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Apple Watch Pro: Everything we know about Apple's rugged extreme sports watch – Macworld

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Apple Watch Pro: Everything we know about Apple’s rugged extreme sports watch | Macworld

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There could be more than one new Apple Watch on the horizon for 2022. In addition to the Apple Watch 8, it’s rumored that Apple will launch a new model that will be even larger, and much more rugged, to appeal to sporting enthusiasts.

Mark Gurman of Bloomberg reported in December 2021 that Apple could release an Apple Watch with a “rugged casing,” which could appeal to users who participate in extreme events and sports. Such a watch would presumably have an exterior that’s more scratch- and impact-resistant to better compete with Casio and Luminox rugged watches.

We’ll run through all the rumors about this new Apple Watch category below. There’s also said to be a new Apple Watch SE coming, which we discuss separately.

Apple Watch Pro: Name

There are a few possible names that Apple might choose for this new category of Apple Watch. It’s been reported that Apple will be retiring the Edition name (which doesn’t really work for the type of watch that is rumored) so here are the ones we think are most likely:

  • Apple Watch Pro – Pro is a brand that Apple uses to emphasise the pro features of its Macs and iPhones and iPads, so it would make sense for it to come to the Watch. Apparently Apple did consider the Apple Watch Pro name in the past. (Update: Mark Gurman in his 10 July newsletter also settled on Apple Watch Pro as the most likely name).
  • Apple Watch Max – Max is another brand that Apple uses to emphasise pro features, and Max does have nice connotations for sports.
  • Apple Watch Sports – It’s said that Apple conceived of this watch for sports enthusiasts, but there is already an Apple Watch Sports Band and Sports Loop, and the sports-focused Apple Watch Nike editions, which tend to be lower priced options. so we aren’t sure it will use the name again.
  • Apple Watch Extreme – Extreme would be a good name as it reflects extreme sports and the idea of extra power really well.
  • Apple Watch Explorer Edition – Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman suggested that this watch had been nicknamed this during early development.
Apple Watch Series 7 and Series 6

The Apple Watch Pro is expected to adopt a new look to go with its larger screen.

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Apple Watch Pro: Release date

The new Apple Watch will arrive this fall. Apple’s widely expected to launch the new Apple Watches at the iPhone 14 Far Out event on Wednesday, September 7. Apple has sent out invitations for the event, called Far Out, that will begin at 10am PT. The watches are expected to become available for sale the following week. A rumor in August claimed that the Apple Watch Pro will be unveiled as a One More Thing at the announcement to cap the Far Out event.

Apple Watch Pro: Design and size

The rumors suggest that the Apple Watch Pro will be different than any Apple Watch variation released so far, with a new design and overall look and a larger screen.

How big will the Apple Pro be?

Back in October 2021 Ross Young of Display Supply Chain Consultants tweeted the suggestion that Apple will launch three size option for the 2022 Apple Watch.

In July, Young added the new size to his prediction, indicating that this new Apple Watch screen size could be 50mm At 50mm the watch face will be 5mm larger than the largest Apple Watch 7. It will measure almost 2in.

The current Watch sizes are 41mm and 45mm, which are already the largest Apple has made. If the third option is around 50mm it would rival the largest wristwatches from Invicta and Citizen.

If the new Watch is designed for extreme spots enthusiasts it is likely to be constructed from a metal more sturdy than aluminium, with higher water resistance and other features that make it better suited for extreme sports, such as better durability and a shatter-resistant screen. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has indicated that it will have a “rugged metal casing”, although back in March 2021 he suggested it might be covered with rubber-like material, similar to Casio’s G-Shock watches.

Apple Watch Series 3 wearing

While all Apple Watches have come in aluminum and stainless steel, the Apple Watch Pro is expected to have an ever stronger metal case.

IDG

What will the new Apple Watch Pro be made from?

Mark Gurman and others have suggested that this Apple Watch will be made from a rugged material. In his 10 July newsletter Mark Gurman suggested that it will be constructed from a non-aluminum metal material “probably titanium given it’s much more durable than steel.”

Will old bands work on the Apple Watch Pro?

Nearly every band Apple has released since the original Apple Watch has worked on every model, with a few exceptions. Even with the increase in size from 38mm to 45mm, Apple has managed to keep support going through all of the different releases, though that could change with the Apple Watch Pro. A post on Weibo in August claimed that older bands won’t be compatible with the Apple Watch Pro due to its size, and Gurman added that some bands might be compatible with the new watch but “won’t fit as well or look as seamless.”

