Wearables
JBL’s Tour Pro 2 has a touchscreen charging case
Leave your phone at home
Back in the day, music players came with their own pair of free earphones. However, since the fall of music players and the rise of smartphones, those days are over. A dedicated player is now a niche product that hardly comes with its own pair of earphones. Now, things are coming out in reverse. JBL has launched the world’s first pair of wireless earbuds with a smart charging case called the Tour Pro 2.
Despite the popularity of wireless earbuds, the attached charging case have usually skipped the welcome wave of innovation. Besides some design quirks, charging cases have remained relatively the same throughout the years. The Tour Pro 2 changes the zeitgeist by packing in a 1.45-inch LED touchscreen in front of its own case.
Through the screen, users can control their music, adjust the earbuds’ settings, take calls, and read notifications. In terms of functionality, it works much like how a smartwatch acts as an extension of your smartphone. Ideally, users can leave their smartphones at home while using the earbuds.
For the usual audio trimmings, the earbuds come with 10mm drivers and Bluetooth 5.3 LTE for audio quality and connectivity, respectively.
Coming out in January 2023, the Tour Pro 2 will come in black or champagne. It retails for EUR 249.
SEE ALSO: Huawei Sound Joy vs JBL Flip 5
Did you hear that? That was the sound of a nepo baby opening their wallet for a new piece of ostentatious luxury. For those dissatisfied with the sheer number of convenient smartwatch options out in the market, Tag Heuer has just partnered with New Balance for a new sporty watch.
Now, if a luxury watch brand like Tag Heuer started offering smartwatches meant for sport, I wouldn’t usually give a second glance. Leaving the sporty features to the ones with experience sounds like a better idea, anyway.
However, the new Tag Heuer Connected Calibre E5 40mm x New Balance Edition has some pedigree behind it. The running shoe brand is lending its experience in sports to help produce a worthy smartwatch.
Shining in lilac and mint green, the smartwatch is quite the looker. Yes, it does look like it’s asking me to get in the effin’ robot, but the color combination works. The curved glass and the textile strap adds to the premium-but-functional feel.
Inside, the Connected Calibre E5 has a good array of sensors you might need for an active day, including a heart rate monitor, GPS, an altimeter, and a sleep tracker. It also comes with workouts tailored by New Balance.
It comes with a hefty Snapdragon 5100+ processor and Tag Heuer OS, which is based on the Android Open Source Project.
As a downside, the battery lasts only a day-and-a-half on full power, and only two days on low power mode. It can charge to full in just 90 minutes, though.
And now for the price. Just like any Tag Heuer watch, the Connected Calibre E5 40mm x New Balance Edition costs quite a lot of pennies — US$ 2,050, to be exact.
SEE ALSO: Unboxing the latest Apple Watch × Hermès
News
Suunto joins Strava in legal battle against Garmin
Last week, Strava started a surprising legal war against Garmin. The latter allegedly infringed on several software patents. Now, another company is joining the fight. Suunto is also suing Garmin for hardware-related patent infringements.
Strava’s issues stem from software-related issues. Some features, especially Garmin’s heatmaps, are allegedly violating Strava’s own patents. Thus, Strava is asking the courts to stop Garmin from selling its infringing devices, which coincidentally makes up most of the company’s lineup.
In contrast, Suunto’s issues are geared towards Garmin’s hardware. However, the desired end result is the same: stopping Garmin from selling its watches.
Via Canadian Running, Garmin reportedly violated up to five hardware patents. These patents supposedly cover a variety of features including antenna positioning, golf swing detection, and the case’s design.
The suit was filed on September 22, so it’s a fairly recent development too. Much like Strava, Suunto wants financial compensation and an injunction against Garmin selling affected smartwatches. Coincidentally, the devices affected once again include most of Garmin’s devices.
Last week, it felt unlikely that Strava’s lawsuit would lead to the collapse of Garmin’s business. However, with two companies now fighting against the one, the fight just got more interesting. To be fair, the cases might still end up with nothing happening, but it’s still worth following.
SEE ALSO: Strava is suing Garmin over alleged patent infringements
It’s been 10 years since Apple and Hermès first teamed up to bring French luxury craftsmanship to the Apple Watch.
From iconic leather straps to exclusive watch faces, this partnership has transformed how we see wearable tech.
If you’ve ever wondered what makes the Apple Watch Hermès experience so special — or if the 10th Anniversary Edition is worth it — you won’t want to miss this.
Here’s our 10-year special of the solidified partnership between Apple x Hermès alongside the latest series of the premium Apple Watch.
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