Switched On: The iPod’s modern family

Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

Switched On The iPod's modern family

If you bet that Apple was going to turn the square, occasionally wrist-strapped iPod nano into a MOTOACTV-like watch that would provide a glanceable window into iPhone apps, you lost. Clearly, Apple could have gone that route. It teased in the last generation with an expanding selection of watch faces and used this generation to add Bluetooth and enable a thinner design via the new Lightning connector. Nevertheless, Apple decided to forgo the embryonic smartwatch market. Indeed, it returned to the larger, longer iPod nano school of yore, but with the single-button design of its iOS mobile devices complementing a multitouch interface.

The watch faces may be gone, but the new iPod nano regains the ability to play video while retaining photo display and Nike+ integration. It has become the equivalent of the lineup’s feature phone, albeit with a better user interface. Examined in context, the new clip-free iPod nano looks more at home as a midrange option between the tiny iPod shuffle and the now larger iPod touch.

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Switched On: The iPod’s modern family originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 23 Sep 2012 17:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Engadget’s back to school guide 2012: fun stuff!

Welcome to Engadget’s back to school guide! The end of summer vacation isn’t nearly as much fun as the weeks that come before, but a chance to update your tech tools likely helps to ease the pain. The good news? We’re on to the fun stuff, the gear that isn’t always practical but will definitely help you let off some steam after a tough mid-term. Be sure to keep checking back — at the end of the month we’ll be giving away a ton of the gear featured in our guides — and hit up the hub page right here!

DNP Engadget's back to school guide 2012 fun stuff!

Laptops, phones and e-readers might be slick pieces of tech, but they’ll all be used for business while you’re buried in term papers during the semester. We’re rounding up a set of gadgets meant purely to lift your spirits — whether it’s zapping fellow froshmates in a game of Lazer Tag or an electric motorbike to blast through the countryside on a long weekend. We’ve even got a few borderline sensible gadgets, such as a robot that will clean up after a wild party at the dorm. Jump past the break for our full collection of antidotes to the end-of-summer blues.

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Engadget’s back to school guide 2012: fun stuff! originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Aug 2012 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola’s MOTOACTV smart watch receives $100 price cut, now more affordable for the masses

If you ever wanted a smart watch but felt that the options out there were a little out of your price range, you’re in luck as it appears that Motorola’s MOTOACTV smart watch has  received a $100 price cut, making it a more affordable option for those looking to accessorize for the summer. The watch will now cost $150 for the 8GB version and $200 for the 16GB version. Alternatively for those looking  to monitor their golf swings and technique, that version will retail for $300 – not too bad, right? For those wondering, the MOTOACTV smart watch lets users pair the watch with an Android smartphone, which will then synchronize your fitness record and progress with Motorola’s cloud service. If you don’t own an Android smartphone, the watch itself will be able to double as a pedometer and a music player and will even pair with ANT+ accessories such as heart rate monitors.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Motorola MOTOACTV receives update to 7.2, introduces Facebook and Twitter integration, MOTOACTV gets new activities and a new page,

Motorola discounts the MOTOACTV $100, hopes you’re still in bikini slim-down mode

Motorola discounts the MOTOACTV $100, hopes you're still in bikini slimdown mode

Still in the middle of your seasonal weight loss regimen? Well, if you’re in the market for a new fitness wearable, Motorola has dropped the price on its MOTOACTV to $149.99 for the 8GB model, $199.99 for the 16GB version and $299.99 for the Multi-Sport Edition. Need a quick refresher? You can expect to keep track of your running, biking, golfing and other sporty exploits alongside GPS, MP3 playback, heart rate monitor and Bluetooth. You’ll also be able to brag about those progress updates with your Facebook and Twitter mates alongside the $100 price cut. Ready to commit? Hit that source link below to do just that.

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Motorola discounts the MOTOACTV $100, hopes you’re still in bikini slim-down mode originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Jul 2012 16:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Refresh Roundup: week of July 2nd, 2012

Refresh Roundup week of July 2nd, 2012

Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it’s easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don’t escape without notice, we’ve gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!

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Refresh Roundup: week of July 2nd, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 08 Jul 2012 21:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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