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A Worthy Giveaway

Culture, Editor's Journal, Editorial, Fashion, News

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In honor of our upcoming issue we are hosting a giveaway. In honor of  Luis Casco’s amazing work with Mary Kay on Lifetime’s Project Runway, we are giving away the full-size products needed to create this signature look from Project Runway. So we are keeping the rules pretty simple. You just have to comment on this post with your name and e-mail address. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. The winner will be randomly selected and notified. We will be hosting this giveaway until the end of the month. The last day to enter will be October 30th and the winner will be selected and notified on the 31st.  Here is a preview of our beauty contributor, The Artist Monét recreating the Casco’s Project Runway look.

 

Project Runway from Worthy Magazine on Vimeo.

Glam-A-THON Decades

Editorial, Fashion, News

Decades

On Thursday, October 23 the community will come together for an evening of cocktails and treats, all while benefitting the Broward Health Foundation for local women battling breast cancer.  Glam-A-THON’s Hype Council presents Decades, a roaring 1920’s party hosted at Vibe Las Olas. With a one-hour open bar sponsored by ZYR Vodka, Antigal Winery, and Funky Buddha Brewery, treats and snacks by Vibe, and a desert bar by Little Miss Jessie, this party is sure to not disappoint. The red carpet affair will have you flaunting your most flapper-inspired ensembles in style, all while supporting a good cause and meeting great people. The event takes place from 7pm to 10pm, and is surly to be a night to remember for a cause that saves lives. All funds raised will benefit local women underinsured and uninsured in their battle with breast cancer. Tickets are $35 individually or $60 for a pair and are purchasable at www.glam-a-thon.com. Purchase your ticket today for an event sure to be the Cats Meow all while supporting a life changing cause.

Gala of Hope Worthy Cause

Culture, Editorial, News

 

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Mia,5, and Madison,7, are two young girls fighting for their lives against Spinal Muscular Atrophy. Mia was diagnosed with SMA at 2 years old. After a year of countless doctor’s visits and unanswered questions, Mia’s mother decided that it was time to make a change. Madison has been fighting SMA since she was just 6 months old.  After the diagnosis, Madison’s mother knew that she needed to do her part to help save her daughter’s life.  The two mothers felt an internal responsibility to make a difference. Mothers and founders Fiorenna Fuentes and Jennifer Miller-Smith started the Gala of Hope out of desperation to save their daughter’s lives.

 

The Gala of Hope began in 2011 as an annual fundraising event.  After being informed by doctors that there was no cure for SMA, Fiorenna went home to comfort her daughter and began thinking of ways to rebuild hope. Jen was actively involved in many fundraisers and had a solid network background to give the Gala of Hope a strong foundation.  Their strong motivation, teamwork and love for their daughters has made the Gala of Hope the success it is today.

 

The best part about the Gala of Hope, the founders say, is bringing everyone together and seeing the end success.  Throughout the years, the Gala of Hope has raised over $450,000.  That number is expected to grow tremendously through this year’s event.  It is expected to be the largest event in the Gala of Hope history, hosting over 400 guests.

 

The 2014 Annual Gala of Hope will be held at Ferrari-Maserati of Fort Lauderdale on Thursday, October 2, 2014, beginning at 7 p.m.  For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit www.FSMA.org/GalaOfHope.

The APPLE WATCH Explained

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Yesterday, in the city of Cupertino California, Apple demoed it’s latest creation- The Apple Watch but it has left many in the tech world a bit confused.

The watch tethers to iPhones (5S,5C, 6 and 6 plus) to receive calls and messages, serve as a digital wallet (goodbye cash), play music, and monitor heart, pulse and steps taken through an elegant circular array of light-based sensors.

The new Apple Watch is segmented into bourgeois classes of affordability, from the low end stainless steel baseline of $349 to an ultra-lux high end- 18 karat gold option. The Apple Watch, Apple Sport and Apple Edition represent separate collections and all have their own families of interchangeable gorgeous bands for an unparalleled degree of customization.

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Despite it’s premium design, many of the critics are skeptical about the device. How is it better than Apple’s smart-watch competitors? What does it do? Is Apple really charging $349 for a gimmicky device that simply displays notifications from your phone? Apple did answer these questions but they concealed the answers in developer-jargon for those that needed to know.

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Tim Cook noted, that he uses his watch to control his Apple TV. Their software engineer pointed out that a development company is working on an app that controls smart locks, smart lighting systems and thermostats for the home with the watch. Cook and Co. meandered slowly through a garden of distractions obscuring the devices most important feature— it’s App Store!

The release of the watch’s SDK- software development kit means that “W” hotels worldwide will use the Apple Watch as a room key. Other hotels will follow suit.

