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Apple is Gearing Up For The iWatch Launch

Apple’s iWatch is one of the most anticipated wearable of the year. Apple seems to be gearing up to release its new iWatch which will undoubtedly be the first of many wearable devices Apple will launch in the coming years.

Recently, Nike discontinued FuelBand product line to concentrate on the software letting go more than 80 employees of Fuelband. While the product is still being sold, the company had decided to working on wearables. Now reports have surfaced that are some of the important members of the FuelBand team have been poached by Apple. According to rumors, former FuelBand team members Ryan Bailey and Jon Gale were both hired by Apple in June.

Nike Discontinues the Nike + FuelBand Production

Bailey was formerly Nike’s Senior Test and Validation Engineer for the FuelBand, and his LinkedIn profile now lists him as Mechanical Design Engineer at Apple. Gale had been Nike’s Senior Firmware Engineer focusing on the FuelBand line of wrist-worn fitness trackers, and he is now Apple’s Sensing Systems Engineer.

The fact that Apple is hiring former Nike FuelBand employees heavily indicates that the mysterious iWatch may finally grant us its presence. Apple is rumored to launch it this year sometime around October. It is also been said that the iWatch may be announced with iPhone 6.

July 11, 2014
Super Confident Apple Doubles Up its iPhone 6 Order

Seems like Apple is absolutely sure about its newest upgrade since reports claim that the company has decided to double up the number of iPhone 6 units for this fall. From the sound of it, the Apple flagship device is just about ready to rock the tech world later this year.

The report from Taiwan’s Business Weekly claims that number of iPhone 6 orders placed is about twice the number that Apple placed for the iPhone 5. However, it is possible that this huge number could be because Apple is making two different iPhone 6 models: One with a display of 4.7 inches and another with a display of 5.5 inches.

Earlier this month we had spoken about the rumours regarding Apple launching a new skinnier and lighter version named ‘iPhone Air‘.

iPhone renders

The report also says that one of the iPhone 6 models will enter into mass production this month. Hence, confirming the previous rumors that Apple will unveil the 4.7-inch version of the iPhone 6 in early September and then releasing it around two weeks later.

iPhone renders 2

We have seen so many mock-ups and leaks of of iPhone 6 and we are quite familiar with what the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 will look like. The iPhone 6 is said to be the thinnest iPhone ever which is just 6 millimeters thick and also more rounded on the edges than the iPhone 5s, with the power button moved from the top to the side of the device.

July 11, 2014
Leaked Video Shows a Mysterious Motorola Phone Running Android L

Motorola is right now haywired with Lenovo planning to take it over. The company definitely has some handsets in its pipeline to release. This time we have come across a new video starring unidentified Motorola device that appears to running Android L. This unknown device, claimed to be a Motorola X+1 or the X2, has been shown on video courtesy of TK Tech News.

However, the Youtuber could not confirm if the new device is, in fact, the Moto X+1. On the contrary, the site talks about how the alleged device could also be a new Droid device, if not Moto X+1. Going by the actual size of the device shown in the video and when compared to the Nexus 5 placed side-by-side, the handset easily crosses 5 inches diagonally.

Furthermore, the display has Full HD resolution, with TK Tech News speculating it may have an AMOLED screen. We think that Motorola has had their hands on the Android L preview for a while now, given how Google usually lets manufacturers have the first look in order to get development going. So it’s certainly possible that this is some kind of a Motorola prototype device used for testing beta version of L.

Motorola has had an amazing year with the super successful release of the two best-seller Moto G and even cheaper Moto E. While, company still lacks a flagship smartphone in their offering, this alleged device may be the the new Motorola hero.

July 11, 2014
Chromecast 1.7 Finally Allows Screen Mirroring From Your Phone

The new update of Chromecast is the first step of introduction to some awesome features Google unveiled at this years I/O. The Chromecast 1.7 update for Android smartphone and tablet users will have the ability to mirror their screens.

The new update not only allows users to display their Android homescreens on a Chromecast-connected TV or other device, but you can also use any application now on your television through the pocket-friendly streaming dongle.

Upon downloading the new update, you can find the ‘Cast Screen’ option on the left drag navigation menu in the Chromecast app. Nexus devices will see a toggle for screencasting directly in the Android quick settings menu. Once enabled, the user can navigate their phone in the normal manner with a one-to-one projection appearing via Chromecast.

