Apple Watch - page 62

Apple just posted its earnings for Q2 2017 and while the numbers aren’t as monstrous as last quarter’s, there’s a lot to love in the new report.

With revenues hitting $52.9 billion, Apple returned to growth for the second straight quarter with $11 billion in profit. iPhone sales were down year-over-year, but Apple CEO Tim Cook says demand for the iPhone 7 Plus is still high.

Future iPhones or Apple Watches may be able to help users with calorie counting, alongside the step-tracking and other information they already help us keep tabs on.

That’s according to a newly-published Apple patent, which describes device-readable RFID tags the company has invented. These could be used to send nutritional information — such as caloric value, fat and sugar content, and more — from food packaging to your NFC-enabled Apple device.

The iPhone helps with an endless number of tasks, but with a finite amount of battery life. So extra power is easy to find, whether it’s in an external battery or a battery integrated iPhone case.

But that battery is one more thing you have to charge. Strap on an Apple Watch and soon you are looking for a bigger bag that makes room for the charging needs of your various devices.

Portland-based Elevation Lab has a travel battery that takes virtually no room and can charge both your Apple Watch and iPhone a few times before it needs to recharge.

Google Maps, Amazon and eBay have all quietly dropped support for Apple Watch in their recent app updates.

So far, no reasons have been given for the decision, although Google noted that despite removing, “Apple Watch support from our latest iOS release [we] expect to support it again in the future.”

Photos of the first real smartwatch by Fitbit leaked to the internet today and based on the teaser images, Apple doesn’t have much to worry about.

Fitbit is supposedly planning to launch its proper smartwatch this fall along with a pair of Bluetooth earbuds. The company originally planned to unveil the products this spring to get a head start on Apple, but it looks like they could use some more development.

Take a closer look:

Apple currently offers more products than ever before. Whether you’re buying an iPhone, an iPad, a Mac, or even an Apple Watch, there are a bunch of options to consider before you hand over your cash in an Apple store.

Having options is always a good thing, but has Apple’s product portfolio become too confusing for consumers? Does the company even have the resources to keep everything fresh and fully-supported, or is its larger lineup hurting its products?

Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight as we battle it out over whether it’s time for Apple to streamline its product lineup.

Another alleged iPhone 8 schematic has leaked out of China, providing new details about Apple’s upcoming handset — including the tech behind its wireless charging capability.

The supposed iPhone 8 drawing surfaced on Weibo today. Unlike the last two schematics that leaked, this one includes detailed labeling of each part, revealing a dual-lens camera in the front and wireless charging in the back.

Just an hour after I finished installing the third iOS 10.3.2 beta on my iPhone, Apple has dropped a fourth. Alongside it comes new betas for macOS 10.12.5, tvOS 10.2.1, and watchOS 3.2.2 — all of which are available to download now if you’re a developer.

Superior iOS podcast app Overcast has issued a new 3.1 update, allowing users to send individual podcasts to their Apple Watch to listen to when they’re not in the immediate vicinity of their iPhone.

This is something that can’t be done with Apple’s official Podcasts app, even though users can send audio files from the iOS Music app.

Apple’s partnership with Nike has birthed a fresh new look for the Apple Watch Series 2 aimed at runners with a passion for style.

Nike unveiled its new twist on Apple’s iconic wearable today, dubbed the Apple Watch NikeLab. Nothing is new on the watch as far as hardware upgrades go, but the new “bone on black” band is so gorgeous fitness freaks will probably be lining up to get it on their wrists.

Apple puts fitness front and center in its advertising for Apple Watch Series 2, even going so far as to claim the device is a “superior sports watch.” But in reality, it is not a sports watch at all. It’s a smartwatch. And that’s a massively important distinction.

Sports watches, like the TomTom Runner or Garmin Forerunner, are cheaper and more reliable at logging workouts, while smartwatches are jacks of all trades, which usually means they are masters of none. Or at least, not masters of fitness.

The sad fact is that it doesn’t have to be this way. Right now, it’s mostly the software that is letting Apple Watch down. That’s why I’m hoping that with its next major software update, Apple will finally get its smartwatch into shape for fitness fans. Here’s what I want to see in watchOS 4, which Apple will likely unveil at its Worldwide Developers Conference this June.

Scoring Apple orders is a great thing if you’re a manufacturer, but don’t expect an easy ride!

