Wearable

According to a source familiar with the inner workings of the South Korean tech giant, Samsung is planning to revive the Galaxy Watch lineup on August 7. The codename of the Galaxy Watch 2 is "Renaissance" but there is no information about its specs and features. However, we can safely assume that a digital bezel is present.

The Nucleus Profile Plus is a freshly-approved hearing aid from Cochlear that can connect to an Android phone using Google's new, improved ASHA protocol for this purpose. It allows those with aural impairments to control, stream from and interact with their phone. Unlike others before it with the same, the Profile Plus is an actual implant, and one that can withstand certain MRI scans at that.

After applying the latest Wear OS update, those using compatible smart wearables will be able to manage the tiles from the connected smartphones, as well as from the smartwatches themselves. The list of tiles that can be added includes Google News Headlines, Google Fit Goals, Google Calendar Next event, and so on.

A micro-display is a panel that may be made of conventional materials such as OLED or LCD, yet are 2 inches at most on the diagonal. They are incorporated into everyday devices such as digital cameras, and in emerging categories such as heads-up or head-mounted displays. The latest research suggests that their market will be worth US$3.42 billion in the next 6 years.

Xiaomi has released the Mi Band 4 and it seems likely that the device will not disappoint. The Chinese company has created three variants of the fitness tracker, which is brimming with features that appear to contradict its considerably low price. Xiaomi has the basic model of the Mi Band 4 retailing for just 169 yuan, which is about US$24.

Google Maps is reportedly rolling out a new feature intended to benefit users taking taxis or ride-shares in unfamiliar locations. It starts to send alerts if the vehicle in question starts to deviate from a given route by 500 meters or more. This new setting has only been observed in the Indian market so far, however.

Dr. Guy Leschziner, a prominent neurologist and consultant in London's sleep-medicine arena, has recently indicated his belief that sleep-tracking apps and similar technology may backfire on the user. This is apparently due to a 'one-size-fits-all' approach to sleep metrics employed by these apps.

Aukey is already a familiar name in the affordable personal audio game. Now, it has released a new line of earphones called the Key Series with a higher-end appeal. It comprises the EP-T10 true wireless earbuds and EP-B80 wireless earphones, as well as the more sporty wireless EP-B60 set and the EP-B33 neckbuds.

A new teaser confirms that Xiaomi will officially launch the Mi Band 4, its upcoming fitness band, on June 11. The successor to the popular Mi Band 3 will have a larger battery than its predecessor along with a larger, and OLED, display. The Mi Band 4 is expected to be considerably more expensive than the Mi Band 3 too.

Actual real-life pictures of Xiaomi’s Mi Band 4 fitness wearable have been leaked. The images show that the display part of the Mi Band 4 is very similar to the renders that were leaked last month. The Mi Band 4 gets a considerable upgrade over its predecessor by sporting a color display instead of a monochrome OLED.

Bose has launched an all-new range of premium noise cancelling headphones. The first to hit the market is the new Headphones 700 that packs in 11 levels of noise cancellation.

Qualcomm is at the Augmented World Expo (AWE) to launch its new Snapdragon Smart Viewer Reference Design. It is a reference VR headset based on the XR1 Platform. This device has a DJI display, up-to-date controllers, interfaces and a Standalone Mode.

The Sprint TREBL with Magic Box is a small cell solution that also integrates Amazon Alexa voice-assistance and Harman Kardon sound quality. This combination makes it unique in its product category. Perhaps this is how it has won the Small Cell Forum's Judges' Choice Award for this year.

GoPro has a history of allowing its customers to trade their existing cameras in for something off the cost of a new model of this brand. However, this offer has never been available in the European Union's (EU) member-states before. This has now changed: customers in these 28 countries can now "trade-up" their cameras for €100 (about US$112) off a Fusion or Hero7 Black's price.

Casio has released the WSD-F30RG, its newest smartwatch from the PRO TREK line. It has an OLED display, but also has individual monochrome and color overlays. The OEM also asserts that it has an improved resolution for detailed legibility on its screen.

Google has announced the next generation Google Glass - called the Glass Enterprise 2. The improvements show the evolution of the device from the Original Glass through to the Glass Enterprise launched in 2017. Changes to the device improve its usability for firms while a reduced price looks set to expand its user base.

