Will.i.am

Five 'Will.i.am' stories November 2012 - March 2016

Apple announces first original TV show focused on the ‘app economy’ with music artist Will.i.am

Chance Miller Mar 24 2016 - 1:30 pm PT

the-future-of-tv-is-apps

Apple has long been rumored to be creating its own original TV content, and now it’s made its first plans official. Apple shared today that it will work with TV executives Ben Silverman and Howard T. Owens, as well as rapper Will.i.am on its first TV project (via NY Times). Silverman is perhaps best known for his work on shows like The Biggest Loser, while Owens is one of the minds behind MasterChef Junior.

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Rapper will.i.am dismisses Apple Watch as “weird” despite attending last year’s launch

Ben Lovejoy Jun 25 2015 - 6:07 am PT

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will.i.am seen with Angela Ahrendts at last year’s Apple Watch event

Musician and former Beats shareholder will.i.am said that seeing someone in a gym with an iPhone 6 strapped to their arm while wearing an Apple Watch made him think “that s*** is weird,” reports the NY Post.

The comment – made at the Cannes Lions festival where Apple won an award for its Shot on iPhone campaign – was probably not what Apple had in mind when the company invited him to the launch of the Watch last year.

You don’t have to look too far to see why he would want to diss the Watch, however: he launched his own smartwatch just one month after Apple unveiled its Watch. While he may be proud of the built-in 3G connection that means the Puls doesn’t need a connection to a smartphone, consumers don’t appear to share his enthusiasm. As Business Insider noted, UK partner O2 told them that “no units had been sold” and the device was pulled, while U.S. partner AT&T said the “trial program” for the Puls had ended.

Will.i.am debuts ‘Puls’ smartwatch with built-in 3G connection and voice-controlled interface

Mike Beasley Oct 15 2014 - 6:15 pm PT

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Image via <a href="http://thenextweb.com/gadgets/2014/10/16/will-introduces-wearable-puls/" target="_blank">The Next Web</a>

Pop musician Will.i.am has just taken the wraps off of his first wearable, the Puls smartwatch, during Salesforce’s Dreamforce 2014 conference (via The Next Web). The watch ships with a software suite that includes Facebook and Twitter connectivity, Instagram, and even integration with Salesforce. It also features a voice control system dubbed “Aneeda” that’s powered by Nuance. Aneeda also supports basic features such as reminders, music control, alarms, and more.

On the hardware side, the watch sports standard Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections along with a pedometer, GPS, acceleromter, and even a 3G connection powered by AT&T (or O2 in the UK) that will allow users to place calls or send text messages and emails without pairing the Puls with a phone at all. The battery is built into the strap, providing plenty of space beneath the face for the other internal components, which includes 16 GB of storage space and a full gigabyte of RAM. It also has built in speakers for music and alerts.

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Not a joke: Will.i.am iPhone camera accessory throws pixels and keyboard onto iPhone BOOMBOOM POW

Élyse Betters Nov 28 2012 - 8:42 am PT

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We told you last week that musician Will.i.am would soon launch an iPhone accessory, called “i.am+”, and now the world has its first look at the product line that transforms the smartphone’s camera into a 14-megapixel powerhouse.

According to the Telegraph, the four models, respectively called “C.4”, “V.4”, “C.5”, and “V.5”, feature interchangeable lenses, such as standard, fish-eye, wide, and zoom, with a built-in flash. An iOS app further enables the hardware to have an Instagram-like experience, with photo editing, filters, and sharing options built-in. Folks will also have access to individual online profiles at www.i.am.

The Black-Eyed Peas frontman said his accessories enhance both the clarity and definition of photographs: “We have our own sensor and a better flash. You dock you phone into our device and it turns you smartphone into a genius-phone. We take over the camera.”

The i.am+ accessories basically fit over the iPhone 4 and iPhone 5 in contemporary and vintage flavors, as seen in the picture gallery below, but they also come with a hefty price tag. The line ranges from £199 (roughly $318 USD) for the modern black model to £299 (roughly $477 USD) for the gold model. The i.am+ V.4 unit with gold trim and a “Vintage Look” are the most expensive but boast a slide-out keyboard.

The iPhone 4 versions will launch Dec. 6, while an iPhone 5 version, which bulks the iPhone’s camera with a new sensor and flash, will not ship until 2013.

A gallery is below.

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Weekend Roundup: Apple vs Samsung, new Genius Bar, Black Friday iPad trends, Will.i.am’s new iPhone accessory, more

Jordan Kahn Nov 25 2012 - 5:58 pm PT

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According to a report from IBM tracking shopping trends for Thanksgiving and Black Friday (via Fortune), Apple devices dominated among mobile devices for online buying with 10 percent of shopping online done from an iPad. The device also dominated for online purchases originating from tablets, accounting for 88.3-percent of traffic. The iPhone came in at 8.7-percent of traffic for online purchases, while Android devices combined came in at just 5.5-percent.

Apple appears to be testing a new “floating” Genius Bar design in a couple of retail stores. We originally saw images of the new communal Genius Bar configuration in July. However, today, TheDailyCity reported Apple is now testing the design in at least two stores: one in Orlando at Mall at Millenia and another in a Philadelphia Apple Store. Apple will apparently roll out the design to its Florida Mall store. Apple appears to like the new design, so we wouldn’t be surprised to see it in more Apple Stores in the near future.

Apple and Samsung are now both seeking to extend their patent infringement claims in the California-based lawsuit filed in August. Samsung asked the courts in a filing last week to add the iPad mini and new iPod touch to the case after recently adding the iPhone 5. Now, FossPatents reported that Apple, as of Black Friday, sought to add six new Samsung products, including: Samsung Galaxy S III, Galaxy Note II, Galaxy Tab 8.9 Wi-Fi, Galaxy Tab 10.1, Samsung Rugby Pro, and the Galaxy S III Mini. The case isn’t scheduled to go to trial until March 2014.

Will.i.am of Black Eye Peas fame is about to launch a new accessory for iPhone this week that is said to turn the device’s existing 8-megapixel camera into a 14-megapixel camera. The Telegraph (via MacRumors) spoke with Will.i.am who described the product called “i.am+:”

‘We have our own sensor and a better flash. You dock you phone into our device and it turns you smartphone into a genius-phone. We take over the camera.’… The camera will be the first of a series of digital products that bear his name – to support them, he has invested in what he calls ‘digital real estate’ online. He now owns the domain www.i.am. Users of i.am+ accessories will be given individual online profiles, for example www.i.am/Will.

Apple switched battery suppliers for iPad and MacBooks from Samsung SDI to Amperex Technology Limited and Tianjin Lishen Battery, according to a report from China Business News (via TechCrunch). Recent reports about processor price hikes, and Samsung dropping out as an Apple display supplier, were later denied by the company, so we’ll wait for official word regarding the batteries.

The majority of iPad mini displays are coming from LG, according to a report from Digitimes. We already knew LG Display, AU Optronics, and Samsung are supplying display components for the device, but the sometimes-unreliable Digitimes claimed this weekend that the majority of displays are coming from LG—not AUO.