In-Store Pickup Option Available for Apple Watch Orders

In-Store Pickup Option Available for Apple Watch Orders
If you take a peek at Apple\'s Online Store you\'ll see that Apple is preparing to offer the Watch in-store in the United States and other launch countries, listing that the Watch is "available soon" on the Apple Store iOS app and Apple Online Store. The option is greyed and is not selectable by the user. Up until this point, all Apple Watch orders including Watch bands must be ordered online, exclusively. Soon, customers will be able to order online and pick up their Watches in store. Upon arriving at the Apple Store, customers will be required to provide valid government photo ID and must match the name on the reservation and product. Apple originally planned to offer the Watch in-store, but due to manufacturing issues and high demand, the company revoked the idea.

‘Made for Apple Watch’ is Arrives with Third-party Band Support

‘Made for Apple Watch’ is Arrives with Third-party Band Support
On Monday, Apple announced their "Made for Apple Watch" program for companies to develop third-party Watch bands for Apple\'s wearable-device. A new branch on the developer portal, \'Creating Bands for Apple Watch,\' and it notes the new \'Made for Apple Watch\' program. The webpage notes that first-party bands are, “easily changed with simple release buttons and lugs that secure the band to the Apple Watch case," and third-party bands should as well. As any other guidelines for Apple, the Apple Watch band guidelines are pretty strict:

• Bands for Apple Watch must integrate two lugs that mate with the Apple Watch Band Interface
• Bands must not integrate magnetic chargers.
• Bands and lugs should pass a 72 hour salt mist test as specified in ASTM B117 with no visible corrosion
• Bands for Apple Watch must comply with applicable environmental regulations in the regions in which such bands are to be sold, and any applicable substance or material restrictions.

It was originally thought that Apple would be limiting customers to the companies first-party bands. This should give customers an ease of mind considering some have gone as far as modifying Apple\'s classic buckle.

Apple Confirms Tattoos Can Cause Issues with the Apple Watch

Apple Confirms Tattoos Can Cause Issues with the Apple Watch
A couple of days ago #tattoogate began trending all over the internet, claiming that the Apple Watch would not function properly if you had tattoos on your wrist. Following this, Apple has updated it\'s Apple Watch support page noting that tattoos can interfere with the devices\' functionality. According to Apple, "Permanent or temporary changes to your skin, such as some tattoos, can also impact heart rate sensor performance. The ink, pattern, and saturation of some tattoos can block light from the sensor, making it difficult to get reliable readings." The support document goes on to say that if your heart rate isn\'t properly being read, you should get an external heart rate monitor. Some users over on Reddit have also noted that having a tattoo may cause issues with the Watches ability to detect if you have taken off your wrist. Causing users to have to input your passcode frequently. Though, this is a first-gen product. The wearable device has suffered through a handful of issues such as faulty Taptic Engines and sticky Digital Crowns. In addition, the Watch is suffering major manufacturing issues causing certain models to ship in July.

Everywear Games Releases ‘Runeblade’ Exclusively for Apple Watch

Everywear Games Releases ‘Runeblade’ Exclusively for Apple Watch
Everywear Games, the dedicated smartwatch game development studio, have recently released their first fantasy adventure title ­– Runeblade –onto the Apple Watch. As a fully original smartwatch game, Runeblade mixes simple pick-up-and-play design with increasing complex gameplay. Set in a magical land, Runeblade places the player as the High Priestess of the War Mages who is in charge of stopping an ancient evil from destroying the world. Players must collect and upgrade an arsenal of weapons, armor, and spells to survive against their foes.

“April 2015 marks the beginning of smartwatch gaming. We’re thrilled to be at the forefront of Apple Watch game development with the release our first title, Runeblade,” said Aki Järvilehto, CEO of Everywear Games. “Our goal is to create the best smartwatch game experiences, and that’s meant designing specifically for the unique demands of smartwatch play from the start. It’s an exciting journey, and this is just the beginning.”

Runeblade is optimized to be easily played on the Apple Watch in quick 5 to 15 second bursts of action. Even though Runeblade is exclusive to the Apple Watch, it has an iPhone counterpart that allows players to access the Black Market for magic items or the Library for the lore behind the game. Interested? Runeblade is available for free to download by clicking here.

