ASUS ZenWatch 2 gives your phone’s battery a tiny boost
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 can actually double as a tiny mobile power bank to give your phone some emergency juice! ASUS hasn’t quite explained how this will be implemented, but we imagine there’ll be a special cable involved.
While the overall designs are similar to that of the original model, ASUS has now added a button on the side, though we prefer the cleaner look without it. As to what it does, we’ll come back to that when we hear more. Like before, both versions of the ZenWatch 2 feature an AMOLED screen with a piece of 2.5D curved Gorilla Glass 3 on top, and they are powered by an unnamed Qualcomm processor — hopefully one that will at least add another day’s worth of battery life.
For those looking for other excuses to upgrade from the previous model to this, the latter does have an improved dust and water resistance rating of IP67 (same as its fitness-centric counterpart, the VivoWatch). It comes with a more convenient magnetic charger cable instead of the old snap-on plastic cradle, and the recharge time has apparently been improved as well. On the software side, the ZenWatch 2 has an improved Remote Camera feature to go with your phone, and it’ll also work with a “completely redesigned” ASUS Wellness smartphone app for tracking your running and cycling activities.
As for customization, this time you get three colors instead of just one for the body: silver, gunmetal and rose-gold. Similarly, ASUS will be offering a range of straps made out of rubber, soft leather and metal in different colors. If you’re feeling adventurous, there’ll be an optional leather strap with Swarovski crystals embedded all over it.
There’s no price nor launch date just yet for the ZenWatch 2, but keep your eyes on here as we’ll likely hear more at Computex.
5 Android Apps you shouldn’t miss this week! – Android Apps Weekly
Sponsored by: Anytime Gallery for Wear
[Price: Free / $1.99]
Anytime Gallery for Wear is a gallery application that allows you to sync photos between your phone and your Android Wear smartwatch. In the free version you can sync up to 20 photos and if you go premium, you’ll be able to sync an unlimited number of photos. It’s a simple app that seems to work well and even includes support for pinch to zoom on the Android Wear device. It’s a fun little app and a great way to see your pictures on your wrist. Give it a try and show your support for Android Apps Weekly!
Here are your headlines from this week!
- Last week we talked about the latest Humble Bundle. This week, as a gift, anyone who gets the Artifex Mundi Humble Bundle will also receive Steam keys for Mac, Windows, and Linux so you can play on mobile or on your computer. It’s still a nice way to give to charity and a good way to get some cheap games.
- An interesting new development may add Quick Reply functionality to any messaging based notification. Developer MohammadAG is working on a root-free app that will add Quick Reply functionality to almost anything without you being required to do anything. It’s not out yet but it looks very promising.
- Microsoft did a whole bunch of things this last week so we’re going to group them all together. They announced a Windows 10 companion app that will help you sync your Android phone to your Windows 10 computer for improved functionality. They also announced an app called Microsoft OneClip that will be a cross-platform clipboard app which could be nice. Cortana for Android has been officially announced although there is no release date yet. Lastly, Microsoft announced a partnership with 18 OEMs that will see Microsoft Office pre-installed on tablets.
For even more Android apps and games news, updates, and releases, don’t forget to check out this week’s newsletter. There we have the complete list of everything that’s happened this last week. If you’re so inclined, you can also sign up with your email address and we’ll beam this info to you every single Friday.
Subscribe to our Android Apps Weekly newsletter!
FORM Watch Face
[Price: Free]
First up this week is FORM Watch Face and this is probably the most ridiculous Android Wear watch face of all time. It’s developed by the same guy who brought us Muzei Live Wallpaper. It works like this. The watch face will display whatever background is on your phone to your watch. Then it will let pretty much any Android Wear watch face sit on top of that. It’s a nifty idea and totally free to use.
Google Spotlight Stories
[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
Google Spotlight Stories actually isn’t new because it used to be a Motorola-specific app. This is actually a storytelling application that lets you view immersive short stories using 360-degree video, 2D, and 3D animations. You can buy additional stories if you want and it really does bring something special to the table. Beware that not all devices are supported but it is free to download.
Periscope
[Price: Free]
You may have seen this already if you watched our best Android apps and games from May 2015. Periscope is a live video streaming app released by Twitter. It allows you to stream live from your smartphone camera to all of your Twitter followers. You can also watch old streams, stream privately, and it enjoys full integration with Twitter. It’s an interesting app that does things a little bit different.
Microsoft Hyperlapse
[Price: Free]
Microsoft Hyperlapse is an interesting camera application that helps you create stop-motion videos. It actually came out last week but we couldn’t try it out because of the lack of device compatibility. This week it got some more devices added to the list. If you want to try it out, you’ll have to become a tester on Google+ and then download it. It’s a pretty fun little app and worth a shot. You can learn how to do it here.
