Jumat, 14 Juni 2019

Samsung’s $100 Galaxy Fit tracker focuses on the basics - Engadget

It's been more than a year since Samsung last updated its Fit line of activity-tracking bands, and it's high time for a refresh. After first announcing the new Galaxy Fit in February alongside the new Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Watch Active, the company is finally ready to roll it out in the US. Starting today, you can get the Galaxy Fit for $100. That puts it in direct competition with the Fitbit Inspire HR, which launched earlier this year for the same price.

I've barely had the Galaxy Fit for a day, and I'm already impressed. It tracks a comprehensive suite exercises (about 90, according to Samsung), as well as your heart rate, sleep and stress levels. You can use it while swimming (though I haven't), install widgets to track your nutrition or daily schedule and receive notifications from your phone.

Because I often think of gadget novices like my mom when I test fitness bands like this, I'm always on the lookout for ease of use. I don't have the time to sit on the phone with my mom, who's halfway around the world, to teach her how to set her steps goal or create custom quick replies.

Gallery: Samsung Galaxy Fit hands on | 10 Photos

Samsung's interface is so simple it's almost fool-proof: Just keep swiping sideways from the home screen to scroll through pages that show your daily progress, start a workout, measure your stress, track your sleep and display your notifications. On each page, you can slide up and down to see more. You can also press the button on the left to go back to the home screen and long press it to quickly start a workout.

The Fit also automatically tracks when you've started to move, and is supposedly smart enough to recognize when you're on a treadmill or an elliptical. This way, you won't have to struggle with swiping through the watch with sweaty hands to start another workout -- just hop off one machine and move on to the next, and the Fit is supposed to know. I haven't tested this out yet, though, so can't vouch for how well it works.

What I can say is how attractive Samsung's colorful, responsive Tizen-based interface is, especially compared to Fitbit's kinda laggy, black-and-white OS. But I gotta say, I do prefer the bigger display on older Fits and the Galaxy Watch Active.

Samsung Galaxy Fit hands on

The Fit's features are wrapped up in a comfortable, no-nonsense band that feels sturdy enough to withstand being knocked around while I'm rummaging through my purse. And aesthetically, it looks a lot more like a Fitbit than the last-generation Fit 2 Pro, which was wider and had a bigger screen.

Samsung is promising up to a week's battery life with the Fit, which seems like a reasonable estimate given the performance of its previous fitness bands. But since I've only had this thing about a day, I can't verify that claim yet. Still, for just $100 the Galaxy Fit might just appeal to casual users who want a simple, straightforward experience.

Gallery: Samsung Galaxy Fit press pictures | 10 Photos

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https://www.engadget.com/2019/06/14/samsung-galaxy-fit-hands-on/

2019-06-14 04:54:49Z
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Galaxy Fit vs. Galaxy Watch Active vs. Fitbit Inspire HR - CNET

21-samsung-galaxy-fit — Samsung Galaxy Fit: a bit Fitbit, a bit Nike.
Sarah Tew/CNET

The Samsung Galaxy Fit has finally arrived today, after being announced back at Samsung's Galaxy S10 event. I've been wearing the $99 tracker on my wrist for a little over 24 hours. How does it compare to affordable Fitbits, or to Samsung's other new fitness watch, the Galaxy Watch Active? It feels, in a lot of ways, like it falls right in between.

The Galaxy Fit feels more like a lightweight, budget fitness tracker than the round, higher-design Galaxy Watch. It's an evolution of Samsung's longer-display bands going back to Gear Fit. Despite its lower-key look, it has some impressive specs: it's 5ATM water resistant, has onboard heart rate (and Samsung's "stress level" tracking, which seems a little unreliable/confusing), automatic sleep tracking, automatic activity workout tracking (for walking, running, biking, rowing, elliptical) plus phone notifications.

Now playing: Watch this: Samsung Galaxy Watch Active, Galaxy Buds and Galaxy Fit:...

6:30

Galaxy Fit vs. Fitbit Inspire HR

The closest parallel in Fitbit-land is the Fitbit Inspire HR, which also costs $99. The Inspire HR also has water resistance for swimming, sleep tracking, heart rate, and notifications. It has a black and white screen instead of a color screen. Otherwise, it's pretty similar.

