Android Wear
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The Moto 360 smartwatch is back, but Motorola isn't making it
The original Moto 360 was one of the most attractive smartwatches around when it launched way back in 2015. As the first round Android Wear watch, it made a huge impression with slick-looking wearables fans despite some hiccups at launch, but as with so many tech firsts, it gradually lost its charm. Now, however, it's making a comeback.
Diesel and Emporio Armani also release new Wear OS watches
Looks like Fossil Group is refreshing its stable of smartwatches across the family of brands it owns in preparation for the fall. After updating the Fossil Touchscreen Smartwatch in August to the fifth-generation model, the company unveiled a trio of new Michael Kors devices, as well as Puma's first-ever smartwatch. Today, it's announcing a pair of new watches, namely the Diesel On Axial and the Emporio Armani Smartwatch 3.
This week in tech history: Android Wear, Twitter and Friendster
At Engadget, we spend every day looking at how technology will shape the future. But it's also important to look back at how far we've come. That's what This Week in Tech History does. Join us every weekend for a recap of historical tech news, anniversaries and advances from the recent and not-so-recent past. This week, we're looking back at Android Wear, Twitter and Friendster (yep, that's a deep cut).
Google Wear OS at five: Older, wiser, but unpolished
Half a decade has passed since Android Wear debuted. During that time, we've seen in-screen fingerprint readers, rollable TVs, self-driving cars, super-smart AI, phones with folding screens and more. In the midst of all that technological advancement, Android Wear has remained relatively unchanged. In its five years, Google's OS has grown smarter and more useful and has even undergone a serious makeover. But the system, now known as Wear OS, still doesn't feel fully matured.
Google could be working on two new Android Wear watches
Sources close to Android Police claim Google is hard at work right now on two Android Wear devices of its own. According to the report, the watches are fundamentally different from one another, with one acting as a larger and sportier option and the other aimed at budget adopters, smaller and without mobile data and GPS.
Ford's smartwatch apps let drivers unlock their electric car
In recent months, both Hyundai and Volvo have launched smartwatch apps, allowing car owners to control some of their vehicle's functions from the comfort of their wrist. Now Ford wants in on the action. In the latest update to its MyFord app, available on both iOS and Android Wear, the car maker is letting drivers of select electric and plug-in hybrid models access information on their vehicle battery status (including the estimated range), enable the air-conditioning, lock and unlock the car and follow directions to where their car is parked.
ICYMI: Power-ballad singing tech, foldable bridge and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-798919{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-798919, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-798919{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-798919").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: A computer-like display, singing power ballads from the '90s, simply must be seen; Japanese engineers unveiled an emergency bridge that can unfold in five minutes; and the game Half-Life gets hacked to work on an Android Wear watch.
Android Wear reportedly getting watch-to-watch sharing features
Google is launching brand new watch-to-watch communication features for Android Wear that are not unlike those on Apple's Watch, according to Phandroid. Users will reportedly be able to send each other doodles, photos, stickers, messages and more using a feature called "Together." That's pretty similar to the Apple Watch's Digital Touch, which allows users to relay tap patterns, drawings and even heartbeats to each other. Oddly, Android Wear users who want to share items may need to use the same the same watchface, as the feature isn't system-wide. However, Phandroid admitted that its information on that aspect "is quite old."
ASUS ZenWatch 2 comes in two sizes with more variations
It's only been half a year since we reviewed the stylish ZenWatch, but ASUS is already back with its second attempt in the Android Wear space. At Computex, the company announced the appropriately named ZenWatch 2, which, unlike its predecessor, comes in two sizes: one to go with 22mm straps like before, and the other with smaller 18mm straps. If you go with the larger one, you'll get a bonus feature: It has an optional "Chargeback" battery case that sits on the back of the watch, so you can imagine it being just a thicker watch with extra battery life, though ASUS has yet to finalize the actual specs for this part.
LG Watch Urbane review: a premium watch that falls short of greatness
There are only a few companies out there with as much experience making Android Wear watches as LG. After all, the platform's only been part of the public consciousness for a year and yet this Korean giant has already made three of them. Its first sequel -- the G Watch R -- was a marked improvement over its dull, plastic predecessor, but the progress isn't quite as clear with the new Watch Urbane. Sure, it's running a fresh version of the Wear operating system, with some neat new features that haven't yet trickled down to the rest of Google's wearable ecosystem. Hell, it's even got a look that's meant to rival the Patek Philippes in your collection. All that said, after over a week of testing, I still couldn't help but want more out of the Urbane, and you probably will too.
Take notes on your wrist with Google Keep and Android Wear
Keep, Google's cloud-based note taking app, has always been pretty handy. But having to pull out and unlock your phone, then launch the program, open a new note and finally type in your thought is often enough to make anybody yearn for a pencil and pad of paper. Luckily, Google has a newly updated means of jotting down ideas as easy as talking to the back of your hand -- you just need to shell out a couple hundred bucks for an Android Wear watch to use it. According to the official Google Android Blog, Android users with devices running Ice Cream Sandwich and newer will be able to access the Note app directly from their wristwatch while leaving their phone in their pocket. Users can activate the app with "OK Google, open Keep" or jump directly to dictation with the command "OK Google, take a note." Existing features like swipe-and-tap navigation and adding reminders to existing notes directly from the watch are still supported.
Your Android Wear watch now finds your missing phone
The days of tearing apart your apartment in search of your lost smartphone are coming to an end. Two years after making its mobile debut, Google is porting its phone-finding Android Device Manager to Android Wear. Now, so long as you have your smartwatch attached to your wrist, you'll be able to Marco Polo your way to it. Simply say to the watch, "Ok, Google. Start. Find my phone" and your phone will automatically ring at full volume. This feature will be rolling out automatically to all Android Wear devices in the coming weeks. Unfortunately, you'll still be out of luck if your phone is out of earshot, as the watch-based app doesn't include map-based tracking like the mobile version does.
