Apple Watch - page 82

Apple Watch owners with gigantic wrists are getting some relief today from Apple with a new set of extra-long bands that that can wrap around wrists up to 245mm.

The Apple Store is now stocking a new Link Bracelet Kit that can an add up to six additional stainless steel links to the 42mm Link bracelet. Apple is also introducing some new XL Sport bands for those using the cheaper model.

Making games can be as fun as playing them, and the key to mastering both is practice. After working through this bundle of lessons, you’ll be ready for the iOS game-making equivalent of Carnegie Hall. Covering the how-tos with over 20 games in four different genres, this package from StackSkills usually goes for over $2,000. But right now the whole thing is just $20 at Cult of Mac Deals.

After announcing its new Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 edge+ in New York City this morning, Samsung promised the next big thing is right around the corner.

The South Korean company was referring to its new Gear S2 smartwatch — its first with a round display — which will get its full reveal on September 3.

While Apple doesn’t recommend submerging the Apple Watch in water, there have been a number of swimmers who say their watches have held up to workouts in the pool.

But since Apple probably won’t honor a warranty for a Watch that stopped after a shower, why risk it? Catalyst, whose waterproof iPhone cases come highly rated by customers and tech journalists, has introduced a line of waterproof cases for the Apple Watch.

The Apple Watch is the most functional smartwatch you can slap on your wrist, but when it comes to style, it still leaves a lot to be desired. Russian design team Feld & Volk is ready to fix that, though, with an Apple Watch concept that draws upon the latest watchmaking trends used by top manufacturers.

You got an Apple Watch, congrats! It’s a beautiful, powerful, pricey bit of tech that’s also just a sharp table corner or door handle away from ruining your day. Make sure your new acquisition stands the test of time with Spigen’s protective Apple Watch protector and matching power stand. Right now the combo is just $21.99 at Cult of Mac Deals.

Jay Blahnik has been one of Apple’s key hires in getting the Apple Watch and now in one of his first extensive interviews since joining the company, Apple’s fitness guru has revealed how his teams of experts tried to differentiate the Apple Watch in the hugely competitive new wearables market.

When it came down to making Apple Watch, it wasn’t just about making something that looks good that also tracks your steps and calories. Blahnik tells Outside that Apple’s goal was to silence the noise by ignoring the fitness trends and focusing in on the three things that mattered the most.

Here are seven key things we learned from the interview:

As a fitness tracker, Apple Watch is currently little more than a fancy pedometer. It only tracks distance and calories — the quantity, not the quality, of your movement. That’s a problem because fitness is about more than burning calories.

However, an interesting patent from Apple — plus a new technology claimed to be “Siri for understanding human movement” — suggests that Apple Watch could soon be adding weightlifting to its repertoire. Which would be good news for gym-goers and CrossFitters everywhere.

The Apple Watch just went on sale in Russia on July 31, but if you’re looking to get something extra special to celebrate your favorite Russian dictators leaders, luxury design firm Caviar has the perfect timepiece for you.

Apple Watch is changing the face (pun intended) of user interaction and design. But developing its next generation of apps also requires having a foot in the still-vibrant world of iOS. Lucky for you budding Watch whizzes, we’ve found a bundle of 5 courses that bridge the worlds of wearable and mobile development, by teaching essential skills through building real, working apps on both platforms. And right now it’s going for 93% off, $25 at Cult of Mac Deals.

MadeWorn made a name for itself putting insanely detailed engravings on expensive Rolexes for celebrities willing to shell out thousands of dollars for the custom timepieces. Now the Los Angeles-based company has put founder and artist Blaine Halvorson’s touch on the Apple Watch — and it looks absolutely crazy.

Most luxury watch makers are desperately coming up with a plan to keep traditional watch wearers from upgrading to Apple’s decadent smartwatch, but California-based Nico Gerard has decided to follow the age-old adage, if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.

For the company’s new Pinnacle line of Swiss timepieces launching on Monday, the watch maker has created a special bracelet that lets you slap a 38mm Apple Watch to the inside of your wrist. It’s like the mullet of smartwatches, business in the front, party in the back.

Check it out:

We have the technology. We can make the Cult of Mac website better than it was. Better, stronger, faster.

We can and we did (and it didn’t cost us $6 million, either). In this week’s issue of Cult of Mac Magazine for iPhone and iPad, you’ll get the scoop on our website’s redesign, plus updates on Apple TV, opinions on Apple Watch and some totally disarming selfies.

Using a running app to log your workouts is a great way to track your progress and stay motivated. But have you considered who actually owns the workout data you are logging?