The Galaxy Fit band is thin, feels like firm rubber, and has proprietary connections. It felt comfy on my wrist and attached firmly, but maybe it was a bit too slim. The included (proprietary) charger magnetically attaches to the back of the Fit.

03-samsung-galaxy-fit — It's not always easy to see the text.
Sarah Tew/CNET

Navigation on the Galaxy Fit happens through touching and swiping: it works fine, but it's not always easy to do when moving (the text is small). A side button goes back to the main watch display, or quick starts a workout when pressed and held: this is my favorite thing it does that, weirdly, the Fitbit Inspire HR doesn't.

I also like Samsung fitness devices' automatic tracking of walks and workouts, and how the stats instantly appear onscreen. On a brisk walk, I'm suddenly in workout tracking mode without doing anything.

Loading a limited set of five customizable watch faces is pretty easy, even on iOS, via a watch face gallery that feels like what the Apple Watch has. Steps, heart rate, weather and a few other stats can appear on the watch faces, but you can't cycle through them or see more than a couple at once, which is annoying. Also, only watch face can be on the Galaxy Fit at a time. Watch faces are faster loading from the phone than Fitbit Inspire HR, but Fitbit's a lot better with adding more stat access.

Much like Fitbit Inspire HR, you can swipe to see a quick dashboard of daily stats: heart rate (and resting heart rate), steps, calories burned. There's no stair climbing feature, though.

Galaxy Fit vs. Galaxy Watch Active

The Galaxy Fit doesn't have music storage or playback, any mobile payments, GPS, dedicated swim tracking, or integration with third-party fitness apps like the Galaxy Watch Active has. That's where the Fit becomes a weird choice. The Galaxy Watch Active is really, really good, and doesn't cost all that much ($200). Spending an extra hundred isn't absurd at all.

The Fit feels pretty basic compared to the Watch Active, which is my biggest concern with it. Battery life is supposed to last up to a week (versus about 4-5 days on Inspire HR). I haven't worn it long enough to know what the real battery life is.

08-samsung-galaxy-fit — Swapping the (limited) watch faces is easy, even on an iPhone.
Sarah Tew/CNET

Should you buy it?

If you're budget conscious, and want that smaller band design, and like Samsung hardware, the Galaxy Fit may be a good choice. But I still think the Fitbit Inspire HR hooks into a far better social fitness ecosystem with Fitbit, which is why you'd be best off with that instead. (If you're a huge Samsung S-Health fan, the Gear Fit may be something you'd prefer.)

Samsung's biggest advantage tends to be unique hardware features, and those are mostly on the Watch Active. More to come in a full review.

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https://www.cnet.com/news/galaxy-fit-vs-galaxy-watch-active-vs-fitbit-inspire-hr/

2019-06-14 04:36:00Z
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Kamis, 13 Juni 2019

Apple Registers 7 Unreleased Mac Notebooks in Eurasian Database - Mac Rumors

Apple has registered seven unreleased Mac models in the Eurasian Economic Commission database today, including A2141, A2147, A2158, A2159, A2179, A2182, and A2251, according to listings uncovered by MacRumors. All seven models appear to be notebooks, as they are described as "portable" computers.

MacRumors mockup of rumored 16-inch MacBook Pro
On the more imminent front, the 12-inch MacBook is certainly long overdue for an update, having been last refreshed in June 2017. A spec bump to the MacBook Air is also plausible, but its October 2018 refresh was not too long ago.

Looking farther out, we've heard rumors about a 16-inch MacBook Pro with an all-new design launching later this year. Given the MacBook Pro was just refreshed weeks ago, the 16-inch model is presumably a fall product at the earliest. Apple occasionally hosts Mac events in October, including in both 2018 and 2016.

Eurasian Economic Commission filings like these have foreshadowed the release of new Apple products on numerous occasions, including multiple Mac, iPhone, iPad, iPad Pro, Apple Watch, and AirPods models. The filings are legally required for any encrypted devices sold in Russia and select other countries.

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https://www.macrumors.com/2019/06/13/apple-seven-new-macs-eurasian-database/

2019-06-13 13:59:00Z
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Pixel 4 leak: 3 reasons Google did this - CNET

The Pixel 4 -- really!