The latest example of this is Quanta Computer, which up until now has been the chief supplier of the Apple Watch. However, according to a new report, Apple has decided to hand over 20-30 percent of Apple Watch orders as a way to”decrease Quanta’s price bargaining power.”

The iPhone 8 may take some design cues from the Apple Watch, if the latest rumor out of Asia turns out to be true.

Apple will supposedly use an improved version of the Apple Watch’s stainless steel as the frame for the new iPhone 8. Glass in the front and the back will sandwich the stainless steel plate on the iPhone 8 but, according to the report, it won’t have a curved screen.

Spotify is finally coming to your Apple Watch, thanks to a third-party app called Snowy.

Users will gain the ability to save Spotify playlists to their Watch so they can enjoy them offline when they leave the house without their iPhone. Plus, hands-free gestures will let them skip tracks and pause playback without touching the screen.

Apple is pushing Apple Watch adoption among its corporate and retail employees with a “Close The Rings” challenge that lets people working for the company win prizes for filling the rings on their Apple Watch.

Employees who complete the various stand, movement, and exercise challenges every day for a month can win an Activity rings pin, which are available in gold, silver, and bronze, depending on performance. There are also (future collectible) T-shirts available, reading “Close The Rings Challenge 1.0.”

Apple is suing Swatch over the Swiss watchmaker’s “Tick different” trademark.

Apple claims the trademark is a play on the “Think different” slogan it used for an iconic ad campaign in the late 1990s. To win the legal battle, Cupertino must prove that at least 50 percent of consumers associate the phrase with Apple branding.

The iPhone has never been more popular with teens, according to a new survey that found 76 percent of U.S. teenagers with a smartphone own an Apple.

Investment firm Piper Jaffray’s semiannual teen survey discovered that iPhone ownership among teenagers rose seven points from spring 2016, when 69 percent of U.S. teens owned an iPhone. The news gets even better for Apple — 81 percent of teens surveyed say they plan to buy an iPhone the next time they upgrade.

Apple is busting out a big batch of beta updates for developers today, bringing a host of new bug fixes and performance improvements to every single one of its platforms.

Developers can now download the second beta builds for iOS 10.3.2, macOS 10.12.5, watchOS 3.2.2 and tvOS 10.2.1 directly from Apple’s developer center, adding new fixes to iPhones, iPads, Macs, Apple TV and Apple Watch.

Fusing tech and fashion is the cornerstone of Rilee & Lo — makers of highly stylish stainless steel Apple Watch bands. Patent-pending for a reason, these bands fit perfectly and come in a range of beautiful finishes.

The bands contain a stretching mechanism allowing them to expand and contract for a super-comfy, close fit.

Grab a band for yourself or a give as a gift — for both sexes. Check out the full lineup of  Rilee & Lo’s stunning bands in our Watch Store.

Apple has reportedly added a second Apple Watch supplier to its manufacturing chain.

Until now, Quanta Computer has been the only assembler of Apple’s wearable, but Compal Electronics is expected to begin shipping Apple Watch Series 1 and Series 2 units in the second half of 2017.

Apple has confirmed that it will reveal its Q2 2017 earnings during a conference call on May 2.

The company’s results for the second fiscal quarter of this year will reveal the state of demand for iPhone 7 almost eight months into its cycle, and whether there is still plenty of excitement for the new MacBook Pro.

Imagination Technologies has confirmed that Apple will no longer use its graphics processing technology in future iOS devices.

The British company revealed that Apple is developing its own graphics processing units (GPUs), and it suspects Cupertino might be ripping off its intellectual property.

Apple dropped a colorful new ad for the Apple Watch Series 2 this morning to promote the wearable’s fitness features and waterproof design.

The fun new Apple Watch ad features a cast of different athletes going through their workouts while Beyoncé’s song “Freedom” blasts throughout the video. Other athletes and adventurers can be spotted in the minute-long ad that encourages watchers to “live bright.”

Check it out:

The new Theater Mode in watchOS 3.2 can do more than keep you from annoying others when you’re at the movies. If you track your sleep with your Apple Watch, Theater Mode can help you get some extra shut-eye.

One of the most important engineers behind Apple’s own Mail app has decided to leave the company and lend his skills to another email app creator.

Readdle, makers of the popular Spark email app for iOS, has hired away former Apple Mail engineering manager Terry Blanchard to work on ‘the future of email’ after he helped Apple develop its email app for the past six years.