New Apple TV rumors turn up the volume on touchpad remote
Apple TV is one of the few products from the Cupertino company that doesn't feature either a touchscreen or touchpad, but that may change on June 8.
At its Worldwide Developers Conference keynote, Apple is expected to announce a redesigned Apple TV and a new touchpad remote, reports The New York Times.
The all-new remote is said to include the "touch pad" for the purpose of scrolling, but also include two physical buttons, according an unnamed employee briefed on the product.
Apple TV's remote are likely to be thicker - which no one will complain about. The current remote has an easily losable 5.8mm (0.2in) depth at its thickest point. It slips perfectly between two couch cushions.
The new size is said to be comparable to an Amazon Echo remote, which, if you're unfamiliar with the new wireless speaker, is about the same dimensions as last year's Amazon Fire TV remote.
Contrast with a Google TV remote
Don't expect too much complexity from the new Apple TV remote, even with a touchscreen as part of its design and more content options than ever to go with it.Apple is said to have used a Google TV remote, pre-dating the Nexus TV, to internally demo why 78 buttons is overly complex for users who simply want to relax on the couch and stream television apps.
No word on whether the remote will incorporate long-rumored gaming controls or a feature in which you can find your always-lost Apple TV remote with the new iPhone or Apple Watch. Now that would be handy.
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The iPad Pro may obliterate the cash register
New leaked details on the unofficially named iPad Pro include some very interesting new features.
The info comes via AppleInsider. Prominently, the inclusion of NFC is noted for the over-sized iPad, but the site suggests the tap-to-pay functionality isn't likely to be in the tablet but rather will be a payment receiving device for Apple Pay.
Still, this capability could prove to be a big game changer when it hits the shelves. If true, it's likely that Apple will push the new product to the legions of merchants they just signed up to support its tap-to-pay platform.
More iPad Pro details
Also rumored to be in the works is a Bluetooth stylus made for increased productivity on a larger display. An unnamed source said the stylus will feature pressure-sensitive input. If the rumors are true, it looks like Apple is setting up to compete directly with Google, Samsung (S Pen, anyone?) and Microsoft in the market of productivity.Apple is also allegedly bringing its (unfortunately not Star Wars-related) Force Touch input to the mega iPad, as well as the next-gen iPhone. Force Touch was introduced on the Apple Watch, allowing the user to press harder on the screen to access more options.
The iPad Pro will also likely include a USB C port, though alleged design leaks have shown two ports, potentially for both USB C and Lightning. Finally, the report notes the iPad will include a new A-series processor, surpassing the power of the A8X processor in high-end iPad Air 2 devices. You'll recall that CEO Tim Cook stated quite clearly two years back that he had no intention of shipping a "converged" laptop/tablet, but if the market demands it, who's to say a change of heart is out of the question?
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Google wants to organize your life with Timeful, its fourth to-do list
Pretty soon we'll need a list to keep track of all of Google's to-do list apps now that added Timeful, Inc. to its already bursting ranks.
Timeful is supposed understand your schedule, habits and needs, according to search engine company, and work across Inbox, Calendar and other Google software.
"You can tell Timeful you want to exercise three times a week or that you need to call the bank by next Tuesday," said the search engine company.
"Their system will make sure you get it done based on an understanding of both your schedule and your priorities."
The Timeful app will remain available for Android and iOS as the team works to integrate its time management technology more broadly into Google's app suite.
What's different with Timeful
Timeful is the fourth to-do list platform being pushed by Google, but it's supposed to be different in that it wants to understand your day. Everything else from Google is rather static.
Google Tasks is still part of Gmail and, stealthy, one of the best to-do list organizers out there. Google Reminders can be added via Search, Calendar of Inbox, but has no central hub.
Google Keep launched two years ago as a notetaking app with to-do list functionality. It's a more colorful Evernote clone with limited functionality.
Will this new app tie them altogether with machine learning or will it become just another option within Google's increasingly splintered ecosystem? Timeful will tell.
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Boba Fett may get his own Star Wars spin-off anthology film
Star Wars fever is upon us (it is May the 4th, after all), and a new report reveals the second anthology film will focus on one of the series' most loved characters.
According to TheWrap, the movie will be a Boba Fett origin story. Due in 2018, the still-untitled flick will supposedly follow Fett and his journey to become the galaxy's most badass bounty hunter.