Google

In a rare move by any tech company, Google confirmed the existence of the Pixel 4 several months ahead its anticipated release in October. The tech giant not only posted the news on its own Made By Google Twitter account, but it also included an image of the phone, which depicts a square camera bump, with multiple rear cameras. Judging by the reactions from the tweet, many were taken aback by the information -- not due to the phone itself, but because Google decided to unveil the news at all.

To drop an upcoming device's name and an official image this early is unusual. Despite numerous rumors, rendered images and leaked specs, companies like Apple, Samsung and Google generally like to keep mum about their product announcements until they hold official events like Apple's developers conference and September iPhone event, Samsung Unpacked and Google I/O, where the company took the wraps off its latest Pixel 3A and Pixel 3A XL. Google declined a request for comment, but we have a few guesses why Google made such a bizarre move.

Reason 1: It can claim it didn't copy the iPhone 11

The most popular theory is that Google wanted to get ahead of any accusations that it copied Apple and its next iPhone. For several months, the upcoming iPhone 11 has been rumored to have a square camera bump too. Because the iPhone is expected to come out in September and Pixel phones usually launch in October, it would be easy to conclude that Google "copied" Apple's design. (BTW: The camera layout isn't altogether unique -- the Huawei Mate 20 Pro, for example, also has such a design.) To avoid such talk, Google could have decided to whip out the image early to say it had the design in mind long before the iPhone's launch, knowing that Apple will remain tight-lipped about any iPhone features until September.

iphone-xi-2019-onleaks-render — OnLeaks/Digit

Reason 2: The Pixel 4 might release earlier than October

Four months is a pretty long time to tease a product ahead of its assumed launch date. Perhaps Google unveiled this info in June because the Pixel 4 might actually not debut in October. Maybe the phone is coming earlier, like in September (to position it even closer in competition to the iPhone) or even August. This would be a strange move though, since the Pixel 3A and 3A XL were just announced in May and it'd be a good idea for Google to allow some time between announcements of its two phone series.

Now playing: Watch this: Pixel 4 photo released by Google

1:45

Reason 3: Google doesn't care anymore!

When Google announced the Pixel 3 last year, it was pretty much one of the most leaked phones at the time. Most outlets already had a general idea about what the phone would look like (Engadget unboxed the thing three days before its launch) and a lot of the rumored specs turned out to be accurate. Google even managed to poke fun at this fact before the Pixel 3's launch (see below). The same applied to the Pixel 3A. Due to all the leaks, people got wind that Google was working on a midtier variant of the Pixel, and we even peeped its new Purple-ish color before Google I/O.

Because we now live in such an era where it's so hard to keep a lid on product announcements, Google might have just decided to just say "screw it." If photos of the Pixel 4's camera was going to get leaked anyway (and it did), the company might as well jump on it, too. At least it can then get ahead of the news and control to some extent whatever narrative tech enthusiasts cook up. I, for one, welcome this energy and wouldn't mind more information from Google.

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https://www.cnet.com/news/pixel-4-leak-official-3-reasons-google-did-this/

2019-06-13 13:15:00Z
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This is a love letter to Google's Purple-ish Pixel 3A smartphone - Fast Company

This is a love letter to Google’s Purple-ish Pixel 3A smartphone

Google’s budget smartphone comes in a color scheme that’s both idiosyncratic and subtle—a bold statement in a sea of boring sameness.

[Photo: Jared Newman]

By Jared Newman5 minute Read

Google’s Pixel 3A phone has a lot of admirable qualities. It sports a great camera that rivals the higher-end Pixel 3. Like other Pixel phones, it’s first in line for Android updates straight from Google. You can squeeze it to speak with the Google Assistant. And its starting price of $400 unlocked is tough to beat.

If I’m being honest, though, the best thing about the Pixel 3A is the “Purple-ish” color option. So against my better instincts I’ve decided to write an entire article extolling it. The smartphone color schemes we choose tend to be bland, and for good reason: No one wants to spend hundreds of dollars on a phone that ends up looking tacky or drawing too much attention to itself.

