Thursday, 30 October 2014
In terms of features, the Microsoft Band covers the field. It has common fitness tracker features like step tracking and more premium features such as GPS and a heart rate monitor. And it also offers features more typically found in smartwatches such as a colour touchscreen, notifications and payments when you're in Starbucks.
If that sounds good to you, then there's more good news: it's available today. That's if you're in the US and you have a spare $199; UK and Australian prices haven't been announced, but the US price converts to around £125 or AU$230The plastic band boasts an adjustable strap and a full-colour touchscreen. It's dust- and splash-resistant and powered by two 100mAh rechargeable lithium-ion polymer batteries that give you 48 hours on standby.
Don your running shoes or hop on your bike and the Band uses GPS to record the route you've run, biked, or hiked. There's a stopwatch and lap timer when you're on the track. You can set a target for the number of steps or calories you want to burn through in a day, or follow guided workouts set by experts the likes of Gold's Gym or Men's Health.
Even when you're not working out the Band is looking out for you: it monitors your heart rate 24 hours a day, records how long and how well you sleep and how often you wake, and checks UV levels when you're going out in the sun.
The data collected by the Band is synced up with an online service and app called Microsoft Health -- not to be confused with Apple Health or Samsung's S Health, of course. As well as working on most phones, Microsoft Health plays well with others, linking up with other fitness apps and services including MyFitnessPal, RunKeeper and MapMyFitness.
That's where many fitness bands stop. But because the Microsoft Band syncs with your phone, it can also offer you notifications about new messages, events and social network updates, showing your incoming calls and texts or a short preview of new emails and reminders from your calendar. When you get a new message you can fire back a pre-set response (although that doesn't work if you have an iPhone). There's an alarm too, to wake you up or let you know when it's time for your next appointment.
Or if you prefer to be undisturbed when you're in the zone, turn on the do-not-disturb mode and you won't get any notifications.
When you've finished working out and you're ready to reward yourself with a venti sugarcino, the Band stores your Starbucks card details so you can scan your wrist to pay without reaching for your wallet.
The Band works with Cortana, the voice-controlled Windows Phone personal assistant. As long as you have a Windows 8.1 device in your pocket, you can talk to the Band and dictate notes or set reminders. Cortana also gives you updates on current information like traffic conditions, sports results or the weather.
To use the Microsoft Band and Microsoft Health, you need a Windows Phone device with the 8.1 update, an iPhone running iOS 7.1 or 8, or an Android phone running 4.3 or 4.4. You need Bluetooth to pair the Band with your phone.
"I'm proud to be gay. I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me," Cook said in an 800-word essay posted on Bloomberg Businessweek. "Being gay has given me a deeper understanding of what it means to be in the minority and provided a window into the challenges that people in other minority groups deal with every day. It's made me more empathetic."
Cook, who has been CEO of Apple for three years, described how he's been open about his sexuality with many people, but has tried to maintain some privacy on a wider public level. He quoted Martin Luther King in describing how he decided to balance his desire for privacy with his position as a role model, which gives him a platform to speak out on issues of discrimination.
"Plenty of colleagues at Apple know I'm gay, and it doesn't seem to make a difference in the way they treat me," Cook wrote. "Of course, I've had the good fortune to work at a company that loves creativity and innovation and knows it can only flourish when you embrace people's differences. Not everyone is so lucky."
Cook said he doesn't consider himself an activist, "but I realize how much I've benefited from the sacrifice of others. So if hearing that the CEO of Apple is gay can help someone struggling to come to terms with who he or she is, or bring comfort to anyone who feels alone, or inspire people to insist on their equality, then it's worth the trade-off with my own privacy."
Despite never publicly acknowledging his sexuality before, Cook has for several years topped Out magazine's annual list of the most powerful and influential gay men and women in the US. He also has spoken and written in support of LGBTQ rights. A year ago, Cook wrote an op-ed piece for The Wall Street Journal, calling on the US Congress to pass a bill that aims to offer protection against workplace policies and practices that create disadvantages based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
As recently as September, Cook tweeted in support of the Austin, Texas, pride parade celebrating gay rights. In his tweet, Cook gave "a shout-out to 3000 Apple employees and their families marching in the #AustinPride parade! Inclusion inspires innovation. #applepride." And while talking about Apple's diversity report in August (which showed most Apple employees are white men), Cook said Apple's "definition of diversity goes far beyond the traditional categories of race, gender and ethnicity."
"It includes personal qualities that usually go unmeasured, like sexual orientation, veteran status and disabilities," he said in the diversity report. "Who we are, where we come from, and what we've experienced influence the way we perceive issues and solve problems. We believe in celebrating that diversity and investing in it."
Cook on Thursday said being gay has been "tough and uncomfortable at times, but it has given me the confidence to be myself, to follow my own path, and to rise above adversity and bigotry. It's also given me the skin of a rhinoceros, which comes in handy when you're the CEO of Apple."
The Alabama-born 53-year-old described himself as "an engineer, an uncle, a nature lover, a fitness nut, a son of the South, a sports fanatic, and many other things." He joined Apple in 1998 from IBM and temporarily took over from Steve Jobs as Apple's CEO in 2009. He was appointed to the position permanently in August 2011. Jobs died from cancer in October 2011.
