Apple Watch Makes Its Online Debut as Mixed Reviews Make It Unclear Whether It’s Worth the Money

After much anticipation from general tech lovers and Apple fans alike, the Apple Watch is finally making its big debut. But is it living up to all the hype?

That’s a hard question to answer considering the fact that the watches only became available to order this week although tech reporters got a first glance at the new devices.

Based on the reviews, however, people still aren’t too sure how to feel about the watches.

That didn’t stop them from rushing online to get their own Apple Watch though.

While the Apple Watch didn’t have an overflow of rave reviews that Apple products usually garner, it quickly sold out online and was placed on back order for many consumers who were ready to shovel out at least $350 for the cheapest model.

There is no general consensus out yet on whether the watches are worth the hefty price tag.

The New York Times insisted that the watch is hard to appreciate until you really take the time to figure out how to use it, which is easier said than done.

Unlike today’s releases of new cellphones or iPads, the publication warns that there is a pretty “steep learning curve” for the watch.

That’s, of course, only to be expected considering the fact that the smart watch business is a relatively new venture.

Others praised Apple’s new device as the best on the market, but others had a clear message for those trying to decide if they should give up a few hundred dollars to own one.

“You don’t need one,” another review quipped.

Not to mention the staggering price tag that left many longtime Apple followers feeling a little betrayed and cheated.

“What was Apple thinking with these breath-catchingly high prices,” an article from Yahoo questioned. “Is it hoping to depict these as exclusive, rarefied, aspirational products? By offering a $10,000 model, is it hoping to make the $350 and $550 watches look like bargains?”

It isn’t clear what drove Apple to release the watches with such hefty price tags, but in all fairness it’s not as if Apple built a brand of affordability.

Should anyone really be surprised that the tech giant is charging so much for its debut smart watch?

The only thing that’s really shocking is the fact that Apple’s new watch seems to be riddled with the kind of bugs you wouldn’t expect from such an expensive gadget.

Tech reviews have complained about the watch’s slow speed, short battery life and lack of a charging stand unless you’re trying to purchase the $10,000 model.

Ultimately, the watches release only proved how strong of a following Apple has garnered and how loyal these consumers are.

There have not been many reports that justify the watch’s prices while there are a collection boasting cheaper smart watches that are arguably more appealing than Apple’s version.

Either way, consumers will have to wait until April 24, when consumers actually start getting their hands on the watches, to see if the watch really measures up to expectations.

6 Cool Podcasts You Should Consider Listening To

The Internet is a great place to give people a place to be heard. Through all the noise, there are good voices out there shedding light on topics important to Black people and people of color. Here are six amazing podcasts that can entertain your ears and enlighten your mind:

https://soundcloud.com/geedee215/29-ben-carson-at-the-barbershop

Name: PostBourgie

Number of episodes: 12 episodes on SoundCloud

Why you should listen: This is a podcast that features Black journalists and bloggers giving the Black perspective on news and political figures. The show is hosted by Gene Demby of NPR’s Code Switch blog. This podcast is great for fans of The Daily Show and The Nightly Show looking for a Black voice in the news.

Is Ororo Munroe an Omega-Level Mutant?

Fam, it has come to our attention that a grave disrespect is being paid to our very own Ororo Munroe — Street name: Storm. Mundane title: Headmistress of the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning. Regal title: Former Queen of Wakanda — and we can’t really stand for that anymore. What’s the offense? Throwing shade on the mohawk? No. There seems to be some confusion as to whether she is an Omega-Level mutant. Now Carrie McClain has been loving The Goddess of Thunder since Word One. And Leslie Light is the resident Storm comic reviewer. We’ve read the canon, y’all. For us there is no question, Ororo ranks at the very top of any mutant power rankings, alive or dead. For those who may doubt it, we’ll walk you through it step-by-step.

What’s an Omega-Level (OL) Mutant?

As with most Marvel things, there isn’t a canonical answer. The most accepted criteria is that the mutant must have the ability to extremely manipulate matter or energy at will and under their control. Other OL criteria include, but are not limited to: virtual immortality, strong psionic ability or telekinesis and the ability to exist outside of the current universe.

Who Are Some of the Omega-Level Mutants?

All the biggies show up here: Professor X, Magneto, Stryfe … perhaps due to her ability to be the avatar of the Phoenix, Jean Grey often shows up as the best example of an Omega-Level under the “ability to exist outside of the current universe” bullet point. More recently, Bobby Drake, aka Iceman, has been added to the list. He is an example of a character who has grown to become an OL mutant as he’s come to understand his powers more fully.

So, What Are Ororo’s Credentials?

Ororo is best known by her ability to control the weather. It sounds mundane when you put it that way, but let’s unpack that some. How does she control the weather? What she can actually control is the electromagnetic field of the entire planet, and other celestial bodies to boot. She can cause everything from a pleasant mist up to a full-blown Category-5 hurricane.

Read more at blackgirlnerds.com

10 Best (and Worst) Apple Watch Accessories

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Nomad’s Pod

Price: $59.99

This portable battery pack will extend the life of your Apple Watch. Even though the Apple Watch can be functional up to 18 hours, if you talk on the phone for up to three hours, the watch dies. Nomad will start shipping June 15. The Nomad’s Pod can also charge other USB-powered devices and the all-new MacBook model. This is one of the good accessories out there.

apple-watch-reserve-strapReserve Strap

Price: $249.99

The Reserve Strap will boost the watch’s standard battery life. This is a very useful accessory, but there is very little information to go on. There is no real release date, however, you can preorder the product.

