Watches and Clocks – Page 8

Blade is the newest time machine from Tokyoflash Japan

Tokyoflash Japan’s newest entry in their line of cool, futuristic-looking time pieces is the Blade Carbon Fiber LED Watch. The design is inspired by the blades of a turbine engine. Blue, green, or red LEDs rotate behind the lens to mimic the movement of the blade. The case is made of carbon fiber, and the band has a “carbon fiber effect”. Time is displayed in either turning or flashing mode. Turning mode shows the blades “turning” with three stops to highlight the hour position and the minutes positions. Flashing mode looks more like an analog watch face, with the hour indicated by a lit position and the minutes displayed by a flashing position plus lighted dots. Blade also has date and alarm functions.

The Blade Carbon Fiber LED watch is recharged via USB. It is available at Tokyoflash Japan for $169 (€152, £137), including free 5-day worldwide shipping.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged: Watches and Clocks

Blade is the newest time machine from Tokyoflash Japan originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 5, 2017 at 8:00 am.

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The body heat powered PowerWatch starts shipping to backers

A year ago we included the Matrix Industries PowerWatch Indiegogo campaign in one of our weekly Notable crowdfunding campaign posts. I remember being intrigued by this activity tracking watch that uses the body heat from your wrist to generate power to charge the watch’s internal battery. How does it work?

The PowerWatch uses a thermoelectric generator (TEG) that senses body heat and converts it into energy. TEGs need to have a hot side and a cold side to operate. The hot side is the circular black aluminum plate on the back of the watch. The cold side is the entire metal bezel and body of the watch. The hot and cold sides are separated from each other by a layer of insulating thermoplastic. The TEGs harvest the heat flowing from the hot side to the cold side and turn it into electricity.

“Research shows that the number one reason consumers stop using wearables is because they take them off to charge and forget that they exist,” continued Boukai. “The PowerWatch was designed and built with the consumer top of mind, functioning the way we want our wearables to function, without any lapses for charging. By reducing or eliminating the need for recharging, the PowerWatch is the first wearable to offer consumers this uninterrupted ability.”

Now, the watches are shipping to campaign backers and are also available for order today on PowerWatch.com, starting at $169, with the premium PowerWatch X set to ship before the end of the year.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged: Activity tracker, Watches and Clocks

The body heat powered PowerWatch starts shipping to backers originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 13, 2017 at 8:00 am.

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(Hopefully) the third time is the charm: Apple Watch Series 3 review

The title says it all… I’ve purchased both the Series 1 and Series 2 Apple Watches, taking them both back within Apple’s no-questions-asked return window. Each time going into the relationship starry-eyed and hopeful. But ultimately determining that I didn’t need Apple’s smartwatch or I missed my old school timepieces. Well, oops I’ve done it again, the Series 3 was calling my name and I finally gave in and pulled the trigger. For this write-up, I won’t be diving very deep into the specs (that’s all over the Net) but more into the experience as an old (emphasis on Old…) time watch guy who loves tech gear and fitness.

I find that as I near 50, my workouts have become less frequent and not nearly as epic as back in the day. While I stay in decent shape, old age is winning. It is my hope that an Apple Watch will help stem the tide and enable me to raise the bar. Being an AR number cruncher, I find the real-time data a smartwatch gives me both nagging and motivating.

After getting over the hump of whether or not to buy a Series 3, the next question is which Apple Watch would satisfy me the most. As I said, I am a long time watch guy. While (a bit) unnecessary in today’s world of smartphones, I enjoy the feel/heft of a timepiece on my wrist. The aluminum and glass Apple Watch always felt a bit light to me, lacking the weight I have come to prefer. So, long story short, I decided to splurge and get the stainless steel black sport Apple Watch with sapphire glass screen. The stainless steel watch is only available with LTE, which I don’t know if I’d have chosen if given the choice. But overall, I walked away with little to no regrets, that deep down I know I would have if I had purchased the base model.