Apple Watch Pro: Fitness features and sensors

One of the benefits of the larger screen, rumoured to measure 50mm (almost 2in) is that there will be 7 percent more screen than the largest current Apple Watch. Gurman writes that “Apple could use the larger screen area to show more fitness metrics or information on watch faces at one time”.

Gurman also writes that this new Apple Watch: “will also improve tracking metrics like elevation during hiking workouts and data while swimming.” His sources also indicate that better battery life will enable athletes to track workouts for longer periods of time.

Another new feature is said to be the ability to track a user’s body temperature to detect a fever, this is said to also be coming to the Apple Watch Series 8.

Apple Watch Pro: Processor, battery, and connectivity

Processor

For all intents and purposes the S7 chip in the Apple Watch Series 7 is the same as the S6 chip. The bad news is that the chip in the Apple Watch Series 8, and also the Apple Watch Pro, as we are referring to it, is rumoured to be no better than the S7. Mark Gurman wrote in July that: “All of the new Apple Watches will use an S8 processor with similar performance to the S7 chip in the Apple Watch Series 7, which was on par with the S6 in the Apple Watch Series 6 from two years ago.”

Battery

One of the bonuses of the new larger Apple Watch that’s rumored to be in the pipeline is the potential for a larger and longer lasting battery. The current Apple Watch is rated for 18 hours of battery life.

In addition, it’s been reported that a new low-power mode is due to arrive in watchOS 9, though it could be exclusive to the new Series 8models.

Apple Watch Series 7

Older bands that work with the Series 7 watch might not be compatible with the Apple Watch Pro.

Jason Cross/IDG

5G and satellite connectivity

The Apple Watch Series 7 is the only product along with the 10-generation iPad that hasn’t yet switched from LTE to 5G, so it would make sense for the Apple Watch Series 8 lineup to make the switch. Additionally, the Apple Watch Pro is expected to support satellite networking to make emergency calls and send texts when service is unavailable.

Apple Watch Pro: Price

We expect the price of this new larger watch to be higher than the entry-level Apple Watch Series 8, but because Apple sells watches with different bands, it’s likely not to be the most expensive watch and strap combination you can buy. With the Series 7 starting at $399/£369 for the 41mm and $429/£399 for the 45mm mode, we expect the rugged model will likely cost more, perhaps $499/£499.

However, it could have a higher price than that. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman maked a price prediction in his 10 July newsletter based on the current price for the Apple Watch Edition (an Apple Watch Series 7 in a titanium case). That model starts at $849, but Gurman thinks Apple will price the new watch even higher: “I wouldn’t be surprised if it starts closer to $900 to $999,” he wrote.

, Editor

Macworld editor since 2008, Karen has worked on both sides of the Apple divide, clocking up a number of years at Apple’s PR agency prior to joining Macworld almost two decades ago. 

Karen’s career highlights include interviewing Apple’s Steve Wozniak and discussing Steve Jobs’ legacy on the BBC. Her focus is Mac, but she lives and breathes Apple.

Recent stories by Karen Haslam:


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The Internet is Littered in ‘Educated Guesses’ Without the ‘Education’

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October 8, 2024

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Although no one likes a know-it-all, they dominate the Internet.

The Internet began as a vast repository of information. It quickly became a breeding ground for self-proclaimed experts seeking what most people desire: recognition and money.

Today, anyone with an Internet connection and some typing skills can position themselves, regardless of their education or experience, as a subject matter expert (SME). From relationship advice, career coaching, and health and nutrition tips to citizen journalists practicing pseudo-journalism, the Internet is awash with individuals—Internet talking heads—sharing their “insights,” which are, in large part, essentially educated guesses without the education or experience.

The Internet has become a 24/7/365 sitcom where armchair experts think they’re the star.

Not long ago, years, sometimes decades, of dedicated work and acquiring education in one’s field was once required to be recognized as an expert. The knowledge and opinions of doctors, scientists, historians, et al. were respected due to their education and experience. Today, a social media account and a knack for hyperbole are all it takes to present oneself as an “expert” to achieve Internet fame that can be monetized.

On the Internet, nearly every piece of content is self-serving in some way.

The line between actual expertise and self-professed knowledge has become blurry as an out-of-focus selfie. Inadvertently, social media platforms have created an informal degree program where likes and shares are equivalent to degrees. After reading selective articles, they’ve found via and watching some TikTok videos, a person can post a video claiming they’re an herbal medicine expert. Their new “knowledge,” which their followers will absorb, claims that Panda dung tea—one of the most expensive teas in the world and isn’t what its name implies—cures everything from hypertension to existential crisis. Meanwhile, registered dietitians are shaking their heads, wondering how to compete against all the misinformation their clients are exposed to.