Trained by Jango Fett, journeyman for the Empire, and captor of Han Solo, Fett has a rich storyline that should make for a compelling film ... if it can find a director. Josh Trank, who was slated to direct, dropped out on May 1.
Of course there's still plenty of time and a whole other anthology to go with Star Wars: Rogue One before the second movie hits theaters.
The anthology films are set within the Star Wars universe but aren't part of the core Episode movies. Rogue One, starring Felicity Jones, tells the story of rebel spies and their plot to steal Death Star plans. For more on the upcoming Star Wars VII movie due out later this year, check out our comprehensive guide.
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In Depth: Watchful thinking: here's our wish for the ultimate smartwatch
The perfect design, features and durability
As we mark the beginning of a new era in wearable devices, the smartwatch rat race has well and truly begun.From early Kickstarter projects to visceral time pieces by leading tech powerhouses, it's an open fight with everyone trying to architect the perfect solution to a consumer demand which is near impossible to define or establish.
Some are building watches that serve as a digital companion to smartphones. Other smartwatch makers find that whole idea irritating and quite off-putting. Instead, they want a cool fashion accessory that's still modest in its pricing, tells the time (obviously) and has a built-in fitness tracker, with an option to tie in to third-party apps as well.
Design, UI, battery life, class of apps, features, functionality and pricing are all factors to be heavily considered when purchasing the next wrist candy. With so many players in the field and everyone seemingly doing one or two things really well, we asked ourselves, what would make the ultimate smartwatch?
In a fun experiment, we've taken a look at the current smartwatches on the market right now and picked the best features from each to see if we could create our own perfect smartwatch. Of course this device will never come to be, but a tech site can dream, right?
Design
From where we stand, a smartwatch should look like a watch. It needs to feel like one and behave like one. What we don't want is an overblown bulky plastic piece made with cheap material taking up precious wrist real estate (and making our friends turn away with an "I don't know this person" look).Fortunately, all the current smartwatches look the part and, depending on your specific tastes, there's one for just about every style/all tastes out there.
But for our money, the Moto 360 is by far the most stylish and sleekest smartwatch on market right now.
Its luxurious look and comfortable form factor is exactly what we feel a contemporary smartwatch should look like.
Sporting a stainless shell, which comes in both silver and black, it boasts a stunning 1.65-inch circular display, weighing in just 1.7 ounces.
While the disappointments centering around the poor battery life might be a deal breaker for many, the hardware team at Motorola have done an impressive job in crafting this elegant timepiece, which more than makes up for the lame battery life.
Features
It's been intriguing to see the journey smartwatch companies have taken to tell their story to the public. But there's a common theme running through most big-time smartwatches' narratives: fitness.Apple has focused much of its Apple Watch efforts on fitness and it stands head and shoulders above the competition in terms of what it offers for gym rats and fitness fanatics. Barring a GPS tracker, Apple has covered every corner within the health and fitness sector and its hard to see anyone bettering it.
Android Wear and Pebble both offer third-party fitness apps such as Fitbit, Nike Fuel and Jawbone, plus many more.
Fitness is an untapped market for consumers and a huge unique selling point for manufacturers. For years, major sports companies like Nike and Adidas have failed to capitalize in creating sport watches or sports bands without making much of a dent, despite numerous attempts, so it's good to see the first generation of smartwatches come with an impressive set of fitness features and apps.
Notifications are an important feature to any smartwatch user, and controlling the amount you receive and monitoring them seamlessly are arguably the most important functions of a smartwatch. Users simply don't want to be interrupted every second with an insignificant notification, and we'd like to have the option to switch them on and off with minimum fuss.
Android Wear and Pebble have done commendable jobs in providing notification settings on the watch which are easy to use and enable users to customize what they would like to receive. Notifications on the Apple Watch can only be controlled by your iPhone which could be an issue for consumers. Having to pull your phone out every time to disable Tweets can become tiresome.
A feature that doesn't get much mention during smartphone discussions is music.
To have the ability to pair Bluetooth headphones to your watch and play your favorite tracks is an underrated gem. With podcasts, radio and third party streaming apps such as Spotify all available as well, it means the experience is greatly enhanced. If this can be done without eating into the battery then even better.
Combine that with any of the numerous fitness apps and you've got a pretty awesome work out audio kit. No need to lug your phone or MP3 player and no more tangled wires.
This is where Apple really excels and provides great value.