WSJ: Apple Watch Rollout Butchered by Faulty Taptic Engine

WSJ: Apple Watch Rollout Butchered by Faulty Taptic Engine
Customers have been concerned about the somewhat shaky Apple Watch launch. Within minutes of pre-orders, shipping dates slipped from "4/24-5/8" to June. On Wednesday, the Wall Street Journal reports that the Watches limited availability is due to faulty taptic engines. They note that mass production began in February, but quality test found some of them unreliable. The component is used in the Watch to produce a simulation of a tap on the wrist and is produced by two suppliers: AAC Technologies Holdings Inc. and Nidec Corp. Some of AAC\'s Taptic Engine was said to break down in the long run. So, Apple began to switch all of its production to Nindec\'s Taptic Engine. We\'re unsure how much the Taptic Engine has pushed back the production of the Apple Watch, though the WSJ said that suppliers have been told to slow down production until June. If this move is true, we\'re wondering how bad the Watch supply is versus demand.

Apple Rolling Out Apple Watch to More Countries Come June

Apple Rolling Out Apple Watch to More Countries Come June
Earlier this week during Apple\'s fiscal second quarter conference, Tim Cook said that the Apple Watch demand is much higher than supply, however, they are currently working on that. "I think we’re in a good position," Cook said. "And sometime in late June we currently anticipate being in a position where we could begin to sell the Apple Watch in additional countries. That’s our current plan." Supply has been extremely limited since its pre-orders began on April 10th. Some models began began delivering last week, though certain models (such as the Link Bracelet and Leather Loop), began with a 4 to 6 week shipping window and there\'s no indication on when they\'ll ship these models.

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in LA Integrates Apple’s HealthKit

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in LA Integrates Apple’s HealthKit
Earlier this week, the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in LA upgraded it\'s patient files over the weekend and integrated Apple\'s HealthKit health-tracking platform into their system, according to Bloomberg. The move will help doctors get a more comprehensive and complete overview of their patient. Giving them more health data to help doctors in the decision making process. The hospital has already updated its online medical records system, making the HealthKit data available to over 80,000 patients. Oddly enough, it seems as though the hospital doesn\'t give the patient an option to opt-out for the service. “We don’t really, fully know and understand how patients will want to use this and we’re going to basically stand ready to learn by what will happen,” Dworkin said. “Rather than turn it on as sort of an opt-in, we’ve basically enabled it for all of our patients,” he continued. “The opt-out is just don’t use it.”

Discover Bringing Apple Pay to Customers This Fall

Discover Bringing Apple Pay to Customers This Fall
In October last year Apple announced that they will be supporting its mobile payment service with the United States\' three biggest credit card providers -- Visa, MasterCard and American Express -- leaving Discover in the dust. Luckily, Discover made a huge announcement saying that they will be bringing support for Apple Pay to iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and Apple Watch customers this fall. Discover will be joining the nations four major credit card networks in the Apple Pay initiative in the United States. The media release reads, “As part of the agreement, Discover Network will enable eligible financial institutions, including Discover Debit issuers, to let their card holders use Apple Pay." As a Discover cardholder, you\'ll still receive all of the typical benefits including, including Cashback bonus and the Freeze It security tool.

1.7 Million Apple Watches Sold in US, Only 22% Shipped

1.7 Million Apple Watches Sold in US, Only 22% Shipped
Slice Intelligence notes Apple has sold over 1.7 million Apple Watches, though they\'ve only been able to ship 22% of those ordered. Slice said last week that Apple had sold just under one million Apple Watches on day one. They also gathered their data by scanning emails by over 2 million participants who have opted in for the service. Gathered from this data, only 22% of the orders have shipped between Friday and Sunday. The report goes on to say that 33% of customers had a ship date of April, 28 for May and 38% with an unknown ship date. From what we can gather, those who have June ship dates are being pushed up the queue with either mid-to-late May ship dates, or pushed all the way up and having shipping units.

Apple Watch Water Resistance Put to the Test

Apple Watch Water Resistance Put to the Test
I\'ve always praised my Pebble Watch for it\'s resistance to water. This meant I could put my watch on in the morning and not have to worry about it till I go to bed. The Apple Watch, on the other hand, made me a bit worrisome. According to Apple, the Watch has an IPX7 water resistance rating. In comparison, the Pebble Watch has a 5ATM water resistance rating. Find out more here. A new video submerged on YouTube Friday, testing out how water resistive Apple\'s wearable device really is. Not only do they demonstrate simple tasks like showering, but they go as far as going for a 5 minute swim with it. Here\'s the video: When Apple first announced the Watch back in September, nobody knew if the Apple Watch provided any sort of water resistance. Later on, Tim Cook told a group of Apple Store employees in Berlin that he wore the watch all day, even in the shower. Finally, at the company\'s Spring Forward event, Tim Cook and Co. let the world know that the Watch has an IPX7 water resistance rating. Here\'s what Apple recommends:

• IPX7 rated devices can withstand incidental exposure to water of up to 1 meter for up to 30 minutes.
• Indoor/outdoor use in the presence of rain, snow or brief splashes of water is a suitable activity.
• Any immersion of more than 1 meter, regardless of duration of immersion, or any immersion of more than 30 minutes, regardless of depth of immersion is not a suitable activity.