I have benched my classic timepieces and been using the Apple Watch for a few weeks. It really has motivated me to do more. In my hectic life, I find myself walking the stairs in my building more, hopping on the elliptical more often before settling down for dinner, and most importantly…finding the time/energy/motivation to run more.

Theoretically, any smartwatch could do this for you (or better yet sheer willpower) but our family lives in the Apple ecosystem and the Apple Watch only adds to the seamlessness of that world. The watch makes an excellent companion for all my Apple devices from my iPhone to my MacBooks. WatchOS 4.0 and built-in LTE has definitely improved the smartwatch experience making the latest Apple Watch as close to an iPhone on your wrist (or Dick Tracy) that you can get these days. There are several LTE enabled Android/Tisen watches on the market but they’re bulky and lack the refinement of the Apple Watch.

Well, long story short, I’m keeping the Apple Watch Series 3 for the following reasons: refinement, material/build quality, enhanced Apple ecosystem experience, and added motivation. I’m still up in the air about activating T-Mobile LTE on it but I’ll continue to ponder the usability and potential impact on battery life (which I currently find stellar, with 75% power remaining on a typical day and more than 50% on a running & streaming music day). Overall, I truly like the watch and have promised myself I won’t look back or wear my other watches till I lose 10 pounds and hopefully rekindle my workout mojo. Wish me luck …

Source: The sample for this review was purchased with my own funds. Please visit their apple.com for more info.

Product Information

Price:	$649
Manufacturer:	Apple
Pros:	Excellent material/build quality Best smartwatch OS to date Enhanced Apple ecosystem experience Great motivational tool Built-in LTE
Cons:	Expensive

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Apple Watch, Smartwatch, Watches and Clocks

(Hopefully) the third time is the charm: Apple Watch Series 3 review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 29, 2017 at 10:23 am.

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Rhinoband Rhino Runner is like a tank for your Apple Watch

I’ve posted on this before: I don’t (yet) own an Apple Watch. When they were first released, I thought they looked very stylish but delicate, and I felt that I’d be afraid to engage in the types of heavy-duty fitness and other activities that I tend to favor. But as usual, 3rd-party companies have stepped in to solve this. The latest product that makes me think that an Apple Watch might be nearer in my future than I’d initially thought is the Rhino Runner by Rhinobands.

An upgrade from the standard, all-silicone Rhino Band, the Rhino Runner features multiple layers of protection, including 3 layers of shock protection as well as an optional built-in screen protector. Rhino Runner effectively encases your Apple Watch in a Tony Stark-like suit of armor. Of course, this is excellent, but what I like the best thing about the Rhino Runner is that it resembles my beloved G-Shock watches that I wore for years. The Rhino Runner is available for pre-order in Black (pictured), Green, Tan, White and Red colors for $34.99 base model and $39.99 including the screen protector option. Visit rhinoband.com for more info or to preorder.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged: Apple Watch, watch, Watches and Clocks

Rhinoband Rhino Runner is like a tank for your Apple Watch originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 18, 2017 at 10:08 am.

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Bucardo makes covers that turn your Apple Watch into a pocket watch

I love watches, but I hate wearing them. And now that I carry a smartphone in my pocket almost 24/7, I don’t really need to wear a watch on my wrist. But if for some reason I did need to carry a dedicated watch, I would consider a pocket watch because like I already said, I hate wearing a watch. If you feel the same way about wearing watches but are very tempted by the Apple Watch, you might want to consider turning it into a pocket watch with a cover from Bucardo.

Bucardo makes high-end covers for Apple Watch series 1 through 3 that are made of stainless steel and gold-plated stainless steel.

The covers attach to the Apple Watch where the bands attach. The cover protects the watch’s display while it’s in your pocket.

Bucardo pocket watch covers are available in a couple different styles and are priced from $119.40 to $219.00 depending on the style. Visit www.bucardo.com and Amazon for more info.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged: Apple Watch, Watches and Clocks

Bucardo makes covers that turn your Apple Watch into a pocket watch originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 15, 2017 at 3:16 pm.

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