The Japanese government has announced a plan to connect its global positioning system with the European Union’s Galileo to speed the deployment of autonomous cars in both regions.
It follows some Japanese firms complaining that the Quasi-Zenith satellite system (QZSS) is incapable of working for consumers outside of Japan, because it is unable to speak in a common digital language. That will change with the Galileo partnership, letting the satellite communicate with the EU’s 30 satellite constellation that spans the globe.
Once connected, Japanese automakers will be able to install autonomous tech in cars that work with satellites across the world. Japanese drivers will also be able to take their car on holiday or immigrate with their car, without the fear of systems not working in a new country.
Japan, EU hope deal is done quickly
Officials hope the plan will be ratified by the end of the year, according to Nikkei, but it will take another two years before the satellite systems are linked.
Mitsubishi Electric, Hitachi Zosen, NTT Data, and French defense contractor Thales are all taking part in the discussions, forming the plan and ensuring that other satellite integrations are approved.
The Japanese government has made it a priority to push autonomous cars and other emerging technologies, as it attempts to get the economy back on track. It is already seeing some success: Nippon Ceramic, a parts manufacturer, sells a sensor fitted inside half of all autonomous cars.
Automakers in Japan are some of the most prepared in the industry for the autonomous revolution, according to a report from Lux Research. Toyota leads the pack in business execution, with Hyundai and Honda not far behind in execution or technical value.
Garmin’s stock price rose to its highest level in 52 weeks after reporting better than expected earnings and revenue for the second quarter.
Investors were pleased to see Garmin transition from the lacklustre automotive industry to the growing fitness market. The automotive segment accounted for 39 percent of the company’s revenue in 2015, but now only accounts for 30 percent. Fitness, outdoor, and marine segments all grew this year, with fitness now accounting for 26 percent of revenue.
Garmin focused on fitness
Garmin sells a wide range of wearables for all types of sports and adventure customers. In the past, that market has been overshadowed by GPS and dashboard sales, but sales have been dwindling for a few years as smartphones and in-house dashboard GPS start to take over.
The Vivoactive, Forerunner, and Vivomove trackers were the most popular, according to Garmin. It did not mention individual segments of its fitness sales, like cycling, a market Garmin has been trying to corner with a variety of wearable devices.
“Fitness and outdoor achieved impressive revenue and profit growth driven by our strengthening position in the wearables market,” CEO and President Cliff Pemble said. “Aviation and marine also delivered revenue and profit growth while auto remains a solid base of profit contributions to the overall business.”
Even with the surge in consumer demand for its fitness wearables, Garmin remains below the leaders in this segment, Fitbit. Xiaomi, the Chinese tech giant, also holds more marketshare with its range of inexpensive wearables, available in Asia.
Garmin is ahead of Jawbone and smaller fitness tracker providers and sells more wearables than any Android Wear manufacturer. It currently also sells more wearables than Samsung, which is surprising when you consider the breadth of Samsung’s wearable range.
The Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge are its two best smartphones ever, the Gear S2 received rave reviews after Samsung's previous smartwatches flopped, and the Gear VR is arguably the best mobile VR experience on the market.
With this renewed focus on quality comes the Gear Fit 2 fitness tracker.
The original Gear Fit released two years ago wasn't bad. Mashable's deputy tech editor Samantha Murphy Kelly awarded it a Mashable Choice, calling it "beautiful inside and out" and "our best hope for wearables to date." But like all first-generation devices, it wasn't without its flaws.
The $179 Gear Fit 2 is a big improvement. It's the first fitness tracker that I didn't want to take off at the end of the day — high praise, because as useful as I find my Apple Watch (for notifications, not apps, at least for now), I don't hesitate to remove it as soon as I'm home from work.
An even better fit
IMAGE: LIZ PIERSON/MASHABLE
Samsung paid a lot of attention to getting the fit of the Gear Fit 2 right. Rather, even more right.
The Gear Fit tried too hard to be a fitness tracker and a fashion statement. The Gear Fit 2, however, chooses substance over style — and there's nothing wrong with that.
