Recommended Reading: Gauging the smartwatch craze and skin listening
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read.
Does Anyone Outside Silicon Valley Even Want a Smartwatch?
by Kevin Roose,
New York Magazine
The first wave of smartwatches has its popular entries (ahem, Pebble), but widespread adoption has yet to take hold. With Google's Android Wear initiative, new options bring closer ties with the operating system and improved aesthetics. But is that enough to attract the masses? Do people really want an extension of their phone as a wrist-worn device?
Music for your Skin The current gadget landscape features a number of devices that provide tactile feedback through vibrations. Devices from smartphones to game controllers serve up said alerts for new activity or enhanced experiences. But what if that sort of dermal interaction could be used to hear music? Well, researchers are working on ways to experience music and sound with our epidermis, and not our ears. | Meet 'Project Zero,' Google's Secret Team of Bug-Hunting Hackers This week, Google revealed a group of hackers it's calling Project Zero, tasked with sniffing out security flaws in software. It sounds very covert ops, and the team is looking to nix the so-called zero-day issues before they're exploited by those seeking to do harm. Wired has a detailed look at the cleanup initiative. |
The Rise of the Wedding Drone It's no secret that drones have become a popular choice for filmmakers to capture amazing footage without chartering a chopper. That said, shooting a wedding with the remote-controlled vehicles has become an increasingly popular, albeit expensive, option. Of course, given the FAA's stance on commercial drones, this could lead to further issues if you're looking for a bird's-eye view of your nuptials. | How Google's New Font Tries to Anticipate the Future Google first outed its Android-mined font Roboto alongside Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) a couple years back. The folks in Mountain View have spent over a year redesigning the typeface for use not only on mobile devices, but also on the screens of wearables and smart TVs. Android's head of design Mathias Duarte tells Wired that "the idea of having a typeface that's thought out as a UI typeface -- that's not been done before." |