Durability
Smartwatches are expensive. Purchasing a case to prevent damage from wear and tear like you can for phones and tablets is possible, but who wants to wrap their sleek smartwatch in a bulk-adding case? Still, the last thing we want is to have to go back to the retailer asking for a replacement because of a cracked screen or broken strap (believe me, this will happen).What we want is something robust and durable that has the capacity to go the distance.
Some watches might promote themselves as water resistant but very are genuinely water proof.
The Pebble Time is one such wearable that you can actually go swimming with, while the Sony Smartwatch 3 is the most durable Android Wear device. So much so, that you are able to use it under water continuously for 30 minutes.
If we had to choose though, we'd say the Sony Smartwatch 3 wins out with durability. You can't go wrong with the Pebble Time either, though, proving some smartwatches are getting the durability piece right.
The perfect battery life, apps and price
Battery life
A problem that's been difficult to solve for many manufacturers thus far and a pain point for consumers is the lack of a decent battery life on smartwatches. It can really spoil the experience of any device, but especially something you have to - and want to - wear and use all day long.Engineering a battery to be baked in to a small device is no easy feat, but that doesn't mean we should settle for something less. And there are watches on the market that do offer exceptional battery life.
Case in point: Activité by Withings prides itself with a staggering eight month battery life. Not only that, they throw in an extra battery when the eight months are up. No charging docks here.
The next best battery life belongs to the Pebble Steel, which can last up to a week. It's hard to beat eight months though, so the Activité takes this crown.
Apps
When choosing a smartwatch, your decision ultimately comes down to what smartphone you own.Obviously, the Apple Watch will only work with iPhone and Android Wear watches only with Android. The battle for ecosystem supremacy between Apple and Google means your choice could be limited.
Only if there was a smartwatch that work with both … wait, the Pebble does!
Pebble smartwatch is compatible with iOS and Android and will be launching its own App store very soon.
The Apple Watch and Android Wear smartwatches are fairly strong when it comes apps, be it the pre-installed apps or third party. Apple Watch and Android Wear both have over 3,000, while the Pebble has over 1,000.
What's more, the developer community will give both ecosystems the app advantage compared to, say, Pebble or Windows.
But because the Pebble is compatible with iOS and Android, it lets more users in, no matter what smartphone is in their pockets.
However it does come a caveat. Apple Watch runs Watch OS alongside iOS and apps require data to be pulled of a connected iPhone, not the watch itself, which means there's a visible lag when loading apps, but as a whole the class of apps currently available are impressive and more than meet our needs.
Android Wear's watch faces are great fun and the Pebble Watch has a lead on the two with its iOS and Android compatibility.
A difficult one to call but we think the the Apple Watch just shades with its impressive class of pre-installed apps.
Price
Its difficult to establish what would be considered a reasonable price for a smartwatch.Hovering around the $230 (about £152, AU$293) mark seems like a good bet and great value for money.
Apple charging a luxury product for $17,000 (£13,500, AU$24,000) seems great business sense from the companies point of view but for consumers, purchasing the Sports version for $349 (£299, AU$499) containing the same features makes much more business sense.
The prices for Android Wear watches range around $250 (about £165, AU$319). The popular Moto 360 is priced at $249 (£200, AU$328) and have are now cheaper in the States for the basic straps, while the Samsung Gear Live is $260.
Final thoughts
Let's recap: our ultimate smartwatch would have the design of the Moto 360, the apps of the Apple Watch and the compatibility of Pebble.Battery life will always be an issue for the perfect smartwatch but it seems Withings and once again, Pebble have a good handle on it - however neither watch have that lovely display we'd all like.
Features are also a department where one watch brand will have it and another is sorely lacking. Google, Pebble, Samsung and Apple have a nice array of fitness and notification systems, but none have the killer feature to make their smartwatches truly stand out.
Like we said before, this watch will never be made, but who knows? Perhaps smartwatch makers will be inspired to improve the parts of their smartwacthes that are lacking and celebrate the parts we found exemplary. It's still a new area and we're seeing better and better wearables every year.
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Seventy-seven percent of organizations believe wearables can increase employee productivity
While there may be immediate benefits to wearables with hands-free notifications and health monitoring, Samsung says that the consumer-targeted hardware could also deliver benefits to businesses that adopt them. Like the BYOD movement that resulted in enterprises sanctioning consumer phones and tablets for work use, 70% of the participants in a PwC survey expect their employers to permit the use of wearables at work.
In the same survey, 77% of respondents believe that wearables can boost efficiency and productivity at work. An overwhelming majority of respondents believe that wearables complement their existing smartphones, rather than replace them.
