Monday 18 May 2015

Never forget your phone again: Apple Watch update will alert users if they leave their handset behind

  • Watch update will include 'digital leash' to user's phone
  • Apple also expected to next month reveal updates to its TV system
  • Watch app will allow users to control their TV from their wrist

  • Apple is planning to end the horror of leaving your phone at home, or in a bar.
    The firm is planning to issue an update to the Apple Watch allowing it to alert users if it spots the phone is not nearby.
    The first update for Apple's smart timepiece is also expecting to include a health feature alerting users of an irregular heartbeat.

    According to 9to5mac, the update will be announced at the firm's annual developer conference in San Francisco next month.
    'The Watch will use its wireless signal to establish its location relative to the iPhone, and will optionally be able to notify a user if the iPhone is accidentally left behind,' it said.
    'Apple wants to give [a user] a tap or a light notice if it thinks [he or she is] accidentally leaving [the] phone somewhere,' the site's source claims. 
    The update is also expected to address recent security concerns over the watch. 
    The first update for Apple watch will allow the device to alert users if they leave their phone behind.
    A video has revealed how the Watch can be reset and paired with another phone within minutes - and without ever having to enter a passcode.
    And because the Watch doesn't have its own GPS chip, once it's lost or stolen it can't be tracked. 
    At the same conference Apple is also set to reveal its plans for television.  
    Instead of a traditional remote with buttons, it is expected to use a touchpad to allow users to easily navigate around, choosing from apps, live TV and on demand services.

    According the the New York Times
    'When Apple introduces its new TV box this summer, the remote control will gain a touch pad and also be slightly thicker than the current version, according to an employee briefed on the product, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the device was confidential.'
    The report claims the touch pad can be used for scrolling around and there will also be two physical buttons, the person said. 
    An Apple spokesman, declined to comment on the product. 
    It is also believed to be working on a 25 channel live streaming TV service, which could be revealed at the same time.
    The firm has been hinting at its plans for a TV for several years