It is still considered to be a beta version and it is sadly not available for everyone immediately. Google said that Samsung, HTC, LG and some others will be first to roll out the new capabilities of Chromecast soon. Though you may not have the device that is on Google’s compatibility list, but don’t worry too much. We hear there are third-party mirroring apps will solve this problem soon. The company also pointed out the new update will be available at Google Play store soon.

July 10, 2014
Newly Unveiled Adidas Fit Smart to Take on Nike and Other Wearables

This summer has seen wearable tech get a major boost. The market is getting steadily populated with devices from major companies like Samsung, LG and Motorola with many more on the way. After tablets, wearables seem to be the next big thing. Google is putting its weight behind the Android Wear project to further encourage and integrate the Android ecosystem. Now Adidas will try its luck in the market with a simplistic device called the Adidas Fit Smart.

This is not the initiation of Adidas in the wearable tech arena. The company released the MiCoach Smart Run smartwatch last year. The Smart Run can be connected to the online miCoach account and you can track your progress online and plan ahead.

Adidas’s latest, the Fit smart will go on sale in August this year. The watch has the ability to track distance traveled, pace, calorie-burning and monitors heart rate. It can stand out against the competition because of the tracking infrastructure of the miCoach. Users who give up after taking a lot of effort to go out and run can use the personalized training abilities of miCoach and can be encouraged to keep going on. Its like having a personal trainer on your wrist.

On the design front the Adidas Fit Smart follows a minimalistic design. The display gives the most important specs like Pace, time, calories burned on the screen. There is a small LED strip that change color based on the intensity of the workout. The strap is made of soft silicone. The watch can also be synced to a smartphone with the miCoach app for your in-depth data analysis on the move.

The company will also face some serious competition from the iGiant or as it’s better known, Apple. The company is slated to bring its smartwatch sometime later this year. The main competition to this is the Nike Fuel band which in comparison to the Fit Smart saves you a 100 dollars. But the Fit Smart gives more functionality and is an all-round trainer and not just a data gatherer.

Overall the simplistic design and competitive price will be a benefit for the Fit Smart. It can make a good market for itself if the device excels in what it has to offer, thereby encouraging more minimalistic wearable technology.

July 10, 2014
You Can Now Correct Google Now by Simply Saying “No! I Said”

A new update for Google Now, a voice-based smart assistant, is tiny but a significant one. The new update will let users correct the search engine when it doesn’t correctly understand what they ask for.

Voice searches with Google Now can sometimes be excruciatingly irritating. Its accuracy is predicated on many factors, such as the quietness of your surroundings and the clarity of your speech and the worst of all its inability to correctly perceive non-American accents, so results can be pretty inaccurate at times.

So Google, acknowledging this problem, provided an update of a correction hot phrase which starts with “No, I said,” and has to be followed by the word or words Google Now has misunderstood. So, by simply saying “No, I said” you can change certain words with your voice that Google Now misunderstood.

For example you want know what are the best ‘selfie’ phones available, but Google Now translated it to ‘cell’ phones. So, if you just say “OK Google: No, I said selfie, Google Now will correct itself and then search for what you meant in the first place, presumably because it can figure out which word is most likely to be wrong.

Word correction is one of the latest Google Now features that Google has made available to the users. The virtual assistant has come a long way and learned many other cool new tricks recently. Google Now lets users control media with their voice, and it can create event cards based on email conversations, better manage call reminders, and tell you when to get off your bus or train. Google now features are also present on Android Wear based devices which will surely make life easy for many.

July 10, 2014

Hands On : Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 and 8.4

Samsung is ready to take on the iPad, yet again, with its new slew of tablets. The Galaxy Tab S is a reboot of what Samsung has been doing in terms of the overall feel of the tablets.

The new tablets are aimed at the Rs. 35-40 thousand price bracket, with pre orders already open on Samsung’s E Store.

The Tab S 10.5 and Tabs 8.4 both run on the Exynos 5 Octa chipset, have 3 GB of RAM and 16/32 GB storage capacities, infact both have almost the exact same specs except for the size of the screen. See the full details below.

