More ways to personalise Garmin wearables at the Connect IQ Store

Garmin International has announced several new apps, data fields and watch faces available for Garmin users to download from its Connect IQ Store from companies including Uber, Trek, GU and Nuun.

Connect IQ, an open platform for third-party developers to create content for Garmin wearables, bike computers and outdoor handhelds, lets users customise their Garmin device to reflect their unique personalities and needs. Since its inception just two years ago, there have been more than 20 million Connect IQ downloads to the more than 3 million compatible devices that have shipped around the world.

“Connect IQ is a pillar of the Garmin wearables strategy which is centred on purpose-built devices for consumers who want to measure and enhance their active lifestyle pursuits, whether it’s running, cycling, swimming, golfing, boating, walking or simply being more active,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin VP of worldwide sales. “Just as each Garmin user is unique, so are all of the downloads available through Connect IQ. We’re excited to launch these new apps as we continue to integrate data from brands and developers and grow the Connect IQ store to make customising your Garmin device both useful and fun.”

One of the newest applications for Connect IQ is Uber ETA. Once a user has ordered a ride from the Uber app, Uber ETA will show the estimated time of the driver’s arrival directly on the Garmin wearable. Instead of going back and forth to the phone to see the status of the ride or key information about the driver, Uber ETA lets the user keep doing whatever they need to do while keeping track of their ride’s arrival on their wrist. Uber ETA will also provide the driver’s name, make and model of the car, license plate and guidance (direction and distance) to the pickup location.

Connect IQ downloads are also available for Garmin Edge GPS bike computers, including a new data field from Trek/Bontrager. Committed to cycling safety, the Connect IQ app from Garmin and Trek/Bontrager makes it easy for cyclists to get quick access to and control of their Bontrager headlights and tail lights without leaving the Edge activity during their ride. Cyclists see the battery level of multiple lights and control the light setting for each across automatic, daylight, nighttime and more.

Other new Connect IQ applications include a GU Energy Labs data field that reminds the cyclist Garmin Edge device when it’s time to fuel with GU Energy Gels while training and racing, as well as helping the athlete keep track of how many gels they should have eaten for optimal performance. Nuun Active Hydration users now have a new custom watch face to help them keep track of their step progress.

Garmin users will also benefit from other recently-released Connect IQ applications, including a widget from JOIN for cyclists that makes it easier to take part in group rides. In addition, various data fields are also available from Xert Advanced Power Analytics, including Maximal Power Available, Time to Exhaustion/Recovery, Fat/Carb Utilization, Strain Score and more. For runners, the Stryd IQ app displays data from a Stryd foot-mounted power meter onto a Garmin wearable to help improve running efficiency and longevity.

The Strava Live Suffer Score app is also available for both Garmin bike computers and wearables, analysing how much time the user spends in different heart rate zones, and measuring total activity effort with a simple rating. Also available for both wearables and bike computers, an update to the AccuWeather Edge MinuteCast Minute-by-Minute app that provides user with the most accurate hyper-local, by-the-minute precipitation forecasts for their active lifestyle. 

Interested?

Connect IQ is available on a wide range of Garmin products across of all of the markets the company serves, and each app, widget, watch face and data field can be downloaded at no charge to the user. The Connect IQ Store can be found at apps.garmin.com or in the device tab of Garmin Connect. It can also be found in the device page of Garmin Express, or the More section of Garmin Connect Mobile

Local availability and pricing will be announced on a later date

Read the WorkSmart Asia blog posts about Garmin's versatile new multisport wearables and about Garmin's live services for its Drive models

Hashtag: #CES2017

Add your own branding to SPD paper and electronic greeting cards

Source: SPD website.

SPD, an organisation dedicated to working with people with disabilities to develop their potential to the fullest, has a sheltered workshop* that produces both paper and electronic greeting cards for various occasions, including birthdays, Hari Raya, Deepavali, Christmas and Chinese New Year.

Cards can be customised with corporate logos, specific messages, or designed for other occasions.