With augmented reality devices like Samsung's Gear VR and wrist-worn smartwatches like the Gear S, Samsung says that businesses could benefit from an off-the-shelf solution.
An $18 billion market
The wearable market has more than tripled what it was in 2013. IDC estimates that over 19 million wearables were shipped in 2014, and this number is expected to soar to 111.9 million units by 2018.Over half of the 2,000 technology decision makers surveyed by Forrester Research said they intend on supporting wearables in the next 12 months, with a third saying this is a critical or high priority task. Forrester believes that the market will mature in 2017, and we'll see more enterprise apps that will make wearables commonplace in enterprises by 2020.
Samsung hopes to integrate wearables with its IoT strategy. The company intends to make 90% of its products IoT-compatible by 2017, allowing wearables to have access and control to products like home appliances, lighting and office equipment.
The growth in wearable adoption is expected to create an $18 billion industry by 2019 according to a report from ABI.
Research from Accenture Technology Labs states that wearables can increase productivity by delivering real-time data, hands-free collaboration and data sharing, and visual feedback for more informed decision-making.
Wearables at work
"There is a wide range of use cases for wearables [sic] technology in the workplace, from the simple ability to 'hands-free connect' with email, calendars or contacts when a smartphone or laptop isn't readily accessible to more purpose-built productivity applications for training, collaboration and real-time notifications," Samsung and IDG wrote in a joint research paper.Samsung is working with SAP to extend the SAP Mobility Platform to Samsung's mobile and wearable devices. Samsung says that this could help improve real-time decision-making.
The companies are exploring mobile banking and health management solutions.
"Samsung may integrate a security layer if it develops an enterprise-focused wearable, much like it has in its Galaxy smartphones and tablets with the Knox platform," PC World reported of a comment made by Samsung VP of Mobile Marketing Eric McCarty at a recent New York city event.
A challenge with introducing consumer wearables into the enterprise space is that enterprises may require more rugged devices.
Wearables in vertical industries
Wearables can deliver a lot of value in patient care in the healthcare industry. When worn by a patient, hospitals can push out notifications, appointment reminders and checkups. Doctors and caretakers can also receive information from the sensors embedded in a wearable device worn by a patient.Los Angeles-based hospital Cedar Sinai Medical Center is testing a similar medical wearable strategy using the rival Apple Watch.
In logistics, Samsung says that employees could use "wearables to unlock secured doors to allow access for deliveries, interact with automated storage/retrieval systems and adjust temperature and airflow in a smart storage environment." This could be a useful feature as it could eliminate locks that are accessible by PIN codes or key cards.
With retail and hospitality, Samsung says that wearables allow kitchen staff to connect to smart refrigerators to see inventory and ingredients available at a glance. Digital signage and promotional displays could also be controlled with a wearable device, and sales employees can leverage wearables to request and check inventory.
In education, the value of wearables is more apparent with augmented reality glasses where students can take virtual field trips or see 3D models. The Gear VR could deliver an immersive learning experience where students could study architecture, anatomy, or visualize the bond between atoms in chemistry.
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Apple takes aim at Spotify before Beats Music relaunch
Apple is using its weight in the music industry to push major record labels into pressuring streaming services like Spotify to abandon their free streaming deals, The Verge reports. This move would slim the competition for Apple's anticipated relaunch of the Beats Music service, but has reportedly garnered the scrutiny of the United States Department of Justice. The DOJ has already begun interviewing several important music officials, the report said.
Spotify is the largest subscription music streaming service, with over 60 million subscribers. However, only 15 million of those pay up each month, making Apple's upcoming competitive streaming service even more to dangerous to Spotify. That is, if the record labels don't renew their licenses for free music.
Apple has also, according to the report, offered to pay YouTube's music licensing fee to Universal Music Group if the label stops putting its songs on the site. Because of Apple's slow entry into the arena of music streaming, it appears to be trying to clear the field before its grand entrance. One unnamed music industry source said, "All the way up to Tim Cook, these guys are cutthroat."
With download numbers consistently falling because of companies like Spotify, it makes sense that Apple would want to throw its hat in the ring. While Cupertino has been behind the times on subscription-based music, it may succeed in choking off Spotify's free music, which was meant to be a gateway to paid subscription. Instead, free streaming has been a thorn in the sides of labels and Taylor Swift alike.