Specifications	Galaxy Tab S 10.5-inch	Galaxy Tab S 8.4-inch
Battery capacity:	7,900(mAh)	4900(mAh)
DISPLAY	10.5-inch Super AMOLED display Resolution:2560 x 1600 pixels	8.4-inch Super AMOLED display Resolution: 2560 x 1600 pixels
CAMERA	Rear camera: 8-megapixel Flash: LED Front camera: 2-megapixel	Rear camera: 8-megapixel Flash: LED Front camera: 2-megapixel
RAM	3GB	3GB
Processor	Octa-Core Exynos 5 (A15 1.9 GHz & A7 1.3 GHz)	Octa-Core Exynos 5 (A15 1.9 GHz & A7 1.3 GHz)
Internal Storage	16GB/32GB expanded up to 128GB	16GB/32GB expanded up to 128GB
Software	Android 4.4 Kitkat	Android 4.4 Kitkat

In terms of look and feel these tablets are much nicer looking than expected, they feel premium and look the part. The Tab S is extremely slim at 6.6 mm and extremely lightweight at just 467 gms for the LTE variant 10.5 inch Galaxy Tab S.

Samsung has also cut down on the bloatware and offers some interesting productivity apps and services to the user out of the box – free of cost. The Tab S devices run Android KitKat 4.4.2 out of the box with a proposed Android L update shortly after the final release.

Initial impression of the screen will simply blow you away, the screen is very sharp and thanks to it being a Super AMOLED the colours look very alive and vivid.

Stay tuned for our full round up.

July 10, 2014

The Top 5 Powerful Women in The Tech Industry Today

Google launched a new initiative offering vouchers to any women and minorities interested in learning how to code. This new initiative came just days after Google published a diversity report that revealed only 30% of its employees are women. While, we appreciate what Google is trying to do, we still have some dynamic and powerful women on the front row of Tech industry who inspire us. We are listing 5 of these amazing women, we love, respect and admire.

1. Sheryl Sandberg

Chief Operating Officer, Facebook

She has been named one of the 100 most influential people in the world according to Time magazine. She is is worth US$1 billion, due to her stock holdings in Facebook and other companies. Sandberg was poached from Google by Mark Zuckerberg, six years ago, to take charge as Facebook’s COO. Sandberg oversees Facebook’s business operations including sales, marketing, business development, legal, human resources, public policy and communications. She has been responsible for steering Facebook towards profitability.

2. Virginia Rometty

Chairman and CEO, IBM

She is the only women to head IBM and she has been named as Fortune magazine’s “50 Most Powerful Women in Business” for eight consecutive years, ranking #1 for 2012. She has a net worth of $45 million and annual salary of $15 million. She attended Northwestern University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and computer science. Her first job out of school was at General Motors. She in then joined IBM where she quickly rose the ranks of Big Blue’s corporate ladder. She has served as IBM’s CEO since October 2011.

3. Ursula Burns

Chairman and CEO, Xerox

She is the first African-American woman CEO to head a Fortune 500 company. In 2014, Forbes rated her the 22nd most powerful woman in the world. The 51-year-old Burns started her career as an engineering intern in 1980. Burns led several business teams including the office color and fax business and office network printing business. In April 2007, Burns was named president of Xerox, expanding her leadership to include the company’s IT organization, corporate strategy, human resources, corporate marketing and global accounts. Her salary package for 2008 stood at $887,500, but total compensation stood at a whopping $6,003,126.

4. Padmasree Warrior

Chief Technology & Strategy Officer, Cisco Systems

The former CTO of Motorola, Inc. is listed as the 71st most powerful woman in the world by Forbes this year. Born and raised in India, Padmasree Warrior joined Motorola in 1984 and worked in different roles at the company with the last one being the chief technical officer (CTO). She left Motorola and joined Cisco Systems as CTO in 2007. At Cisco, she is responsible for strategic partnerships, mergers and acquisitions, integration of new business models, incubation of new technologies and talent.

5. Marissa Mayer

CEO, Yahoo!

Previously, Mayer was executive and key spokesperson for Google. Mayer was ranked eighth on the list of America’s most powerful businesswomen of 2013 by Fortune magazine. She joined Yahoo! in 2012 as president and CEO taking over the responsibility of resurrecting the ailing internet giant. Since then, the company has revamped a number of its products and acquired biggies like Tumblr. Yahoo paid Mayer a total salary of $36.6 million in 2012 which includes $454,862 in salary, $35 million in stock awards and a bonus of $1.12 million in addition to over $40,000 in other compensation, as per a regulatory filing.

July 10, 2014
ASUS Launches The ZenFone Series and The Fonepad 7 in India

Taiwanese-American multinational ASUS has just opened its mobile innings in India with a major release. All of the company’s releases are powered by an Intel Atom processor. The Zenfones as they are called run on the Android based ZenUI.

The company released three phones namely the Zenfone 4,5 and 6 with the number corresponding to the screen sizes of the phones. All phones come with Corning Gorilla Glass 3. Lets check them out.

