smartwatch

 Smartwatches haven’t just changed the way we look at timepieces in terms of extensions of our smartwatch technology, they’ve also disrupted the fashion aspect by offering different bands, bracelets and making it easy for users themselves to change their watch bands for different occasions.

Samsung doesn’t give up easily, it seems. The company has repeatedly tried and tried again to create a winner in the wearables category, only to achieve mixed results. The Gear Fit2 isn’t a smartwatch, but rather a fitness band that can sort of act like a smartwatch because of its large screen and litany of features.

 Interchangeable bands are one of the most desired features for smartwatches.Which smartwatches make it easy to mix up style and function?

Sometimes two products work together so well that they mesh into an extension of one another and become that much better than either is on its own. Each might be pretty cool, but together, they becomes something special. That’s the case with Samsung’s Galaxy S5 smartphone and its Galaxy Fit fitness band. I had a week to try out these Samsung flagship devices and came away impressed with how well the two combine into what’s currently one of the best experiences out there for someone with an active, connected lifestyle.

Smartwatches, augmented reality glasses, fitness trackers –any compact extension to your smartphone or tablet– is firmly in Google’s sights with the announcement of Android Wear. What is Android Wear? It’s a push to extend Android to those smartwatches and wearable devices, using a standard API and developer tools so Android apps for smartphones and tablets can be ported to, or seamlessly integrated with those wearables. Google is working with developers and hardware partners like Samsung, Fossil and LG on the Android Wear Initiative. And you’ll see two Android Wear-powered smartwatches at Best Buy Later this year: the Moto 360 and LG’s G Watch.  

What is all the fuss about Spritz? If you were using a Spritz-enabled app, you would already have read to the end of this post and could tell us. But given that Spritz-enabled tech isn’t out there yet (it’s coming soon, though), here’s the scoop. Spritz is new speed reading technology that’s based on the theory that much of our time spent reading is wasted as our eyes move side to side. Display a word in one place, flash one word at a time and suddenly reading becomes much more efficient. Not only that, but by displaying just one word at a time, reading is suddenly possible on compact displays, like a smartphone or smartwatch. Being able to quickly (and painlessly) read e-mail, reports or even books on your Gear2 or Gear Neo suddenly makes the idea of wearable technology even more appealing.

 2016 is going to be the most exciting year for the wearable yet. We’ve already seen brands like Fitbit improving their brand by putting all of their new features forward. We’re going to have wearables that help us de-stress by encouraging better breathing and then there’s Microsoft Band 2. The Microsoft Band 2 looks to go above and beyond its competition by offering features that nobody else does. In addition to the usual run of notifications and trackers, Band 2 is the first wearable that flexes to offer help with your sleep, on the golf course and in the gym in the same package. Find out more about my experiences with Band by reading onward.

 When you think of the typical Father’s Day gift, it’s usually a gaudy and loud tie that comes to mind, and is the punchline to every comedian’s joke. However, if you’re having trouble finding dear ‘ol dad the perfect present for Father’s Day, you don’t have to stray into that clichéd territory, because there are plenty of other simple ideas for things your father will love this year. So, read on for my recommendations for the most stereotypical gifts to buy your dad on Father’s Day.

The 12 Days of Christmas gift idea list is now upon us, and for the seventh day, you may want to consider one of the best smartwatches— the Fitbit Versa 2.