Via CNET
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Review: Cambridge Audio Go V2
Some Bluetooth speakers are flashy, others are subdued. You have your small options and much larger ones to choose from. With all of the bases covered, how can a Bluetooth speaker stand out in today's market?
The Cambridge Audio Go V2 tries by offering a middle ground for prospective buyers not only with a spiffy, but muted design that's the perfect size for a bookshelf, but with a few useful features added to the mix.
There are a few things to like, such as the battery, which will have you listening long into the night. But unfortunately, at $179 (£119, about AU$223), this speaker is outdone in almost every other way by more affordable, better-sounding options.
Design
The Cambridge Audio Go V2, unlike most other Bluetooth speakers, doesn't try too hard to be noticed. That's not to knock it. Just as there is an audience out there for the neon-infused, playful look of the UE Boom, the simplicity put into action here in the Go V2 will earn the hearts of many.
The front of the speaker is capped with a black grille, giving the speakers inside some protection while also allowing them to sing without obstruction. Similar to the Cambridge Audio G2, the branding is well out of the way, centered on the bottom of the grille.
Around the sides of the speaker, there is a unique blend of textures. The front-facing grille transitions into a ruggedized texture that makes it easy to clutch in a hurry. Moving toward the speaker's rear, a thin strip of rubber separates the tough-feeling front from its smoother, but also matte-textured, plastic back.
Five buttons make up the controls of the Go V2, enough to cover the most basic features within Bluetooth speakers today. The buttons themselves are glossy and concave, so they're easy to feel around for. The power button sticks out in the middle, as its just a little bit bigger than the others on the panel. To its left are the buttons for switching playback from Bluetooth to wired mode and one to pair your device to the over Bluetooth. Finishing off the panel of controls are a volume up and down button to the right of the power button.
On its back, three ports are wedged into the body: a USB port for charging devices with the speaker's battery, an aux port for wired listening and finally, an 18V port for plugging in the external power brick. Moving over to its center, there's a rear-firing bass radiator to help the Go V2's woofers push out some more "oomph".
There are a few goodies in the box to sweeten the deal. First off, the included power brick offers multi-regional support. If you're in a territory that uses plug types A, C, or G, then you're good to go. Cambridge Audio also threw in a slick tote to carry the speaker around in, as well as an aux cable in case you want to switch over to wired listening mode.
Performance
The Cambridge Audio Go V2's performance often echoes what its design does best: provide a middle ground that doesn't tilt too heavily in bass or brash highs. But even with balanced sound, its performance is inconsistent. It does, however, have a few redeeming qualities to offer as a silver lining.Firstly, the Go V2 is packed with some impressive guts for a Bluetooth speaker of its size: two 50mm woofers, two 19mm tweeters and a rear-firing bass radiator. These specs outweigh similarly priced options, but the sound performance still left me wanting more.
Listening to jazz, the sound's expression lacked depth and muddled the richness of each instrument into a bland presentation. To offer a crude analogy, hearing hip-hop tracks through the Go V2 was a bit like listening to someone giving a cute, but lackluster first try at a foreign language. The bass bottoms out, resulting in a rippling sound when the lows boom below the threshold set by the Go V2.
Things improved a bit while listening to rock. This genre works well with the Go V2, because of the emphasis on mids in its sound signature. But even then, most songs sound as if there is a layer of fog hanging over them. Sure, it has enough power to fill a room, but who would want to with generally inconsistent sound performance?
Where this Bluetooth speaker shines brightest is with its battery life. Cambridge Audio advertises a lifespan of 18 hours and in my tests, it surpassed it, finally petering out at close to the 20 hour mark. I plugged in a near-dead iPhone 5S to charge it using the Go V2's internal battery and I was pleased to discover that it didn't impact the battery life once it finished charging the phone. It still delivered close to 16 hours of battery life at a moderate volume.
Similar to to the $149 (£99, about AU$192) Cambridge Audio G2, the Go V2 sips power through an A/C adapter. It's big, ugly and frankly, a pain to lug around in a world where most Bluetooth speakers charge through a USB cable. What's worse, it doesn't charge much faster through its power brick than your average speaker does over USB.
Overall, my wireless experience with the Go V2 was flawless. It was simple to connect to via Bluetooth and NFC and the strength of the connection was solid. But the sound performance really put a dent on any fun I tried to have while listening.