Interested?

Visit the e-shop to view the full range of cards. Christmas 2015 and Chinese New Year 2016 cards are already available
Enquire at +65 6579 0742

*A sheltered workshop is a work environment for people with disabilities. 

Mix and match to build your HP Pavilion convertibles and notebooks

Source: HP. The HP Pavilion x360 in notebook mode. This model is in the new Minty Green shade.

HP has announced a new wave of Pavilion convertibles and notebooks that offer more processor, graphics and display options. Specifically, HP announced:

 Colourful HP Pavilion x360s that flip from notebook mode for working, stand mode for watching, tent mode for playing games and tablet mode for on-the-go.

 Customisable HP Pavilion notebooks that offer more hardware choices including discrete graphics and higher resolution displays. 

"Customers told us that they wanted more colour choices, more hardware options and better battery life in our Pavilion notebooks and x360 convertible PCs,” said Anneliese Olson, VP, Computing Solutions, Printing & Personal Systems, HP Asia-Pacific & Japan. “With our 2015 Pavilion line up, we have combined bold new colours from the runways in Milan with the latest processors to give customers systems with a fresh new look that deliver better performance and battery life across the board.”

“A new wave of millennials are demanding technology to empower them to work and play on their terms. Thanks to Moore’s Law, Intel has been pushing the limits of personal computing, enabling devices that are thinner, lighter, and more versatile than ever before,” said Tim Parker, Vice President and General Manager of Direct and Channel Sales for Intel in Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ). 

“The new range of HP devices with Intel inside combine Intel’s processing power and user experience with HP’s fresh new designs, effortlessly rising up to meet the high expectations of today’s connected generation.”

The HP Pavilion x360s have an innovative hinge that uses a set of three spiral gears for synchronised and precise movement to ensure the display glides smoothly and stays in place, where the user wants it. They are available in a new colour palette, including Sunset Red and Minty Green, and include full-sized, 1.5mm travel keyboards for comfort. A full-sized HDMI port, two USB 3.0 ports and one USB 2.0 port are supported.

Source: HP. The new Pavilion x360 in stand mode. The model is in the new Sunset Red shade.

The high definition (HD) IPS display makes gaming and movies more enjoyable with crisp images that look great at any angle^{1, 2}. For the best sound reproduction, the HP Pavilion x360s have B&O Play audio.

For 2015 the HP Pavilion x360 is now available with Intel Core M-5Y10C processors in addition to Intel Celeron or Pentium processors³. With a 32 watt-hour battery and the Intel Core M processor, the new HP Pavilion x360 packs up to four more hours of power than the previous Pentium-based model. Customers can enjoy up to eight hours and 15 minutes of battery life⁴. The HP Pavilion x360 comes with up to 8 GB of system memory⁵.

For portability and power, the HP Pavilion notebooks are thinner and lighter with longer battery life. The 14" and 15" HP Pavilions offer up to eight hours and 15 minutes and seven and a half hours of battery life respectively, while weight is reduced across the line⁴. The notebooks have a redesigned unibody chassis n a variety of colours including Natural Silver, Blizzard White, Sunset Red, Cobalt Blue, Violet Purple, and Peachy Pink. Dual speakers tuned by B&O Play provide more immersive sound.

Source: HP. The HP Pavilion notebook in Violet Purple.

The HP Pavilion notebooks are offered with HD or Full HD on the 15" notebook, touch or no touch in both the 14" and 15" displays^{1, 2}. HP Pavilions come with the fifth generation Intel Core i3 through i7 processors³, up to 2 TB of HDD on select models and up to 16 GB of system memory⁵. Customers have the option to select between AMD Radeon and NVidia discrete graphics processors for this family. 

The Pavilion x360 is available for S$699, while both the 14" Pavilion notebook (500GB) and the 15" Pavilion notebook start at S$849. All devices will be available in June 2015.