I would never wear my Apple Watch swimming, but showering with the wearable isn\'t too far off, it seems.

Apple Posts Three New Apple Watch Videos

Apple Posts Three New Apple Watch Videos

Today is the official Apple Watch launch day -- Apple has recently posted three new ads in celebration of the launch, \'Rise\', \'Up\' and \'Us\'. Each video focuses on one core feature of the Watch -- communication, time and fitness -- and demonstrates the Apple Watch being used in real-world scenarios. Rise Up Us Up until this point, Apple has had a tough time advertising the Apple, as it doesn\'t have a clear message as to what it should do. The Watch does a lot of things, but why should customers buy one and are you convinced?

Apple Watch App Store Now Available

Apple Watch App Store Now Available
If you\'re on iOS 8.2 or iOS 8.3 you\'ll now be able to access the App Store for the Apple Watch. All you have to do is head over to the Apple Watch app on your iPhone and tap the App Store tab. If the App Store doesn\'t load on your iPhone, kill the app and restart the Apple Watch app. The Apple Watch App Store is essentially the iOS App Store with a small spin. Both Apple Watch and iPhone screenshots are available in the App Description. Since there\'s no native Apple Watch apps available yet, any Apple Watch app you download will download the iPhone version on your home screen. The Apple Watch App Store is for customers to discover apps that are tailored towards the Apple Watch, nothing else. The Apple Watch App Store is available on iPhone 5 or higher running iOS 8.2 or later.

Apple Confirms Apple Watch Shipments ahead of Schedule

Apple Confirms Apple Watch Shipments ahead of Schedule
This afternoon Tim Cook and Co. confirmed that Apple Watch is being shipped ahead of the quoted shipping time for most customers. A spokesperson from BuzzFeed confirmed, "[Apple] is happy to be updating many customers today with the news that their Apple Watch will arrive sooner than expected." Furthermore, the spokesperson says Apple "is working to fill orders as quickly as possible based on the available supply and the order in which they were received," and explained that Apple is aware that many customers have a long shipping time for their Watch pre-orders, and are thankful for your patience. According to the Reddit subreddit, /r/AppleWatch, many customers who have May or June shipping dates began reporting that their Watch has changed from \'Processing Items\' to \'Preparing for Shipment.\' Though, it\'s worth noting that most of these reports revolve around the Apple Watch Sport with silver casing (this excludes the Space Gray Apple Watch Sport model).

Last Batch of Apple Watch Guided Tours Now Available

Last Batch of Apple Watch Guided Tours Now Available
Oover the last several weeks Apple has been pushing out Guided Tours to help customers understand how to use the Apple Watch. Today, they have pushed the final Guided Tour videos in the series: Apple Pay, Activity, and Workout. That makes a total of 10 Guided Tours for the wearable device. This week\'s batch of videos highlight: Apple Pay: A simple and elegant way of paying for items at the store. The video goes over how to use and setup Apple Pay. To setup the service, head over to your iPhone and set it up through the Apple Watch companion app. Activity: Learn how to navigate and setup the app. A simple overview of what the app does and how to fill the activity rings. Workout: How to select workouts, distance goals, and how to modify goal metrics. The initial batch of Apple Watches are set to ship out tomorrow. Do you think these Apple Watch Guided Tours useful?

Second Wave of Apple Watch Pre-orders Start May 8th

Second Wave of Apple Watch Pre-orders Start May 8th
Starting on May 8th, Apple will begin to take their second wave of Apple Watch pre-orders. This means consumers in countries such as Italy, according to iSpazio, will have a chance ti reserve their spot in line for the Apple Watch. According to an internal source, Apple Stores have already began receiving advertising materials and display tables for the Watch, which will be setup on May 7th. The report goes on to say that the Watch will be shipping to "a lot of other" countries on May 8th. It is unknown which countries will be receiving it just yet. Just like the first wave of countries like the United States, the Apple Watch will be sold exclusively online and will be shipped to your home. We assume that try-on appointments will also be available on the same day. Presumably, Apple will be shipping the second wave of Watches to first wave countries as well, as many of us have May 13th-27th shipping dates.

Angela Ahrendts: “It Was Not An Easy Decision”

Angela Ahrendts: “It Was Not An Easy Decision”
A video was sent out by Apple\'s retail chief Angela Ahrendts to Apple retail employees going over the concerns about the new MacBook and Apple Watch launch. Originally posted by French blog Mac4Ever, the video readdresses what she said in the internal memo sent out to employees last week. Here is a snippet as to what she said:

I would say the number one question, in-store and online, is will you have product in the store for purchase on April 24. And this is why last week we announced that due to the high global interest, and the initial supply, that we would only be taking orders online right now. I will give you updates every single week as we have much more information, but that is the plan for right now.