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If we just consider Apple’s -already done deals- we begin to see the watch’s potential. The next time you go to McDonalds, Starbucks, Whole Foods, A Restaurant through an Open Table reservation, or take a flight- your watch will be used to pay and guide the experience. Your bill for most services will likely be paid with Apple Pay (a service that manages your credit cards and cashless payments).

Tim Cook may have buried the lead but he made the potential of the watch as a control platform for other devices perfectly clear for those that know the parseltongue of developers. The Apple Watch is the perfect universal remote.

Tim Cook’s most important point was to note that the watch does so much, they didn’t have time to go over it all at the event.

So why not boast? Why not demo all of your tricks? Its because while the Apple Watch will be revolutionary it isn’t light years ahead of it’s competition. The Apple Watch won’t be ready until 2015 and Android Wear is just one software update away – and a few key partnerships behind- catching
up.

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MORE THAN THE IWATCH: What Is Apple Planning

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The iWatch will debut on Tuesday, September 9th. As tech enthusiasts salivate over the possibility that the iWatch could usher in cashless payments at stores, and serve as a universal remote for home automation devices, unlocking doors, activating smart lighting systems, and turning on tv’s, they’ve lost sight of the one function we know the iWatch will be designed for: fitness!

Most smart-watches are poor fitness devices. They use pedometers that don’t accurately measure steps and heart rate monitors that loose contact with the skin or don’t work if your moving!

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There are better ways to measure running distance and better ways to measure heart-rate. Fitness bands fail because they are trying to find one approach and one place on the body to measure disparate fitness tasks. The alternative has always been to strap ungainly wires to every part of the body- and strangely this is precisely what we believe Apple will propose. Apple will indeed propose strapping sensors to every part of your body! This won’t be as unpleasant or ugly as it may sound. We believe that developments in tech and fashion have made it possible for wearable fitness devices to measure your exercise activities without being cumbersome, inconvenient or unattractive. The iWatch will serve simply as a relay device that collects data and communicates with other wearables specifically designed for each fitness task.

The best examples of our prediction are ironically found in non-Apple products. Intel recently announced a smart-shirt. According to the New York Times, “The shirt comes with conductive fibers that can track your heart rate and will be able to deliver information to a smartphone.” Ralph Lauren has similarly developed smart compression tops. They have “conductive threads that allow it to sense breathing and heart rate” (http://www.fastcodesign.com/3034808/can-ralph-lauren-take-smart-clothes-mainstream#1).

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We imagine that Nike could develop sneakers with simple pressure sensors that measure “actual” steps and actual distance travelled. We imagine Nike running shoes that prevent shin splints and injuries by telling your iWatch when runners are accumulating too much pressure on their feet.

Apple may not be going into fashion as a manufacturer but we believe Apple wants to usher in the era of smart wearable clothing, and position the iWatch as the defacto communications hub. Imagine trendy weightlifting gloves that communicate via bluetooth, how much weight you’re lifting.

The applications for an iWatch that communicates with smart clothes goes beyond fitness. We imagine that EXISTING products like the Mimo baby romper, which measures breathing, body temperature and sleep patterns in toddlers while relaying that information via Bluetooth, could work with the iWatch in the future.

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What we have come to believe is that the most powerful iWatch imaginable isn’t necessarily packed with sensors. It is in reality a rather simple communications device that speaks to home automation devices, store checkout counters through NFC or IBeacon and fitness wearables. The beauty of Apple’s device will be that any developer with virtually any product will be able to craft an interface that allows users to control a device with the iWatch. Smart stoves, smart clothes, smart guns, and smart cars alike will tap into the iWatch as a universal remote.

A REMARKABLE DAY IN TECH

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Today was a remarkable day in Technology. Tech enthusiasts gathered in Berlin at IFA- an expo for new products for presentations from some of the world’s most innovative tech companies. Samsung, Sony and Asus demoed their latest innovations, which ranged from new smartwatches to Virtual Reality headsets. Despite our misleading headline, the day was not remarkable as a result of the products we saw demoed, instead IFA was remarkable as a demonstration of Apple’s ability to dictate the pace of innovation and product release among the aforementioned companies.

Apple is scheduled to release it’s latest and greatest, September 9th and the fear that Apple’s potential announcement induced meant that most of the products demoed today were already disclosed. The companies were so fearful of releasing their own products so close to Apple and the deafening silence that they might receive as a result that almost all blew the wraps off of their products early. Despite their early disclosures the products were note-worthy (pun intended) as Samsung lead the announcements with its New Galaxy Note 4 and Note 4 Edge.