Final verdict
The Cambridge Audio Go V2 offers plenty to like in the way of design. The build quality is understated, yet bold and allows for a handful of useful features to take form. But things begin to fall apart for the Go V2 at its $179 (£119, about AU$223) price.This is especially the case when considering the inconsistent sound performance you're paying for here. With some stellar competition, like the $130 (£120, AU$180) Bose SoundLink Color, all this speaker has going for it is a fantastic battery. For your money, you shouldn't pay this much for a Bluetooth speaker with such uninspired sound.
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Microsoft exec blasts Google's approach to Android updates
At Microsoft's Ignite conference in Chicago, Terry Myerson, EVP of Operating Systems at Microsoft, tossed the gloves aside and threw a haymaker toward Google's security standards. Branching off of the discussion surrounding Microsoft's new plans for security in Windows 10, Myerson accused Google of providing inconsistent support via security updates to Android phones, which might be putting you or your business at risk of being compromised.
"Google takes no responsibility to update customer devices and refuses to take responsibility to update their devices, leaving end users and businesses increasingly exposed every day they use an Android device," Myerson said.
According to the Windows Blog, Microsoft looks to distance itself from the business practices of its competition by designing Windows 10 with security features that act to blanket over vulnerabilities "at all layers of the stack" with continuous updates. That might sound obtuse, but here's a simple breakdown of Microsoft's goal: to provide security top to bottom, inside and out, from the software to the network and hardware level.
Microsoft plans to push ongoing updates to consumers through Windows Update on Windows 10, as it does today with Windows 8.1. But for businesses, Windows Update for Business will offer up a new method to roll out updates, uniquely placing this control in the hands of IT professionals.
The service "will reduce management costs, provide controls over update deployment, offer quicker access to security updates." Devices used for business in the future will be more secure than ever thanks to Long Term Servicing Branches, a new type of update from Microsoft, which serves continuous security support to devices long after release.
- We got our hands on the incredible Microsoft HoloLens
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This website is trolling a former HP CEO turned presidential candidate
We're still months away from the real mud to start flying in the US presidential election, but already there's a growing list of White House hopefuls and websites they wished didn't exist.
The most recent addition is Former HP CEO Carly Fiorina, who announced she's running for the highest office in the land Monday. And while Fiorina, who will seek a spot on the Republican ticket for next year's election, snapped up CarlyFiorina.com, someone in her campaign neglected to nab CarlyFiorina.org.
That domain has now been transformed into an illustrative look at everyone Fiorina laid off while at Hewlett-Packard. On one page, carlyfiorina.orp purports to show this figure in row-upon-row of sad faces.
At the bottom, a final count - and message - is given: "That's 30,000 people she laid off. People with families."
The site was created by an employee of the Service Employees International Union, as reported by The Hill. The employee said he made the site as a personal project and it's unrelated to his work with the union, and records show the CarlyFiorina.org domain was registered in December 2014.
Fiorina is just the latest potential candidate to see a domain with her name registered to a site they likely want no association with. TedCruz.com brandishes support for President Barack Obama and immigration reform (the Republican is not a fan of either). JebBushForPresident.com belongs to a gay couple who work in the tech field and host the site as a place to "have a chat, share viewpoints, and learn from each other."
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In Depth: Here are the Apple Watch faces ranked worst to best
What's the best Apple Watch face?
The Apple Watch is finally out and with 38 different case materials, colors, sizes and interchangeable Apple Watch bands, it seems the company really went all out to let you customize the wearable.
The watch face is probably where you'll start tailoring the watch to match your taste, and right now, there are ten interchangeable faces to choose from.
Simply use Force Touch - essentially a firm press - on the face of the watch and you'll be taken to a scrollable list. From there, you'll get the option to select one, with a few faces allowing further customization choices.
Some like Color and Simple look similar but remain unique with their varied functions. Then there's Movement which is gorgeous and worth flicking your wrist all the time to see a new moving image, even though it only tells you the time and date. More will be added over time with software updates - though they'll all be created in-house by Apple.
With all the different, pretty options, it's difficult to pick which one is the best of the bunch but we've made a list of the current Apple Watch faces and rated them from worst to best based on functionality, originality and beauty.
10. X-Large
If all you really want to see is the time displayed, then X-Large is the way to go. It's even simpler than the Simple watch face because it's just a clock without the ability for any add-ons.
The colors of the numbers can be changed between the eight choices you've already seen before.
9. Modular
Modular is the watch face you see first after the set up process. It's an odd choice since it's the least flashiest and looks more like a boring planning tool, but if you want your wrist to pack a lot of info with a modern visage, Modular's the perfect one.
