'Microsoft Band' fitness tracker leaks out

<b>It looks like the curtains have been raised early on Microsoft's attempt to join the wearable game.</b><br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB_bSUvfchSSqWcxcVtWI0zoy4sCt5qlmRgK1EErTTdrxAwH6y1x1eBfhe8m6CqBjWbk_sTzMJVqNCg5zZpJvjIQCYAui45wUXX9WHVMJpMdRHDM9PebKOpYDjOegnIOrxqRawOEHZTy4h/s1600/Microsoft-Band-01-tech24h.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="'Microsoft Band' fitness tracker leaks out" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB_bSUvfchSSqWcxcVtWI0zoy4sCt5qlmRgK1EErTTdrxAwH6y1x1eBfhe8m6CqBjWbk_sTzMJVqNCg5zZpJvjIQCYAui45wUXX9WHVMJpMdRHDM9PebKOpYDjOegnIOrxqRawOEHZTy4h/s1600/Microsoft-Band-01-tech24h.blogspot.com.jpg" title="'Microsoft Band' fitness tracker leaks out" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">update: goes on sale Thursday for $199</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div> <div> Windows Central points out that sync apps have appeared in the Mac and Androidapp stores (update: and Microsoft's), set to personalize and track data for your "Microsoft Band." Rumors had pointed to a fitness tracker more than a watch that could debut within weeks, and judging by the apps that's just what we'll get. According to the Google Play, Windows Phone Store and iTunes listings, the device itself has more in common with Nike's FuelBand than the what we've seen from Apple and Google so far. That includes tracking steps, heartbeat, calories burned and sleep quality. 9to5Mac linked a privacy agreement that goes into even deeper detail about what else it can do, namely display notifications from your mobile device or take notes and set reminders with Cortana.<br /> <b><br />Update:</b></div> <div> Microsoft confirmed that the Band will go on sale for $199 Thursday in its online and physical stores, to US customers only, in "limited quantities." Designed by Quentin Morris (who also developed the Xbox One controller), it carries ten sensors onboard to measure things from heart rate to UV exposure to stress levels, and can last as much as 48 hours on a single charge.</div> </div>

'Microsoft Band' fitness tracker leaks out

It looks like the curtains have been raised early on Microsoft's attempt to join the wearable game. update: goes on sale Thursday for...

Read more »

Lenovo's new 13-inch 'Yoga' tablet is as big as its Windows Ultrabooks

<b>Lenovo seems to be coming full circle. After knocking our socks off with the original Yoga, a 13-inch Ultrabook whose screen could fold all the way back, the company followed up with a spinoff product called the Yoga Tablet.</b><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJjTyhk7u43wqLLVeSf11PGa5V3KXsC-i8y2k_5P0zOtwhWDXljUNC6AqZPgXHC5ISnD0Hwoui7_Zqi_kcnr_NgYwdiwZwrcMZnheN-8M9kiRXG651uNMd4N2jBz7PQltA_sWL7iGIIKva/s1600/Lenovo-tech24h.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lenovo's new 13-inch 'Yoga' tablet is as big as its Windows Ultrabooks" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJjTyhk7u43wqLLVeSf11PGa5V3KXsC-i8y2k_5P0zOtwhWDXljUNC6AqZPgXHC5ISnD0Hwoui7_Zqi_kcnr_NgYwdiwZwrcMZnheN-8M9kiRXG651uNMd4N2jBz7PQltA_sWL7iGIIKva/s1600/Lenovo-tech24h.blogspot.com.jpg" title="Lenovo's new 13-inch 'Yoga' tablet is as big as its Windows Ultrabooks" /></a></div> <div> <b><br /></b> <div> Today, the lineup includes both Android and Windows tablets, mostly in the 8- and 10-inch range. Now, though, Lenovo is blurring the lines: Its new 13-inch Yoga Tablet 2 is the same size as its ultraportable laptops, except it has a kickstand that folds out of the back, and the optional keyboard doesn't attach to the device.<br /> <br /> It's a weird little device: It looks like a tablet, but it's the same size as a notebook, and its screen (2,560 x 1,440) is about as sharp, too. What's even stranger is that on the inside, it actually runs more in line with a netbook, thanks to a quad-core Atom processor (though four gigs of RAM might help speed things up). All told, then, it definitely seems like a niche product: a large tablet, and an unpowered one, at that. Then again, the power-sipping chip could have at least one benefit: The battery life here is rated at up to 15 hours, far longer than most Ultrabooks we know of. It's also lighter than any 13-inch laptop, at 2.27 pounds. Still, will you want to pay a full $700 and up for it when it comes out next month? We'll leave that to you and your wallet.<br /> <br /> Lenovo seems to be coming full circle. After knocking our socks off with the original Yoga, a 13-inch Ultrabook whose screen could fold all the way back, the company followed up with a spinoff product called the Yoga Tablet. Today, the lineup includes both Android and Windows tablets, mostly in the 8- and 10-inch range. Now, though, Lenovo is blurring the lines: Its new 13-inch Yoga Tablet 2 is the same size as its ultraportable laptops, except it has a kickstand that folds out of the back, and the optional keyboard doesn't attach to the device.<br /> <br /> It's a weird little device: It looks like a tablet, but it's the same size as a notebook, and its screen (2,560 x 1,440) is about as sharp, too. What's even stranger is that on the inside, it actually runs more in line with a netbook, thanks to a quad-core Atom processor (though four gigs of RAM might help speed things up). All told, then, it definitely seems like a niche product: a large tablet, and an unpowered one, at that. Then again, the power-sipping chip could have at least one benefit: The battery life here is rated at up to 15 hours, far longer than most Ultrabooks we know of. It's also lighter than any 13-inch laptop, at 2.27 pounds. Still, will you want to pay a full $700 and up for it when it comes out next month? We'll leave that to you and your wallet.</div> </div> <div> <br /></div> <div> <br /></div>

