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09.23.17 Telecom

Hands On: This is the Apple Watch’s most important update yet

Image: karissa bell/mashable

Apple just upped its smartwatch game in a huge way.

The Apple Watch Series 3 is the biggest and most consequential update to date. By adding LTE connectivity, Apple has delivered an upgrade that will completely change how you use the device.

SEE ALSO: Apple’s biggest announcement won’t be the iPhone 8, but HOW you use it

Earlier iterations of the Apple Watch, and frankly, most other smartwatches, have been hamstrung by their dependency on your phone for data. By completely untethering the watch from your iPhone, it’s not a completely different story. 

Prior to today’s unveiling there was some speculation as to whether Apple would significantly change up the design with Series 3. Not only did Apple not change the form factor of its watch, they managed to keep the case size nearly identical even with the additional LTE radio and SIM.

Image: KARISSA BELL / Mashable

The only difference is that the case is now slightly thicker. The company says it’s the equivalent of about two sheets of paper — but it’s not noticeable that I could see.

The most noticeable difference is the red dot on the Digital Crown, which doesn’t actually do anything other than let people know you’re wearing the latest Apple Watch, which is, of course, the point. 

Speaking of colors, the Series 3 also comes in a few new finishes: a new shade of pinkish gold and a gray ceramic. Both are nice, if somewhat predictable, additions. 

The new gold finish.

Image: karissa Bell/mashable

Gray ceramic.

Image: karissa Bell/mashable

Naturally, there are a load of new band styles and colors to go with the new watches. The woven nylon bands now come in new patterns, and there’s a new sport band made of soft nylon that promises that is much more adjustable than the existing sport band.

New bands and colors aren’t why you’re going to want to upgrade your Apple Watch, though. You’re going to upgrade because LTE connectivity completely changes what you can do with it.

The new sport band is more adjustable so it can fit closer to your wrist.

Image: karisa Bell/mashable

Yes, you can send text messages and make phone calls from your wrist even when your iPhone is at home. But it also means you can ask Siri to call you an Uber or a Lyft, stream music, and use any other Apple Watch-enabled app. 

All this comes with one important caveat, though: You’ll have to fork over extra money to your carrier each month for your watch. And even though carriers tend to charge significantly less for smartwatch data, handing even a little more money over to telecom companies just plain sucks. 

If you can get past that, though, there are other reasons to upgrade.

The latest version of watchOS also comes with new fitness tracking features, like the ability to track high intensity interval training. There’s also a built-in altimeter, which allows the watch and watch apps to better track your elevations — a huge update for skiers and snowboarders. 

There are also a load of upgrades to the heart rate monitor. Now, the watch’s heart rate monitor can track your heart rate over time and, when paired with the Health app on the iPhone, surface all your past heart rate data.

As Apple pointed out during its keynote, this has big implications for how people monitor their health, since they can better track changes in their heart rate over time. 

WATCH: If you wear an apple watch, you’re an a**hole

Read more: http://mashable.com/2017/09/12/apple-watch-series-3-hands-on/

09.06.17 Merchant Services

Google Wifi comes to Asia, hitting Singapore first

Image: google

UPDATE: Aug. 30, 2017, 4:29 p.m. SGT Google has launched Hong Kong availability, in addition to Singapore.

Google Wifi has launched in Asia, making mesh Wi-Fi easier for the average man on the street — but there’s a catch.

The Wi-Fi router package is now available in Singapore and Hong Kong.

But for its Asian debut, Google Wifi is going to be a little harder to access, compared with Western countries. 

SEE ALSO: Never worry about WiFi deadzones again with eero

Unlike its off-the-shelf availability in the U.S. — where you can buy the product in Best Buy stores in person, or online via Amazon or Google’s own online store — users in Singapore will have to sign up for a two-year contract with StarHub, one of the local internet operators.

Three should cover most homes up to about 4,000 sq ft.

Image: google

StarHub will then send staff to your home to install routers for you, and you’ll be locked into a S$15 a month ($11 USD) contract for the next 24 months.

And in Hong Kong, you get two Wifi routers — not three — with a 30-month broadband subscription of HK$258 ($33) per month with provider, HKT.

The Hong Kong deal with HKT, like the Singapore one, is exclusive.

On the other hand, in the U.S. you can pick up a three-pack for $299, or $129 for a single router unit, no strings attached.

Exclusive? That’s so not Google’s style.

Google Wifi is already available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, New Zealand, the UK, and the U.S. And yes, you can get it via Google’s online stores in those countries.

In Asia, Google’s online Store is available to users in Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and India.

Singapore doesn’t have a Google Store yet. So the tie-up with StarHub could simply be an easier way for Google to reach consumers here.

But exclusive? That’s so not Google’s style.

When we asked Martin Geh, Google’s managing director for Asia-Pacific hardware partnerships, he couldn’t comment on how long Google’s deal with StarHub is slated for. He did, however, acknowledge that it was “rare” for Google to have similarly exclusive arrangements in other markets.

Image: google

Braver and more technical users might feel tempted to entirely bypass the whole lock-in deal and directly Amazon themselves a set, but Alex King, a Google Wifi product manager said that isn’t advisable.

He noted that different regions have unique channel regulations, and a Google Wifi router made for the U.S. might not play well with devices here.

Moreover, you won’t get much support or a warranty if you do that, since the support in Singapore is provided by StarHub.

According to a Redditor in Japan, who tried installing a set from the U.S. shortly after launch, he wasn’t able to access a handful of sites, including Netflix.

He said a Google spokesperson told him:

The reason for this is that U.S. use different channels than other countries. Since Google Wifi is currently only available in North America, the hardware for Google Wifi only supports channels that are available for that region.

So exclusive or otherwise, users in Singapore and Hong Kong might have to consider signing on with the respective internet providers, if they want Google Wifi badly.

Image: google

WATCH: Charge your electric car with these inductive roads as you drive

Read more: http://mashable.com/2017/08/29/google-wifi-singapore-starhub/

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