IT S TIME :: Kevin Haugen with an Introduction by Preston Bowman

Transcription

1

2 IT S TIME :: Kevin Haugen with an Introduction by Preston Bowman For almost a year now, I have been using the Moto 360 and it s become such a handy assistant that I can t imagine having a smart phone without a watch. I can easily and quickly see a text or an whenever I get it even if my phone is charging on the counter across the room. Driving is less distracting as a quick glance at my wrist for turn-by-turn directions replaces looking down or away at my phone. Setting up reminders on the watch has made life incredibly easier if I need to remember to pick up milk on my way home or to call a certain person I can simply tell my watch to remind me to do so at a certain time or at a certain place. And that just scratches the surface of the potential these devices have, they re not niche accessories anymore. Preston Bowman Previously we have focused on the newest smart phone releases ready to take the cellphone world by storm. This week it is time to look at the latest and greatest in the smart watch arena. When Apple unveiled their Apple Watch back in April, albeit with some criticisms, it was a major step forward in wearable technology. Now, the competition is looking to build upon that ground work.

3 Up first is LG s Urban Luxe. Arguably the most extravagant, along with the priciest, smart watch we will talk about. It is covered in 23-karat gold and comes with a strap made out of alligator leather. With the grandiose design, the price tag has also increased from LG s last smart watch. It is to cost roughly $1,200 which is a stark contrast to the $349 rate of the LG Urbane. The smart watch comes with 4 GB of internal storage and about a half gig of ram. The display is 3 inches round and is protected by gorilla glass. A nice feature is its waterproof ability in up to a meter of water for 30 minutes. But pretty much all of the other specifications like battery and screen resolution are similar to the LG Urbane. Which means if you got your heart set on the LG Urban Luxe, you ll be paying for an expensive upgrade to the exterior design. The LG Urban Luxe will be a limited edition with around 500 available for purchase and is set to debut in October.

4 Up next is Motorola s second generation of 360 smart watches. Following the same theme of giving their consumers the power to choose that was used heavily during their latest smart phone showcase, Motorola will have 3 different smart watch options. The first being a large edition, at 46 mm, which is being called the men s version. The second is a smaller model at 42 mm, and is classified as the women s version. Both can be customized with different styled bands, faces, straps and colors for a more personal feel. The smart watches come with a heart rate monitor and motion tracking, as well as water resistant features. Motorola has also improved the Moto software from its first generation 360 smart watch, improving upon performance and battery life. The third watch is a 360 sport model that comes with a silicon stretch band and has a 42 mm display. This particular smart watch has built in GPS and a screen designed to work in any lighting. The men s and women s model ships in a few weeks, while the sport model is set for release later this year. And will range in price from $299 to $429.

5 The last smart watch we will go over is the Samsung Gear S2. The watch comes in two different designs, the Gear S2 and the Gear S2 classic. The latter built for consumers who prefer a more timeless and standard watch design. Coming in a stylish black finish and matching leather band. While the Gear S2 are for those who enjoy a minimalistic and modern look. The Gear S2 will have a 1.2 inch display screen and will not be running on Google s Android system, but rather Samsung s own and lesser known Tizen operating system. Which means the smart watch will not be compatible with the growing list of wrist-ready apps and custom watch faces in the Android Wear store. The Gear S2 features fitness tracking, smart home control, and mobile payments. Samsung has also mentioned that the smart watch will be able make calls without needing to be paired with one of their smart phone. Due to a small 3G sim card in the watch. It is also reported that the new smart watch will have a battery life of up to two to three days. The Gear S2 and the Gears S2 classic will be available in October but what is still uncertain is how much the smart watches are going to cost.

6 TAKE A STAND :: David Jarvey Soon to come to IndieGogo, an up and coming company called Ventev is planning on producing a portable stand charger called ChargeStand. This charger would be one of the first of its kind, combining the convenience of a portable charger and a stand charger. With an interchangeable end and a 3000 mah battery, the ChargeStand will be able to give most phones a full charge while providing either a nice stand to watch videos or play games or the simple and small ease of a portable charger. Sign up to bid now for a chance to win a free Charge- Stand charger at

7 THE IPHONE 6S IS COMING :: Michael Manthei Pre-orders for the iphone 6s and 6s Plus continue through 9/24 with the big launch coming 9/25. Some highlights for Apple s next big thing... 3D Touch - which adds an extra dimension to your phone adding extra options and selections based on how hard you press the screen - and an improved 12 MP camera. Also, through Oct. 15 Verizon is offering a $200 bill credit for consumer accounts with trade-in of any working smart phone, new or upgrade. Now would be the time to make the switch if you are ready for a new phone. Reach out to Mike Manthei (mmanthei@goodkarmabrands.com) with questions.

8 ANDROID PAY If you have Google Wallet on your phone (which should be all Android users) you may or may not have noticed that it is now updated to Android Pay. We ll give Google a C- for naming creativity but an A+ when it comes to a simple and secure way to pay at tap-and-pay terminals. With the latest round of smart watch releases, Google has quietly updated the operating system Android Wear to be compatible with Apple devices. So if you re looking for a smart watch for your iphone, but don t want to spend a ton of money on the Apple watch, Motorola and LG have you covered. (Samsung uses its own Tizen OS for its watches... sorry Samsung). Trying to fix the problem of people staring at their phones, Apple decided to develope the Apple Watch. What did they use as an initial prototype? a.) an ipod Nano b.) an iphone with a strap c.) a Samsung Gear d.) a Timex Last week s answer: Apple s HQ is located in Cupertino, CA.