The Quest is Oculus' first all-in-one virtual reality (VR) headset. It is available for sale from today (May 21, 2019). It is also a truly wireless VR set, and uses the company's imaging and touch-sensor technology to deliver this. The Quest starts at US$399 for a model with 64GB of on-board memory.

The super-pricey style house Louis Vuitton has unveiled a new range called "Canvas of the Future". This, appropriately enough, means bags that incorporate flexible displays from the OEM Royole. These displays can make the side of the bag show nearly anything, and can also be controlled by the owner.

The latest software update for the Galaxy Watch, Gear S3, and Gear Sport is now rolling out over-the-air. The new One UI firmware comes with improved sleep and workout tracking, an updated settings menu, the ability to turn on and off the sleeping mode, as well as various minor tweaks and fixes.

MediaTek will design AI-centric SoCs specifically for home security, screened devices, and voice-activated appliances. The goal is to get a head start in the fast-growing smart home market where big competitors like Intel, Samsung, Qualcomm, and Huawei have yet to focus on.

Nura the company behind the critically acclaimed NuraPhone learning headphones has launched its first Bluetooth earphones. The like NuraPhone, the NuraLoop learns and adapts to the way a listener’s ears respond to audio tones to create a customized listening experience.

WeChat claims to have over 1.1 billion users per month, 800 million of who also use WeChat Pay. Now, the company intends to make the use of this aspect of the service easier to use abroad. This involves improving on its existing payments systems in Europe.

The OnePlus 7 and 7 Pro were recently released alongside some new features for their Android skin, OxygenOS. They include new camera modes, including a second-generation NightScape for low-light shots. However, the OEM has indicated that older flagships may not be in line for the same.

DJI has officially launched its Osmo Action camera. The new device has been targeted squarely at Go Pro’s action cameras but offers a slightly different take by including a screen on both the front and the rear of the device for selfies.

Some renders of Xiaomi’s Mi Band 4 fitness tracker have been leaked online. The wearable now appears to have a color screen, which will be a new feature in the Mi Band series. It looks slightly refined in comparison to its predecessor, and it is expected to be released within the next few months.

Xiaomi India’s managing director, Manu Kumar Jain, has announced a new initiative by the OEM: a vending machine for its devices and accessories. It is located in Manyata Technological Park, Bengaluru. The innovative "Mi Express Kiosk" accepts a wide range of payment types to dispense phones, power banks and more.

Google's head and director of its Android and Chrome division took part in a media outlet's podcast during the I/O event this year. In the course of the interview in question, the two executives confirmed openly for the first time that Fuchsia OS does in fact exist. However, it was also subsequently dismissed as an 'experiment'.

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has reportedly launched a full-scale probe into Google's business practices. It is doing so based on allegations of anti-trust behaviors on the part of the Mountain View giant. Should the CCI find a basis for these complaints, the target could be liable for potentially sizable penalties.

Earphones and headphone sales drive a healthy market in the United States. The market analysis firm ReportBuyer estimates that it will grow at a compound rate of over 12% until it is worth approximately US$9 billion in 2024. The products in question are mostly used in fitness, entertainment and gaming pursuits.

The popular audio company Skullcandy has unveiled Indy, a pair of truly wireless earbuds aimed at those wishing to get into this product category at a decent price. They offer IP55 ingress protection, Bluetooth 5.0 and a combined battery life of 16 hours for US$79.99.

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission has ordered the recall of a wireless charging pad sold by the company Imagine Nation Books due to a burn hazard. This order affects about 64,000 of these products circulating in the country. Those who have bought them are advised to return them for a refund without delay.

Today (May 9, 2019), Qualcomm unveils support for Google Fast Pair and for Google Assistant on its current Smart Headset hardware platform. It incorporates the most up-to-date low-power Bluetooth audio SoCs the chip-maker has to offer. The new levels of support may enhance the advanced mobile-device audio experience consumers may expect these days.

Anker has released details on its new PowerIQ chips to control its upcoming charging accessories. The OEM asserts that they are compatible with QuickCharge 3.0 and PowerDelivery (PD) platforms that charge at up to 100 watts (W). However, the first PowerIQ 3.0 product will be a 60W 2-port charger that can be used with a MacBook.