Diverse Emojis Finally Arrive and Black Twitter Couldn’t Be Any Happier

What Black Twitter demands, Black Twitter gets.

So is the case with the official arrival of diverse emojis that finally made their way to Apple device owners everywhere who installed the latest iOS update.

The new update comes with an abundance of new features but none seemed to take over social media quite like the introduction of the long-awaited Black emojis.

From now on, texting and tweeting will never be the same.

Black users can now set their Apple devices to use a plethora of icons that more closely identify with their own appearance.

In usual Black Twitter fashion, users celebrated the new diverse faces with comedic tweets.

“Y’all finna see this Black power fist all over your time TL,” one user tweeted.

Another wrote, “Shoutout to this Black queen emoji! Let our girls know!”

“#ByeFelicia has so much more impact with this dark-skin hand next to it,” another quipped.

Of course, the wave of celebrations was short-lived for some who couldn’t help but look to the future and sigh at what is only the inevitable.

“Y’all gonna rethink asking for these diverse emoji when someone hits you w/ a little black face next to watermelon during a racial spat,” one user tweeted.

Another added that the diverse emojis will take over as the “Black best friend” excuse.

“White people gonna be like I’m not racist. I use black emoji all the time,” the tweet read.

Others acknowledged that the new emojis are certainly going to shake up social media and disturb racists, but they didn’t seem too concerned about their possible reactions.

“Oh man, I can’t wait to use this new black Santa emoji to enrage conservative friends and family next holiday season,” another user wrote.

In fact, controversy has already been bubbling with some users getting a head start on making offensive posts about the diverse digital faces.

“Where’s the emoji for black on black crime,” one user wrote.

Still, no tweet garnered as much backlash as Clorox’s failed attempt to ask for a bleach emoji.

With the addition of 300 new emojis there are certainly a lot more symbols for users to play with and only time will tell what new meanings the Black Twitter subculture will give to the new icons.

After all, it would be hard to find a single person who identifies as a part of Black Twitter who uses the eggplant emoji to symbolize the unpopular fruit.

Among the 300 new emojis, however, a bottle of bleach was not present, which drove Clorox to send out its own misguided request.

“New emojis are alright but where’s the bleach,” the tweet read along with a bottle of bleach composed of emojis.

clorox-1

It wasn’t long before the social media site was sent into a frenzy.

“You guys couldn’t possibly think that tweet would be a good idea,” one user wrote.

Another added, “Someone’s social media intern is in deep [poop emoji].”

Others questioned if the tweet was purposefully offensive or just the result of someone not thinking things all the way through.

“I don’t even think they were trying to be racist,” one tweet read. “Just bein stupid.”

“Ah… Should have ran that by someone first. Bad call,” another tweeted with a screenshot of Clorox’s controversial post read.

Clorox has since responded and insisted that it had no intention to hurt or offend anybody.

diverse emoji

The tweet was definitely a misstep as far as interpretation and showed a lack of consideration of the current landscape on social media as race relations continue to crumble in America.

Either way, the Clorox tweet should be the least of Black Twitter’s problems.

According to a report released in 2014, 50 percent of Clorox’s independent board of directors are “minorities” and roughly 10 percent of their employees are Black.

While that number can certainly use a boost, it’s actually a larger number than the current percentage of Black employees at companies like, oh let’s say, Twitter and Apple.

Twitter diversity

Only about 2 percent of Twitter’s own workforce is Black and Apple shouldn’t be excused for its own diversity issues simply because it rolled out some diverse emojis under serious pressure from their consumers.

While it’s refreshing to see Black social media users attempting to take on the watchdog role against would-be racist corporations, their focus on a Clorox bottle tweet may also be a little misguided when the very platform they are using to launch the attacks seems to show no interest in hiring any of them.

Meanwhile, in the midst of the diverse emoji celebrations, nobody has mentioned the fact that there are now probably more Black people on an iPhone’s keyboard than there are actually working at Apple.

6 Incredible Bionic Animals That Researchers Have Already Created

Many people know there are robotic dogs and T.rexes on the toy shelves right now. However, more bionic animals, used for various activities, have been developed globally. Here are six different types of robots being made in labs that are currently being used:

 

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Origami Snake Robots

Harvard researchers have designed a paper snake robot that runs on nothing but air. Their flexible bodies allow them to move into areas hard robots can’t. According to the research team led by George Whitesides, the “soft” robots are also able to lift 100 times their weight. They are pretty much a real life Baymax from Big Hero 6.

robotinsect05_adi_webInsects, Grasshoppers, Butterflies

There are a variety of insect-based robots. In 2012, insect robots were introduced at a TED Talks conference. These tiny robots could swarm, maneuver like flies and even play music.

There is a grasshopper robot that was developed at the University of Bath in the United Kingdom that can leap and walk on all terrains. The robot was developed by Rhodri Armour, a graduate student at the university.

The robotic butterflies were developed by researchers at Johns Hopkins University. Their goal is to learn more about the behavioral patterns of butterflies.