Apple Watch Expected to Change the Smartwatch Industry

Photo Credit: mashable.com

Pre-orders for Apple's first new device on the market since Jobs, the Apple Watch, has officially begun late last week. It was reported that within hours of being available, some models of the Apple Watch were sold out. Whether it was because demand was high, or supply was low is still the question, but in either case, it looks like people are really starting to embrace the wearable device phenomenon now. According to an article from Yahoo! Tech, "Gartner expects 40 million smartwatches will be sold this year, quadruple the number it believes were sold last year. The Apple Watch may account for as many as half the number of smartwatches sold, Gartner said." (Apple Watch Preorders Kick Off, Some Models Quickly Sell Out). Other research firms such as Forrester and Morgan Stanley analysts agree that Apple Watch will make up a significant portion of the smartwatch sales this year.

With the smartwatch trend coming to fruition, Virtual Assistants (such as Siri and Google Now) will be even more accessible, being directly on your wrist.  How do you think Apple Watch reviews will be by the end of the year? Is it going to be a game changer like the iPhone or just a fad? How will other wearable devices compare? Let us know what you think in the comments below.  
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Apple's Big Announcement: What Does This Mean For Siri?

"Today, we are pleased to announce the biggest advancement in iPhone." -Tim Cook

The much anticipated Apple event occurred this morning in Cupertino, CA. Here, they announced some of the latest features integrated into the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. 

• Much larger screen.  iPhone 6 has a 4.7-inch display. iPhone 6 Plus has a 5.5-inch display. 
• The cover glass is made up of a Retina HD display.
• There is a updated Home screen for landscape mode.
• iPhone 6 has a 8MP iSight camera, 1.5µ pixels, ƒ/2.2 aperture, with an all new sensor.
• The predictive keyboard learns your conversation style and helps you answer accordingly. 
• The new Health app gives you a detailed look at your health and fitness data.
• See how much faster and easier it is to pay with Apple Pay
• Pre-order your iPhone 6 starting Sept. 12

Not only did they announce all the newest features integrated within the iOS8 platform, they also unveiled the newest addition to their product line, the Apple Watch. Looks like the rumors were right; Apple joined the market for wearable devices. Check out the sleek design.

Photo Credit: Apple.com

Siri also made it's way into the Apple Watch. The iPhone 6, 6 Plus, and Apple Watch all run iOS8, which made some significant updates to Siri. Though, the event did not mention Siri much, back in June at Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference, they mentioned some of the updates Siri will be getting in iOS8. 

• Shazam song recognition
• Voice activation, all you have to do is say "Hey, Siri."
• Streaming voice recognition
• 22 new dictation languages
• Purchasing iTunes content

Do you think this face lift be enough to keep Apple on top of the Virtual Assistant game, competing with Android's Google Now and Microsoft's Cortana?   

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