ASUS Zenfone 4

The phone has a 4 inch display. It weighs at a miniscule 115 grams. The processor on this offering is a 1.2GHz Intel® Atom™ Z2520 with 1 GB RAM . As it’s a youth oriented device the phone is available in multiple colors like Charcoal Black, Pearl White, Cherry Red, Sky Blue, and Solar Yellow. A 1600 mAh battery powers the phone. The phone has a 5 megapixel (MP) camera in the back and a 0.3 MP front camera. The phone is priced at Rs. 5999.

ASUS Zenfone 5

This phone comes with a 1280x720p HD screen. The thickness of the phone stands at 5.5, so this one truly takes on the Gionee S5.5. The phone runs on the Intel Atom Dual-Core Z2560 1.6GHz processor along with a 2GB RAM. The phone is powered by a 2110 mAh battery. With ASUS PenTouch and GloveTouch technologies users can operate the phone with any stylus or even a gloved hand. The phone has a 8 MP back camera with Image stabilization and has a wide aperture of f/2.0. The Zenfone 5 comes in Champagne Gold, Pearl White, Cherry Red, and Charcoal Black. The phone is priced at Rs. 9,999.

ASUS Zenfone 6

This is a 6 inch behemoth with 1280x720p HD screen. It too comes with ASUS PenTouch and GloveTouch technologies. The phone is powered by powerful Intel Atom Z2580 2.0GHz processor with 2GB RAM. It holds 16 GB’s of internal storage. ASUS promise that with its SonicMaster audio technology with virtual surround sound via headphones, users will have a truly immersive entertainment experience on the big screen. The phone comes in Champagne Gold, Pearl White, Cherry Red, and Charcoal Black color options. The shooters on the Zenfone 6 are a 13MP shooter on the back with a 2 megapixel selfie shooter in the front. A massive 3300 mAh battery will definitely do justice to the screen. The phone is priced at Rs. 16,999.

ASUS Fonepad 7:

The tablet comes with an Intel Clover Trail Plus Z2520 1.2GHz Dual Core processor with 1GB of RAM. The screen is a 7 inch 1024×600 display. The internal storage is a dismal 4GB but is expandable to 64 GB. It comes with a 2 MP camera on the back with 0.3 MP camera in the front. It gets its juice from a 3950 mAh battery. The tablet can be used to make calls with its dual sim capabilities.

All phones are currently running on the Android Jellybean 4.3, but they all will be upgraded to Kitkat. They all use Quad-Thread Hyper-Threading Technology for faster performance and smooth operation of the phones.

ASUS has definitely got some good products for the Indian markets. We have to wait for them to come to our hands to know if they are as good as they appear on paper.

July 9, 2014
Leaked Images Reveal Samsung’s Virtual Reality Headset, The Gear VR

Facebook is working on it, Sony and Google too; so why should Samsung stay back and let them steal the thunder? Rumors are flying around high about Samsung’s plan to launch its own virtual reality headset. The device will take on Sony’s Project Morpheus headset and Oculus VR. And now, Sam Mobile leaked the first photo of the company’s forthcoming virtual reality headset the Gear VR yesterday.

Unlike the Oculus, the Gear VR won’t be a complete virtual reality headset on its own. The Gear VR headset introduces a modular design and structure providing users with dock for their Galaxy phones into the front. Gear VR will require a Galaxy phone in order to work because the design doesn’t include motion sensors or a screen independent of the docked smartphone.

Rumors started earlier this year, reporting that Samsung is working on an Oculus Rift-style virtual reality headset which was confirmed by Business Insider later. The leaked image is said to be first glimpse of the alleged Samsung virtual reality headset. Sam Mobile, in its post claims that the rumored virtual reality headset made by the South Korean giant will be announced alongside the alleged Galaxy Note 4 at IFA this year.

The leaked image of the alleged Samsung Gear VR headset purportedly shows its design and form factor. The report reveals that we can expect a ‘see-through button’ on the right side. It uses the smartphone’s rear-facing camera sensor to offer a video feed of the real outside world. It is also said to include a touchpad under the see-through button to navigate through the user interface on the Galaxy smartphone.

Also, same as with the company’s other Gear wearables, the alleged Gear VR is also said to get its dedicated section, including apps for the virtual reality headset. The report names some of the apps likely to be made available after the announcement, which include Theatre, 360 Player, and Gallery. In addition to this, Samsung Gear VR SDK will be also made available shortly after the launch, some reports reveals.

