Bloomberg reports that Apple is among the list of companies Nokia is hoping will purchase its struggling HERE Maps, as it seeks to cut divisions that are losing money.
According to the publication's anonymous source, Nokia is seeking more than 3 billion euros ($3.2 billion) from a sale of the unit. It's selling HERE Maps for the "ubiquity and utility" of its location-based services.
Apple confirmed this afternoon that the reports are true, Apple Watches are shipping ahead of schedule. A spokesperson for the company told BuzzFeed that "[Apple] is happy to be updating many customers today with the news that their Apple Watch will arrive sooner than expected."
Additionally, the spokesperson said Apple "is working to fill orders as quickly as possible based on the available supply and the order in which they were received," and explained the company is aware that many customers are still facing long lead times, and it appreciates their patience.
Potentially good news today for folks looking at lengthy lead times on their Apple Watch pre-orders. Some customers with 4-6 week and June shipping estimates are reporting that Apple has charged them for their Watch purchases, and their order statuses have changed from 'Processing Items' to 'Preparing for Shipment.'
Given how crazy the Apple Watch launch has been thus far, it's possible that this doesn't mean anything—perhaps it's a system glitch or Apple's trying out a new processing strategy. But typically, these actions indicate that Apple is about to ship an order, and that has raised hopes that Watches will arrive earlier than expected.
There's no two ways about it: even under the most ideal of conditions, the Apple Watch may not be able to get a reliable heart rate reading every time for everybody. Now, our recent overview of the Apple Watch's heart rate sensor provided a good starting point for enthusiasts wishing to learn more about the feature. It gives you a better idea of the intricacies and benefits of the custom-designed hardware feature marketed primarily to fitness aficionados.
But the truth is, it's been designed for everyone, really. It's something every Watch customer will be using without even being aware of it, simply by wearing the device (for those wondering, the average human heart rate is about seventy-two beats per minute).
On the back of the Watch is a specially designed sensor protected by a ceramic cover with sapphire lenses, with infrared and visible-light LEDs and photodiodes detecting the amount of blood flowing through your wrist at any given moment.
Knowing your heart rate helps the Watch determine your intensity level during workout while improving the accuracy of your active calorie burn measurements. Therefore, knowing the sensor's limitations and pitfalls is important.
Luckily, there are some things you can do to help the Watch get the most consistent and best heart rate readings possible. Here are five sound tips regarding using this feature optimally and with minimal disruption.
Jony Ive is in the limelight again. Earlier this morning, Condé Nast's inaugural International Luxury Conference kicked off in Florence, Italy — the birthplace of the Renaissance - and Ive, Apple's Senior Vice President of Design, was joined on stage by fellow industrial designer Marc Newson, who helped create the Apple Watch.
As reported by the British edition of the fashion magazine Vogue, Apple's wrist-worn device was the chief topic of conversation, with Ive discussing how Apple's approach to 21st-century luxury compares with traditional luxury as we know it.
Today is Earth Day and Apple Stores around the world are marking the occasion with revamped signage outside the brick-and-mortar locations featuring green leaves. Although the physical stores now rock logo leaves tinted in green, the Online Apple Store was unaffected as of this writing.
The Apple.com homepage is heavily promoting the company's green initiatives based on the updated 2015 Environmental Responsibility Report and an accompanying video entitled ‘Better Starts Here’, which highlights “significant progress” the company has made in terms of its commitment to preserving our environment during the 2014 fiscal year.
I just stumbled upon some great news: my Apple Watch will be here Friday. I was able to verify this via the UPS My Choice website. If you're already a My Choice member, log in here, and if your watch has shipped, you should see your Apple Watch shipment on a calendar with the scheduled date of arrival. My watch is scheduled to arrive on Friday, April 24th, between 2:15 PM and 6:15 PM.
Apple retail chief Angela Ahrendts sent out a video to Apple retail employees today, addressing concerns and questions regarding the Apple Watch and MacBook launches. In the video, posted by French site Mac4Ever, Ahrendts reiterates much of what was said in an internal memo that was sent out to employees last week.
Apple is working on integrating public transit information into its Maps app, according to a job listing spotted by AppleInsider on Tuesday. The company is hiring software engineers for its Maps division's Routing team, which it says is working on "one of the most anticipated features of Apple Maps."
The job listing calls for applicants with experience in developing high quality, robust software systems using C++ and Linux, excellent problem solving and analytical skills, and asks that they have "in-depth knowledge about public transit, both as a consumer of those services and the technical aspects."
Not to be outdone by rival Microsoft which earlier this morning updated its PowerPoint for iOS presentation software with the ability to start and navigate the slideshow on your iPhone from you wrist, Apple has quickly followed with a similar update of its own which brings the same functionality to Keynote for iOS, its PowerPoint alternative. Eagle-eyed readers would be right to note that controlling Keynote presentations from your wrist was first mentioned during Apple’s October 2014 media event.
Apple on Tuesday began sending out emails to select iOS developers, giving them the chance to purchase a 42mm Apple Watch with a Blue Sport band that is guaranteed to arrive by April 28, 2015. Supplies are of course extremely limited, so Apple says that it is choosing the developers via a lottery system.
The move is part of an ongoing effort to help app developers test their WatchKit apps directly on Apple Watch, which can help them gather much better performance data than the Mac simulator. Prior to pre-orders, Apple was said to be inviting some developers to its Cupertino headquarters for such testing.
Following months of promises and multiple delays, Facebook-owned WhatsApp, which commands more than 800 million active users worldwide, on Tuesday started rolling a voice calling feature in its iPhone application.
WhatsApp Calling is a staggered release and will be rolling out “slowly over the next several weeks,” the company said, meaning it may not be available for you immediately.
In addition to calling other people for free over Wi-Fi networks, regardless of where they may live, the app has gained other enhancements, too, starting with a much welcomed app extension on iPhones running iOS 8. Sadly enough, this update hasn't brought out support for iOS 8's Interactive Notifications.