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Motorola's Moto 360 smartwatch pops up at Best Buy two weeks early
You don't have to wait until Motorola's September 4th event to get more details regarding the Moto 360 smartwatch, it seems -- Best Buy appears to have the scoop over two weeks early. The big-box retailer has posted a product listing for the timepiece that appears to reveal many (though not all) of the specifications. Reportedly, the device's signature not-quite-circular display is a 1.5-inch, 320 x 290 LCD. You'll also find a heart rate sensor and a pedometer, so the 360 may be a good fit if you're an amateur athlete.
Motorola will unveil new smartphones and the Moto 360 on September 4th
With Samsung's Note 4 announcement on September 3rd and Apple's iPhone launch expected a few days later, September is shaping up to be a busy month when it comes to smartphone (and wearable) unveils. Motorola's just sent out invitations for its own launch in Chicago, scheduled for the day after Samsung's big event in Berlin. Of course, we don't know exactly what to expect, but given the "choose your own adventure" invite, it looks like two smartphones (perhaps the X+1 and a new G model), Moto 360 and an in-ear wearable (Bluetooth headset?) are on order.
Engadget Daily: Uber's legal battle, Foursquare's new identity and more!
Today, we take a few selfies, investigate Uber's legal struggles, learn about home automation with the Ninja Sphere, go hands-on with Foursquare's new app and more. Read on for Engadget's news highlights from the last 24 hours.
The Moto 360 will work with this stylish wireless charger
We now know more info about the hotly anticipated Moto 360 smartwatch from Motorola, thanks to a series of photos from Mister Gadget, aka Luca Viscardi. The foremost detail is a wireless inductive charger that looks easy to use -- no small thing, since that fancy display will no doubt eat the battery quickly (though not as quickly as the G Watch, according to Viscardi). It's also a wise choice considering the skin irritation bugs with the LG G Watch's charging pins, which the Moto 360 lacks. Previous rumors show that it'll support Qi charging too, meaning it'll work with the Nexus 5's charger, among others. The back reveals the presence of an optical heart rate sensor and confirms that the water resistant case will be built from 316L stainless steel. Another image (below) gives it some scale next to LG's G watch, showing it to be about the same size -- big, but not overly bulky. Otherwise, it confirms details we've already seen, along with its general handsomeness. That's a good thing, since Android Wear's success might be riding on its round dial.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Here's what Google's Android Wear can do
Google says that we glance at our smartphones 125 times per day, but it wants Android Wear devices to take on much of that burden. During an I/O 2014 demo, it showed how smartwatches like LG's G Watch -- paired with Android 4.3 or higher phones -- will display the most important info to you at any given time. That includes flights, the weather, your commute, appointments, reminders, Keep notes and messages. Since all Wear devices will have touchscreens, you can swipe up on the watch face, Google Now-style, to see more cards. Swiping sideways will then bring up additional info from a given card. Disposing of a card on the watch makes it disappear on your handset too. You've also got voice commands, activated by -- you guessed it -- "Okay, Google." You can use it to set a reminder or take voice notes that are automatically saved to Google Keep. You can also pose questions to the watch and get the answer in card form on both your wearable and phone screen. Swiping down from the top of the screen mutes or unmutes the sound on your watch and lets you peek at settings like the battery life.
Motorola contest pegs the price of a Moto 360 smartwatch at $249 (updated)
If you've been at all interested in Motorola's Moto 360, the biggest question has likely been the price: how much will that swanky circular smartwatch set you back? Not that much, if you believe the company's rules for a watch face design contest. The legal details set the average retail value of a Moto 360 at $249; that's as much as a relatively posh smartwatch like the Pebble Steel, but less than the $300 you'd pay for tech-laden wristwear like the Gear 2. Before you start budgeting for a timepiece, though, remember that this still isn't official. While Motorola's figure gives at least some idea of what to expect, we wouldn't rule out a higher price tag when the Moto 360 reaches store shelves. Update: Motorola has taken to Google+ to clear the air: it says that the listed price is for "tax purposes only," and that you shouldn't assume that you'll pay $249 for a Moto 360 of your very own. The company isn't revealing how the pricing will change, though.
Moto 360 designer: 'we wanted to hit that Whoa! mark'
In a live broadcast, designer Jim Wicks showed off a working version of the Moto 360 smartwatch and offered up a few pieces of information about his prized product and the philosophy behind its design. When asked about the inspiration for the 360's circular design, Wicks mentioned that the shape is an iconic one that people naturally associate with time, as evidenced by the fact that nearly 80 percent of all watches sold globally are circular. "We don't want to make consumers change for this tech," Wicks said. "We want to make this tech map to them. With a square concept you might say 'that's interesting,' but you don't hit that 'Whoa!' mark. We wanted to hit that Whoa! mark." Wicks understands that when it comes to smartwatches, fashion triumphs over functionality -- and with the Moto 360, he believes that it passes the crucial test of being fashionable enough that consumers will want to buy it.
