DirecTV has announced an update to its iOS app today that adds support for Apple Watch. With the DirecTV app on Apple Watch, users can play, pause, rewind, and fast forward recorded content on any connected receiver directly from their wrist.
Last month we showed you what exactly Apple would cover under warranty for Apple Watch customers and now images of the replacement box for the device have emerged. As shown in the images above, Apple does not want Apple Watch straps shipped during the warranty process and requires only the device itself.
Apple today has published a redesigned version of its Human Interface Guidelines website for Apple Watch WatchKit application development. The new website is far cleaner than the previous website, and introduces lengthier and more interactive descriptions of the different Apple Watch interface paradigms…
It’s no secret that the price of the Apple Watch rapidly increases if you want a gold model. The Apple Watch Edition with an 18 karat rose gold case starts at $10,000 and ranges to $17,000 for yellow gold models with a gold-plated band. Jewelers, however, looking to take some of Apple’s high-end Watch market, have now started offering their own take on the gold Apple Watch…
Some might write off Apple Watch’s ability to share your heartbeat as gimmicky, but these new parents have found a truly heartwarming use for it— to share their newborn’s heartbeat with family that weren’t able to make the occasion in person.
“Our first child was born and we used an Apple Watch Sport to send his heartbeat to our distant family members it was a really awesome experience that we couldn’t have done without the Apple Watch.”
[youtube=https://youtu.be/36o1glrs_-8]
One of the first companies to announce plans to make a battery strap for Apple Watch— allowing you to charge the device while on the go while continuing to wear it— has confirmed plans to tap into Apple Watch’s hidden port to charge the device and offer faster charging.
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As we reported would happen earlier this week, Apple this evening has updated its Apple Store app with support for Watch. From the app, users can get real-time order status updates, initiate the process of picking up an order, make and search for Genius Bar appointments, and discover events and workshops taking place in nearby Apple Stores.
The Wall Street Journal reports that the limited initial roll out of the Apple Watch was slowed by supply manufacturing issues concerning the Taptic Engine. The report claims that after mass production of the device began in February, reliability testing showed that some of the Taptic Engines supplied by AAC Technologies Holdings began to break down after use.
Apple Watch is finally here (well for some of us) and this week Zac, Benjamin, and Michael talk about their first impressions and experience with it. Has it been living up to the hype so far? Feel free to drop us a line about your Apple Watch experience at listenermail@9to5mac.com. The Happy Hour podcast is available for download on iTunes and through our dedicated RSS feed…
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Apple CEO Tim Cook announced during the company’s Q2 earnings call this evening that he anticipates Apple Watch will launch in additional countries by late June. As of right now, Apple Watch is only available in 9 countries. A report earlier this month claimed that Apple would launch Watch in a second-wave of countries on May 8th, but we quickly debunked that rumor.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afYnwnCp_D8
As the Apple Watch arrives in the hands of customers, Vogue has shared a video interview with Jony Ive and Marc Newson, in which the two discuss the design process of the device. Ive and designer Newson both discuss the reasons that customers may purchase the Apple Watch, as well as their own opinions on the design and the choices that went into the design process. The interview, conducted by Suzy Menkes, was held at the Condé Nast International Luxury Conference in Florence, Italy.
In coordination with the Watch’s worldwide release, Apple has ramped its marketing campaign further with three new ads that are airing starting today. The ads titled ‘Rise’, ‘Up’ and ‘Us’ focus on everyday activities being enhanced by the Watch. Unlike some of Apple’s product-focused marketing, this is more in the style of iPad commercials.
The ‘Rise’ ad focuses on morning activities, such as using the Watch to wake you up or answer text messages in the breakfast queue. ‘Up’ is focused on the Workout and Activity apps, highlighting the ‘Stand’ notifications and related fitness features. ‘Us’ focuses on communication highlighting Digital Touch sketch, tap and heartbeat sharing features as well as the controversial animated emoji.
All three videos are embedded after the break …
As the Apple Watch slowly starts arriving to customers, the folks at iFixit have gotten their hands on the device and have started the teardown process. As usual, the site has shared detailed images of the teardown process and anecdotes along the way.