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The Note 4 is a reasonable update to the pre-existing Note 3 cell phone but it was the Note 4 Edge that provoked a somewhat suspicious awe from the crowd. Samsung has been steadfast in it’s determination to find a usage for curved screens in just about every product category and the edge is the realization of that determination. It sports a curved screen that serves as a nearly separate display for notifications, newsfeeds and an array of different menus. The concept frees up precious real estate on the home screen and offers an interesting albeit unclear potential for developers. Samsung also took the wraps off of a fully functional watch/ phone. The Gear S is a smartwatch that does not, strictly speaking need a companion cell phone. Whereas all smartwatches to date merely receive forwarded notifications of emails or texts, the Gear S is a standalone phone. You can make calls from it, without a companion phone nearby. Samsung proposed the device as ideal for runners or those that don’t want to carry their phones with them.

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The Gear S is rather large and somewhat bulky. It was mocked by many observers but we feel the device has promise. For those that don’t spend countless hours browsing on their phone or for those who “need” the use of their hands, this device could be ideal!

Lastly Samsung introduced the VR Headset in cooperation with virtual reality impresarios Oculus Rift. The device is a simple headset that has a slot for the Galaxy Note 4 cell phone which serves as the virtual reality screen. If this sounds odd, Virtual Reality headset maker Oculus Rift (purchased by Facebook) has utilized Samsung’s Note Screens for it’s own headsets. The device is the first mainstream, mobile, Virtual Reality headset for mass consumption.

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Tech Giant Asus also released it’s first wearable, the ZenWatch. It is a luxurious device that purports to measure relaxation levels while displaying Google Notifications and running Android Wear- the designated operating system for most of the emerging smartwatches!

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The Zenwatch is a physical step up from most of the Android Wear devices we’ve seen from LG and previously Samsung. It is also cheaper at $260!

Sony joined the fray releasing it’s Xperia Z3. The device is actually the 3rd in the line and was rushed in it’s development cycle as Sony played catchup with other manufacturers. However rushed the device is sleek and beautiful! The Z3 doubles as a playstation controller or second screen for the playstation through a remote play app. It is thinner then the iPhone 5S at .29 inches with a 5.2 inch display. The Z3 even comes in a compact variety which is a bit thicker at .34 inches with a 4.4 inch screen. Both are literally designed to take on the next generation of iPhones which are rumored to measure 4.7 inches and 5.5 inches.

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Sony also released two smartwatches. The smartwatch 3 is the third iteration in their smartwatch line and runs Android Wear. The Smartband Talk is an e ink sports bracelet that also receives calls and emails. Both are actually rather stylish.

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Despite some notable product launches, the entire world of tech is effectively in a “wait on Apple” posture as they await the release of the long rumored mythological iWatch and iPhone 6.

Friends or Networking Buddies?

Culture, Editor's Journal, Editorial, News
FRIENDS?


photo credit: Shandi-lee via photopin

So you are an entrepreneur. Networking is crucial to your success. You attend a few mixers, events and possibly volunteer and somewhere in the midst of your constant planning, events and cocktails you meet other entrepreneurs who mirror your zeal and work ethic. Are you long lost soul mates (BFF’s) or are you simply networking buddies?

Hopefully after reading this article, you will have more of an idea. 

Worthy Definitions:  Just so we are all the same page these are the definitions that we are working with for this article. 

BFF’s- Maybe not besties but we are loosely using this terms to describe a person you feel like you can trust. You can talk business and personal life with them. They are supportive beyond a point of it being convenient and beneficial for themselves.

Networking buddy: This is someone who you can talk to for hours about business but after the engaging dialogue about brand recognition ends there is very little to discuss. Their network however is very useful to you. This is still someone you can enjoy a nice cocktail with and causally discuss your company with. But when you need a break they may not be the best person for you to call.

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So you are attending your monthly young business professionals mixer. The drinks are complimentary. The hors d’oeuvres are heavenly and you just made a connection with a fellow entrepreneur. You gab over how you don’t want “True Blood” to end and how “American Horror Story” with steady of stream of “Scandal” will sustain you but never complete you. You notice the immediate connection and vow to keep in touch. There is something different about this vow. It’s not the standard chemically euphoric exchange of business cards and promises brought to you in part by a utopian atmosphere sustained by cocktails and a chic atmosphere.

You meet again hesitant about whether or not the chemistry will be there but to your relief and surprise, it is. You begin hanging out almost every weekend. Then there is the standard exchange that can only come after hanging out at least three times.

“It is so hard to find another woman who is on the same entrepreneurial track with the same level of commitment. It’s embarrassing to admit but I don’t have a lot of female friends.”

