleek and useful!

When Apple revealed the Apple Watch with its digital crown controller, it made sense. The display is small, and though you can touch it, it makes sense to have a scroll wheel sort of piece of hardware to move through it.
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https://www.slashgear.com/iphone-7-and-an-apple-watch-a-monstrous-creation-22380242/

-LG-G-Watch-R

LG G Watch, G Watch R, ASUS ZenWatch: no Wi-Fi for you

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Excited over the prospect of getting your Android Wear smartwatch connected even without a smartphone within range? Better start hoping your wearable computer is one of the supported models. Although the upcoming Android Wear update will include the ability for smartwatches to connect via Wi-Fi, it still boils down to whether the device has the hardware capable of doing that. Sadly, despite appearances and spec sheets, not all of them are created equal, and the ones from LG and ASUS will apparently be left out of the Wi-Fi party.
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https://www.slashgear.com/lg-g-watch-g-watch-r-asus-zenwatch-no-wi-fi-for-you-23380352/

Watch_Urbane_03

LG Watch Urbane launches this week with latest Android Wear

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LG has just formally announced what Google itself has revealed this week. LG’s latest and classiest smartwatch is coming to town and it will be bringing with it all the goodness of the latest version of Android Watch. The LG Watch Urbane will begin its global rollout in South Korea this week, to be followed by North American, European, and Asian markets. And, since it’s coming out just in time, it will already be landing with latest version of Android Wearand all it has to offer, including Wi-Fi connectivity and finger-drawn emojis.
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https://www.slashgear.com/lg-watch-urbane-launches-this-week-with-latest-android-wear-23380342/

ASUS-VivoWatch_8

ASUS heads to watch shops with VivoWatch

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The device you’re about to see does not run Android Wear. This is the ASUS VivoWatch, and it’s bucking the trend set by its competitors by running its own unique operating system. Inside you’ll find 10-day battery life and software that lends itself to health and fitness tracking for its wearer. This watch isn’t headed to smartphone stores, like so many other wearable devices released recently. Instead, the ASUS VivoWatch is headed to Goldsmith stores, Watches of Switzerland, and WatchShop dot com.
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https://www.slashgear.com/asus-heads-to-watch-shops-with-vivowatch-23380380/

An Apple launch like no other

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Tomorrow is launch day for the Apple Watch. But it’s not like any other Apple product launch. In fact, completely the opposite. This launch, unlike any other Apple product launch over the past decade, will include no in-store availability of the product at hand. Instead of the Apple Watch being out and ready to purchase by the average consumer, tomorrow is only the day when (some) Apple Watch orders will be fulfilled. With a completely new category of device comes change for Apple, and a launch that’ll be unlike any that came before or after.

So you’ve pre-ordered your Apple Watch, and your credit card has been charged. Will you get your Apple Watch this week? Probably. If you were amongst the first people to get in and do the order start to finish.
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https://www.slashgear.com/

Gold Edition

Turn your Apple Watch Sport into a Gold Edition, save over $11,000

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Ok first day Apple Watch buyers, now that your coveted wrist device has arrived, how do you feel about it? Did you buy the stainless steel model and love it so much you wish had dropped the extra cash for the gold Watch Edition model? Or did you want the luxury model but couldn’t afford it, and had to settle for an aluminum Watch Sport? Well, popular YouTuber/film maker Casey Neistat has come up with a simple solution he shares in his latest video, potentially saving over $11,000. Here’s a hint: it revolves around everyday items tape and spray paint.

Casey’s video, titled How to Turn Your Apple Watch Gold, starts out comparing the price of a 42mm 18-karat yellow gold Apple Watch Edition with a 42mm silver aluminum Apple Watch Sport. $12,000 and $399, respectively. That’s a huge difference; understandable because of the materials used, but who wouldn’t want to pay the latter and get something that looks just like the former.
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https://www.slashgear.com/turn-your-apple-watch-sport-into-a-gold-edition-save-over-11000-25380747/

Dev gets Samsung Gear 2 to boot Android Wear

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Samsung wants to create its own ecosystem for smartwatches by running its home baked Tizen OS on all of its smartwatches save one. The sole Samsung smartwatch to run Android Wear is the Gear Live. If you prefer one of the other Samsung watches, but want Android Wear there is hope for your smartwatch dreams.