Aside from changing the color, five slots are provided for interchangeable information which again consist of: date, calendar, moon phase, sunrise/sunset, weather, fitness summary, alarm, timer, stopwatch, battery life, world clock and stocks.
8. Color
Color lets you choose eight different shades and four different watch face additions in each corner, or none if you just want a simple clock.
The date, moon phase, sunrise/sunset, weather, fitness summary, alarm, timer, stopwatch, battery life and world clock can be interchanged.
Monogram even displays your initials in the middle of the watch though again, you don't have to.
7. Movement
Movement is perhaps the most magical Apple Watch face you can choose.
It took over 24,000 shots and 285 hours for Apple to show a single flower blooming for every instant you raise your wrist. There's a set of lovely butterflies (perhaps ten and counting) stretching their wings, flowers blooming and jellyfish slowly gliding.
Beyond the time and two variations of date, this face mostly focuses on the moving image.
6. Solar
Like Astronomy, Solar is another hidden gem. It keeps a low profile and doesn't let you add anything to the face but makes up by showing the various positions of the sun in addition to telling you how long it will be until sunset or how long ago sunrise was.
Simply move the Digital Crown back and forth to see what time the sun will be at a certain place, like noon or twilight. As it shifts, the face will subtly illustrate the time.
5. Utility
Utility is exactly like Simple in concept. The second hand color can be changed and both the numbers and detailing can be minimized or amplified.
However, only the two to corners can be customized while the bottom provides one extended view of your chosen customization rather than taking up the bottom corners.
Again, the following are your options for Utility: date, calendar, moon phase, sunrise/sunset, weather, fitness summary, alarm, timer, stopwatch, battery life, stocks and world clock.
4. Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse feels like another timeless clock face so it's nice to see it as an Apple Watch option. Apple even took it one step further and made sure this Mickey is tapping its toe once per second in perfect time with every other Mickey Mouse face on every other Apple Watch in the world.
Instead of just making it a fun little throwback to analog watches, this face can still host a few features.
Should you want more info beyond the Disney mouse, you can add the date, calendar, moon phase, sunrise/sunset, weather, fitness summary, alarm, timer, stopwatch, battery life, world clock and stocks.
Only the top two corners can be populated while the bottom shows an expanded view of one of the options previously listed.
3. Simple
Simple actually allows for some intense customization. The sweep hand's color can be changed along with the numbering and detailing. Specifically, you can add more lines around the face for a busier look or go completely simple and have zero lines.
Again, you can add the following bits of info on the the four corners of the watch: date, calendar, moon phase, sunrise/sunset, weather, fitness summary, alarm, timer, stopwatch, battery life and world clock.
2. Astronomy
Though the Astronomy watch face doesn't provide extra features, it's more functional than the other similarly, minimal faces.
It shows you the solar system and the exact position of the planets, sun and moon while displaying the day, date and current time.
Turning the Digital Crown moves time backwards or forwards causing the various planets to shift and spin. Pressing the crown resets it back to the normal time.
For even more fun, tapping the moon will show you the current lunar phase and turning the crown back and forth will show future and past phases. You'll get the same effect with the solar system where the crown will show you various planetary alignments.
1. Chronograph
This watch face looks quite a lot like a classic analog stopwatch and can be switched between various detailed faces to include even more precise time measurements. It also includes a stopwatch on the right corner, which can be activated right from the face instead of opening the stopwatch app.
There are seven colors you can choose to customize the face, though instead of the bright hues you find on the other options, Chronograph's are muted and range from forest green to navy or off-white.
You can also pop on other features to the three corners: date, calendar, moon phase, sunrise/sunset, weather, fitness summary, alarm, timer, stopwatch, battery life, stocks and world clock.
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Updated: Free Office 2016 preview is now open to the public
If you wanted to try out Office 2016 before buying it, now is your chance.
Office 2016 on the PC has been locked away from the public as a Consumer Technical Preview since February, but now Microsoft has finally released a Public Preview version of its productivity suite. The new version Microsoft's productivity suite is available as a free download for anyone who visits the Office 2016 Preview site.
Unlike the previous Technical Preview, you won't have to sign any long, complicated non-disclosure agreements to use the software either.
