Apr 13
According to a study by IDC, in the year 2018 the wearable technology market will see about 111.9 million units being used the globe. This is a huge number predicted, … Continue reading
Apr 11
If you owned – or own – a Fitbit Force this season, you know there’s been a bit of trouble with users complaining of skin irritation. In light of this, … Continue reading
Apr 10
In the oncoming war of the wearable device, it’s usability, not their power or aesthetics, that will drive the market. While Samsung releases three new smartwatch devices this season with … Continue reading
Apr 09
Samsung has launched its Gear 2 smartwatch that looks to be a pretty slick wearable if you happen to own a compatible Samsung smartphone. If you don’t own a compatible device, you are out of luck. The geeks over at iFixit are our go to source for seeing what gadgets look like on the inside, and they’ve just published their teardown of the Gear 2.
The strap comes off the Gear 2 easily, which is to be expected since the straps are meant to be swapped as wanted. Taking off the case requires nothing more than removing four screws. Each of those screws has a gasket around them and the case has a gasket too to keep water out of the electronics.
Once inside, the iFixit guys identified the following major components:
- Samsung KMF5X0005M (likely DRAM package with 1 GHz dual-core CPU layered beneath)
- Maxim Integrated MAX77836 (likely micro-USB interface controller and Li+ battery charger)
- STMicroelectronics 32F401B 32 bit ARM Cortex MCU
- BCD Semiconductor Y831 audio codec
- Samsung MP65M gyroscope
I’m impressed by how much hardware is inside that small case. One nice feature they found is that the battery is easily removable if it needs replaced.
The entire watch is well packaged and easy to fix, leading iFixit to give the device a very respectable repairability score of 8 out of 10.
Apr 09
The folks over at iFixit certainly do take their craft seriously, learning how to dismantle each new device that comes out, so that us consumers do not need to go through the same process. Along the way, they do share details such as the overall repairability score, not to mention anything noteworthy that they have discovered. Well, this time around, the iFixit folks have gotten hold of a Samsung Gear 2 smartwatch, and what are some of their findings? The battery can be replaced without having to go through too much trouble at all, which is a good thing, really.
In the Samsung Gear 2 teardown, all that one needs would be a screwdriver and hands that are not averse to a wee bit of light prying so that the case itself will be able to open up, revealing its innards to the rest of the world. Other than the battery itself, majority of the other components could be released easily – relatively speaking of course. There is one particular point to take note of though – a fused display assembly would mean you will have to replace the entire shebang if it were to be damaged or defective. How do you find your Samsung Gear 2 that sits pretty around your wrist so far?
iFixit: Samsung Gear 2 Battery Easily Replaced , original content from Ubergizmo, Filed in Gadgets, gear 2, Samsung, smartwatch, 
Apr 09
![iWatch Circuit Board Samples Reportedly Being Sent To Apple [Rumor]](https://i0.wp.com/cdn2.ubergizmo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/apple-iwatch-concept-2.jpg?resize=631%2C548 "iWatch Circuit Board Samples Reportedly Being Sent To Apple [Rumor]")
According to a report from yesterday, it was rumored that Apple could finally be taking the wraps off its rumored iWatch later this year, Q3 2014 to be exact. Now thanks to a new rumor from DigiTimes, that timeframe has been somewhat corroborated as they are reporting that there are at least three different firms who will be supplying Apple with samples of flexible circuit boards that could be used in the iWatch.
The companies that are allegedly involved are Flexium Interconnect, Career Technology, and Zhen Ding Technology Holding. The latter is actually a familiar name as they currently supply other components to Apple, so perhaps there might be some truth to DigiTimes’ claims after all. Then again the publication has had some pretty spotty history when it comes to Apple rumors, so do take it with a grain of salt for now.
We’ve not even come to the middle of the year and we’ve already seen smartwatch efforts from a bunch of different companies, like LG, Samsung, and Motorola. While Google has yet to make their own hardware, they did reveal Android Wear which is a version of Android designed for wearable devices.
A release of Apple’s rumored iWatch later this year does make sense especially if they hope to compete with the rest of the competition. Any later and Apple would essentially have to play catch up instead of being considered one of the pioneers. Hopefully we will learn more about the rumored iWatch soon so stay tuned for more updates.
iWatch Circuit Board Samples Reportedly Being Sent To Apple [Rumor] , original content from Ubergizmo, Filed in Apple, Gadgets, Rumors, iwatch, smartwatch, Wearable Tech, 
Apr 09
With several new gadgets on the market, several new teardowns have turned up online over the last couple of months. The latest teardown to hit the web is of the … Continue reading
Apr 08
When Google announced Android Wear, they also announced some companies that would be taking advantage of its platform which included LG and Motorola. While LG did tease some press images of the G Watch on its Facebook page, the company did not mention when we might be able to look forward to the device and how much it will cost, at least until now.
According to the folks at Pocket-lint, it seems that they have managed to confirm with LG the availability and pricing of the upcoming LG G Watch. Assuming it is a global release or perhaps a simultaneous release for certain markets, we can look forward to the LG G Watch hitting the shelves before July where it is expected to be priced around £180 in the UK, which is about $300 after conversion. (more…)
LG G Watch Pegged For July Release, Priced At £180 original content from Ubergizmo. 
Apr 08
The Apple iWatch has been rumored about for quite a while now. In fact we have been hearing about the rumored device for more than a year now so we guess it’s either the device is fake and does not exist, or it could be that it is nearing its official reveal.
In fact according to supply chain sources (via Taiwan’s Economic Daily News), it seems that the device could be launched as soon as Q3 2014, which coincidentally enough is also around the time that Apple could launch their next-gen iPhone, assuming that Apple keeps to schedule, of course.
The report goes on to claim that Quanta Computer will be manufacturing the watch, while companies like Richtek Technology and TPK will be supplying the chips and sapphire touch panels that will be used in the watch respectively. This recent report seems to contradict earlier claims that Quanta would be manufacturing the device in time for a Q2 release, while TPK will be supplying flexible AMOLED panels, and not sapphire touch panels.
Then again these are merely rumors so safe to say that we have no idea which is real and which isn’t, or it could be that both rumors weren’t even real to begin with. That being said if there’s one thing that the rumors all seem to suggest, it is that the iWatch will be focusing on health. In fact rumors about iOS 8 hints that there will be health-related apps, like Healthbook for instance. The latest rumor about the iWatch also hints at possible UV exposure sensors.
In any case take it with a grain of salt for now, but with companies like Google, Samsung, LG, and Motorola making the smartwatch push this year, we expect Apple will want to get something into the market before it is too late.
Apple iWatch Rumored For Q3 2014 Launch , original content from Ubergizmo, Filed in Apple, Gadgets, Rumors, iwatch, smartwatch, Wearable Tech, 
Apr 08
Some new Apple iWatch rumors are making the rounds this week including one that suggest that the device could have a UV light exposure sensors inside. That sensor would allow … Continue reading
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