The headset will enter the still infant market of Virtual Reality market, which is dominated currently by the Facebook-acquired Oculus Rift. With the Gear VR, Samsung can make use of its marketing ability and reach markets where Oculus will take some time to reach. Samsung has the ability to do that, provided their product stands out and is appreciated by the consumers.

July 9, 2014
Sony Unveils a Pro-Selfie Phone, Meet The Xperia C3

Now, Sony has made a move on the selfie trend by officially announcing its Sony Xperia C3 and Xperia C3 Dual smartphones, which have been designed keeping in mind selfie lovers.

The Xperia C3 is powered by the Snapdragon 400 chipset with a quad-core 1.2GHz Cortex-A7 processor, Adreno 305 GPU and 1GB of RAM. The rest of the specs include 8GB of expandable storage, an 8MP rear cam with a LED flash, and a super thin body at 7.6mm. Xperia C3 is also 4G-enabled and supports LTE Cat4 and a dual-SIM variant dubbed Sony Xperia C3 Dual, which supports not only dual-standby, but dual-call too.

The Xperia C3 sports an 8-megapixel autofocus rear camera along with LED flash. The smartphone is Sony’s first to come with a 5-megapixel front-facing camera along with an LED flash reson for which it is touted as a pro-selfie phone. The front-facing camera features a wide- angle view to capture a group selfie without unnecessary squeezing inside the image.

Both front and rear camera include features like Superior Auto, Portrait Retouch v.2, Timeshift-burst, Picture effects, Movie Creator, Social Live, Sweep Panorama and a special dedicated app for Vine which lets users capture short 6-second videos and share it directly from the smartphone. Both cameras also provide HDR mode and number of filter effects.

The Sony Xperia C3 with 8GB of inbuilt storage which can be expanded via microSD card (up to 32GB). It comes with a 2500mAh battery, which is rated for up to 24 hours of talk time and 1,071 hours of standby time.

Right now, it is not specified when will Xepria C3 be launched in India, but there is no doubt that it will eventually make its way here. The first market to get it is China, but it will spread worldwide shortly after. Sony Xperia C3 will be available in white, black and mint colors starting in August. The pricing is yet to be announced.

Along with the launch of the Sony Xperia C3 sony has released a massive infographic in an effort to convince you that selfies are a lot more important than you think. Check it out here.

July 9, 2014
5 Useful Websites You Should But Never Knew Existed

It isn’t surprising that with the enormity of the World Wide Web we often find yourselves stumbling upon useful websites. These pages make work easy and makes us wonder why we didn’t know about the website earlier?

So here you go, we dug up some useful websites for you from shady parts of web-sphere which might make your work easier:

1. Print Friendly

PrintFriendly cleans and formats web pages for perfect print of your webpage. It removes Ads, Navigation and web page junk, so you save paper and ink when you print.

2. What The Font

Some of us have a thing for beautiful typography and often have a hard time identifying the font used in the image? Well, What The Font is the best website for you. It is a website and an app that figures out the name of the exact font something is when you upload a picture.

3. Mathway

Solves any kind of math problem, from basic math to chemical equations. We’re not recommending this site to encourage users to be lazy at school because actually knowing math is very important for times when you don’t have internet access to get to this site.

4. Camel Camel Camel

This website shows you the price history of anything on Amazon and alerts you when the price drops. You can even upload your entire Amazon wish list directly.

5. The Rasterbator

This sites let you turn any image into a life size poster. The website gives you varied options on effects and size and turning an image into an impressive poster you always wanted to hang on your living room

July 9, 2014
Top 5 Must-Have Gadgets For the Monsoon

After months of sweltering heat, the monsoon winds are a bliss. However, with the rainy season comes the scary possibility of unexpected rain drenching your gadgets. We may invest in the best technology, but with a single shower of the Indian Monsoon your favorite gadget’s fate may be sealed.

Here is a list of must-have gadgets and their equipment for this season:

5. BubbleShield PRO

If you are under the impression that adding a waterproof cover to your iPad will restrict you from using it, then you are wrong. The Bubble Shield Pro is IPX7 certified and lets the tablet work even a foot under water for 30 minutes. Your tablets are more at risk because you often carry them in your hands and not in the relative safety of bags or pockets. So, this amazing cover will not only help you save your tablet from the pouring rain but also let you work on your tablet while it’s raining.