I think it sends a clearer message the device is specifically for working out and not something you would want on your wrist at a posh dinner party.
Because let's face it: Wearing a fitness tracker (no matter how luxurious it may look) will never be classy.
IMAGE: LIZ PIERSON/MASHABLE
IMAGE: LIZ PIERSON/MASHABLE
The Gear Fit 2 comes in three different colors (blue, pink and black). Its curved interior wrapped comfortably around my wrist and felt a lot less stiff than the Fitbits I have tried on.It also comes with a choice of two strap sizes, with an option that fits smaller wrists better than the Fitbit.
Compared to other wearables with long, rectangular screens — including the Microsoft Band, Gear Fit, etc. — the Gear Fit 2 is the comfiest I've ever worn.
Improving the essentials
The Gear Fit did a lot of things, but none of them exceptionally well. It wasn't the hardware so much as the custom Samsung OS software that was lacking.
The company decided to go with Tizen for the Gear Fit 2, its own versatile OS that has worked great with wearables like the Gear S2.
IMAGE: LIZ PIERSON/MASHABLE
IMAGE: LIZ PIERSON/MASHABLE
The entire user interface is faster and more responsive than before. Most importantly, the UI is vertical and not horizontal. No more awkward head twists to see what's on the screen.
There are two buttons on the Gear Fit 2: a back button and a home button. To navigate the various different activity homescreens, you swipe left and right. Actions are selected with a tap and then you scroll vertically. It's simple and easy to understand and nowhere near as confusing as the Apple Watch (both with watchOS 1 and 2).
Another thing that makes the Gear Fit 2 better than its predecessor is the screen. The 1.5-inch Super AMOLED display is smaller and wider than the Gear Fit's 1.84-inch screen. But you now get twice as many horizontal pixels than before, which means more information on the screen. It's also easier to see outdoors in the sun, because it makes strong use of black backgrounds and sharp, bright colors.
Gearing up with the Fit 2
IMAGE: LIZ PIERSON/MASHABLE
Getting started with the Gear Fit 2 is hassle-free. You download the Gear Fit app, switch on the wearable and verify a Bluetooth code, and that's pretty much it. The Gear Fit 2 walks you through a quick tutorial and you're on your way.
The Gear Fit 2 only works with smartphones (any phone, not just Samsung ones) running Android 4.4 and higher. iOS compatibility is still up in the air, but if the rumors are to be believed, Samsung is working on it. So, yeah, obviously, you're out of luck if you don't use an Android phone.
Using the Gear Fit 2 is is a breeze. You can select from a number of different watch face homescreens (activated by pressing and holding down the watch face). Each one shows the time and at least one activity statistic.
Swiping right from the homescreen brings up a notifications screen, where all of the notifications you've approved within the Gear Fit app are displayed.
App notifications
IMAGE: LIZ PIERSON/MASHABLE
Step counter
IMAGE: LIZ PIERSON/MASHABLE
And if you swipe left from the homescreen, you'll bring up the various activity screens for step counting, calories burned, floors climbed, etc. You can add and remove the activity screens based on what you want to keep track of. Tapping each screen brings up more details.
Swipe down from the top of the screen and you'll bring up a few quick settings and a quick launcher for the music player. Press the home button from the watch homescreen and you'll bring up a vertical list of apps. It's all intuitive and straightforward.
On the activity screen, you can bring up a log of a walk or run, see how close you are to achieving your fitness goals, and check your average walking speed all on one vertically scrolling screen.
Moreover, and this is what makes the Gear Fit 2 special, is the built-in GPS, which logs your location. At a glance, you can see on a small map where you've walked or run and then share that little nugget to Facebook.
I'm not the type to share these kinds of personal statistics on social media, but the Gear Fit 2 tempted me.
The Geart Fit 2's heart-rate sensor is pretty quick.
IMAGE: LIZ PIERSON/MASHABLE
The heart rate sensor is also one of the better ones I've used on any fitness tracker or smart watch. The Gear Fit 2 still requires you to be still so it can take your pulse, but I noticed it's way more lenient with a shaky hand, than, say, my Apple Watch. I had fewer failed heart rate readings with the Gear Fit 2.