She\'s letting retail staff know that they should be ready for customers who come in with pre-order Watches, looking for help setting it up. She also mentions the new 12-inch MacBook, which launched on April 10, the same day as Apple Watch pre-orders. The Apple Watch isn\'t the company\'s best product launch ever. In fact, the company is taking a lot of heat for how the launch was handled, especially with shipping times going all the way up to July. Ahrendts wraps up the video by saying the Watch launch is the most unique product launch yet and should not be any indication of the company\'s future plans.

Apple Goes In-depth Behind Technology of Heart Rate Monitor in Apple Watch

Apple Goes In-depth Behind Technology of Heart Rate Monitor in Apple Watch
Ahead of the Apple Watch launch on Friday, Apple has published a new support page going over the Watches heart rate monitor. We know that the Apple Watch tracks your heart rate when you\'re doing a workout and every periodically throughout the day. Using the Heart Rate Glance, the user can check their heart rate as many times as they please. The Watch is also capable of determining the amount of calories burned per day using intensity data recorded during workouts. The support document notes that the Apple Watch will be recording your heart rate every 10 minutes. This data will be recorded in the in-house Health app for viewing this data at a later date and for third-party iPhone app support. The Watch has incredible software features, but the hardware is just as great. Apple also has a diagram of how the Apple Watch should be worn for the best accuracy. The function on the Watch isn\'t perfect either. To get an accurate reading, Apple recommends having the Watch close to your skin. Obviously, other aspects of the human body can negatively effect the Watches reading of the heart rate, as Apple claims.

A fancy way of describing how much blood flows through your skin, skin perfusion varies significantly from person to person and can also be impacted by the environment. If you’re exercising in the cold, for example, the skin perfusion in your wrist may be too low for the heart rate sensor to get a reading. Motion is another factor. Rhythmic movements, such as running or cycling, give better results compared to irregular movements, like tennis or boxing.

Will you be able to reliably trust the Apple Watch reading your heart rate?

Patents for Apple Watch Sport, Classic Buckle, and Link Bracelet Bands Awarded to Apple

Patents for Apple Watch Sport, Classic Buckle, and Link Bracelet Bands Awarded to Apple

The two Sport Bands that come included with the Apple Watch Sport.

Apple made some incredible innovations when it came to the Watch, but this extends to the bands as well. As the first batch of Watches get shipped out later this week, the United States Patent & Trademark Office has granted Apple for three patents for three popular Apple Watch band models, the Sport Band, Classic Buckle, and Link Bracelet. Oddly enough, the bands descriptions are fairly vague. All three bands are titled "Band" and cover "the ornamental design for a band". These patents come exactly one month after the USPTO granted a patent for the Modern Buckle to Apple. The patent illustrations for the Link Bracelet show the band with magnetic pegs and a spring-loaded butterfly clasp. The band is made out of stainless steel and is made with over one hundred different parts. The patent also covers the spacer links that have individual release buttons that allow Watch wearers to easily adjust their Link Bracelets. Gold custom-made link bracelets have also been spotted in the wild by celebrities such as Beyoncé and Karl Lagerfeld.

Apple Watch Most Successful Apple Product Ever

Apple Watch Most Successful Apple Product Ever
A trust-worthy Apple analyst has estimated that the Apple Watch sales within the first two weeks has hit a total of 3 million across the three models. Broken down that would be 1.8 million sport models, 1.2 million collection models, and 40,000 edition models, which adds up to 2 billion dollars in revenue. Carl Howe from Think […]

Apple Watch Takes Twice As Long to Boot As the iPhone

Apple Watch Takes Twice As Long to Boot As the iPhone
On Monday, a new video popped up on the web going over the boot times for Apple\'s upcoming Watch. The boot time averages sixty seconds, depending on the model, going up to the Clock face. First spotted by 9to5Mac, the video was recorded at an Apple Store on one of their demo units. The video should be taken with a grain of salt because this is based on an Apple Watch demo unit with a demo OS. The video shows off Apple\'s in-house S1 chip, specifically designed for the Watch. The processor had previously been noted to be comparable to Apple\'s A5 chip, giving it enough power to refresh the Watches display at a buttery smooth sixty frames per second. It\'s worth noting that the Watch takes much longer to boot than Apple\'s iPhone 4s, which is equipped with the A5 processor. The difference between boot times may indicate that the Watch is running at a lower clock speed to help retain a better battery life.