In the video below, Cook meets Apple customers as the iPhone 6 goes on sale in September of this year:
Samsung on Thursday said the Gear S will be available in the US starting on November 7. The smartwatch will be available in both black and white, and all four major carriers -- AT&T, Sprint, Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile -- will carry it in store. The Gear S will also be available at Samsung Experience Shops found in Best Buy stores.
Unveiled in August, Samsung's Gear S features a 2-inch curved Super AMOLED screen and runs the Tizen mobile operating system, Samsung's alternative to Google's Android mobile OS. The smartwatch also has a 1GHz dual-core processor and features Samsung's S Health fitness app, as well as Nike+ Running.
The smartwatch is the first in Samsung's lineup to include a 3G cellular radio, meaning it can connect to a carrier to send and receive calls without needing a phone nearby. That ability stands in stark contrast to just about every other wearable on the market. The Apple Watch, for example, needs to stay paired and connected to an iPhone for many of its features to work. Smartwatches from LG, Motorola and others are also meant to be paired with a phone.
AT&T will offer the Samsung Gear S starting next week for $200 with a two-year contract. Sprint is making the device available for no money down and 24 monthly payments of $16 through its Easy Pay system. T-Mobile is offering a similar deal by allowing customers to pick up the device for no money down and pay $14.58 per month over a two-year period. Verizon has yet to announce its pricing.
The senior vice president of Sony's corporate planning and new business creation, Hiroki Totoki, will take over the division next month. He replaces Kunimasa Suzuki, who will become the executive vice president of Sony Entertainment, the company announced Thursday.
Sony's mobile division has had its fair share of troubles over the past couple of years. The company has failed to make a major mark in the smartphone business and its best efforts have proven fruitless.
Sony had hoped to ship 50 million smartphones during its fiscal year, which ends on March 31, but slashed that figure in July to 43 million units. A report surfaced last week saying that Sony will further slash smartphone shipments on Friday when it announces its earnings.
According to the statement Thursday, Totoki will take over the division on November 16. The company did not say why the change was made and did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
PlayStation
4 users may not want to update their consoles to firmware version 2.00
just yet -- at least not until Sony is able to send out a patch that
fixes some of the software's hiccups.Version 2.00, codenamed "Masamune," boasted a number of notable feature updates including uploading gameplay videos to YouTube, sharing games with friends over the Internet and system themes.
However, the update has been tainted by widespread reports that putting the system into standby mode (now dubbed "Rest Mode") prevents the console from reawakening. Both of the consoles in our office encountered the same issue. Bugs with YouTube functionality have also been reported.
For now, Sony has suggested booting consoles into "Safe Mode" to update a system's software and told CNET "we're investigating these issues and will provide an update once we have more information."
Whatever you do, try and avoid unplugging a hanging PS4, as you can damage the system's data.
We expect a version "2.0.1" release at any moment, but also recommend PS4 users who have already updated to 2.00 to select the "turn PS4 off" option instead of Rest Mode until Sony has properly addressed the situation.
The transfer of Motorola to Lenovo from Google marks the end of a short chapter for the storied handset vendor. Credited with the invention of the cellphone, Motorola had suffered over the last several years as Apple's iPhone and Samsung's Galaxy lineup rose in prominence. Under Google, Motorola had refined its product portfolio to just a few devices, and developed a focus on the low end and on emerging markets with its affordable Moto G and Moto E smartphones.
The combined operations will have 8 percent of the global smartphone market, making it the third-largest smartphone vendor in the world, according to Strategy Analytics. The research firm said the two businesses will benefit from increased scale, deeper distribution channels and bigger marketing and R&D budgets, but must contend with a slowdown in growth at Lenovo and Motorola's continued losses.
"Merging these two firms next year will not be as easy as many expect," the firm said in a post.
Motorola will continue to operate out of Chicago and will still be led by President and Chief Operating Officer Rick Osterloh.
"With an impressive portfolio of smartphones, wearables and PCs, our two companies will be uniquely positioned to push the boundaries of choice and value, and bring exciting new experiences to people everywhere," Osterloh said in a blog post.
He added later that he doesn't believe Motorola's strategy of using an unaltered version of Android with a few software additions would change under Lenovo, which more heavily customizes its Android smartphones.
For Lenovo, which has a stronger reputation as the No. 1 PC manufacturer in the world, Motorola lends the company badly needed credibility in the smartphone business. Motorola gives Lenovo a recognizable brand in most developed markets, especially the US, where it also has strong relationships with the wireless carriers.
Motorola will continue to be the primary brand in areas where it already has a strong position, but in emerging markets, both the Lenovo and Motorola brands we sit alongside each other, said Lenovo CEO Yang Yuanqing on a press conference call.
Liu Jun, executive vice president and president of Lenovo's mobile business group, will serve as chairman of the Motorola Management Board.
"The R&D on both sides (Lenovo in China, Motorola in the US) is a treasure of the combined business," Jun said on the call.