A developer called biktor_gj over on XDA forums has been able to successfully get Android Wear to run on the Samsung Gear 2 smartwatch. You can see in the images that the OS was able to boot successfully. Getting Android Wear to work on the device wasn’t an easy task.
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https://www.slashgear.com/dev-gets-samsung-gear-2-to-boot-android-wear-27380889/

 

Amazon Apple Watch app 1-Click works, even accidentally

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There’s a saying that goes “be careful what you wish for”, and it seems that the adage applies even more so to the Apple Watch. And quite literally too. To be fair, the Amazon app for the smartwatch is probably to blame. Or to be more precise, its sometimes handy “1-Click” to buy feature can actually become a nightmare for Apple Watch users, especially when the large orange Purchase button sits precariously on top of a very small “Add to wishlist” line in the smartwatch app.
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https://www.slashgear.com/amazon-apple-watch-app-1-click-works-even-accidentally-27380872/

Apple Watch Diary

Apple Watch Diary – On the road

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A smartwatch arguably needn’t be too smart if you’re sat at your desk all day. Out on the road, however, if Apple Watch is going to be a useful traveling companion then it needs to step up: that generally means allowing your iPhone to stay in your pocket more often. Meanwhile, battery life becomes all the more critical when you’re not sure if you’ll be near an outlet until you’re back at your hotel. Question is, does the Apple Watch have what it takes to be a frequent flyer, or is it simply overbooked?

Several airlines have been quick to jump on the potential for smartwatches and frequent fliers, rightly assuming that having the essentials so close to hand can be hugely convenient. I’ve been flying Delta this weekend, though the core premise of its app is the same as those from other companies.
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https://www.slashgear.com/apple-watch-diary-on-the-road-27380910/

LG Watch Urbane now on Google Store, G Watch R, Moto 360 prices cut

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True to their word, LG has made available the classy Watch Urbanethis week although not yet in all retail outlets. However, those who have the luck of being able to access Google Store’s collection of devices can now also grab the smartwatch for themselves. Yes, the LG Watch Urbane has landed on Google’s device store but still in limited reach. In the meantime, as if to give way to the newest arrival, the LG G Watch R and the Moto 360 get a hopefully permanent price cut.
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https://www.slashgear.com/lg-watch-urbane-now-on-google-store-g-watch-r-moto-360-prices-cut-27381037/

Apple Watch Sport display is best (by a smidgen)

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Imagine your surprise when you check out an Apple Watch collection at an Apple Store this week and find that the best display isn’t the most expensive. It’s not the display that’s making the difference, it’s what’s covering it. According to a study done this week by DisplayMate, the sapphire crystal that covers the OLED display on the Apple Watch does two things. One, it reflects light and creates significant glare in bright conditions. Two, it protects your display far better than glass.
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https://www.slashgear.com/apple-watch-sport-display-is-best-by-a-smidgen-27380955/

TAG Heuer smartwatch coming November but you can’t afford it

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Now that the Apple Watch has started arriving on the wrists of users, luxury watch makers are starting to take the smartwatch trend more seriously. But instead of being worried by the rise of these highly digital timepieces, some are seeing an opportunity. Take TAG Heuer’s Jean-Claude Biver, for example. He sees the Apple Watch as a hip new trend that will get youngsters to start getting used to watches, which could eventually lead to more sales of traditional watches. That said, TAG Heuer’s $1,400 smartwatch coming this November might be a bitter pill to swallow.
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https://www.slashgear.com/tag-heuer-smartwatch-coming-november-but-you-cant-afford-it-29381502/

Apple Watch Tossed into a Blender

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If you are a fan of the Apple Watch and have yet to be able to get your hands on one of the devices, this video will be hard to watch. Blendtec, the folks behind the “Will it Blend” videos have gotten their hands on a white Apple watch and proceeded to give the poor thing the “Will it Blend” treatment. That means they tossed it into a powerful industrial blender and turned it on.

