Tag: apple

Are You Ready For The Apple Watch?

Posted on by Lab Team

Today marks the official ship date for the first batch of Apple Watch pre-orders, but developers and brands have long been preparing for its arrival. With its limited screen space, the Watch might not seem very brand-friendly at first. In order to connect with users of the Watch, brands need to move away from the “interrupt and engage” approach to adding value within the appropriate context. Here’s how three industries are getting ready for Apple Watch:

Mobile Payment and Banking
Equipped with NFC chips, Apple Watch allows users to use Apple Pay without their phones once the devices are linked up. Besides making mobile payment as convenient as a simple lift of wrist, personal banking is also coming to Apple Watch as banks like Citi Bank and CIBC launch apps for Apple Watch. Citi’s Apple Watch app, for example, uses its Glance feature to show clients their financial information quickly, while also subtly notify the users when a purchase is made on their cards.

Healthcare
Another industry embracing the potential changes that Apple Watch might bring is medical healthcare. The use of smartwatches in healthcare communication, in particular, holds great potential to improve the speed and quality of care delivery. While sensors monitoring of activities, sleep cycles, pulse rate, and other biometrics have become standard features on most smartwatches, Apple Watch comes with over a dozen healthcare apps that can not only help people to stay fit, but also lets doctors preemptively recognize potential health risks.

Connected Devices
Thanks to the personal nature of smartwatches, the Apple Watch will be able to understand and anticipate behavioral needs, which makes it the perfect control hub for connected devices. Use cases range from the connected coffee machine that automatically starts brewing as you soon as you get up, to the connected light bulbs that create the perfect bedroom lighting to help you fall asleep. So far, at least 3 smart home brands have added support for Apple Watch, with more expected to follow soon.

So far, the Lab has received three of our pre-ordered Apple Watch, all set up and loaded with great apps. Visit us to try one on in person!

 

Apple’s Music App Is Getting “Spotified”

Posted on by Lab Team

Read original story on: 9to5Mac

Earlier this week, Apple released the first developer beta of iOS 8.4, giving the world a first look at its long-rumored redesign of the Music app. And with its all-new interfaces and improving queuing features, the new music app may easily remind users of the Spotify app.

With the announcement of Apple’s streaming music service expected at this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference starting June 8th, the revamped music app also puts Apple’s current music streaming service iTunes Radio front and center, with other design factors that heavily hint at further integrations of streaming functionality.

Apple Watch Pre-Orders Sold Out Within Six Hours

Posted on by Lab Team

Read original story on: 9to5Mac

Despite lukewarm reviews across the board, Apple Watch still proved it is very much in demand (or just limited supply, depending on your perspective), selling out all its pre-orders within six hours of its launch on Apple’s online store this morning. At the moment, many Apple Watch and Apple Watch Editions are not expected to ship until June, or even later.

To drum up consumer interests, Apple has reportedly spent $38M on its “Watch Reimagined” TV ad campaign since its March 9 event, compared to the $42M it spent over five months for iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. The Lab has ordered several models as well, so stay tuned for our upcoming hands-on testing and more.

 

Header image taken from Apple’s Website

 

Apple TV To Transform Into Smart Home Hub

Posted on by Lab Team

Read original article on: BuzzFeed

Apple will be releasing a major update of Apple TV at its upcoming WWDC in June, and it will reportedly be equipped with an App Store, an official SDK, Siri support, increased onboard storage, and perhaps most importantly, a long-awaited HomeKit integration that uses Siri to command connected home devices. Previously, Apple has been reported to be testing and positioning its set-top box to become the central hub for all smart home devices supporting Apple’s HomeKit, and it seems like the Internet of “iThings” will become a reality soon.

Global Watch: Apple’s Big Bet On The Chinese Market

Posted on by Richard Yao

Yesterday’s Apple Event brought a few surprises, such as a skinny gold MacBook and a new SDK for medical researchers. One thing, however, was clear from the start—Apple is really going after the Chinese market.

From the prominently featured Chinese consumers in various promo videos shown throughout the event, down to the deliberate choice of Tencent’s WeChat in the on-stage Apple Watch demo, Apple is sending a clear message to the Chinese market. And the Cupertino-based company certainly has good reasons to do so. As the biggest global market with over 520 million active smartphone users, China has become the fastest-growing and third-biggest revenue source for Apple, partly thanks to its recent retail expansion in the country.

Even though the gold Apple Watch Edition is already being widely ridiculed for its $10,000 price tag, luxury experts are pointing out the target market that Apple has in mind could very well be the 2.4 million newly-minted Chinese millionaires, a number that’s expected to double by 2018. Add in the fact that Chinese culture has a longstanding appreciation for gold as status symbol, Apple might just hit jackpot in China with the gold watch.

All You Need To Know About The New MacBook and Apple Watch

Posted on by Lab Team

The public has been patiently waiting for what’s next from Apple, with rumors circling about the Apple Watch and debates swirling about what else the company would debut at the March 9th Apple Live Event.

