Android Wear support for Spotify arrives
It's a big week for Google, as the company holds its I/O event. We've seen the next version of Android, for the moment simply known as M, and users can install a preview version of it now. There was Brillo, which aims to take Android into the growing Internet of Things market and many other announcements.
As for Android Wear, Google's foray into smartwatches, there are improvements coming there as well. Spotify is also announcing support for the wristwear.
For all the blathering smartwatch idiots...
It's a reminder: You're even dumber than you think.
Tireless commentaries and speculation about when will Microsoft release a smartwatch are ill-informed -- as are other speculations about when will watchmakers release their own devices. (I refer not to our readers but writers here, there, and everywhere.) Perhaps you were sucking your thumb or mommy cleaned your poopy diapers when both were trendsetting market realities.
The best (and more affordable) Apple Watch alternatives
The Apple Watch is only a couple of weeks old, but there have already been a few reported issues with the device. Its health sensors struggle when users have dark tattoos, some have criticized its long load times and the launch period did not go entirely to plan, with consumers having to wait longer than expected to receive their smartwatch.
However, perhaps the biggest hurdle for some consumers is the price of the Apple Watch, which ranges from $349 to more than $15,000. Of course, that hasn’t stopped the wearable gadget from racking up impressive pre-order figures, but if you are looking for an alternative wearable, we’ve listed the best below.
LG Watch Urbane fast, first impressions [mini-review]
Early yesterday afternoon, LG Watch Urbane arrived from Verizon. Turnaround is quick for anyone who wants one right way, rather than waiting for Google to ship (now 1-2 days rather than by May 8). I am rushing a first-impressions review, and some comparison to the Moto 360 is mandatory. If round is your taste, consider one of these two smartwatches.
Meantime, to collect my thoughts for the review and for anyone considering the Urbane, I share something sooner. Overall, I am satisfied with the initial out-of-the-box experience. Urbane is gorgeous and looks like a traditional watch. The always-on, dimmed face contributes to the effect—without bleeding dry the charge. The watch is also more functional as a timepiece, as such. I mean, shouldn't it be?
Android Wear: How to set up your smartwatch
So you’re thinking about getting yourself an Android Wear smartwatch, but you're not sure if it’s too complicated to set up?
The truth is it’s a very simple device and setting up is no different than, say, setting up an app on your smartphone.
My Two months with Moto 360 [Review]
A smartwatch by any other name is compromise. The question: How much are you willing to pay, if anything, for the privilege? No matter what any manufacturer promises, battery life will never be enough, particularly when daily recharging is the minimum requirement. If you use the wristwear as prescribed, no less is demanded, regardless of the device maker. None delivers daily use without sacrificing something.
Nearly all these mini-computers on the wrist aren't smart enough. You need a phone, too. Is two of one and half-dozen of the other worth the trouble? The answer depends much on your lifestyle. If you text and drive, and can't break the habit, a smartwatch could save your life or others. If your mobile handset feels like a ball and chain, adopting glance-and-go lifestyle can liberate you. But if your smartphone is practically surgically attached, for its frequent use, you shouldn't add another tech accessory. If your phone battery often runs out, because you forget to plug in, don't multiply your troubles. If you don't wear a watch now, and haven't for years, don't bother.
Android Wear update brings always-on apps, Wi-Fi support and improved navigation
Much as Apple would like you to think otherwise, Apple Watch is yet to blow other wearables out of the water. Smartwatches are still something of an emerging technology, but Google has managed to carve out yet another niche for itself with Android Wear. Today the company unleashes an update that aims to make Android-powered watches easier to use.
The first major addition is support for always-on apps. Most Android Wear watches included support for displaying the time round the clock (sorry!) but this feature has now been expanded to other apps. If you're using your watch to get directions or follow a shopping list, you can opt to keep the relevant app active at all times. The update has more to offer too.
Google releases extended version of the Android Wear commercial
In the hours running up to the big Apple show, Google attempted to rain on the Apple Watch parade by pushing its own wearable platform with a new ad. We already knew about the technology, but the cheeky move got the attention of many people. It was nothing more, nor less, than a smart business decision.
However, what we saw that day was only part of a longer format video which the search giant has just released on YouTube (naturally). It's still only one minute long, but that's a virtual lifetime compared to the original 18 second clip.
Where did you lose your smartphone? Android Wear can now tell you
Android Device Manger is Google's approach to helping people track down lost smartphones and tablets. Now the feature is rolling out to Android Wear so if you should lose your phone, you can find it with your watch.
