Welcome to Rumor Has It! The show that rounds up the
week's biggest tech rumors.
You can vote on what you think about the rumors, in the
interactive player if you're watching on CNET.
Today we've got a smartwatch rumor, the long-lost Amazon
phone, and the iPad event is next week! Finally. Let's get
started.
STORY 1: First up, some smartwatch news for you that
doesn't start with an i and end with a "watch."
According to 9to5Google, citing an anonymous source, a
Google smartwatch is just about finished.
This information follows a report from Android Police,
saying that a Nexus watch, codenamed Gem, will be
announced on October 31.
The thing that sets this watch apart is that it'll have Google
Now cards at the forefront. Google Now acts as a virtual
personal assistant, offering answers to questions and
displaying information relevant to you.
Google is also trying to equip the watch with a longer
battery charge and Bluetooth 4.0 support.
Look, I get it. Everyone wants to be a part of the emerging
smartwatch market. But until I can use my smartwatch to
order Thai food through Seamless without having to dig out
my credit card, I'll just sit back and watch. Ha ha, see what I
did there. Watch.
STORY 2: Up next, for as long as Rumor Has It has been in
existence, so has the rumor that Amazon will be releasing a
phone.
According to a report in the Financial Times, Amazon and
HTC are working on a new line of smartphones. Unnamed
sources tell the publication that the first of three devices is
near the end of development.
HTC told the Times that it would not comment about
Amazon but said it is always open to collaborating with
carriers and other tech companies.
Remember the Facebook phone? Yeah. Me neither.
Hopefully an Amazon phone -- or probably more accurately,
the Kindle Phone -- doesn't follow the same path and people
actually buy it. And with HTC's backing, it looks like it could
be well on its way.
STORY 3: And finally, the rumors have been confirmed that
Apple will be holding an iPad event on October 22. So here's
a quickie to whet your appetite: according to leaked images
from Chinese site CtechCN.com, the iPad 5 will sport a
fingerprint reader, just like the iPhone 5S.
Sooo? obviously. Why wouldn't the iPad sport a fingerprint
reader? I'm also pretty sure that either it or the iPad Mini will
come in colors that match the iPhone 5S'.
What do you guys think? Are you down to buy a gold iPad?
Do you think the Touch ID sensor is a waste? Don't forget to
vote and leave a comment, and I'll check in with the CNET
Council.
COUNCIL: And the CNET Council's verdict is...YES. Four out
of five editors think that the next-gen iPad will have a
fingerprint sensor. And I agree.
Be sure to check out CNET on the 22nd for our live
coverage of Apple's iPad event. And I'll be sure to round up
all the rumors that were confirmed (or not!) next week after
the event.
That?s our show everyone, share your rumors at
rumorhasit@cnet.com or call us at 1-800-750-CNET. And
tweet us! And tune in next week for more tech rumors.