Lenovo's new 13-inch 'Yoga' tablet is as big as its Windows Ultrabooks

Lenovo seems to be coming full circle. After knocking our socks off with the original Yoga, a 13-inch Ultrabook whose screen could fold all ...

Read more »

Hands On With The Motorola Droid Turbo From Verizon

<b>The latest Droid device is now fully unveiled, and it’s truly a beast.</b><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQSp39AIYIY92HBI3vIxj2nVOTVTCAKiniNPfgIBAALfDE7Xwv8C294cYWmi5zAG9Lh0Unu-cll51nnHfTmlVCMPSAB7bu3CarSAnZmatdwVNln36b_3uMZdnRsBkH94n_Y1jW0_U9I9_Y/s1600/Motorola-Droid-01-tech24h.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Hands On With The Motorola Droid Turbo From Verizon" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQSp39AIYIY92HBI3vIxj2nVOTVTCAKiniNPfgIBAALfDE7Xwv8C294cYWmi5zAG9Lh0Unu-cll51nnHfTmlVCMPSAB7bu3CarSAnZmatdwVNln36b_3uMZdnRsBkH94n_Y1jW0_U9I9_Y/s1600/Motorola-Droid-01-tech24h.blogspot.com.jpg" title="Hands On With The Motorola Droid Turbo From Verizon" /></a></div> <div> <b><br /></b>The most prominent and highlighted feature of the phone, its ability to charge quickly and last for up to 48 hours, is hard to test properly in a matter of hours. However, the look, feel, and general build of the device is already making an impression on me.<br /> <br /> Motorola handed out devices at the launch event, and I walked away with a Ballistic Nylon version of the device.<br /> <br /> But that’s not to say I’m a fan of the nylon. It seems like a material that would pick up dust and dirt and food in any one of its many pockets and crevices and forever look like a piece of trash. And matters aren’t helped by the front of the device, which looks all the more cheap and plastic-ish thanks to the nylon on the back.<br /> <br /> I’m thinking the Metallic version, pictured in the gallery below, may actually be more practical and look a little more subtle.</div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLCcoLm0A4Q8XpWLmnKaEPGsfueecnnn3wEIPh61mCi4FwT3vKymWs1l3Rx1kBF-92K5QMWsUPMuH4GfJ5AzXXCoSo_UOLytfDVQZieNex_dPOxkUr7k64pThYMd4Euekt4rxcC8Zmt6iL/s1600/Motorola-Droid-tech24h.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Hands On With The Motorola Droid Turbo From Verizon" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLCcoLm0A4Q8XpWLmnKaEPGsfueecnnn3wEIPh61mCi4FwT3vKymWs1l3Rx1kBF-92K5QMWsUPMuH4GfJ5AzXXCoSo_UOLytfDVQZieNex_dPOxkUr7k64pThYMd4Euekt4rxcC8Zmt6iL/s1600/Motorola-Droid-tech24h.blogspot.com.jpg" title="Hands On With The Motorola Droid Turbo From Verizon" /></a></div> <div> <br /> Still, it feels like a sturdy phone that could withstand more than a few hard drops (though we hardly recommend testing this out for yourself.) It’s also quite thick and feels heavy, weighing in at 176 grams, with that super dense 3900mAh battery under the hood.<br /> <br /> The pure Android experience is nice in a world of Android phones with way too many features, and the 5.2-inch display is quite nice. It also doesn’t feel too big, given the size of the display and the battery.<br /> <br /> The phone comes with a handful of different discounts from Verizon, which you can check outhere, and starts at $199 on-contract for the 32GB model on October 30.</div>