Playboy NOW
[Price: Free]
Last up is a new app from Playboy called Playboy Now. Despite its namesake, the app actually contains hardly any nudity and is pretty much safe for work. It’s actually a news app that gives you updates on celebrities, night life, and other activities and events one might read about from Playboy. That said it does still carry a Mature 17+ rating in the Play Store. It’s worth a shot if you like Playboy.
Wrap up
If we missed any important Android apps or games news, tell us about it in the comments! Do note that next week will be a special Google I/O episode, so stay tuned for that!
Missed out on Google I/O 2015? Watch the keynote here!
Yesterday was an exciting day for everything Android, as Google ran an almost 3-hour keynote at I/O 2015, full of exhilarating announcements, whether it be a new Android version, virtual reality or smart home enhancements. If you missed it and want to catch up on all the excitement, Google recorded the keynote for those back home.
Running two hours and fifty-six minutes long, the keynote is jam packed with Android M, Android Wear, virtual reality, Google Photos, Doze, home automation, and much, much more. Be sure to check it all out below!
Click here to view the embedded video.
Be sure to check out all of our Google I/O 2015 coverage!
Come comment on this article: Missed out on Google I/O 2015? Watch the keynote here!
Foursquare and Spotify launch Android Wear apps
Foursquare and Spotify have both just started receiving the long-awaited, much-anticipated Android Wear compatibility update; meaning smartwatch owners with the upgrade installed will now be able to check-into nearby locations, control music playback and much more directly from their wrist.
Firstly, we’re looking at Foursquare’s Android Wear app, which enables its users to: read reviews of nearby places, check-into venues and even view their friend’s recent activity without having to remove their phone from their pocket.
Next we have Spotify, whose app permits its users to browse and control music from their smartwatch. They’ll be able to select a playlist, play/pause/skip music and scroll through their starred tracks.
If you’d like to find out more about the Android Wear release of Foursquare click here, and Spotify tap here.
Come comment on this article: Foursquare and Spotify launch Android Wear apps
Foursquare and Spotify launch Android Wear apps
Foursquare and Spotify have both just started receiving the long-awaited, much-anticipated Android Wear compatibility update; meaning smartwatch owners with the upgrade installed will now be able to check-into nearby locations, control music playback and much more directly from their wrist.
Firstly, we’re looking at Foursquare’s Android Wear app, which enables its users to: read reviews of nearby places, check-into venues and even view their friend’s recent activity without having to remove their phone from their pocket.
Next we have Spotify, whose app permits its users to browse and control music from their smartwatch. They’ll be able to select a playlist, play/pause/skip music and scroll through their starred tracks.
If you’d like to find out more about the Android Wear release of Foursquare click here, and Spotify tap here.
Come comment on this article: Foursquare and Spotify launch Android Wear apps
Android Wear to support gestures and new Always On apps
Out of Google I/O 2015, Google has announced a few new features for Android Wear, including an Always On mode, gesture support, a new emoji recognizer and Launcher.
Android Wear is a rapidly growing platform, there are now 7 official watches in the market, with more than 4000 apps developed to make the most of your smartwatch.
Let’s look at those new features, starting with the Always On support. Always on is almost exactly what it says, allowing a new low power, black and white mode for many apps such as Maps navigation and Google Keep lists. Apps remain fully operational in color when you actively use them, but after a few seconds of non-use, the app jumps into the low power mode and keeps the directions or list items on screen.
Gesture support may be a sore spot for the new Aria Android Wear module that brings gesture support to your smartwatch. Android Wear itself will soon support flicking your wrist to scroll through your cards and more.
The new emoji recognizer allows users to hand draw not only your normal text characters through the keyboard, but now you can hand draw a martini glass, as in the Google I/O example, and it will match up your drawing to similar looking emoji on your keyboard.
Stay tuned for more coverage of Android Wear and features, as well as our ongoing coverage of Google I/O 2015.
Zillow for Android update brings some new changes to the Android Wear app
Thanks to Google’s new ‘ambiactive’ mode introduced with Android Wear, app developers can have their apps running in the background while using lesser amount of battery. Zillow is now making full use of this feature with a new update to its Android app which brings changes to the Android Wear app as well.
Zillow has announced that users will now be provided with median values of homes that are up for sale when they enter a particular neighborhood. This is depending on whether you have location turned on your device of course, so it might be a little heavy on your phone’s battery. But if you’re willing to look over that, this is quite a handy feature for people hunting for a new house.
