The AppAdvice Week In Review: CES Hits And Misses
January 12, 2014
The displays are down, the reviews have been written, and International CES is over for another year. Here are a few of the technology stories that made news during the week that was:
At CES, Pebble unveiled its second generation smart watch, the Pebble Steel. I've been very impressed with the pace of software development for the iconic smart watch, and can't wait to see what the new Pebble app store entails.
In terms of hardware, however, the Pebble Steel left me underwhelmed, at best.
The new product sports a Corning Gorilla Glass lens with an oleophobic coating, and contains an RGB LED light to indicate the charging status of the watch. This sounds awesome -- until you see the product up close.
The Pebble Steel looks a lot like a brushed stainless or black matte Pulsar from the 1980s. This isn't a compliment. Even with its haphazard interface, the Samsung Galaxy Gear runs circles around the Pebble Steel in terms of its design. I've also been impressed with the Lifeband Touch, Suunto Core, and any of the Apple "iWatch" concept designs revealed in recent months.
Hopefully, we won't have to wait until January 2015 for the next wave of Pebble smart watches to be introduced. Do you agree?
CES 2014: A Review
The period between September and November is always a busy time in the world of technology, as new products arrive in stores ahead of the holiday shopping season. Even so, many of these products are first unveiled months earlier at International CES in Las Vegas, Nev. Brent Dirks recently published a list of his favorite products at CES. These included the impressive Mophie Space Pack, Sphero 2B, and LaCie Fuel Hard Drive, among others. I can't wait to get my hands on the LifeProof Nüüd and LifeProof Frē waterproof cases, the Mophie Space Pack, and LG's brand new activity monitor, the Lifeband Touch. For more from CES, see:Next year's CES runs from Jan. 6-9, 2015.
The Pebble Watch is a yawner
At CES, Pebble unveiled its second generation smart watch, the Pebble Steel. I've been very impressed with the pace of software development for the iconic smart watch, and can't wait to see what the new Pebble app store entails.
In terms of hardware, however, the Pebble Steel left me underwhelmed, at best.
The new product sports a Corning Gorilla Glass lens with an oleophobic coating, and contains an RGB LED light to indicate the charging status of the watch. This sounds awesome -- until you see the product up close.
The Pebble Steel looks a lot like a brushed stainless or black matte Pulsar from the 1980s. This isn't a compliment. Even with its haphazard interface, the Samsung Galaxy Gear runs circles around the Pebble Steel in terms of its design. I've also been impressed with the Lifeband Touch, Suunto Core, and any of the Apple "iWatch" concept designs revealed in recent months.
Hopefully, we won't have to wait until January 2015 for the next wave of Pebble smart watches to be introduced. Do you agree?
Recommended Reading
- A Look At The Key Differences Between Apple's iOS 7 And iOS 7.1 Beta 3 by yours truly notes some of the changes coming with the next version of iOS.
- Taking On The Likes Of iTunes Radio, Dr. Dre's Beats Music Set To Launch On Jan. 21 by Aldrin Calimlim says some new beats are about to get started.
- At Last: Apple, Samsung CEOs Both Agree To Patent Dispute Mediation by Joe White explains why high priced lawyers are beginning to cringe.
- The 15 Apple Events That Helped Change The World by yours truly doesn't include the hockey puck mouse.
