Google unveils its vision for smartwatches, launches Android Wear developer preview
Many have hoped to shape the smartwatch revolution, taking their vision to Kickstarter and the like, but today Google finally joined the game announcing Android Wear, a version of the operating system for wearable devices.
Google launched two videos that introduce Android Wear, which extends Android into wearables to provide “useful information when you need it most” and more.
Watches are good at telling time, but imagine having useful, actionable information there precisely when you need it. Automatically.
As with everything Google launches, design is key, and Android Wear also does what everyone has dreamed of, integrating Google Now on your wrist. We even called this about a year ago.
Running Android and using Google Now, you’ll be able to keep time and get weather and news updates, ask questions, track your workouts in real-time, get automatic, passive reminders and notifications from your smartphone apps, just as current players in the market are doing.
As part of the announcement, Google launched a developer preview of the Android Wear SDK that’s coming later this year. Sundar Pichai, Google’s senior vice president of Chrome, Apps, and Android, actually teased this about week ago at SXSW. The Android Wear Developer Preview lets developers create wearable experiences for their existing Android apps and lets them see how they will appear on square and round Android wearables. Once the official SDK launches later this year, developers will be able to enable “even more customized experiences” on wearable devices.
Google is already working with several partners, including Asus, Broadcom, Fossil, HTC, Intel, LG, Mediatek, MIPS, Motorola, Qualcomm Samsung, with Android Wear watches planned to launch later this year.
Surprisingly, there was no mention of other types of wearables, such as Google Glass, but it would make sense if Android Wear is in its future.
via Google+, Android Wear
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Hardware makers swing into action with new Android Wear
In just one hour after the announcement of Google’s new Android Wear program, we already have quite a few big announcements regarding the new smartwatch OS. LG and Motorola announced their new smartwatches, while the new DevBytes video explains what Android Wear will look like to developers.
LG
LG was very quick to make noise in the space, revealing it’s alleged G Watch. There isn’t much information on the watch quite yet, but there have been some hints revealed in some of the new Android Wear videos. Users will most likely be able to wake their G Watch by saying “Okay, Google”, just like the Moto X. It will most likely be available in Q2, and will act as an entry-point for developers. Here’s a preview as to what the new watch from LG might bring.
Motorola
LG was not the only hardware manufacturer to pull the trigger already. Motorola’s announcement of the Moto 360 recently came to be, and it already looks like a nice competitor to LG’s wearable. Check out more on the Moto 360 here.
DevBytes
Along with all of the announcements today, the new Developer Preview was posted as well. It shows everybody, not only developers, the key features in how Google’s new smartwatch OS will work.
Justin Koh, a developer for Android Wear, explains that the watch’s main goal is, “Giving people the information they need, right when they need it.” Obviously this is an important factor in the new OS, and it’s nice to see Google doing it right (I’m looking at you, Galaxy Gear).
Koh explains the SDK adds functionality so if you dismiss a notification from your watch, it will also dismiss on the phone. If you’d like to take advantage of the Android Wear code, visit the webpage here.
Take a look at the new DevBytes video, previewing the features in Android Wear.
Google, LG, and Motorola went crazy with announcements today, brightening up the path for Android wearables in the future. Are you excited for what’s to come? We sure are! Let us know what you think in the comments!
Source: Google+, Android Wear
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This is Motorola’s new Android Wear smartwatch: Moto 360
LG went first, and now it’s Motorola’s turn to unveil its Android Wear smartwatch: the Moto 360. Putting an emphasis on the tried-and-true design of classic timepieces, Motorola’s crafted a smartwatch that hews closely to a more traditional, premium look. The Moto 360 boasts a circular, digital watchface powered by Android Wear that grants users access to notifications with, presumably, gestures, as the company’s official line mentions the need for a “twist of the wrist.” There’s also Google Now integration, much like on the G Watch, that’ll make checking in on the weather, sports scores or flights a hands-free affair just by saying, “Ok Google.”
From the looks of it, Moto’s made what’s arguably the sexiest smartwatch we’ve seen to date, but that image above isn’t the only form factor we’ll be seeing. When the Moto 360 launches this summer worldwide, it’ll come in a “variety of styles,” and sport leather or metallic bands. If you happen to live in the US, you’ll be getting first dibs on this Android Wear looker when it debuts.
Filed under: Wearables, Wireless, Mobile, Google
Source: Motorola
The NSA can reportedly collect 100 percent of an unnamed country’s phone calls
The NSA is capable of recording 100 percent of a country’s telephone calls, according to sources who spoke with The Washington Post. Adding to the intrigue, the Post says it’s “withholding details that could be used to identify the country where the system is being employed,” implying that this surveillance method is used outside the US. It’s also unclear whether the NSA’s so-called MYSTIC voice-interception program (yep, that’s the emblem above) is actually recording 100 percent of this country’s calls, or whether it simply has the ability.