The first few seconds I thought the Apple Watch might make it as the blades looked to have little effect on the strap and screen. Shortly thereafter, you can see glints of chips from the screen and metal case flying around in the blender and shortly after that, the real carnage begins.
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https://www.slashgear.com/apple-watch-tossed-into-a-blender-28381121/

Apple tells accessory makers how to make Apple Watch bands

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We knew this day would come, and we’re actually wondering why that day only arrived now. Apple has released guidelines that tell accessory makers exactly how it wants Apple Watch bands to be made. In Apple’s carefully guarded and curated world, this isn’t exactly a surprise, though the lucrative market of third-party unofficial accessories remain, well, lucrative. But it remains to be seen if that will also be the case with the Apple Watch, which Apple is keeping a close eye on, from charging accessories and now to the most personalized part of the devide: the strap.

Apple, of course, would prefer you to buy official straps from its store, even though they could cost a few hundred bucks, depending on the band type as well as the Apple Watch model.
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https://www.slashgear.com/apple-tells-accessory-makers-how-to-make-apple-watch-bands-05382042/

LG Watch Urbane

iFixit says LG Watch Urbane is easy to fix (unless you bust the screen)

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We’d venture to say you tearing into your smartwatch is not a good idea. So, really — don’t try this at home. The iFixit team makes things look really simple, yes, but please don’t take a knife and tweezers to your gear. Even though iFixit gave the LG Watch Urbane a pleasant 7 out of 10 score in their teardown, don’t go poking around the smartwatch just yet. If you do need to have repairs done, here’s what you’d be in for.
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https://www.slashgear.com/ifixit-says-lg-watch-urbane-is-easy-to-fix-unless-you-bust-the-screen-05382082/

The Best Apple Watch Apps: Starter Pack

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The first day you own an Apple Watch is a strange one, to be sure. You’re not really sure if you want to stick with the software you get on the device right out the box, or if you want to dive in with a collection of apps that’s already over 3,000 strong. As it were, there are a number of apps we’d love to suggest you start out with. Nothing too hardcore just yet, just the essentials. This is the Day 1 Essential Mix.
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https://www.slashgear.com/the-best-apple-watch-apps-starter-pack-24380664/

Apple Watch approaches like a Silver Surfer

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I don’t have an Apple Watch around my wrist. Lets get that fact out of the way right this minute, since every other technology blogger in the universe seems – I emphasize SEEMS – to have one today on “launch day.” The Apple Watch, like the iPhone and to a slightly lesser extend the iPad, is a herald of something greater. A new community, and a new way of computing. Just like the iPhone, Apple didn’t make the first of its kind with the Apple Watch. But, judging SOLELY by the number of apps that’ve been released at launch for this one new product category, Apple has, once again, summoned the smartwatch.
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https://www.slashgear.com/apple-watch-approaches-like-a-silver-surfer-24380691/

Understanding Apple Watch: Apps, Glances and Notifications

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The great thing about a wearable like Apple Watch is that you need never miss anything from your digital life; the terrible thing is that it’s all too easy to get overwhelmed. While it might seem like a fantastic idea to offload every beep, ping, and vibration from the smartphone in your pocket to an easily-checked spot on your wrist, the reality is that not everything needs – or deserves – top tier attention. Luckily Apple’s notification options are reasonably granular, but that doesn’t mean this new flavor of apps can’t be confusing. Here’s what you need to know.
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https://www.slashgear.com/understanding-apple-watch-apps-glances-and-notifications-24380702/