The Gear Fit 2 also has an auto-activity mode, which detects what kind of activity you're doing and automatically starts tracking data after about ten minutes. It was a bit of a hit or miss during my testing. When I would go for late-night walks, sometimes it would automatically track my activity and sometimes it wouldn't.
Built-in GPS
IMAGE: LIZ PIERSON/MASHABLE
Built-in music player
IMAGE: LIZ PIERSON/MASHABLE
Additionally, the Gear Fit 2 comes with 4GB of internal storage for you to store your own music for listening during workouts. You can still stream music to Bluetooth headphones from your Android phone and the Spotify integration is nice, but I like the local music storage because it unshackles you from needing your phone.
The Gear Fit 2's data syncs to the S Health app.
IMAGE: LIZ PIERSON/MASHABLE
All of your activity data can be synced to Samsung's S Health app for easy digestibility. Furthermore, you can export activity data to third-party apps like Strava and Runkeeper.
A great fitness wearable, except...
Comparing the Apple Watch's fitness tracking to the Gear Fit 2's.
IMAGE: LIZ PIERSON/MASHABLE
Maybe it's just my bony wrist, but I've never tried any fitness tracker that has felt truly comfortable and offered features like built-in GPS.
The Samsung Gear Fit 2 is so comfortable, on some days I even showered and slept with it on. That's saying a lot since my Apple Watch is the very first thing I take off when I get home from work.
I realized quickly I had to take it off nightly, not because of choice, but necessity. The battery life just isn't as long as I had expected. Samsung says the Gear Fit 2 is good for 3-4 days of typical use, but I only got two days max on a single charge and I wasn't even pushing it hard.
Perhaps the GPS is sucking up a lot of battery life, or maybe it's the local music player. Whatever the case is, the Gear Fit 2 needs to be charged up every night or every two nights if you don't want it to run out of juice in the middle of a day.
But still, that's OK. I'm used to charging my Apple Watch every night and it's not really an issue to do the same for the Gear Fit 2. Overall, the Gear Fit 2 is a solid second-generation fitness tracker. If you're looking for a new one or just getting started, I definitely recommend it.
Samsung Gear Fit 2
The Good
Really comfortable • Smart, intuitive interface • Accurate activity tracking • Charges easily on magnetic dock • Internal storage for local music playback
The Bad
Weaker than expected battery life • Auto-activity mode is hit-or-miss
The Bottom Line
The Gear Fit 2 is one of the most full-featured activity trackers out there, if you don't mind the battery life.
Last year, when Pebble announced its Time smartwatch lineup, the company showed off straps with built-in accessories that could interact with the watch body.
"Smart Straps," the company called them, were theoretically capable of adding GPS, extra battery life and lasers for teasing your cat to the standard Pebble Time watch.
Smart Straps interface with the watch using a combination of a companion app and the magnetic charging port on the back of the watch.
Despite the company touting all of the potential just waiting to be unlocked by Smart Straps, we’ve yet to see any meaningful products emerge.
Smart Straps are real after all
Pal, which successfully funded a Kickstarter campaign, hopes to be one such meaningful product for Pebble users.
The Pal Strap has raised $124,161 on the promise of delivering a smart strap that adds GPS tracking and extended battery life to the Pebble Time lineup.
From what I can gather after using a pre-production unit, Pal seems like it will deliver on that promise — if you can get over its size, that is.
To use Pal, you’ll need to disconnect your current watch band from Pebble and snap the watch body into the Pal Strap. There aren’t any pins or convoluted attachment tools needed. Just snap it into place.
Despite using hardware that’s yet to be finalized, I didn’t have any concern about my Pebble Time falling out; Pal held it firmly in place.
Make room for GPS and a battery boost
The final shipping version should look and feel better.
IMAGE: JASON CIPRIANI/MASHABLE
The GPS antenna is housed just below the watch, while the external battery is located on the bottom of the strap. You can charge Pal and your Pebble watch using the standard magnetic charger.