According to the story, the NSA also uses a tool called RETRO to retrieve audio that wasn’t deemed suspicious at the time of its original recording. Apparently, RETRO is only used in one foreign country, but documents suggest it could soon be deployed in five more. With the tool, billions of conversations are stored with a 30-day buffer for clearing out the oldest calls as new ones come in.
It’s not necessarily surprising that the agency would be reaching into the past as part of its data-collecting efforts, but it’s certainly news that it can record and store every single telephone conversation. While we’ve heard about the NSA collecting call logs in bulk, recording the content of all voice calls is very different than stockpiling metadata.
Filed under: Cellphones
Source: The Washington Post
Oculus VR exits first virtual reality collective
Just five days ago we told you about the Immersive Technology Alliance, a group of companies that are working on virtual reality coming together to support the burgeoning medium. At the time, we told you that Oculus VR — the company behind the Oculus Rift — was part of the group. That said, the announcement was notoriously missing any official statement from the Oculus folks. As it turns out, that’s because Oculus VR isn’t actually part of the group. Oculus offered Engadget this statement:
“There was confusion on March 13 about whether Oculus was a member of the Immersive Technology Alliance. We’ve spoken with the ITA’s leadership and clarified that we are not, and have not been, a member of the group. We appreciate the ITA moving so quickly to correct their website and media to reflect this.”
We’ve checked with the other members of the group, many of which responded to confirm their participation in the ITA, including EA and Technical Illusions. During the group’s first meeting today at GDC 2014, ITA Executive Director Neil Schneider kicked things off with a lengthy response to Oculus dropping support, heavily tinged with passive-aggressive criticism.
Schneider emailed us a similar statement, which detailed his side of the history between Oculus VR and the ITA (formerly the Stereoscopic 3D Gaming Alliance):
“Before Oculus started their Kickstarter, Oculus and MTBS had an agreement. We would give them free self-promotion on mtbs3D.com which started as the hotbed for Oculus’ launch and birthplace. All we asked of them was a basic level membership in the non-profit Stereoscopic 3D Gaming Alliance (S3DGA) valued at $5,000 US. This was conditional on their Kickstarter being successful, which it was. Oculus honored this.
During this formative period, Palmer Luckey has been in the loop on The ITA’s development since the beginning of this new movement. We had advisory board discussions through email featuring other members including Oculus VR (Palmer Luckey) and others who don’t need to be named. He was even invited to speak at the upcoming meeting, and couldn’t make it because of a scheduling conflict, but he said time permitting he was going to try and drop by.
In all our interactions, we have not received a single request to discontinue alliance membership. The Oculus logo has been on the site since they made their first payment some time ago, and they have not communicated to do otherwise. As it stands, we have an alliance of 20+ members. We have every expectation that they will continue to be industry leaders and continue to be part of this alliance.”
All that said, that is most certainly one side of the story. Though Oculus’ statement on the record comes off as flatly pragmatic, it’s clear here that Oculus VR — the industry standard in VR, at least for now — isn’t interested in participating in the ITA.
Fortunately for the ITA, many other verified members are making really cool products. Technical Illusions’ CastAR was the first device shown off at the meeting (after the somewhat awkward Oculus-related intro), and it’s clear that many of the folks here aren’t simply trying to cash in on VR while it’s a hot commodity. The messaging cooled as well, with a YEI Technology rep pointing out that there’s room in VR for lots of different ideas, and this first meeting is representative of that. We can’t disagree with that.
The new Sonos app makes music discovery simpler with universal search
Here’s the deal: streaming music services are great, but thanks to various content licensing deals with labels, there’s no one-stop shop to cover all of your musical bases. That’s where Sonos comes in with a handy solution by way of its new app. The refreshed Controller app for Android and iOS now includes a universal search feature that indexes your multiple streaming accounts to make finding and listening to Tool, or that haunting Banks track, less of a painful experience. Of course, you’ll need a Sonos player to partake in this game of streaming musical chairs, and some patience — the app won’t be released until sometime this spring. Though, Android users can get in early and preview the pared-down, three-pane UI now by signing up for the beta.
Filed under: Wireless, Internet, Mobile
Via: GigaOm
Source: Sonos
Motorola wastes no time, debuts Moto 360 smartwatch for summer
Get ready, the Android smartwatch space is about to get crowded. As if it’s not already a busy market with bands, trackers, watches, and wearables, we now have Android Wear to look forward to this year.
Not wasting any time (get it?), Motorola has already announced its first Android Wear-powered device, the Moto 360. Due this summer, the device will be offered in a variety of styles around the globe.