In that instant, you believe you are bound to each other fueled by a common purpose and ultimate goal. But then the most unexpected thing comes out of nowhere. It’s called life. It is in those moments that you know who your friends actually are. Friendship is about so much more than a great conversation. We don’t mean to sound like guys, but friendship is about action. You will know who your real friends are by how willing they are to match their actions with their words. So here a few signs to help you figure out the nature of your relationship

Signs that you are networking buddies

1. You have a huge upcoming project that you need help organizing and your buddy is right there helping you with your guest list and finding a way to have their company be on board. When it comes to the to-do lists, budgeting and running errands not so much. (Please note that this could also be because she has her own projects and growing to do list) This instance is not a deal breaker.

2. You are determined to make the most out of next month. So it is time to make a vision board. Your networking buddy is there with champagne. Together you ladies construct the most epic vision board ever. Once the champagne runs dry there is an uncomfortable silence. You ladies exchange your goodbye’s.

3. Whenever you need to talk business even at 3 a.m. your networking buddy is there. But when the conversation takes a different turn for the personal issues, something comes up and she has to go.

Signs that you have a friend

1. You need to talk business and personal obstacles. You can’t afford the usual restaurant that you and buddy love. You call your friend anyway and they take care of the bill and listen to your problems and offers some really great advice that you will not use. Or if you are both running short on field trip funds you hang out at one of your places, launch the Netflix and nibble on a few snacks. You share your problems and offer encouragement and accountability to one another.

2. You have an event that you are trying to plan. You have no clue what you are doing but you are determined to succeed. Your friend is there to assist in the planning, list making (both guest lists and to-do lists) and makes it a priority to attend and promote your event.

3. You are growing and your expenses at the moment seem to be greater than you profit. The financial difference is very small but you just don’t have it. Your friend who is doing a little better makes your union even more serious and makes a small investment in you and even introduces you to their network to help you. If this happens, congratulations you have an entrepreneur wife. This is an amazing luxury not something to expect from all of your friends. Everyone has their own expenses too.

The main indication of whether or not you are dealing with a friend or a networking buddy is whether they are willing to be there for you even when it is not convenient for them. The contribution does not need to always or ever need to be monetary.  The greatest sacrifice is time and effort. Are they trying to make you better person professionally and personally?  Are they a positive encouraging voice in your entrepreneurial journey and your life?

The best advice our magazine has ever gotten from a networking buddy is that you can always make your money back, but you can never get your time back. Once you spend it, it’s gone.

Hopefully this short list helps. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WILL THE iWATCH WORK WITH ANDROID

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The iWatch is coming and the speculation it has provoked has been epic. The Internet has been flooded with blogs and articles speculating on the devices possible features. Would be product designers have even developed fully animated videos showing off their own iWatch concepts. We, at Worthy have even posted several articles on our own predictions, many of which seem poised to come to fruition. We have decided that there is no reason to quit while we are ahead. Buried in the fine print of our predictions in the print edition of Worthy, was an easily overlooked but far reaching prognostication. The iWatch Will Work on Non-Apple Devices.

At first, this prediction seems at odds with Apple’s reputation for not playing well with other tech platforms. However, this is a shortsighted perspective. Whereas, other publications see the iWatch as a portal for the iPhone 6, we (and a few others) think of the iWatch as a portal into Apple’s cashless payment system. The long term goal for Apple is to conquer the world of cashless payments. It would be uncharacteristically shortsighted of Apple to make enrollment in their cashless system dependent on adoption of the iPhone. By offering the iWatch as a stand alone device Apple gives Android’s fan base exposure to it’s ecosystem and exposure alone should convert some of the errant. But more importantly Android users of the iWatch will “give” Apple health data which can be commoditized and it will expand the universe of Apple’s cashless payment system. If Apple recruits Android’s hoards into it’s army, the war for dominance in the cashless payment sphere will be over before it starts!

HOW YOU WILL USE THE iWATCH

Culture, News
The most conventional concept for the iWatch

The most conventional concept for the iWatch

The iWatch is coming but what will you do with it and how will it change your life. The current crop of smart-watches have been slammed for their lack of functionality. Most simply relay notifications from your phone, displaying email notifications and texts. We believe that the iWatch will do soo much more!

It is worth pointing out that we made a series of predictions that went against the conventional wisdom of the tech community, in the print edition of Worthy, and thus far our prognostications are proving to be spot on.