It’s easy to see in photos just how big Pal Strap makes the standard Pebble Time watch. In order to make room for the GPS antenna, the housing now extends down over the curve of my wrist. While the top of the new housing doesn’t protrude nearly as far, the added size could be problematic for those with smaller wrists.
Adding to the overall size is the battery that’s tucked into the bottom of the strap. The battery compartment has a slight curve to it, meant to match the natural curve of your wrist.
The external battery.
IMAGE: JASON CIPRIANI/MASHABLE
That’s not to say that Pal is uncomfortable to wear, and with design refinements already evident in mockups for the Pebble Time 2 version the strap is sure to feel better when it begins shipping. Still, the added bulk will be too much for some.
I struggled with putting the band on my own wrist, often requiring help from my wife to ensure it was firmly connected. In its current form, a traditional watch buckle is connected to the battery on the bottom of the strap. Because of this, you need to make adjustments to how tight or loose the band is before you put it on.
On a couple of occasions, I thought I had the strap properly connected only to have it disconnect awhile later. Thankfully I was able to catch my watch before it hit the ground.
I suspect this is an issue the company has already fixed, based on a look at the latest mockups, which show a completely different mechanism on the battery compartment. The model I was sent looks as if the company took a clasp from a watch and repurposed it just to make a working model.
An app to go with a strap
Using the app.
IMAGE: PAL
Through a beta version of the Pal app on my watch, I was able to start and stop GPS tracking and control charging of my watch using the strap.
To start a GPS tracking session, you select one of three different categories and wait for the antenna to acquire a signal. Right now, that process takes up to a minute of holding your wrist just in order to point the antenna towards the sky. Once a GPS connection is established, Pal will track your run, bike ride, or walk.
Pal is working with Qualcomm, the manufacturer of the GPS chip used in the strap, to speed up the connection. Hopefully it’s something the company can figure out, as the current process takes longer than users are going to want to wait. I know I got tired of waiting.
IMAGE: JASON CIPRIANI/MASHABLE
This is the same app you use to turn the battery on or off, should your Pebble Time need a quick charge. Pal estimates the final product will pack enough juice to power your Pebble Time for another seven days.
When Pal begins shipping later this year, the company will also have a companion app for iOS and Android users. Through the app, users can view workout details such as distance and time, along with GPS routes on a map.
When I tested the GPS capabilities, I was only able to see the location indicators show up within the app — I was unable to check how accurately the strap tracked my movements due to the phone app not being available for testing.
Shipping later this year
IMAGE: JASON CIPRIANI/MASHABLE
Pal expects to begin shipping to Time backers in October, with the Pebble Time Round version shipping in December. Pebble Time 2 backers will have to wait until Feb. 2017.
Pledges currently begin at $79 for a Pal compatible with Pebble Time.
The biggest problem Pal will need to overcome is justifying the purchase of a Smart Strap by Pebble users. I couldn’t see myself using Pal as my main watch band — it’s too big. Instead, I see myself relying on it only for tracking workouts or to quickly top off my watch’s battery much in the same way I use a battery case for my phone.
Then there’s Pebble Core, the newest gadget from the company that’s entire purpose is to provide GPS tracking and music streaming to Pebble users.
For those who don’t mind the bigger footprint introduced by the Pal Strap, and are itching to gain GPS and extended battery for the Pebble Time Pal, it may be exactly what you’re looking for.
Pal Strap
The Good
Adds GPS!
The Bad
It's big • Getting GPS signal takes too long • Cumbersome installation
The Bottom Line
Pal Strap adds GPS and battery life to your Pebble smartwatch, but at the price of adding bulk.
A woman in Tobermory, Ontario drove down a boat ramp and into Lake Huron last Thursday thanks to faulty directions from her GPS.
According to the Canadian Press, the woman (who did not want to be identified for understandable reasons) was attempting to navigate a nighttime fog, and depended a little too heavily on the GPS to lead her in the right direction.
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