1 High definition (HD) content is required to view high-definition images.

2 Full High definition (HD) content is required to view quad high-definition images.

3 Intel’s numbering is not a measurement of higher performance.

4 Battery life will vary depending on various factors including product model, configuration, loaded applications, features, use, wireless functionality, and power management settings. The maximum capacity of the battery will naturally decrease with time and usage. Battery life was tested using MobileMark 12.

5 For hard drives, GB = 1 billion bytes. Actual formatted capacity is less. Up to 30GB of the hard drive is reserved for system recovery software.

Lavotre lets you design your own watch

Source: Lavotre. Bently
Anchor, an original design
from Lavotre.

Sourcing for a unique corporate gift? Try customised watches.

"It was curiosity about how it feels like to make your own watch which led us to where we are today. We thought that was exactly the market was lacking at that time – the ability to personalise your own watches. There are some companies doing it out there, but they do so with a minimum order requirement, or they offer 'couple' watches whose designs lacked the special touch that we were looking for," said Eugene Chow, Brand Manager, Lavotre, who runs the business with his business partner Cheryl Tan, head of sales and operations. 

"We also realised that many people want to make their own watches but do not know how to get started. We offered to help them with the design and basically translating their ideas into reality."

In January this year, Lavotre was established, focusing solely on originally designed, limited edition watches for sale together with a bespoke watch service. "We're unique in our ability to customise your watch face, from the background to the colour, without a minimum order. We pretty much accept all images from photographs to sketches and graphics. It used to be simple graphics designs, but now we have tied up with some illustrators to help our clients with their drawings," Chow said.

Source:
Lavotre.
The Brynn
Black.

The sky is the limit for designs. One customer wanted her teacher's calligraphy as a watch face, and Lavotre replicated the art, for example, Chow said. "All our designs are done in Singapore and our approach is simple, elegant and fun. We also work with various local illustrators to showcase the local flavour/culture – the most prominent being Lee XinLi’s Nonya Kueh* art series. Other than established illustrators, we also do work with students by giving them a platform to launch their ideas and work," he said.

While Lavotre leaves it to customers to decide, they can also recommend designs. For example, Chow recommends Brynn Black for ladies and Bently Anchor for men as watches which are perfect for transitioning from day to night.

Lavotre is careful to limit the number of watches per design however, so not many people will be able to buy a particular design. "Once we hit the pre-set quota, we'll retire the design – we don’t want to walk down Orchard Road to see someone else wearing the same watch."

The collaboration with local illustrator Lee Xinli occurred in July, two months after the company officially registered as a business. In August, Lavotre started selling watch straps and an on-the-spot service to swop straps. Last month, the company launched its own online platform on the Zalora Marketplace, and this month it has two new offerings: a fast-tracked option for watch production, from two weeks to about five days, and gift vouchers.

"All in all, we have grown from a 'blogshop' business model, into carving our own brand name and style. Much of our changes and implementations are due in part to feedback from the ground and support from customers out there. We are always in the process of active listening as we strive to streamline our operations to make it easier for people to find us," Chow said.

Lavotre's watches are 30m water resistant, suitable for handwashing and light dives. They are not recommended for sports however because the straps are usually leather. "Sweat and leather don’t mix well in the long run," Chow explained. 

What's next for Lavotre? The company is planning a fresh look for its website and to make it easier for people to find out how to create their own watches. There will be a giveaway and a hefty discount, as well as Christmas-themed watches, Chow said.

Those looking to own a Lavotre watch, who want to create their own or who are thinking of a partnership opportunity can follow the company on Facebook at www.facebook.com/shoplavotre to find out about their next event (cash only), or email the company at asklavotre@gmail.com. Lavotre can send a quotation for a corporate order through email, and accepts payments through major credit cards and Internet banking, Chow said. All watches come with a drawstring pouch and optional gift tag. 

*Nonya kueh refers to cakes made to a Peranakan recipe. The Peranakans are Chinese emigrants to parts of Southeast Asia from the 15th to the 17th centuries. More about Peranakan culture can be found in Wikipedia here.