Moto 360 keeps you on time and up to date without taking you out of the moment or distracting you, telling you what you need to know before you know you need it through subtle alerts and notifications. With just a twist of the wrist you can see who’s emailing or calling, what time your next meeting is or a friend’s latest social post.
We’re excited about the prospects of not only Android Wear, but specifically what Motorola has in store. We like the design shown on their website but anxiously await other styles and colors.
If you’re interested in learning more about Moto 360 (and you’d better be), head to Motorola’s website to sign up for information.
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Google Announces “Android Wear”, The Android Based Smartwatch Platform
Over the last few months there has been considerable speculation and rumor about Google bringing a smart watch to market with the help of LG. We fully expected the announcement to happen at Google I/O, but we also speculated that they would make it happen earlier so devs could get to work bringing great apps to it before it was available to buy. Today via their blog, Google has shared what the new Android Wear is going to be all about.
I am pretty convinced that Google has nailed it. Check out some details about the developer preview. Google is also launching the preview SDK for this next week.
After reading through the info and watching the videos a couple times, it is sounding like Android Wear is targeted as a software for smartwatches and wearables. If you watch the videos, you see various watch styles and designs. Google is already working with “Asus, HTC, LG, Motorola and Samsung; chip makers Broadcom, Imagination, Intel, Mediatek and Qualcomm; and fashion brands like the Fossil Group to bring you watches powered by Android Wear later this year.” That means that all these manufacturers will create their own slight twist or take on the look and options for a wearable using the Android Wear software. This doesn’t mean that Google isn’t going to produce one of their own to be sold on the Play Store. We are still convinced that LG will be making an Android Wear based Nexus branded watch for Google.
Google has brought the power of Google Now to your wrist. Utilizing the hot word, “OK Google” much like you can do on your device now without having to pull it out of your pocket. Reading through the blog post we also find out that you can tell Android Wear to cast content to your TV too.
Via Google Blog
8 GB iPhone 5c Intended to Boost Mid-Tier Markets Where LTE Is Growing
With today’s launch of a new 8 GB iPhone 5c, much discussion has been centered around the observation that the new model is available in only a handful of countries: the UK, France, Germany, Australia, and China. In a statement to Re/code, Apple reveals that its strategy is to offer a lower-cost option that is compatible with LTE networks in countries where those networks are seeing rapid growth.
“The mid-tier iPhone segment is growing year-over-year and the 8GB model provides a more affordable option for markets where LTE is becoming more established,” an Apple representative told Re/code. The iPhone 5c, unlike the iPhone 4s, which is also still sold, supports LTE networks.
The report notes that Apple may prefer not to sell the 8 GB iPhone 5c in the United States because of the popularity of subsidized phones, which sees the 16 GB model being offered for $99 or even less on a two-year contract. There are, however, plenty of other countries where subsidies are not common and where Apple has elected not to offer the new 8 GB model. The business model is even changing in the United States, where T-Mobile has led a charge to decouple device pricing from service plans. Under the new models, carriers are offering interest-free payment plans on devices and charging users separately for their service.
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Google Launches ‘Android Wear’ Project for Wearable Devices
As promised, Google today announced its “Android Wear” project, which is designed to bring Android to wearable devices. To begin with, Android Wear will be focused on watches that will come in a range of styles from several different manufacturers.
Most of us are rarely without our smartphones in hand. These powerful supercomputers keep us connected to the world and the people we love. But we’re only at the beginning; we’ve barely scratched the surface of what’s possible with mobile technology. That’s why we’re so excited about wearables—they understand the context of the world around you, and you can interact with them simply and efficiently, with just a glance or a spoken word.
Android Wear for watches is designed to offer several functions over basic time telling. The app will provide notifications, messages, and updates from social networking apps and it will include Google Now capabilities allowing users to say “Ok Google” to ask questions, send texts, set alarms, and more. The “Ok, Google” function can also be used to control other devices, pulling up a music playlist on a phone or casting a movie to the TV.
Android Wear is also designed to be health-oriented, providing reminders for exercise goals and fitness summaries. Fitness apps designed to be compatible with Android Wear will be able to give real-time speed, distance, and time information.
Google’s Android developer site has gained a new section focused on wearables. Developers can obtain a Developer Preview of the software, designed to allow them to tailor existing app notifications for watches that will be powered by Android Wear.
Google has plans to release additional developer resources and APIs in the near future and has announced partnerships with several different electronics manufacturers including Asus, HTC, LG, Motorola, and Samsung, which could see a range of wearable Android-based devices appearing later this year. LG, for example, will launch a watch next quarter with Android.
The company is also partnering with chip makers Broadcom, Imagination, Intel, Mediatek, and Qualcomm, plus fashion brands including the Fossil Group to introduce watches powered by Android Wear in 2014.
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