Built for the cloud
The Office 2016 suite brings new and more colorful versions of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook. Along with the new looks, these applications have been built from the ground up to work with Microsoft's cloud data service, OneDrive.On top of this, these smart application will learn more about the user as they are working to be even more productive. Outlook for instance has a new "Clutter" feature, which uses machine learning to analyze your email patterns to sort out your unimportant and spam emails into a separate folder.
Microsoft has also introduced the "Tell Me" search tool that allows users to quickly look up commands in Word, PowerPoint and Excel. Lastly, users can expect the Bing-powered Insights feature to help them find information from the web without having to leave the file or switch to a web browser.
Update: Office 2016 will also bring with it real-time Word doc co-authoring, according to The Verge. The functionality will come to Word first, but will extend to PowerPoint and Excel later on, according the site.
Users had the ability to co-author a Word document on the web, but will soon be able to do it via the desktop Office 2016 app. Look for the functionality to arrive in early summer.
- Is Windows 10 a return to form for Microsoft?
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UPDATED: Vanity Fair's photos from the Star Wars 7 set just outed who plays its central villain
Update: As reported by The Verge, Gwendoline Christie, beloved for her portrayal of Brienne of Tarth in HBO's "Game of Thrones," will be playing the chrome Stormtrooper named Captain Phasma. Vanity Fair writer Joanna Robinson tweeted the official photo of Christie in her armor earlier today.
While many Star Wars fans would love to freeze themselves in carbonite until December, when Star Wars: The Force Awakens releases, we all rejoice on May the Fourth. To celebrate Star Wars Day, Vanity Fair has released some breathtaking shots from the set of the upcoming seventh episode, taken by preeminent photographer, Annie Leibovitz.
Among the photos are a few juicy character reveals. As many suspected, Adam Driver's character has been confirmed to be Kylo Ren, the new baddie wielding the controversial hilted lightsaber from the first teaser. We also see Lupita N'yongo portraying C.G.I. space pirate, Maz Kanata, whose allegiance remains a mystery.
The photo to beat, however, is Oscar Isaac's character, Poe Dameron, posing against his trusty X-Wing. This is the stuff of nerd dreams and childhood posters.
These photos follow the release of Vanity Fair's latest cover, which features Harrison Ford, Peter Mayhew, John Boyega, and Daisy Ridley in all of their heroic glory. Check out all of the Vanity Fair's exclusive photos here.
- Want to keep up with all things Star Wars 7?
Lead image credit Vanity Fair
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Microsoft previews a customizable, versatile Windows 10 for enterprise
At its inaugural Ignite Conference in Chicago, Microsoft gave business users a preview of Windows 10's enterprise-specific features and toolsets. The operating system, which is rumored to go live this summer, will feature enhanced management, security and productivity options specifically designed for the business user.
Windows Update for Business is a new tool that will provide IT teams with streamlined access to recently launched security updates and features. The management application will enable IT to remotely (and quickly) install services and features on devices running Windows 10.
Microsoft also made available in technical preview System Center Configuration Manager for Windows 10, which will be integrated with Windows Update for Business. Like previous versions of this tool, the Windows 10 update gives IT teams the ability to deploy, update, manage and secure the operating system on all organizational devices.
Productivity
Delve users will be pleased to learn that in addition to aggregating and curating content from Microsoft applications like OneDrive and SharePoint, you will now be able to run analytics within the tool. Now, you will be able to measure, track and identify trends across your interactions with colleagues and external partners and clients.Microsoft also gave a deeper preview of SharePoint Server 2016 and Exchange Server 2016, both of which will be available for testing later in the year. The updated SharePoint Server will give companies that deploy the service in-house, but also run a cloud-based version of Office 365, access to cloud-based features. Exchange Server 2016 will feature a revamped collaboration experience, intelligent search, and a look and feel that is more in-line with Office 365.
Microsoft also announced that Office 2016 and Skype for Business are now available in broad public preview. Previously, only IT professionals and developers were given access to the still-in-development productivity tools.
Storage
Microsoft introduced the Azure Stack, which is designed to give organizations the option to run cloud-based Azure tools in on-premise datacenters. The new platform, which will be in preview later this summer, lets users run private, cloud-based applications that are integrated with an on-premise storage environment.SQL Server 2016 will be available to preview this summer. Microsoft has updated its database engine to include in-memory computing, new security and encryption technologies, built-in advanced analytics with the R language, and mobile BI for on-premises data, according to a Microsoft statement.
Windows Server 2016 is available today for an updated preview.
- Read our Windows 10 review
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