Hands On With The Motorola Droid Turbo From Verizon

The latest Droid device is now fully unveiled, and it’s truly a beast. The most prominent and highlighted feature of the phone, its abil...

Read more »

Droid Turbo's long battery life, new tech offset weight

<b>There’s a lot to like in Motorola’s Droid Turbo, including its 48 hours of battery life and extremely sharp screen.</b><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsWGyjBET5rrNFFlgZPopF1TsTafLpDbJlnjcBSM9sGvdk80rVI97HpQTx5iSqBoSXnhjMWZHSd2Xw5Le5y_BjMQ5BukhhEAQOn6E4kQI7LxMSqf7z8HM6q4kmStKH-MyMSXbDwQi0pJgg/s1600/Droid-Turbo-tech24h.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Droid Turbo's long battery life, new tech offset weight" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsWGyjBET5rrNFFlgZPopF1TsTafLpDbJlnjcBSM9sGvdk80rVI97HpQTx5iSqBoSXnhjMWZHSd2Xw5Le5y_BjMQ5BukhhEAQOn6E4kQI7LxMSqf7z8HM6q4kmStKH-MyMSXbDwQi0pJgg/s1600/Droid-Turbo-tech24h.blogspot.com.jpg" title="Droid Turbo's long battery life, new tech offset weight" /></a></div> <div> <b><br /></b>The Android smartphone has a 5.2-inch screen, but felt slightly heavier than competitive handsets during a hands-on review. Yet, it could appeal to users who need a durable handset with long battery life and the latest technologies.<br /> <br /> The Droid Turbo will be available starting on Thursday through Verizon Wireless in the U.S. A base model with 32GB of storage will be priced at $199 with a two-year contract, and a 64GB version will sell for $249. The smartphone is exclusive to Verizon, and variants won’t be sold outside the U.S.<br /> <br /> The handset has a slightly curvy back, much like the Moto X devices, and is easy to hold. It has on/off and volume buttons, a USB 2.0 port at the bottom to recharge the smartphone, and a headset jack at the top. The SIM card was built into the handset, and there were no external display connector ports.<br /> <br /> No Bendgate here<br /> <br /> The Droid Turbo won’t easily crack or break, so don’t expect any Bendgate controversy. The smartphone has a solid exterior made of kevlar, which is also used in bulletproof vests. There’s also a layer of ballistic nylon, which is used to add durability to wallets and backpacks, and patented “nanocoating” to protect the smartphone from spills. Another new material called metallized glass fiber adds shine to the device.<br /> <br /> The smartphone can display images at a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels. The benefits of this screen—which offers more depth than regular 1080p HD—were immediately noticeable, and 4K video on YouTube looked vivid and bright, with no frozen frames or jitters.<br /> <br /> One of the more attractive features is a 21-megapixel camera, similar to the one in the recently introduced Nexus 6. The camera was easy to operate thanks to user-friendly software, and there’s also an option to shoot 4K video. Driving the speedy application and graphics performance is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon’s 805 processor, which is capable of processing 4K video for storage on the handset.<br /> <br /> A 64GB model weighs 176 grams, and feels somewhat heavy. By comparison, the recently introduced HTC Eye, which also has a 5.2-inch screen, weighs 160 grams. But size and weight sacrifices had to be made for the thick 3,900 millamp-hour battery, which provides the smartphone with two days of battery life on general use.<br /> <br /> A step up on the Droid Maxx<br /> <br /> The battery life isn’t much of an improvement from the predecessor, the Droid Maxx, which was introduced last year and had a 3,500 milliamp-hour battery. But with Droid Turbo, a higher capacity battery was needed to deal with the screen, higher-resolution camera and faster processor, a Motorola representative said.<br /> <br /> Binge watching of TV shows could drain battery quickly, but like its predecessor, Droid Turbo remains the smartphone to beat on battery life.<br /> <br /> There are also some innovative applications on the handset like Droid Zap, which allows users to share photos and videos with just a finger tap. The Moto Assist “learning engine” can change the smartphone profile depending on user behavior, background sounds and camera images. For example, the smartphone will be able to detect if a user is in a meeting, and shut down background noise for notifications.<br /> <br /> The smartphone comes with Android 4.4.4, code-named KitKat, but the OS will be upgraded to Android 5.0 by the end of the year. A lot of bloatware showed up in the review unit, including NFL Mobile, IMDB, Amazon and Audible apps. Bloatware can hurt battery life, and an Amazon app ran on the smartphone’s startup. It was possible to disable most of the bloatware, though it took some time and effort.</div> <div> <br /></div>