Google's augmented reality game 'Ingress' comes to Android Wear
Remember Ingress, the Google-developed project that entices you to get outside with the promise of some light gaming? On top of iOS and Android, it'll soon work on Android Wear, meaning you can join in the fun with your smartwatch rather than just your smartphone (though you'll still need that too, of course). The idea is to get teams together to play on either on the "enlightened" (establishment) side, or as a rebel on team "resistance." Senior members can create missions, in which players attack, defend or reinforce "portals" based on local landmarks like village squares or statues. The game notifies you when friendly or enemy portals are in range, and whether or not they're under attack -- with a Google Now-style card guiding you to the precise location, as shown below.
BlackBerry will invade your wrist by bringing BBM to Android Wear
Messaging services like WhatsApp have slowly been trickling onto our extremities via Android Wear for what feels like ages now, so is it really any surprise that BlackBerry's getting in on the action now too? At a press breakfast earlier this morning, the company took a few moments to highlight its tentative plan to bring BBM to Google's wearables. Even in its unfinished state, the whole shebang works just the way you'd expect it to: You'll be able to view and accept friend invites right from your wrist, and speak your responses aloud for Google's machine brains to render into text. And the ETA for BBM's touchdown on your watch? BlackBerry's Jeff Gadway says you'll be able to nab it sometime in "early 2015," so you'd better make sure your contacts are in order. Just in case you're itching to see the early concept in action, go ahead a take a peek after the break -- you won't regret it.
Sony's still-new SmartWatch 3 gets a stainless steel makeover
Sony's SmartWatch 3 only trickled onto store shelves back in November, but the company has decided it's not done tweaking the formula just yet. Just as some last-minute leaks foretold, Sony just pulled back the curtain on a stainless steel version of the SmartWatch 3 here at its CES 2015 conference and it's, well, exactly what you'd expect it to be.
Sony SmartWatch 3 review: dull design, but great for runners
This here is the Sony SmartWatch 3. That might make it sound like it's the third iteration in a line of gadgets, but really, it's the first. That's because even though this is Sony's third smartwatch (fourth if you count the Sony Ericsson LiveView), it's actually Sony's first that comes with Android Wear. Both the original SmartWatch and the SmartWatch 2 ran Sony's own proprietary platform, which, while Android-friendly, didn't have nearly the same reach as Google's Android Wear. It's great that Sony has finally seen the light, but the SmartWatch 3 has arrived remarkably late to the party, letting rivals like Motorola, LG and Samsung gain ground. On the other hand, the SmartWatch 3 is currently the only Android Wear option with a built-in GPS radio, allowing for more precise workout tracking. Which, as it turns out, could be enough to help Sony stand apart from the pack.
Pebble's smartwatches now support Android Wear notifications
What's a little startup like Pebble to do when there are so many Android Wear smartwatches out there? Two things: cut the price, and make the watches as useful as possible. After recently adding apps for Dominos Pizza and PayPal, the company is updating its Android application so that it's compatible with Android Wear notifications. Which is to say, you can act on notifications directly from your watch. (Think: dismissing alerts and such.) From a developer standpoint, that means that if an app is already Android Wear-compatible, it'll work on Pebble devices too; devs don't have to code their applications twice. The feature is still in beta, but it's open to everybody, so any of you can try out this new feature, starting now. All you need is a Pebble or Pebble Steel watch, with a smartphone running Android 4.0 or higher. And, of course, you need the latest version of the app (v2.3) installed. Have at it!
Netflix for Android now lets you control movies from your wrist
Netflix has taken its sweet time bringing its Android app up-to-date, but at least it's bearing extra nice gifts for you and your inner circle. You can now privately endorse shows to Facebook friends without clogging their news feeds -- a feature that's already been available on the web and iOS for several months. Netflix did throw in a couple of exclusive Android extras, though: you'll be able to use your smartphone to thank a friend for a recommendation, see movie info and images, and even pause or play shows. But, the best part for nerdy film-lovers: you can now use an Android Wear smartwatch to do all that too, including remotely controlling shows (as shown above). Being the last to get an update sucks, but I'll gladly trade that for the double-takes when I launch House of Cards from my watch, Dick Tracy-style.
ASUS ZenWatch review: subtle and stylish, with a few shortcomings
The war for your wrist isn't going to wind down any time soon: We've already seen the industry's biggest players take a stab (in some cases, multiple ones) at perfecting their wearables. ASUS isn't quite as prominent as other names on that list, but that just makes its $200 ZenWatch all the more interesting The Taiwanese company -- probably best known for its quirky phone-tablet hybrids -- has put together an inaugural smartwatch that's dripping with style. In fact, it's the first smartwatch I've worn that's ever attracted random compliments from passersby (in two countries, no less), not to mention the first one that didn't make me feel like a complete nerd while wearing it. Alas, it takes more than just a sweet face to make a smartwatch worth owning.
LG's £225 circular G Watch R goes on sale in the UK
Google's now selling LG's G Watch R via the Play Store in the US, but in the UK, fans of the circular Android Wear smartwatch are being made to wait. Luckily, Amazon is one step ahead (not for the first time), and has opened orders for the wearable before its rival has had the chance to do the same. At £225, the G Watch R is £70 more than its predecessor, but with a heart rate monitor, better battery life and a fully circular display, it might be worth those few extra notes.