Disney World Uses Magic Bands for Access to Hotel Rooms, Payment at Restaurants and Even As Tickets for Park Admission

Disney World Uses Magic Bands for Access to Hotel Rooms, Payment at Restaurants and Even As Tickets for Park Admission

How will you use the iWatch? We think it is going to revolutionize your life. In this admittedly lengthy post, we’d like to explain how we think it will change the way you live. We believe that Apple wants to duplicate the Magic Bands of Disney World which act as your room key, your e-wallet at restaurants, & your admission tickets. Read  more about our truly WORTHY iWATCH!

 

APPLE’S MAGIC BAND 

We Believe Apple is Readying A Dizzying Array of it's own Magic Bands

We Believe Apple is Readying A Dizzying Array of it’s own Magic Bands

Apple Wants to Turn the whole world into Disneyland! The iWatch will have many of the same functions as Magic Bands, granting access to homes, activating your car, & payment at stores will occur via iWatch.We imagine a curved band that utilizes much of the curved surface for displaying websites music & media.

The IWATCH WILL ELIMINATE CASH

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You will never need to carry your wallet, cash or credit cards again. The iWatch will  enable a universal payment system, that will revolutionize the way you shop. Imagine never waiting in lines at a checkout counter! Further proving our supositions, reports surfaced this week that Apple will indeed focus the iPhone 6 on electronic bill payments as an e-wallet.

MAGICAL PROGRAMS WILL ANTICIPATE YOUR NEEDS

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Smart programs will deliver contextually relevant information to your watch and provide you with options to act on. Using technologies like iBeacon, important information will come to your wrist and present you with options. When your shopping, instead of searching for price tags or tacky clearance signs, the price of an object will flash on your wrist when you pick it up. You will buy without standing in line. Video billboards will recognize your iWatch and display ads based on your interests and buying history, as in the movie Minority Report. Imagine a smart program that considers your recent social media posts, like a recent engagement and alerts you to a nearby sample sale for wedding dresses while your out shopping. Confusing buildings like hospitals, might house internal smart programs that make navigating their confusing wings easier. Smart boards will recognize your watch and the destination you indicated at their checkin counter- as “turn here” directions flash on your wrist or on video boards helping you locate the wing you seek. In museums, the watch might enhance artistic viewing by playing informative audio linked to the paintings you are viewing as soon as you come near. In restaurants, you might order via iWatch. Through the iWatch, useful information will stream to your wrist and interact with other devices. The possibilities are endless.

HOME AUTOMATION WILL BE MAGICAL

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Proximity sensors will activate your home devices when you’re near. Doors will open automatically. In your home, lights will turn on automatically when you enter a room, and dim when you exit. Your tv will turn on when you plop on your couch. You’ll change channels by swiping your wrist. When your lasagna is done, you will turn the oven off with a tap of your wrist. If any of this sounds far fetched, you should understand that all of this is possible now. Home automation devices using your iphone are anything but new. But, form facilitates function and a watch is more convenient then clutching your phone like a remote, as you traverse from room to room. The iWatch will combine apps with proximity sensors to magically activate technology when you approach. The iWatch will become the universal remote you never put down.

FITNESS: The Time of Your Life

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In our print edition we suggested that the iWatch will show you “THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE”. Shortly after, Apple patents showed that the company is leaning towards, iTime instead of iWatch. This may be because the iWatch will be packed with sensors tracking every conceivable metric of your life. Sleep times, blood sugar, sweat, body temp, and exercise data will stream to Apple’s Health Kit app. With the iWatch, long distance personal trainers will follow your workout in real time, pushing you when necessary. Your workouts will be logged without any effort on your part. The weights you used, run times and calories burned will be logged. The info will go to trusted partners. You may get insurance discounts for confirmed daily workouts and your doctor adds the metrics data to your med file.

When we began to imagine the iWatch, we based our ideas on developments within Apple Inc. We assessed new software releases, like Healthfit, and tech like iBeacon which is designed for stores to push information wirelessly to IOS devices. We considered  their move to partner with automakers and design their console displays. We considered the evolution of mobile tech and where developments were likely to lead. This week, approved patents for apple confirmed many of our suspicions. Apple’s new device will in-fact be chocked full of sensors. Patents suggest it will create a “personal wireless environment” that interacts with iPod, iPads and iPhones. Accelerometers, GPS and haptic sensors will round out the devices functionality.

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Apple has always been a company that eclipses the competition by imagining new uses for existing technology. It is the form, style and ease of use that makes Apple’s devices magical. If we combine Apple’s ecosystem, broad app support and penchant for creativity, the iWatch we’ve reported is the inevitable device that results. It becomes obvious that Apple intends to turn the whole world into Disney Land-and the iWatch will be Apple’s Magic Band!

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Apple’s Pattent Included this artwork of a possible device. It hosts a removable media player at it’s center

But, we will have to wait and see!