4. Otterbox Armor Series

This rugged iPhone case by Otterbox is perhaps one of the best all-weather cases you can find for your iPhone, making sure you travel without even thinking about rain or cold. Its interior are made of silicone, which makes it shockproof and the metal latches lock the front and back covers together to protect the phone from dirt and dunks for up to 30 minutes in up to 6.6 feet of water. The case increases the size and weight of the phone, but that is a small price to pay for the protection it provides.

3. Braven BRV1

A perfect system for a pool party. Braven BRV1 is a portable speaker that has a rubberised exterior to handle not just monsoon rainfall, but also drops and scratches. It can also survive accidental dunks up to 1m of water for 30 minutes. The 3 Watts of audio output from its 70mm subwoofer definitely won’t blow you away, but should be adequate if you need some light music in wet outdoors.

2. Sony Walkman NWZ-W273

Fancy going for a run in the rain? Well, this product should be on everyone’s monsoon list. It has no mini or micro USB ports and that basically means there are no inlets for water to get in and damage the internal machinery. The plastic earpieces are connected by a rubber wire to fit snugly around the back of your neck and playback controls are neatly placed at the bottom of the two pods.

1. SXtreo WP61

Number one on the list is the super flashy SXtreo WP61. It is a tough shock resistant, waterproof and dustproof features and robust multi-tasking capability device. This smartphone is engineered to perform outstandingly in the harshest of environments. Military-rugged, super-secure, cutting edge, SXtreo smartphones aren’t meant for just anyone. It is meant for you! You don’t have to worry about your phone even if you jump in a pool.

July 9, 2014
Apple Releases iOS 8 Beta 3 for Developers

Apple yesterday released the third beta version of iOS 8 for developers. The iOS 8 beta 3 update with a build number 12A4318c is available over the air and can also be downloaded from the iOS Dev Centre.

The company has released updates for a beta version Find My iPhone. There is also a new version of Find My Friends, a new Apple TV beta, and updates to Swift, the programming language the company introduced at WWDC.

As showcased at WWDC this year, iOS 8 has some major upgrades over the last offerings. The one that is appreciated the most about the OS is its seamless interconnectivity with the OSX devices.

iOS 8 introduces an assortment of features such as improved integration with OS X through Continuity, interactive notifications, a new QuickType Keyboard and improvements to several apps like Safari, Mail, and Messages. Apart from it there is a Health app and some Family Sharing features.

This beta version has new options for iCloud Drive, a new Settings toggle for Handoff, and a new option to enable or disable QuickType.

iOS 8 beta 3 is currently accessible to the developers, and is expected to release for the public sometime around this fall. Considering previous releases, it can be said that the new iOS will release with the new iPhone and most probably the iWatch might show up too.

July 8, 2014
Finally an Attractive Fitness Tracker! Check Out Withings Activité Watch

Well, you can’t say Withings’ Activité is a Smartwatch, atleast not in the typical sense. But it’s not just a conventional watch either. Withings describes it as the first Swiss-made watch that happens to be an activity tracker.

The French company’s new watch has computing brains to track steps taken, calories burned, distance traveled, and sleep patterns. The watch, for starters, has an analog dial, with real hands unlike typical smartwatches.

The accelerometer-based activity tracker built into the watch monitors steps taken, calories burned, distance traveled and sleep pattern. The Activité also builds in a second dial on the front of the phone that tells you how close you are to reaching your daily fitness goal.

It looks mostly like a classic watch. It’s chrome and round, available in black and silver, with an analog face and a classic design. You might never know there’s anything else inside the Activité were it not for the second, smaller dial in its bottom-right corner, known as the activity dial.

The Withings’ approach of a simplistic design certainly is ground breaking in terms of smartwatch. Cédric Hutchings, the CEO, said the company’s goal was always to be different from the standard screen-on-your-wrist design.

And that’s not just it, there’s more to take from this watch than just its simple design. The Activité lasts a year with a single watch battery, is waterproof up to 5 meters, and comes with a chic leather band. Withings focused on the materials and design of its new watch, and ended up with a device that people would probably be willing to wear even if it contained lesser “smart” capabilities.

At $390, the Activité costs quite a bit more than other smartwatches, but there’s a good chance people will pay the extra for its slick design. The new watch, and all of Withings’ wearables, reports its information into an app called HealthMate, which runs on both Android and iOS. The Activité, a part high-end, Swiss-designed watch, and part activity tracker, was announced in New York City at an event that was more like a fashion show than a gadget unveiling and will be available this fall.

July 8, 2014