If you ever decide to switch apps, you might be in for a surprise. While some services, like Strava, make it easy to transfer your data, with others it can be difficult or even impossible.

Apple told investors earlier this month that sales of the Apple Watch have far exceeded its own internal expectations, but some of the companies that are making parts for the new wearable are claiming that they can’t even break even because demand is so weak.

Taiwan’s Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE) which makes the system-in-package case that contains Apple Watch’s array of sensors and chips, told investors during a conference call that it still hasn’t reached “break even volume” of two million units per month.

For me, it’s the burning question of 2015: “Should I buy an Apple Watch?”

As editor and publisher of Cult of Mac, everybody’s always asking me if Apple’s smartwatch is a must-buy. The simple answer is there’s no simple answer, for reasons that might surprise you.

The Apple Watch went on sale in New Zealand, Russia and Turkey today, with the wearable devices available at the countries’ respective Apple Online Stores and brick-and-mortar retailers.

In Russia, Watches can be purchased in person at iPort, Re:Store, and C-store Internet stores. In Turkey, customers can do in-store pickup at Apple Stores in Istanbul’s Zorlu Center and Akasya Shopping Center. In New Zealand, Watches are available at select Apple Stores.

Apparently, it isn’t enough that our phones, appliances, TVs, thermostats and light bulbs are getting Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections so we can control them remotely and teach them our habits. No — some enterprising souls are looking at their stuff and just gasping at how dumb all of it is.

And so, things that we may never have thought of slapping the “smart” prefix on are getting all wired up and clever. Here are a few of the more interesting ones.

I dropped everything to make apps for the Apple Watch. I’ve owned the Watch from day one and I admit it is has its shortcomings, but oh my does it have potential.

The device convinced my co-founders and me to start Tap Get to work exclusively on Apple Watch apps — early, while the rest of the world is still making up its mind about smartwatches and other wearables.

Just in case there are still people out there asking what the Apple Watch does, Apple has debuted three new ads showing off some of the great apps you can use on its breakthrough wearable device.

Covering music, fitness and travel, the apps run the gamut from Shazam and Instagram to MLB At Bat, Yelp and Apple’s own Activity app. They follow on from another series of spots Apple recently released, showing off additional travel and fitness apps on the Watch.

Although Apple hasn’t yet publicly revealed Apple Watch sales, Tim Cook said during last week’s earnings call that the company is more than happy with the number of devices it’s sold so far. Users seem happy, too, with reported higher satisfaction rates than were enjoyed by either the first generation iPhone or iPad.

Check out the ads below:

Apple debuted the Apple Watch at its own stores and special upmarket pop-up boutiques, but now that the device has been on sale for a while, we’re starting to see it trickle-down to other retailers, too.

One of these outlets is Best Buy, which has confirmed it will be selling the Apple Watch at more than 100 stores in the U.S. from August. That number is set to expand to more than 300 outlets by the holiday season.

Everybody likes to get a good chuckle out of Siri, Apple’s virtual assistant. But we really have to call its brand neutrality into question.

Despite all of the doom and gloom we’ve been hearing since the Apple Watch launched in April, including the company’s own reluctance to let us know how well the device is selling, it looks like our favorite digital helper has decided that it’s a winner.

Asking Siri “What is your favorite watch?” or “What do you think of the Apple Watch?” will get you some enthusiastic endorsements of Apple’s latest gizmo. And this is our surprised face.

Apple Watch comes with a limited number of functional, classy watch faces for you to use, but it totally lacks wacky, personalized watch faces for you to gloat over. If you’re searching for cool Apple Watch faces that stand out, there are plenty of options to explore.

Now a new collection of images shows how cool it would be if we had the ability to customize our Apple Watch faces the way we want. Note, though, that many of these would be impractical for telling time. As my co-worker Evan Killham said when he saw these ideas, “Where does the clock part go?”

This week: some pundits are fed up with Apple music, but you know what? We’re not. Plus: Apple’s Back To School promotion is finally unveiled; Apple Watch topples expectations, gets an insane satisfaction rating; iOS devices cross a major threshold; plus we answer your questions on an all-new #CultCastQnA.

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Show notes ahead. Bon appétit.

We hope that the designer of this cute Apple Watch stand doesn’t get an adorable little cease-and-desist letter in the mail.

The WatchMe stand bears an uncanny resemblance to the stars of some despicable memes scattered across the Internet like salt, but it isn’t a complete rip-off. They don’t have arms, after all. And luckily, the Apple Watch, which the stand wears like a monocle, isn’t round.

So it’s a toss-up, really.