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2016 Top 5 Most Popular Stories Wearable Tech Fashion
Year In Review

Year In Review: The Most Popular Stories Of 2016

January 1, 2017

2016 Top 5 Most Popular Stories Wearable Tech Fashion

As we look forward to a year of new and exciting wearables, fashion tech, and (hopefully) things-we-have-yet-to-imagine, it seemed appropriate to look back at the most popular stories of 2016. This year’s top stories serve as a nice representation of what is happening in the industry at a macro level. Our top story of the year covers fashionable fitness trackers and as we move down the list we cover smartwatches, fashion tech, and connected devices. Take a look below to see what your fellow readers care the most about and thanks for making 2016 the best year yet for Circuits And Cable Knit!  

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by Doug Parker
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Apple Watch 2 Keynote September 2016 GPS Thin battery LTE
Watches

Apple Poised To Announce Updated Apple Watch 2 Tomorrow

September 7, 2016

Apple Watch 2 Keynote September 2016 GPS thin battery LTE

Tomorrow is Apple’s annual marque event to launch new iPhones. The keynote usually focuses mainly on the phones and the software that drives them. This year though, it looks likely a new Apple Watch will make an appearance. A quick browsing of Apple’s online store shows that nearly every model is sold out (all of the stainless versions are no longer available). There have been very few supply chain leaks about the wearable. This could mean that the smartwatch isn’t hitting the market immediately (often Apple uses their September event to announce items that will ship sometime before the holidays) or that Apple has simply done a better job managing leaks. There are a few tidbits that have bubbled to the surface though.  

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by Doug Parker
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WatchOS3 User Interface behavior approach dock Apple Watch contacts ios10
Watches, Wearable Technology

Apple’s watchOS 3 Introduces Redesigned User Interface Behavior

August 3, 2016

WatchOS3 User Interface behavior approach dock Apple Watch contacts ios10

While the jury is still out on whether the Apple Watch is a hit, it remains one of the top selling wearable devices and the best selling smart watch. When the device launched last Spring, it felt as if it was not fully finished. Even compared to what was shown the previous Fall at the Apple Watch announcement, there were missing features. Clearly version 1 of watchOS was all about getting something out the door. Barely two months later watchOS 2 was announced and it was obvious the updated operating system was meant to add back the features which were stripped from the device just before launch. Thus, this Fall’s watchOS 3 will be the first real update to Apple’s wearable.

As expected the new update adds some spit and polish to the overall Apple Watch experience. WatchOS 3 improves how watch faces behave and addresses some obvious issues, such as the speed with which apps launch. But the update goes deeper, rethinking the user experience for how people are actually using their device.  

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by Doug Parker
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Watches

Apple Releases watchOS 2 – Should You Upgrade?

September 22, 2015

Apple Watch watchOS 2 released

Apple has officially released watchOS2. The update to the Apple Watch was supposed to have been made available to the public last Wednesday, but Apple found a significant bug at the last minute which caused the software to be delayed. Now that it is out, the big question is should you upgrade? While a lot of people take a wait-and-see attitude with new software updates, holding off until a x.1 version to upgrade, we see no reason Apple Watch users should delay in the update. WatchOS 2 feels like the first complete operating system for the device and over the next few months will change the way you use the device. To us, the original 1.0 OS never felt finished and it was well known that Apple pulled features at the last minute to make the April release date.

 

While watchOS does not have a laundry list of new features like a new version of iOS does, it does bring some very important improvements. The most significant by far is that developers now have the ability to create… 

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by Doug Parker
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Software

Apple’s watchOS 2 Delayed On Planned Launch Date

September 17, 2015

 

Apple Watch watchOS 2 Delayed

Apple contacted various publications yesterday afternoon to help spread the word that watchOS 2 would be delayed. The much anticipated software update to the Apple Watch was supposed to have been available for download yesterday but the company found a significant bug at the last minute. After publicly announcing yesterday’s release date over a week ago, the issue must have been severe and difficult to solve quickly. There is no timetable for the update at this point other than Apple saying it would be available “shortly,” which in Apple parlance could mean anything.

We have played around with what was supposed to be the shipping version of watchOS 2 and it felt stable and quick. But once software rolled out for the new watchOS on the App Store, we were not able to launch any of the updated apps. It would get stuck launching and then crash back to the home screen. While not everyone was experiencing this, a quick browse of web forums showed we were not alone. Rumor is, that was the reason behind the delayed launch. Additionally, we found a couple of random oddities, the largest being a glitch that caused the calendar to erase and re-sync constantly for a few minutes (decimating the battery life). But that only happened once.  

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by Doug Parker
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Watches

Android Wear Updated With Interactive Complications

August 20, 2015

Android Wear Interactive Watchfaces Bits 1.3

Hey Android Wear users, been loving your Moto 360 but long for Apple Watch’s interactive complications. Get excited because Google has heard you pinning away and has released Android Wear version 1.3. The new version of Android Wear allows developers to include complications, such as weather and a calendar, that can be tapped on to display more information. For launch there are 3 new watch faces. ‘Bits’ is designed by the development team of one of our all time favorite mobile games: ‘Monument Valley.’ The highly customizable watch face allows you to have six circular complications of your choosing surrounding a clock. ‘Under Amour’ is more focused on physical activity, displaying step count, calories burnt, and distance. The third watch face is called ‘Together’ and enables you to easily send scribbles (like the Apple Watch’s digital touch), emojis, or photos to friends. The update should be rolling out to compatible watches over the next few weeks.

Updates like these continue to make Android Wear a compelling option. Custom watch faces that behave differently for different activities makes a lot of sense; it will be interesting to see if Samsung’s Tizen OS and Apple’s watchOS follow suit. While the Apple Watch allows for a high level of customization, their watch faces are largely derivative of each other.

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by Doug Parker
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