As the first Apple Watch units begin to arrive on the doorsteps of customers, Amazon this evening has updated its iPhone app with support for Apple’s latest device. The Apple Watch Amazon app is full of features, including the ability to complete purchases from your wrist and add items to your Wish List. There’s also support for Apple’s Handoff feature.
Although the US will not receive their watches for a few more hours yet due to timezone discrepancies, some international customers have already taken delivery of their Apple Watch orders. For instance, some customers in Australia are now receiving their Watches, such as the one pictured above.
The image also clearly shows the packaging for the Apple Watch Sport finally. Unlike the gold Edition and stainless Watch models, the Sport is shipped in an elongated skinny rectangle with the Watch laid flat across the box.
More photos after the break …
Apple’s recently published User Guide for the Apple Watch appears to reveal that Apple is planning an authorized program for non-Apple branded Apple Watch straps:
Apple is yet to announce such a program, but such an offering for the future makes sense given Apple’s official “MFI” accessory programs for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod. A marquee feature of the Apple Watch is its ability to be quickly attached to various bands via a standard connection on the two sides of the device.
While Apple has not yet announced an authorized program for third-party bands, some enterprising accessory makers have already announced bands ranging from unique leather designs to bands that pack in backup batteries for on-the-go charging. Apple sells branded straps such as the Link Bracelet and Leather Loop.
Thanks, @MacTimeTV.
We’ve known for a while now that the popular Things to-do list management app is coming to the Apple Watch, and we even posted a few screenshots of the application this morning. But now, Cultured Code, the developers behind Things, have provided an in-depth look at how their application sets itself apart from the other task management Apple Watch applications. While the Mac, iPhone, and iPad versions of Things separate tasks into Today, Next, Scheduled, and Someday tasks, the Apple Watch app focuses in on the Today View.
Update: Apple has now uploaded today’s three new Guided Tour videos to YouTube, as well. They are embedded below.
Apple this evening has updated its Apple Watch Guided Tour webpage with three new videos. These new videos highlight Apple Pay, Activity, and Workout features of the Apple Watch.
The videos demonstrate the ability to pay via Apple Pay on your Apple Watch, track your daily activity with the Activity app, and set workout goals, regiments, and track heart rate via the Workout app.
Apple’s new video about its contributions to environmental protection appears to show a previously unseen and unannounced accessory for the Apple Watch. In a portion of the video detailing chargers for Apple devices ranging from the iPhone to the new MacBook, Apple shows a stainless steel Apple Watch being dropped on a stationary charging dock. This charging dock is noticeably different than the charger that’s included with the Apple Watch, and could be an official Apple alternative to the third-party Apple Watch stands and docks that are about to hit stores…
Ahead of the expected first Apple Watch arrivals on April 24th, Apple has began charging customer credit and debit cards. Various users on social media that pre-ordered the Apple Watch are reporting that they have been charged by Apple for their order. According to reader reports, both Apple Watch and Apple Watch Sport customers have been charged.
Twitterrific today has been updated with support for the Apple Watch. The update comes on the heels of Yelp also being updated with support for Apple’s latest product. The Twitterrific update bumps the app to version 5.11 and also includes actionable notifications. You can now reply to, favorite, and retweet tweets directly from the notification.
Yelp today has joined the long list of companies that have debuted apps for Apple Watch. In a blog post this evening, the popular ratings and reviews app shared the first screenshots of its Apple Watch app. The Yelp app for Apple Watch provides the majority of the information you’re used to seeing in the company’s other iOS apps, just on your wrist.
Glide, the app that lets users send live video messages, today becomes the first to bring the feature to Apple Watch. With an update to Glide’s iOS app, users of Apple Watch will be able to receive live videos messages right on their wrist, although it’s a one-way experience for Apple Watch as the device doesn’t yet include a camera; your responses will be limited to text.
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Mophie today has revealed its own dock for the Apple Watch. The dock is made with a durable aluminum construction and features leather accents around the base. At the top of the stand is a hole for Apple’s magnetic charger for the Apple Watch. The stand is designed with the charging cable in mind, which Mophie says makes for a clean and clutter free appearance.