The purple Pixel 3A’s great triumph is in the way it manages to be distinctive and subtle at the same time. While Google has always offered at least one offbeat color scheme for its Pixel phones, the purple Pixel 3A is the company’s high watermark. It should be a reminder to other phone makers–and Apple in particular–that they’ve been playing it too safe. Heck, that lesson might even apply to aspects of phones beyond their color.

Don’t call it purple

The key to the Purple-ish Pixel 3A is right in the name: It’s not obviously purple. Depending on how it catches the light, it can just as easily qualify as off-white or plain white. The actual hue only becomes apparent with some extra scrutiny; even Google’s own product photos seem to overstate the depth of purple-ness involved.

The same ambiguity doesn’t apply to the power button, a sliver of tennis-ball yellow that runs along the phone’s right edge. According to basic color theory, it’s the perfect complement to the Pixel 3A’s purple enclosure, and it stands out precisely because the rest of the phone doesn’t.

The Purple-ish Pixel 3A’s success isn’t a fluke. Instead, it’s an example of iteration by Google’s hardware team, which over the past few years has gotten better at making unique color options that people might actually want to carry around.

With the first-generation Pixel in 2016, Google offered standard silver and black phones, but it also put out a limited edition “Really Blue” model that reminded some folks of Fisher-Price toys, and not in a good way. In trying to create an interesting color option, Google had gone way over the top.

2017’s Pixel 2 line dialed things back with a more subdued “Kinda Blue” option, but it also introduced the idea of contrasting power buttons. The Kinda Blue Pixel 2 came with a light turquoise button to offset the phone’s paler sea-foam tones, while the “Black and White” Pixel 2 XL combined an overly loud back panel with a bright orange power button. (Depending on who you asked, it either earned the nickname “Penguin” or “Panda.”)

Google only seemed to become more confident in its color choices with last year’s Pixel 3 line. It added a minty green power button to its standard white Pixel 3, but it also started playing with understated body colors. The “Not Pink” color option, with an orange power button, looked a bit like the inside of a thoroughly cooked salmon.

The Purple-ish Pixel 3A is the culmination of these efforts, successfully straddling the line between uniqueness and broad appeal. Whereas Google’s pink, penguin-themed, and bright metallic blue Pixels all felt like risky choices, the Purple-ish Pixel 3A isn’t a drastic break from convention. But it’s still a less boring choice than the white-silver-black spectrum of most phones.

Granted, a lot of folks will just put a case over their phones anyway, somewhat negating the benefits of added color. However, Google has preempted this issue by releasing its own fabric cases. The “Seascape” Pixel 3A case is a deep indigo that stands in perfect contrast to the Pixel 3A’s almost-white body, which remains visible through cutouts for the camera, fingerprint reader, top headphone jack, and bottom speakers. Google’s fabric cases have always made Pixel phones feel less sterile than a typical aluminum or plastic smartphone, and they’ve progressively gotten better at matching the style of the phones themselves.

Learning from Purple-ish

No one—well, almost no one—is going to choose a phone primarily for its color scheme, which means that the Purple-ish Pixel 3A probably won’t get the attention it deserves. Compared to the Pixel 3, the cheaper Pixel 3A lacks wireless charging, waterproofing, and the dual-lens front camera for wide-angle selfies. It also has a flat front panel instead of curved glass edges, which makes it a bit harder to use with the edge swipe gestures in Google’s forthcoming Android Q update, and its processor is slower than high-end handsets. While the Pixel 3A is an excellent budget smartphone, most folks are better off buying something nicer and keeping it longer.

But other phone makers should take inspiration from Google’s choices. While some Android vendors have been getting adventurous with color gradients and “prism” effects, most of their phones lack the subtlety that Google’s achieved with the Pixel.

The same is true of Apple’s iPhone XR, whose blue, yellow, and coral options make the same mistake as Google’s original “Really Blue” Pixel: When spending $750 or more on a smartphone, choosing a loud color over the standard black or white feels like a pretty big commitment. Meanwhile, Apple continues to play it safe with the iPhone XS, offering the same gray, white, and gold options that it’s been pushing for years. It’d be great to see Apple borrow some of the more subtle playfulness that Google’s pulled off with its Pixel line.

If all else fails, we can at least hope that Google keeps building on what it’s learned over the past few years. Now that it’s mastered understatement for its lighter-colored phones, I’d love to see future Pixels break free of the boring black options that Google’s been offering this whole time. It’s not hard to imagine dark-themed Pixel phones in forest green or burgundy, or even just plain black with colorful power buttons.