The most surprising announcement was undoubtedly the new 12” MacBook with Retina Display. At just 13.1 mm at its thickest point and weighing two pounds, it’s the thinnest and lightest MacBook the company has ever made. In order to streamline the laptop, Apple developed innovative features such as a more accurate “butterfly mechanism” for its keyboard and removed a the fan and venting system entirely. (And using just five watts of power, it’s also one of Apple’s most environmentally friendly models.) Interestingly, the trackpad uses the Taptic engine to provide haptic feedback, which was first teased on the Apple Watch. The new MacBook will be available on April 10th and cost between $1299-$1599.

Apple also announced several key details about their first foray into the wearable industry. The Apple Watch will be available in three different styles: Apple Watch ($549-$1099), Apple Watch Sport ($349-$399), and Apple Watch Edition ($10,000). Haptic feedback will be used in several novel ways, such as feeling a vibration when an Apple Pay transaction has been completed. Users will also be able to connect with other Watch wearers by sending drawings and even heart beats. In addition, the watch will serve as a health device, monitoring activity and notifying the person if they’ve been sitting too long. Together, these features make the Watch one of the most personal devices available, and we look forward to seeing how Watches will be adapted when they’re finally on the market April 24th.

Header image taken from apple.com

Top Five Trends From Today’s Apple Event

Posted on by Richard Yao

There’s no dispute that Apple is a market trendsetter, and today’s “Spring Forward” media event will undoubtedly keep people talking until the new products hit the shelves. Here are the five trends from today’s event that marketers need to know:

Wearables Peak With “Glanceable” Notifications
With the Watch’s official launch set for April 24, the wearables market is poised to hit a historic boom as all wearable makers gear up to capitalize on the forthcoming public attention. And as notifications move from mobile devices to the user’s wrist, it will become more important to provide “glanceable” content that can be easily addressed or ignored. Brands will need to experiment to deliver the right notification at the right moment or risk overwhelming the consumer.

Tech and Fashion Continue To Converge
The Apple Watch has three different collections, each with two finishes and six watch bands made of different materials. Among all these stylistic options, however, the one that stands out is undoubtedly its 18-karat gold edition—priced at $10,000—which marks Apple’s official entry into the luxury goods market. By limiting distribution, Apple is clearly taking a page out of high-fashion brands’ playbook, furthering the convergence of tech and fashion.

Further Integration Across Interfaces
Besides continuity between the Apple Watch and new MacBook, Apple is also making a play for the connected car and smart home. Not only are all major car manufacturers committed to integrating Apple’s CarPlay into new models, Apple also mentioned it is working with leading brands in home automation to expand the reach of its HomeKit platform. During the Watch demo, for example, Apple showcased a remote garage door control powered by alarm.com.

The Quantified Self Connects With Healthcare
Further integrating self-generated health data and healthcare, Apple highlighted a new ResearchKit that could potentially revolutionize the field of medical research. By partnering with several prestigious medical institutions, Apple’s new open-source platform will allow medical researchers to easily create apps that gather medical data. The company is also carefully balancing privacy concerns by making all studies opt-in and hiding results from Apple.

Displays Keep Getting Thinner And Sharper
Apple also stunned the crowd with the thinnest and lightest MacBook to date (13.1mm at the thickest and weighs just 2 pounds), and improving image quality with a 12-inch Retina display. As more and more devices upgrade to retina screens, brands need to make sure they are developing high-resolution content.

Header image taken from Apple.com

Apple TV Gains Exclusive HBO Now Support

Posted on by Lab Team

We reported last week on the new information on the standalone HBO streaming service, and now Apple has confirmed its involvement in launching this much-anticipated OTT service. Kicking off today’s event, Apple surprised the industry by announcing exclusive support for HBO Now.

Responding to the offerings from its competitors, especially Google’s Chromecast and Amazon Prime, Apple is also lowering the price of Apple TV from $99 down to $69 to give it a competitive edge. We expect to see Apple TV taking on an increasingly important role as Apple continues to push into the OTT market.

Header image taken from Apple.com

Update: Apple will have the online exclusive for three months, according to HBO. HBO Now may still come to existing pay-TV partners before that.

 

 

Why Uber Is Buying Its Own Mapping Solution

Posted on by Lab Team

Read original story on: Mashable

Uber has confirmed that it is acquiring the mapping and search startup deCarta for an unspecified amount.  Uber’s functionality relies on accurate locating and mapping technologies, and this acquisition seems to signal the company’s first step toward decreasing its dependence on the mapping services provided by Google and Apple.

This isn’t the first time that Uber has shown its interests in developing its own mapping system. Previously, Uber was reportedly planning to integrate Baidu Map for users in China through Baidu’s strategic investment. In light of recent news that both Google and Apple are developing their own car technologies, Uber might is clearly looking to step up its mapping game, starting with this acquisition.

Why Apple Watch Returned to Vogue

Posted on by Lab Team

Read original story on: 9to5Mac

After making its magazine debut on the cover of Vogue China last October, Apple Watch has once again popped up in the fashion publication with a multi-page spread showcasing its various collections. Moreover, the first video ad campaign for the Apple Watch has been released in the corresponding digital version of Vogue. Its first U.S. magazine cover, however, went to the latest issue of SELF, yet another female-centric lifestyle magazine. As we point out last year, tech and fashion industry need to work together to make wearables mainstream, and Apple has been doing exactly that.

 

Lead image taken from 9to5Channel’s YouTube Video