The Nubia Alpha is an innovative device that may pioneer a trend of wrap-around displays on wrist-worm devices. Its latest trick is to have appeared on the JerryRigEverything channel for durability testing. Can this much really be expected of a wearable with a flexible screen?

The Financial Times claims that its sources have told it that the EU will indeed probe Apple's potential anti-competition business practices. The decision follows 'surveys' of interested parties such as Spotify, who claim that the Cupertino company rigs music consumption on the iOS platform in its own favor.

Spotify has reportedly rolled out a new kind of ad to grab user attention in the United States. The messages involved apparently encourage the user to give a voice command in order to navigate to relevant sponsored content. These ads are scarce at present, but could conceivably become more common should Spotify find them successful.

It has been reported that an AirPod has managed to survive passing through the entire digestive system of an adult male human being. Fortunately, this is not some new horrifying development test by Apple nor is it an extreme benchmark created by a voracious tech blogger. It’s simply the result of a case of accidental swallowing while sleeping.

Counterpoint Research's latest data on the smartwatch market indicates that 48% more of these products were shipped in 2019's first quarter (1Q2019) compared to that of 2018. Apple still has a considerable majority in these terms. This may have something to do with the ECG functionality of its fourth-gen Watch.

Are you a fan of open source? Do you like making things? If so, then the SmarchWatch, a homebrew smartwatch, could be the ideal project for you. You will need a 3D printer and plenty of patience though.

Facebook’s Oculus has announced that its two newest VR headsets will begin shipping on May 21. The Oculus Quest is the company’s first all-in-one VR gaming system while the Oculus Rift S is the successor t the original Oculus Rift headset and is targeted at more serious VR gamers with decent PC gaming rigs.

Massdrop has become increasingly well-known among the tech community as a company that makes or sources products based on the feedback given by its customers. This has released in novel electronics such as the Massdrop x Sennheiser audio range. It has announced a re-brand: it will simply be called Drop in the future.

Some users of Android smartwatches have complained that Google Maps fails to show any information following its newest updates. This issue was originally thought to affect Ticwatch devices only, but has also been reported on watches from other OEMs. To date, it appears that uninstalling updates is the only valid fix.

Creative has finally joined the true wireless earphone market with the new Outlier Air buds. They boast IP5X ingress protection, 10 hours of playback on a single charge and graphene in their driver-diaphragms. These Bluetooth 5.0 buds retail for US$79.99 on the OEM's own website.

An XDA contributor has noticed that Google Maps has gained the ability to scan a mobile device's clipboard for addresses. This enables it to suggest an address that has been copied from, say, Chrome, in its search bar without the need for a button or option to paste it. It is not clear when this new feature of Maps arose.

Samsung designed the Galaxy Buds as a wireless audio companion for devices such as the Galaxy S10s. However, they have recently improved in this capacity through a new software update. It allows the user to operate them using Bixby alone if they choose.

Casio has unveiled a new addition to the MT-G line of G-SHOCKs. It has Bluetooth connectivity so as to maintain accurate time via a dedicated phone app. This new 'bright red' MT-G is rated for 200M water- and shock- resistance, as well as its maker's 'tough' solar technology to stay charged.

Google Pay has gained more functionality in a new update. It involves the ability to 'scan' Gmail for information on a user's financial perks and other info. This includes rewards from using loyalty cards or other similar systems.

Google and Apple provide and maintain 2 of the largest app markets in the world. The Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets has decided to investigate them with regard to how third-party developers are treated on these platforms compared to their respective first-party counterparts.

Google Wallet has reportedly gained access to a number of Google accounts over the last few days. That would be fine and all - if the official iteration of this app still existed. It was discontinued and absorbed into Google Pay some time ago, meaning that this name may now be used by scammers to steal user payment details or funds.

Huawei launched sales of the P30 and P30 Pro in China yesterday (April 11, 2019). It now asserts that it took only 10 seconds for it to run out of stock of the new flagships during this event. The OEM reportedly earned 200 million yuan (about US$29.8 million) in this process.