Or, at the very least, Google should consider bringing back Purple-ish for the Pixel 4, because limiting the Pixel’s best color option yet to a budget phone just seems like a waste.

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https://www.fastcompany.com/90362932/this-is-a-love-letter-to-googles-purple-ish-pixel-3a-smartphone

2019-06-13 12:00:00Z
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The Morning After: Google leaked the Pixel 4 - Engadget

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The Morning After is a new daily newsletter from Engadget designed to help you fight off FOMO. Who knows what you'll miss if you don't Subscribe.

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https://www.engadget.com/2019/06/13/the-morning-after/

2019-06-13 11:18:26Z
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Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild 2 Revealed For Nintendo Switch At Nintendo Direct E3 2019 - GameSpot

Nintendo has revealedthat a sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is in development for Nintendo Switch. The news was revealed during the company's E3 2019 press conference, capping off a presentation that was already full of announcements. Nintendo premiered a short teaser trailer for Breath of the Wild 2--or whatever it's to be called--which you can see above.

Nintendo followed the teaser with a short statement that read, "The sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is now in development." No release date, title, or further details were announced. The teaser trailer, which you can watch above, showed Link traveling with Zelda herself on horseback, and we see something happening with Hyrule Castle in the distance. The video also featured some eerie music and a stunning landscape similar to the one seen in the original game. We've got a Breath of the Wild sequel trailer breakdown that dives further into what there is to glean from this debut video.

A subsequent press release recapping the event, unfortunately, did not share anything further, only reiterating the game is in active development and will be released for Nintendo Switch.

The first game was released as a cross-generation launch title for the Nintendo Switch. It received universal acclaim, including a 10/10 in GameSpot's Zelda: Breath of the Wild review. Our critic, Peter Brown, wrote: "No matter how gorgeous its environments are, how clever its enemies are, and how tricky its puzzles get, the fact that Breath of the Wild continues to surprise you with newfound rules and possibilities after dozens of hours is by far its most valuable quality. It's a game that allows you to feel gradually more and more empowered yet simultaneously manages to retain a sense of challenge and mystery--which, together, creates a steady, consistent feeling of gratification throughout the entire experience. Breath of the Wild is a defining moment for The Legend of Zelda series, and the most impressive game Nintendo has ever created."

For more, check out all the news from Nintendo's E3 2019 Direct press conference, during which the company also announced Banjo and Kazooie for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

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https://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2019-zelda-breath-of-the-wild-2-announced-for-s/1100-6467700/

2019-06-13 06:37:00Z
CAIiECi58sTc_SS-EiiYYi-u564qGAgEKg8IACoHCAowtrikCjDWnCQwg4DpAQ

Makan Dua Belas

Jumat, 14 Juni 2019

Samsung’s $100 Galaxy Fit tracker focuses on the basics - Engadget

Gallery: Samsung Galaxy Fit hands on | 10 Photos

Gallery: Samsung Galaxy Fit press pictures | 10 Photos

Galaxy Fit vs. Galaxy Watch Active vs. Fitbit Inspire HR - CNET

Galaxy Fit vs. Fitbit Inspire HR

Galaxy Fit vs. Galaxy Watch Active

Should you buy it?

Kamis, 13 Juni 2019

Apple Registers 7 Unreleased Mac Notebooks in Eurasian Database - Mac Rumors

Pixel 4 leak: 3 reasons Google did this - CNET

Reason 1: It can claim it didn't copy the iPhone 11

Reason 2: The Pixel 4 might release earlier than October

Reason 3: Google doesn't care anymore!

This is a love letter to Google's Purple-ish Pixel 3A smartphone - Fast Company

This is a love letter to Google’s Purple-ish Pixel 3A smartphone

Google’s budget smartphone comes in a color scheme that’s both idiosyncratic and subtle—a bold statement in a sea of boring sameness.

Don’t call it purple

Learning from Purple-ish

The Morning After: Google leaked the Pixel 4 - Engadget

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But wait, there's more...

Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild 2 Revealed For Nintendo Switch At Nintendo Direct E3 2019 - GameSpot

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