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Android Wear Mini Launcher makes it easy to get to apps
Google didn't design Android Wear to emulate a smartphone's interface for a reason: the company believes it makes no sense doing so on such a tiny screen. Sadly, many early adopters find it cumbersome to launch third-party apps on the current design, prompting a developer to come up with the Wear Mini launcher to solve the problem. On vanilla Android Wear, you'd need to issue a voice command (which doesn't always conjure up the right app) or scroll through a list if you want to launch Evernote, Lyft, Duolingo, or any other app you have. If you install the Wear Mini Launcher, though, you'll get an app drawer (showing all your apps' icons like your phone does) that you can access by swiping from the top left edge of the screen. You can download it right now from Google Play, but note that its performance might vary depending on your device.
Google Camera lends shutter control to Android Wear smartwatches
If you're the type that fancies snapping selfies or group shots from a distance, a pending update to Google's Camera app should lend a hand. The new version of the software allows Android Wear smartwatches to work as remote shutter controls. What's more, on top of tapping the watch face to snap a picture, the wearable's screen will display a countdown with an image preview to follow. Unfortunately, that G Watch or Gear Live won't act as a viewfinder, so you'll need to sort the composition beforehand. The update might not show up for you in Google Play just yet, but those eager to implement the function can grab the APK over at Droid Life.
Google adds temporary workaround to enable paid apps on Android Wear
When some apps aren't transferring to your newly-purchased Google toy, you're probably going to get a little upset. That's exactly what happened with paid apps from Android's Google Play, which were happily installing to phones, just not Bluetooth-paired G Watch and Gear Live. The company's come up with a workaround for now which requires paid app makers to manually package files differently. Android Developers said (via Google+, of course) that it's working to make this easier in the future. Now, Android Wear's early adopters will simply have to wait for the app developers to make those manual changes.
Google Play encryption bug is blocking paid apps from using Android Wear
If you ordered one of the Android Wear devices Google showed off last month, you'll want to keep an eye out for updates: the wearables aren't playing well with paid apps. Normally, Wear apps are downloaded from Google Play alongside an app's handset component, installing automatically over Bluetooth to a paired Wear device -- but the wearable component of paid apps just aren't transferring. According to Android Police the problem lies in Google's app encryption measures, a sort of copy-protection system enacted to keep pirates at bay. For whatever reason, Android Wear devices simply aren't able to find Wear apps in encrypted packages. It's a small bug but it's also a major issue, effectively blocking all paid apps from taking advantages of Google's new platform. Hopefully Mountain View will issue a fix before too long.
LG's G3 and G Watch are coming to AT&T on July 11th
Sprint and T-Mobile may have been the first big US carriers to announce launch plans for LG's G3 smartphone, but they won't be the first to actually carry it. AT&T has revealed that both the G3 and the Android Wear-based G Watch will reach its stores on July 11th, with online orders beginning on the 8th. In both cases, pricing is par for the course. You'll pay $199 on contract for the G3, or $29 per month in one year's worth of Next installments; the G Watch will cost you $229 up front. The AT&T-native G3 doesn't particularly stand out (unless you really, really like Big Blue's logo), but it may be your best bet if you just have to get a quad HD-capable Android phone as quickly as possible.
Weekends with Engadget: Android Wear review, ditching social media and more!
This week, we reviewed Google's Android Wear platform, examined a few practical steps toward ditching social media, watched a sniper hit his target without looking and took a look at the phenomenon of social media activism. Read on for Engadget's news highlights from the last seven days. Oh, and be sure to subscribe to our Flipboard magazine!
Android Wear review: Taking smartwatches in the right direction
When I was a tiny tot, I watched Knight Rider and pretended I was Michael Knight, talking to KITT on my watch. Yet now that there are real-life watches that can do even more things, I don't find myself quite as excited as my 5-year-old self was. Smartwatches have been around for over a decade already (remember Microsoft SPOT?), but the category hasn't evolved at the same pace as smartphones. It's not because there's a shortage of digital wrist-worn timepieces. The problem is that there's no common platform for third-party apps, which means there's little potential for growth. There also doesn't seem to be any vision. Some watches act as Android phones with SIM cards and tiny touchscreens, while others try to establish their own platform to entice developers. Still others have even tried to put fitness bands and smartwatches into one device, to limited success. Even worse, most of the watches on the market today are what you might call "fashionably challenged" -- they simply aren't attractive enough to entice the masses. Google's solution is to extend its Android platform -- which has very strong market share and developer support -- to the wearables genre with Android Wear.
Get ready for Android Wear's first round of apps
If you've pre-ordered an Android Wear watch and want to have everything ready for the very moment you slap that device on your wrist, Google is more than happy to help; the company has posted everything you'll need on day one. To start, you can both grab the official Android Wear app (needed to link up) and look out for the automatic Google Play Services 5.0 upgrade that adds the underlying Wear framework. After that, you'll want to check out Google Play's new dedicated app section that highlights early titles with Wear support, including third-party tools like Allthecooks, Delta, Lyft, Runkeeper, Evernote and IFTTT. These apps aren't going to make your wristwear arrive any sooner, but getting yourself ready could make the wait a little more bearable.
Engadget Daily: ditching social media, sharpshooting with HUD goggles and more!
Today, we review Garmin's new Forerunner 15 sports watch, learn how to escape social media, watch a sniper hit his target while looking in another direction and hear what our readers have to say about the new HTC One. Read on for Engadget's news highlights from the last 24 hours.
Weekends with Engadget: Google I/O 2014, Aereo loses and more!