At the moment the Android Wear version of the feature is pretty basic; you can use your watch to call your phone. This is great if you have mislaid it nearby, dropped it down the back of the sofa or buried it under some books, but not so helpful if you've left it on the train -- don’t expect to be able to home in on your phone using GPS at this stage.
OMG people, I am not wearing an Apple Watch, it's Android Wear, get a clue!
Something has me enraged this week and I don't think it's going to stop any time soon. I can hardly talk about it, as it makes my blood boil. Before I go into it, let me say that I have been wearing a Samsung Gear Live for months now and I love it. I'm not going to lie, I hoped that people would ask me about it when I wore it -- like a conversation starter -- but no one did. I even made sure to use it in a very ostentatious manner, wildly swiping and positioning my arm in such a way that my wrist would display the watch. Nothing. No one said anything.
Then Apple Watch happened. This past Monday, Apple had a proper keynote address for its watch, and the media lapped it up. As a result, Apple Watch was all over the mainstream media. So here is what's making my blood boil -- since that event, every asshole I encounter asks me if I am wearing the Apple Watch. Grrrr. I'm wearing the same smartwatch that I've been wearing for months, people. Get a clue!
Motorola brings personalization to Android Wear watches with Moto Maker
Motorola introduced Moto Maker as a way to let customers personalize phones with all sorts of adventurous designs from wood to pigskin and all manner of other things. However, the company was also among the first to jump into the Android Wear space, bringing the new smartwatch platform to everyone. Now the two are combining.
Today the company announces that the same sort of customization is arriving for your smartwatch -- providing, of course, that it's Motorola branded. You'll get three cases and nine bands to choose from as you walk through the process. Motorola also points out that you can "complete your design by choosing one of 11 watch faces. Once you get your watch, it’s easy to swap watch faces from our collection or through Google Play".
Google responds to Apple Watch
The newest Android "be together. not the same." commercial posted to YouTube today ahead of Apple's big smartwatch launch. The video series focuses on individuality and choice, which packs a little more punch for a wearable where one size likely won't fit all.
I like the background music, "On the Regular" by SHAMIR, in an advert by every measure focused on Apple Watch's presumed young and hipster crowd. You can be square, round, or whatever you want with Android Wear.
Huawei Watch could be the first smartwatch you actually want to wear
At MWC 2015, Chinese manufacturer Huawei announced its first foray into Android Wear. The company unveiled the rather predictably-named Huawei Watch today, and it's already got tongues wagging around the world. The screen is a 1.4 inch, 400 x 400 pixel AMOLED affair which is, importantly, completely round.
Packing 286 pixels per inch, the Sapphire crystal screen has a higher resolution than the Watch Urbane launched by LG today. The stainless steel case gives the watch a quality look and feel, and the device boasts a bevy of on-board sensors for tracking different activities. What is likely to prove the Huawei Watch's key to success, however, is the fact that it so closely resembles the look of a regular watch.
Android Wear works with iPhones and iPads -- no jailbreak required!
Wearables are awesome, the next big thing. Smartwatches in particular are very functional extensions of the smartphones, which have become ubiquitous nowadays. True, many tech pundits were dubious of the smartwatch's utility; including myself. I came around after actually using a smartwatch -- the Android Wear-based Samsung Gear Live -- for an extended period and loving it. My colleague Joe Wilcox is a recently converted proponent.
As great as Android Wear is, there are problems. While the most glaring is the fairly short battery life of devices, its lack of cross-platform support is a bigger issue. In other words, it can be harmful to consumers to have a product that only works with a certain platform, as it limits their freedom. An Android user with Android Wear that wants to move to an iPhone for instance, will be left with a useless smartwatch. Thanks to a developer named Mohammad Abu-Garbeyyeh, this may no longer be an issue. This impressive dev has gotten Android Wear to work with iOS. The best part? No jailbreak needed!
Pebble gets more Android Wear-like with latest update to smartwatch
Pebble was not the first smartwatch to market, but it did set the trend for today's fad in wearable technology. Now Google has joined the game and Apple has big plans to enter the arena. But for now, Pebble remains the dominant force and the company wishes to maintain its hold.
What more can Pebble do to retain its position? How about adopting Android Wear? That's exactly what the smartwatch maker is doing, announcing that "Our Android Wear compatibility goes from Beta to public release, giving Pebble the power to reply and act on notifications right from your wrist".
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