More disturbing are individuals obsessed with evangelizing their beliefs or conspiracy theories. These people write in-depth blog posts, such as Elvis Is Alive and the Moon Landings Were Staged, with links to obscure YouTube videos, websites, social media accounts, and blogs. Regardless of your beliefs, someone or a group on the Internet shares them, thus confirming your beliefs.

Misinformation is the Internet’s currency used to get likes, shares, and engagement; thus, it often spreads like a cosmic joke. Consider the prevalence of clickbait headlines:

  • You Won’t Believe What Taylor Swift Says About Climate Change!
  • This Bedtime Drink Melts Belly Fat While You Sleep!
  • In One Week, I Turned $10 Into $1 Million!

Titles that make outrageous claims are how the content creator gets reads and views, which generates revenue via affiliate marketing, product placement, and pay-per-click (PPC) ads. Clickbait headlines are how you end up watching a TikTok video by a purported nutrition expert adamantly asserting you can lose belly fat while you sleep by drinking, for 14 consecutive days, a concoction of raw eggs, cinnamon, and apple cider vinegar 15 minutes before going to bed.

Our constant search for answers that’ll explain our convoluted world and our desire for shortcuts to success is how Internet talking heads achieve influencer status. Because we tend to seek low-hanging fruits, we listen to those with little experience or knowledge of the topics they discuss yet are astute enough to know what most people want to hear.

There’s a trend, more disturbing than spreading misinformation, that needs to be called out: individuals who’ve never achieved significant wealth or traded stocks giving how-to-make-easy-money advice, the appeal of which is undeniable. Several people I know have lost substantial money by following the “advice” of Internet talking heads.

Anyone on social media claiming to have a foolproof money-making strategy is lying. They wouldn’t be peddling their money-making strategy if they could make easy money.

Successful people tend to be secretive.

Social media companies design their respective algorithms to serve their advertisers—their source of revenue—interest; hence, content from Internet talking heads appears most prominent in your feeds. When a video of a self-professed expert goes viral, likely because it pressed an emotional button, the more people see it, the more engagement it receives, such as likes, shares and comments, creating a cycle akin to a tornado.

Imagine scrolling through your TikTok feed and stumbling upon a “scientist” who claims they can predict the weather using only aluminum foil, copper wire, sea salt and baking soda. You chuckle, but you notice his video got over 7,000 likes, has been shared over 600 times and received over 400 comments. You think to yourself, “Maybe this guy is onto something.” What started as a quest to achieve Internet fame evolved into an Internet-wide belief that weather forecasting can be as easy as DIY crafts.

Since anyone can call themselves “an expert,” you must cultivate critical thinking skills to distinguish genuine expertise from self-professed experts’ self-promoting nonsense. While the absurdity of the Internet can be entertaining, misinformation has serious consequences. The next time you read a headline that sounds too good to be true, it’s probably an Internet talking head making an educated guess; without the education seeking Internet fame, they can monetize.

______________________________________________________________

 

Nick Kossovan, a self-described connoisseur of human psychology, writes about what’s

on his mind from Toronto. You can follow Nick on Twitter and Instagram @NKossovan.

 

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Tight deadlines on software projects can put safety at risk: survey

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October 8, 2024

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TORONTO – A new survey says a majority of software engineers and developers feel tight project deadlines can put safety at risk.

Seventy-five per cent of the 1,000 global workers who responded to the survey released Tuesday say pressure to deliver projects on time and on budget could be compromising critical aspects like safety.

The concern is even higher among engineers and developers in North America, with 77 per cent of those surveyed on the continent reporting the urgency of projects could be straining safety.

The study was conducted between July and September by research agency Coleman Parkes and commissioned by BlackBerry Ltd.’s QNX division, which builds connected-car technology.

The results reflect a timeless tug of war engineers and developers grapple with as they balance the need to meet project deadlines with regulations and safety checks that can slow down the process.

Finding that balance is an issue that developers of even the simplest appliances face because of advancements in technology, said John Wall, a senior vice-president at BlackBerry and head of QNX.

“The software is getting more complicated and there is more software whether it’s in a vehicle, robotics, a toaster, you name it… so being able to patch vulnerabilities, to prevent bad actors from doing malicious acts is becoming more and more important,” he said.

The medical, industrial and automotive industries have standardized safety measures and anything they produce undergoes rigorous testing, but that work doesn’t happen overnight. It has to be carried out from the start and then at every step of the development process.