This week, we went hands-on with Google's Android L developer preview and Android wear, watched the US Supreme Court rule against Aereo, learned how to escape the clutches of the internet and more! Read on for Engadget's news highlights from the last seven days. Oh, and be sure to subscribe to our Flipboard magazine!
Google will have sole control over the interfaces of Android Auto, Wear and TV
You'd better get used to the interfaces you saw for Android Auto, Wear and TV at the Google I/O conference this past week -- you're going to be seeing them a lot. Google tells Ars Technica that it will maintain sole (official) control over the interface for all three new platforms, rather than give that power to manufacturers. While companies will be allowed branding and extra services, they won't get to modify the core experience. You won't see a Gear Live sequel with the Gear 2's front end, for example, or find your way around town with a Honda-exclusive take on Android Auto.
Engadget Daily: the evolution of Second Life, taxi-hailing apps and more!
Today, we take an in-depth look at taxi-hailing apps like Uber and Lyft, explore the world of Android Wear, ponder the evolution of Second Life and investigate Aaron Swartz's path from internet activist to martyr. Read on for Engadget's news highlights from the last 24 hours.
ASUS is reportedly making the cheapest Android Wear smartwatch yet
If the first crop of Android Wear smartwatches falls just outside of your price range, don't fret -- ASUS may soon come to your rescue. TechCrunch claims that the Taiwanese firm is developing Google-powered wristwear with a target price between $99 and $149, or at least $50 less than LG's relatively frugal G Watch. There's no mention of what if anything would make this wearable truly special, but it would have an AMOLED screen like that in Samsung's Gear Live. ASUS had also hinted that it could use gesture controls in a smartwatch on top of the usual taps and swipes. The device would show up in September (possibly around Europe's IFA tech expo) if the scoop is accurate, so it won't be long before you find out whether or not an affordable Android timepiece is in your future.
Engadget Daily: living in Google's world, the faces of Android Wear and more!
Today, we take a look at the Android L Developer preview, compare the three faces of Android Wear, evaluate a $1,000 bread-making robot and dive into the hyper-connected world of Google. Read on for Engadget's news highlights from the last 24 hours.
LG's G Watch: Designing a blank canvas for Android Wear
The G Watch is minimal. The shape aims to bring Android Wear front and center. "The content floats." The lack of toggles, buttons and periphery is all intentional. "A lack of ornamentation," is how Chul Bae Lee, VP of mobile design put it to us when explaining the company's wearable. But it didn't start out that way. Lee gestures at a soft sheet where there are roughly 10 prototypes of varying shapes and profiles. It's the "What If..." of LG wearable design, but because these designs are still in LG's collective brain for possible future use, we're not allowed to take photos.
The three faces of Android Wear, compared
Google made much ado about the debut of Android Wear at its I/O conference keynote, and few would doubt that this is a potentially sea-changing move in the wearable space. However, the company didn't do much to address the differences between the first smartwatches using its brand-new platform. How are you supposed to know which wearable suits you? That's where we can help out. We've taken a good look at this first batch -- LG's G Watch, Motorola's Moto 360 and Samsung's Gear Live -- to see how they compete. And it's a closer fight than you'd think. While all three have their charms, you'll be making some sacrifices no matter which model you choose.
Living in a Google world: Why Android L means you'll never have to disconnect
The biggest news to come out of Google's developer-focused I/O conference isn't Android TV or even the several new Android Wear smartwatches; it's that Android is about to become much more than a mobile operating system. It's about to consume your life. With the introduction of the Android L platform (as the next version of that operating system's tentatively being called), Google wants to be a part of everything you do -- with technology, at least. Whether it's swiping through Google Now on your smartphone, dismissing notifications on your smartwatch, using voice search to find a movie on Android TV or searching for a cafe on your in-car display, Android will follow you everywhere. And while features like universal sync across devices and voice commands will likely make your life easier, Google's getting something pretty significant in return: access to nonstop streams of your personal data and search history. In short, it's pretty clear that the "L" stands for "Life."
Moto 360 smartwatch makes an appearance at Google I/O
Samsung's Gear Live and LG's G Watch have already been manhandled today at Google I/O 2014, and now it's time to do the same to the third inaugural Android Wear device, the Moto 360. We've already heard much about the watch's unique circular design and have gotten some sneak peeks at the various watch faces that are coming to take advantage of it. Today, however, I finally got my mitts on one, and I can assure you it's as well put together in person as the press shots have shown previously.
Contest-winning Moto 360 watch face blends classic looks with modern tech
Motorola has been running a watch face design contest to spark interest in developing for its upcoming Moto 360 wristwear, and it looks like the company's efforts have hit the jackpot. The winning design from David Pascual is a clever blend between a traditional timekeeper and the at-a-glance alerts you'd expect from Android Wear. On top of basic status info, the watch face also has customizable notification widgets; you'll know right away if you have new Gmail or a low battery. Pascual's effort is just eye candy right now, but that may change soon. Winning the competition could get his design featured on the Moto 360, so you may have a chance to check it out first-hand before long.
Meet the G Watch, LG's first Android Wear smartwatch
LG believes it's hip to be square, and it created a smartwatch to prove it. The G Watch was announced alongside Android Wear, Google's new wearables platform, and the circular Moto 360 this March. After three months, LG and Google are finally ready to let me slip one on my wrist. The watch is going to be available for pre-order for $229 (update: preorders are live here) on the Play Store alongside the Samsung Gear Live (and Moto 360, once it comes out later this summer), and will ship out in both black and white to eager users on July 7th.