Users will also find homes for sale from the nearby listing and even get all the essential details about a given house right on their wearable, which will further help you narrow in on your search. The update to the app should be rolling out anytime now, but if you don’t see it yet, make sure you head over to the Play Store to get it manually.
Source: Zillow Blog
Come comment on this article: Zillow for Android update brings some new changes to the Android Wear app
Huawei smartwatch now available to pre-order through online retailer MobileFun
Huawei’s new smartwatch is now available to pre-order in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and some parts of Europe. You can pre-order the device through online retailer MobileFun in black, silver, and gold.
The black and silver smartwatch, featuring a metal band, will set you back $387. If you want the gold with the leather band, you’re looking at $451. In Europe, the new smartwatch costs €427 ($464) and €498 ($541), respectively. In the UK, it’s just a tad cheaper at £300 ($460) or £350 ($537).
The Canadian variant costs even less, at CAD 477 ($383) and CAD 556 ($447). Those in New Zealand can expect to dish out NZD 534 ($387) or NZD 618 ($447), while Australia will see a price point of AUD 495 ($382) and AUD 577 ($445).
While it’s not real gold, it still looks stylish, and your not shelling out tens of thousands of dollars for something that you’d be scared to put on your wrist, such as the higher class line of Apple Watches.
Huawei’s smartwatch features a 1.4-inch 400 x 400 AMOLED display, a Snapdragon 400 chipset, and 512MB of RAM. You also get all your standard sensors that come with smartwatches–heart sensor, barometer, gyroscope, and etc. There’s no word on when the device will launch or begin shipping just yet. However, we may hear more on that come Huawei’s planned New York City event on June 2.
Are you interested in this new smartwatch from Huawei? Let us know in the comments.
source: MobileFun
via: PhoneArena
Come comment on this article: Huawei smartwatch now available to pre-order through online retailer MobileFun
Roman Nurik releases FORM Watch Face inspired by Material Design
Later this week, Google I/O 2015 begins and that means you have to start outfitting yourself from head to toe. Now, you can have a watch face on your Android Wear device that resembles the typeface used at Google’s FORM design conference. Roman Nurik, joined by members of the Material Design team, released FORM Watch Face. The watch face has Muzei integration for live wallpapers. The watch face’s colors then change to match the artwork.
Nurik says that it takes five APKs for FORM Watch Face to work properly.
Source: Roman Nurik (Medium)
Come comment on this article: Roman Nurik releases FORM Watch Face inspired by Material Design
Roman Nurik’s “FORM” Watchface mashes APKs together for customizable watchface
While the Android watchface scene is as old as the Android Wear platform itself, it wasn’t until late last year that the official Android Wear watchface API was launched. Since then, we’ve seen the AW watchface market explode with options, and now you can add one more to the list. FORM is a new WatchFace by none other than Roman Nurik, the man best known for the creation of the Muzei Live Wallpaper app.
While Muzei itself already contained support for Android Wear, providing a basic watchface, the new FORM WatchFace takes things a step forward. At first glance, it is an ordinary watch face utilizing a new (ironically somewhat hard to read…) typeface created for the FORM 2014 conference, but underneath lies Meizu integration that can mash together five different APKs to create a customizable watchface experience.
What does that mean exactly? In short, the code behind FORM lets a watch show off whatever wallpaper is currently on the phone, all while using a custom watch face that sits on top of the wallpaper — provided the watch face developer adds Muzei support. Here’s a rundown of the five apps/APKs involved in the process, for those looking for a bit more detail:
- The FORM watch face app, installed on the watch. It gets the latest Muzei artwork using the content provider described in #3 below.
- The FORM watch face configuration app, installed on the phone. There’s no icon for it in the app launcher, but if you press the settings cog for FORM inside the Android Wear app on the phone, this is the app you’ll see. It lets you change the watch face theme from your phone, communicating changes to the watch over Bluetooth.
- The Muzei watch app (built by the amazing Ian Lake), which contains a content provider that exposes the latest Muzei artwork to other apps on the watch, along with a very simple additional Muzei watch face.
- The Muzei phone app, which provides a wallpaper for your phone, and sends a downscaled version of the latest artwork to the Muzei watch app over Bluetooth. Like the watch app, it also offers a content provider exposing the latest artwork to other apps on the phone.
- The Muzei HD Landscapes art source, one of many art sources for Muzei available on Google Play and built with the Muzei Art Source AP
For developers interested in bringing similar capability to their own watchfaces, the source code can be found on GitHub. If you simply want to try out the watchface, you’ll want to head over to Google Play.
AIVAnet 