“What makes safety and security difficult is it’s an ongoing thing,” Wall said. “It’s not something where you’ve done it, and you are finished.”

The Waterloo, Ont.-based business found 90 per cent of its survey respondents reported that organizations are prioritizing safety.

However, when asked about why safety may not be a priority for their organization, 46 per cent of those surveyed answered cost pressures and 35 per cent said a lack of resources.

That doesn’t surprise Wall. Delays have become rampant in the development of tech, and in some cases, stand to push back the launch of vehicle lines by two years, he said.

“We have to make sure that people don’t compromise on safety and security to be able to get products out quicker,” he said.

“What we don’t want to see is people cutting corners and creating unsafe situations.”

The survey also took a peek at security breaches, which have hit major companies like London Drugs, Indigo Books & Music, Giant Tiger and Ticketmaster in recent years.

About 40 per cent of the survey’s respondents said they have encountered a security breach in their employer’s operating system. Those breaches resulted in major impacts for 27 per cent of respondents, moderate impacts for 42 per cent and minor impacts for 27 per cent.

“There are vulnerabilities all the time and this is what makes the job very difficult because when you ship the software, presumably the software has no security vulnerabilities, but things get discovered after the fact,” Wall said.

Security issues, he added, have really come to the forefront of the problems developers face, so “really without security, you have no safety.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 8, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:BB)

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Beware of scams during Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days sales event: cybersecurity firm

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October 8, 2024

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As online shoppers hunt for bargains offered by Amazon during its annual fall sale this week, cybersecurity researchers are warning Canadians to beware of an influx of scammers posing as the tech giant.

In the 30 days leading up to Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days, taking place Tuesday and Wednesday, there were more than 1,000 newly registered Amazon-related web domains, according to Check Point Software Technologies, a company that offers cybersecurity solutions.

The company said it deemed 88 per cent of those domains malicious or suspicious, suggesting they could have been set up by scammers to prey on vulnerable consumers. One in every 54 newly created Amazon-related domain included the phrase “Amazon Prime.”

“They’re almost indiscernible from the real Amazon domain,” said Robert Falzon, head of engineering at Check Point in Canada.

“With all these domains registered that look so similar, it’s tricking a lot of people. And that’s the whole intent here.”

Falzon said Check Point Research sees an uptick in attempted scams around big online shopping days throughout the year, including Prime Days.

Scams often come in the form of phishing emails, which are deceptive messages that appear to be from a reputable source in attempt to steal sensitive information.

In this case, he said scammers posing as Amazon commonly offer “outrageous” deals that appear to be associated with Prime Days, in order to trick recipients into clicking on a malicious link.

The cybersecurity firm said it has identified and blocked 100 unique Amazon Prime-themed scam emails targeting organizations and consumers over the past two weeks.

Scammers also target Prime members with unsolicited calls, claiming urgent account issues and requesting payment information.

“It’s like Christmas for them,” said Falzon.

“People expect there to be significant savings on Prime Day, so they’re not shocked that they see something of significant value. Usually, the old adage applies: If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.”

Amazon’s website lists a number of red flags that it recommends customers watch for to identify a potential impersonation scam.

Those include false urgency, requests for personal information, or indications that the sender prefers to complete the purchase outside of the Amazon website or mobile app.

Scammers may also request that customers exclusively pay with gift cards, a claim code or PIN. Any notifications about an order or delivery for an unexpected item should also raise alarm bells, the company says.

“During busy shopping moments, we tend to see a rise in impersonation scams reported by customers,” said Amazon spokeswoman Octavia Roufogalis in a statement.

“We will continue to invest in protecting consumers and educating the public on scam avoidance. We encourage consumers to report suspected scams to us so that we can protect their accounts and refer bad actors to law enforcement to help keep consumers safe.”

Falzon added that these scams are more successful than people might think.

As of June 30, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre said there had been $284 million lost to fraud so far this year, affecting 15,941 victims.

But Falzon said many incidents go unreported, as some Canadians who are targeted do not know how or where to flag a scam, or may choose not to out of embarrassment.

Check Point recommends Amazon customers take precautions while shopping on Prime Days, including by checking URLs carefully, creating strong passwords on their accounts, and avoiding personal information being shared such as their birthday or social security number.

The cybersecurity company said consumers should also look for “https” at the beginning of a website URL, which indicates a secure connection, and use credit cards rather than debit cards for online shopping, which offer better protection and less liability if stolen.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 8, 2024.

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