Droid Turbo's long battery life, new tech offset weight

There’s a lot to like in Motorola’s Droid Turbo, including its 48 hours of battery life and extremely sharp screen. The Android smartpho...

Read more »

Google's new Fit app plays well with Strava, Runkeeper and others

<b>Google is aiming to keep its users healthy—and away from Apple—with a new app that takes a broader view of fitness tracking.</b><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizaQSQRvbEQRw-Z7J1mCvrVtOr7D7OsjK3IV1WxGpGxlFfL5B0tSUCPwARpVYsvuGoxikc9aXkKnyMjOCjaHT2OaPu5y7MGNFMSJvUitybiOU99JByGRSXassKAkBC33LNpyQ9gyXjNATj/s1600/Google's-app-tech24h.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Google's new Fit app plays well with Strava, Runkeeper and others" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizaQSQRvbEQRw-Z7J1mCvrVtOr7D7OsjK3IV1WxGpGxlFfL5B0tSUCPwARpVYsvuGoxikc9aXkKnyMjOCjaHT2OaPu5y7MGNFMSJvUitybiOU99JByGRSXassKAkBC33LNpyQ9gyXjNATj/s1600/Google's-app-tech24h.blogspot.com.jpg" title="Google's new Fit app plays well with Strava, Runkeeper and others" /></a></div> <div> <b><br /></b>Google Fit, released Tuesday, will use the sensors in Android phones to track and organize people’s walking, biking and running activity. Users can set goals and check their progress from within the app on their smartphone, as well as on the web, tablets, andAndroid Wear smartwatches.<br /> <br /> Mobile fitness apps are a dime a dozen these days, but Google is trying to add value by letting Fit act as a hub for third-party apps like those from Strava, Withings and Runkeeper. Fit users can access data gathered by those apps within the Fit app, instead of having to switch between them. That functionality makes Google Fit the prime competitor to Apple’s HealthKit, a software platform for iOS 8 that lets third-party apps share their data with Apple’s Health app.<br /> <br /> Google Fit is available for devices running Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and above.<br /> <br /> Whether Google Fit catches on likely depends on the number of integrations it will support with other apps, and how well it presents the combined data.<br /> <br /> It’s unclear if other popular apps from device makers like Fitbit or Jawbone will be integrated with Fit, and Google didn’t immediately comment.<br /> <br /> Apple, meanwhile, had some problems last month with third-party app launches for HealthKit, due to a bug that has since been fixed.<br /> <br /> In addition to it being an app, Google Fit is a software development kit. Its APIs aim to let developers access data from other sources to make their own apps more powerful. Fit, therefore, could be a win for Google by strengthening the broader ecosystem of health apps, and then weaving them into Fit.<br /> <br /> Fit API partners include Basis, Adidas and Motorola.<br /> <br /> Google is becoming increasingly active in health and biosciences. The company’s working on contact lenses that measure blood glucose levels for people with diabetes, and has formed a subsidiary called Calico to combat aging-related diseases. Googleacquired Lift Labs last month, which makes a mechanical spoon for people suffering from tremors.</div> <div> <br /></div>

Google's new Fit app plays well with Strava, Runkeeper and others

Google is aiming to keep its users healthy—and away from Apple—with a new app that takes a broader view of fitness tracking. Google Fit,...

Read more »