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New York Times, Uber and Flipboard get ready for Apple Watch

As the Apple Watch launch draws nearer, with preorders starting April 10th, more and more developers are jumping on board. Uber rolled out a new update of its iPhone app today including its Apple Watch app — originally announced at the March event. The app allows users to request rides in one action and you can check on driver progress with a quick glance.

The New York Times is adding ‘one sentence stories’ to its portfolio for the Watch, including emoji-driven recipes and quick headlines. Push notifications will update Apple Watch users of breaking news right on the wrist. Full stories can be saved for later to be read at leisure on user’s iPhones, as the Watch form factor isn’t really appropriate for prolonged reading.

Flipboard also updated its app over the weekend with Apple Watch support. It’s unclear how the company will port its signature news-reading experience across to the Watch, which is launching with a very limited SDK that developers can use to make their apps. The notes say that the Watch app will display your personalised ten top stories, with Force Touch contextual menus for sharing headlines with friends.

Apple rolled out Apple Watch apps from a number of partners last week. Developers are still waiting for Apple to allow anyone to submit Apple Watch apps for review, which will open up the platform to even more developers for experimentation. Apple Watch launches on April 24th, from $349.

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Comments

  1. chrisl84 - 9 years ago

    Nothing like getting the news 8 words at a time.

  2. Gazoo Bee - 9 years ago

    I’m sorry but these are mostly pathetic if you ask me. Especially the “recipe” one. What could anyone possibly do with an “emoji recipe” that’s one sentence long? And “one sentence news”? We’ve had this before, it’s called a “headline” and it’s purpose is to get you to read more. That isn’t helping you keep your phone in your pocket, it’s doing the *opposite*.

    These are awful apps that should likely never have been made IMO and I think Apple Watch will literally be flooded with junk like this from the word go.

    • peteostro - 9 years ago

      The recipe app allows you to look at the recipe on your watch as you make it. So you do not need your iPad/iPhone in the kitchen. Very useful. The New York times app allows you to save the story to read later. So if you see the head line that your interested in you can save to read later on you iPhone/iPad and computer. No the Apple watch is not supposed to fully replace your iPhone, so yes will be taking your iPhone out still, just in-case you didn’t understand that.

  3. Atlas (@Metascover) - 9 years ago

    NYT doesn’t know how to spell ‘sautée’

  4. yleeuw - 9 years ago

    I see no use in the apps presented above. I do see use for mobile checkin in airports and busses. It would be nice to not drop all your luggage and kids just to present your passport and tickets.

  5. stevelawrence - 9 years ago

    These apps make me feel depressed. It kind of reminds me of what looking at websites on hand-held devices before the first iPhone felt like. Badly rendered, filling the screen with one or two sentences. Want a Palm Pilot on your wrist? Be my guest.

  6. davidjohenmarques - 9 years ago

    These look like Symbian OS, in my opinion. I was expecting more conceptual use of the limited screen real-estate.

  7. jakexb - 9 years ago

    NYTimes is a bad example of what the watch is good for. The watch is good for notifications and quick actions — not content.

    • philboogie - 9 years ago

      The NYT has content¿

      Seriously, it indeed looks kinda lame. But I guess getting headlines on the watch sorta equals getting a text on the watch. It’s simply a notification.

  8. Scott Hunt - 9 years ago

    The ptWacth released on the 1st of April goes one step further http://www.fitnessenhancement.com/blog/apple-watch-fitness/ It’ll book an Uber ride for and have the driver drive alongside you coaching you to run faster while you run there! Check out the other amazing features

Author

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Benjamin Mayo

Benjamin develops iOS apps professionally and covers Apple news and rumors for 9to5Mac. Listen to Benjamin, every week, on the Happy Hour podcast. Check out his personal blog. Message Benjamin over email or Twitter.