Programmers Tomas Vymazal and Mikkel Gravgaard have just released a Quake 1 port for Apple Watch, but you’ll need to build the project yourself before playing. It uses the Quake SW renderer and features touch, gyro, as well as digital crown controls, while a new AVFoundation audio backend keeps the sounds as close to the original as possible.
The Apple Watch SOS feature may rarely be used by most users, but it did happen to save one woman’s life after she fell into the Columbia River. How does this feature work? Emergency SOS basically uses your Apple Watch to automatically call local emergency services and then shares your location with them. She managed to get her foot stuck under a rock in the freezing river and approached exhaustion before the rescue operation.
Apple officially announced today that Arizona is the first state to offer driver’s license or state ID in Wallet. Once loaded, residents can simply tap their iPhone or Apple Watch to seamlessly and securely present it at select TSA security checkpoints in Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Colorado, Hawaii, Mississippi, Ohio, and the territory of Puerto Rico are the next in line to get this feature. Read more for two videos and additional information.
The Apple Watch SE is a great option for those who don’t need a blood oxygen monitor, and you can get one for $259 shipped, this weekend only, originally $279. It still features the same accelerometer, gyroscope, and always-on altimeter as the Apple Watch Series 6, and when combined with the latest motion sensors and microphone, it offers robust health and safety capabilities including fall detection, Emergency SOS, international emergency calling, as well as the Noise app. Product age. Read more for a hands-on video overview and additional information.
The Apple Watch Series 6 (GPS, 44mm) isn’t always offered at a discount, but you can get one in Silver Aluminum with a White Sport Band for $379.99 shipped, today only, originally $429. Unlike its predecessors, this model has a new feature that conveniently measures the oxygen saturation of the user’s blood, or SpO2, which represents the percentage of oxygen being carried by red blood cells from the lungs to the rest of the body. Product page. Read more for a hands-on video review and additional information.
Apple Watch users have requested that a functional camera be added ever since the first generation was released, and thanks to Wristcam, this has now become a reality. This Apple-certified accessory adds two Sony-sourced camera sensors, a 2MP ‘self-facing’ camera capable of recording 1080p video and an 8MP ‘world-facing’ camera that can take 4K video – onto special bands. Fire up the Wristcam app on your Watch to use the cameras for live streaming or to simply use as a live viewfinder to capture images / video or sharing media. Read more for a video and additional information.
The new Apple Watch SE (GPS, 40mm) is the perfect smartwatch for most people, and you can get one for $259 shipped, this weekend only, originally $279. It boasts the same accelerometer, gyroscope, and always-on altimeter as Apple Watch Series 6. When you combine this with the latest motion sensors / microphone, it offers robust health capabilities including fall detection, Emergency SOS, and the Noise app. Product page. Read more for a hands-on video review and additional information.
The Apple Watch Series 6 (GPS, 40mm) may have just been released last month, but you can already get one for $374.98 shipped, this week only, originally $399. Unlike its predecessors, this latest model can measure the oxygen saturation of the user’s blood, which represents the percentage of oxygen being carried by red blood cells from the lungs to the rest of the body. The reading you get indicates how well this oxygenated blood is being delivered throughout the body. Product page. Read more for a hands-on video review and additional information.
Photo credit: Apple Demo YT
Apple has been known for either intentionally leaking early prototypes of their devices, or mysterious spy shots surface out of nowhere. This early Apple Watch prototype was concealed in a security case of sorts that resembles the iPod Nano. It came packaged in a small cardboard box labeled “Apple Confidential,” and was allegedly used in developing and testing the original device, released in 2015. The case itself is made of silicone and has a faux click wheel as well as buttons on the side. Read more for additional pictures and information.
The Apple Watch Series 5 (GPS, 40mm) is the latest model and it can be picked up for $299 shipped, today only, originally $399. Its most notable new feature is an innovative always-on display that shows the time and other important information at all times. Plus, each watch face has been optimized for the new display and to preserve battery life even more, the screen intelligently dims when a user’s wrist is down and returns to full brightness with a raise or a tap. Product page. Read more for a hands-on review and additional information.