Jun said he expects to sell more than 100 million mobile devices in the fiscal year ending March -- including smartphones and tablets. The company also reiterated its goal of getting Motorola back to profitability within four to six quarters. While Motorola will be run as a separate business, it will be able to take advantage of Lenovo's supply chain and sales force.
Motorola over the last two months has unveiled a number of strong products, including a revamped Moto X and Moto G, the Nexus 6 for Google, as well as Tuesday's debut of the Droid Turbo for Verizon Wireless. Yangqing touted the strength of the recent products, and said Lenovo would continue to support them.
Lenovo also addressed the rumor that it was interested in acquiring business smartphone maker BlackBerry. Yangqing said he already had two deals to integrate -- Motorola as well as the acquisition of IBM's server business -- but declined to comment specifically on BlackBerry.
"We need to focus on two big deals. If we want another big deal, we need to make money off of these deals first,"
In an era where the iPhone 6 and Galaxy S5 are assumed to be available virtually anywhere, it would seem obvious to anyone selling a smartphone that having wide distribution was critical. But Google hasn't always followed a conventional path with its Nexus products, which are held in high regard by Android enthusiasts but largely ignored by mainstream consumers.
That changes with the Nexus 6. At a starting price of $649, it is in line with a typical premium smartphone, a break from the Nexus line's history of focusing on affordability. And for the first time for any Nexus device, it will be available at all five major US carriers -- Verizon Wireless, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and US Cellular.
"We are selling the Nexus 6 in a way most people are used to buying it," Hiroshi Lockheimer, vice president of engineering for Android at Google, said in an interview Wednesday.
The decision to create a more expensive, premium device that is more readily available suggests a maturation of the Nexus line. The primary goal of a Nexus device has always been to serve as a vehicle to show off the latest version of Android, largely attracting developers and enthusiasts. But the Nexus 6 phone appears poised for more mainstream attention.
"That's a major shift in the Nexus model," said Jan Dawson, an analyst at Jackdaw Research.
The decision to go with a more expensive product was a result of feedback that showed interest in a more premium-feeling smartphone, Lockheimer said. The result was the Nexus 6, which features a large 5.9-inch quad-HD display, 13-megapixel camera with optical image stabilization, front-facing speakers and an aluminum frame. Constructed by Motorola Mobility, it unsurprisingly features the same design scheme as the new Moto X.
While counter-intuitive, Lockheimer said he believes the more traditional price tag will actually help spur sales. Google has traditionally promoted its own Google Play store as the primary source to purchase past Nexus devices, with the Nexus 5 selling at $349 as an unlocked smartphone with a contract. Working with the carriers, Google will be able to sell the Nexus 6 at $199 with a two-year contract, which at first glance seems cheaper.
Most savvy customers will know that the rest of the cost of the device is baked into the higher service fees charged by the carriers, but the move to this more traditional pricing structure will help get the Nexus 6 in more stores, with more average customers willing to take a look at the device.
"Nexus fans understand the pricing model of an unlocked device," he said. "But outside of that, paying $350 upfront was a foreign concept."
While more expensive, the Nexus 6 holds its own against the competition, Lockheimer said. The jumbo smartphone, which falls into the category of phablet, or a mash-up between a phone and tablet, stacks up against the iPhone 6 Plus, which starts at $749 unlocked or $299 with a two-year contract, and the Galaxy Note 4, which costs $700 unlocked or $300 with a contract.
Google, of course, could have sold an even less expensive Nexus device under contract. But the company, working with Motorola, made the decision to focus on specs and capabilities first.
"It was a deliberate decision to push the boundaries on technology," said Sandeep Waraich, a Google product manager working on the Nexus 6. "We first arrived at the solution, then the price."
If Google wants to increase the reach and sales of its Nexus products, it may no longer be comfortable with the razor-thin margins of previous devices. While Google hasn't publicly talked about the profitability of the business, industry observers believe the company barely makes money on the devices, or even takes a slight loss, in order to drum up attention for the Android platform.
"If Google wants to start selling these devices to the broader market, and therefore sell many more of them, it can't just keep selling them at cost -- it has to actually make money on them," Dawson said.
It's a strategy that worked well with the Asus-built Nexus 7 tablet, which was highly regarded because it started at $229. The Nexus 4 and Nexus 5, both built by LG, were also popular phones because of their low non-contract price.
The Nexus 5 remains an option. But while the Nexus 7 is still available through retailers, it has been removed the Google Play shop. In its place is the Nexus 9, a more premium-feeling tablet that has an aluminum frame, higher-end specifications and a starting price of $399. Google went to HTC to build the tablet because the Internet titan liked what HTC had done with the design of the One.
Lockheimer also dismissed the rumors that Google was scrapping the Nexus program, pointing to the two devices, as well as the Nexus Player media-streaming box, as proof that the company continues to invest in this area. He declined to comment on Android Silver, a rumored line of high-end smartphones from various partners all running the latest unaltered version of the Android operating system.
He also cautioned against reading too much into the higher priced devices. The Nexus program was designed with the purpose of experimenting in different areas. Its goal has never been about volume but about building hardware to test out its software. Google generates a vast majority of its revenue and profit from its traditional online search business.
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