[New Android Wear App] Get news delivered to Android Wear with PaperWear
Watch any television show from days gone by and chances are good you will see someone break out a newspaper to get caught up on current events. The advent of online news sources delivered via computers and then mobile devices like tablets, smartphones and e-readers have changed the way “news” is created and how it is delivered. The explosion of interest in smartwatches is leading some to look to these new devices as yet another vector to deliver news as seen with the new PaperWear app released to Google Play.
PaperWear pulls top articles from sites like Medium.com, Vox.com, qz.com and others and delivers them to a users smartwatch running Android Wear. The app will automatically refresh the article list every 12 hours although users can pull a refresh manually. If reading an article on a smartwatch is a bit too much trouble, users can save articles to a service like Pocket or read the article on their smartphone.
To get PaperWear, hit the Google Play link below.
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Google adds Android Wear to the Device Art Generator
One of the tools that Google provides to developers is the Device Art Generator. With this tool, developers can get an idea of what their screens will look like on different Google hardware. For instance, a developer may want to get a feel for how their app will look when framed by the relatively large bevels of the Nexus 9 and its 4:3 ratio versus a Nexus 5. Google has now added Android Wear support to the tool.
To make use of the generator, developers need to grab either square or round screenshots and upload them to the online tool. They can then choose whether they want to see the screen framed by a round device or a square device. The resulting image can be saved for later viewing and sharing with others, although Google tells developers they should not use these shots when adding their app to Google Play.
source: Google Device Art Generator
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ASUS definitely plans to release smartwatch not using Android Wear
Back in January Asus let it be known they were working on a successor to their Zenwatch smartwatch wearable. Part of their plans include extending battery life by looking for some new chip technology and possibly an alternative operating system to Google’s Android Wear. CEO Jerry Shen revealed late last week that the company is working on a solution that does not involve Android Wear as the way to achieve longer battery life in a smartwatch, although the Zenwatch successor may still get Android Wear.
According to Shen, “we will have another (smartwatch) that is not based on Android Wear and features a longer battery life.” The other smartwatch he is referring to is something other than the second-generation Zenwatch which Shen says will use Android Wear. A non-Android Wear device could be announced alongside the next Zenwatch or it could be the third-generation of the device that gets the alternate operating system.
As part of their future strategy Asus is looking at a Mediatek system-on-chip that is still under development to power their forthcoming wearable devices. Combined with a new operating system, Asus hopes to squeeze seven days of life out of a single charge.
source: Focus Taiwan
via: G for Games
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ASUS won’t be dropping Android Wear, but we can expect a new smartwatch companion in the future
The smartwatch game has been slowly heating up over the last year or so. Much of that is thanks to Google and the Android Wear platform that gave manufacturers a simple to implement OS that would connect to Android devices everywhere. Many of the big players got involved right out of the gate and continue […]
The post ASUS won’t be dropping Android Wear, but we can expect a new smartwatch companion in the future appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
A future Asus smartwatch won’t use Android Wear
A couple of weeks ago, Jonney Shih, chairman of Asus, began talking about the company’s plans for future smartwatches. Longer battery life was one of the key improvements that the company wants to make, but Asus stated that it may need to leave Android Wear behind to accomplish this. Speaking this Friday, Asus CEO Jerry Shen reaffirmed that the company will be ditching Android Wear for at least one upcoming smartwatch, in order to achieve longer battery life.
No exact hardware details were given out about the new smartwatch, but previously Shih had suggested that Asus was targeting battery life that would last seven days. Shen also let slip that the non-Android Wear smartwatch may be powered by a new MediaTek SoC, which is said to still be under-development.
“We will continue to work with Google on Android Wear, and we will have another (smartwatch) that is not based on Android Wear and features a longer battery life,” – Asus CEO Jerry Shen
Despite the talk of an Android Wear alternative, Asus stated that its second-generation ZenWatch will still make use of Google’s wearable platform.
Instead of abandoning Android Wear completely, the company appears to be planning a separate smartwatch line that will offer a longer battery life at the expense of some of Google’s platform features. Previously, Asus also announced that is has two lower cost “wristband-like” devices in the pipeline, which will focus on the health and fitness market.
Purchase a Moto 360 with a metal band at Best Buy and get a $50 gift card
If you’ve been in the market for a smartwatch then you may want to head to Best Buy and pick up a Moto 360 with a metal band. If you do, you’ll be given a $50 Best Buy gift card. While it’s not $50 off like the previous Moto 360/Best Buy sale, the $50 gift card can be applied to other things at the tech outlet. So either way, if you’re in the market for a smartwatch, this isn’t too bad of a deal. Hit the source link below to snag it.
source: Best Buy
Come comment on this article: Purchase a Moto 360 with a metal band at Best Buy and get a $50 gift card
Thoughts on Smartwatches and Wearables | The Friday Debate Podcast 004
Do you have a smartwatch on right now? If not, why do you think that is so? These are questions that the Android Authority podcast team explore in this edition of the Friday Debate Podcast, episode 4! Lanh Nguyen of the YouTube team joins host Joshua Vergara and co-hosts Joseph Hindy and Jonathan Feist to talk about wearables – in particular, smartwatches – and why they might not have met our expectations so far. They delve into the reasons why smartwatches might not be the next big thing and what needs to happen in order for them to achieve that status. For a short time, the gang talks about their lives with watches in general – and learn that Joe is a little outnumbered in that particular subject.
The Friday Debate Podcast – dissucssing topics in Android every week.
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Android Wear Sales
ASUS Zenwatch Review
Moto 360 Review
LG G Watch R Review
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Lanh Nguyen
Recorded on February 11, 2015 – Hosted and Produced by Joshua Vergara
Sony SmartWatch 3 with stainless steel strap to launch worldwide this week
Sony has just announced that the SmartWatch 3 with stainless steel band is set to launch globally sometime this week. We took a first-hand look at the Sony SmartWatch 3 with stainless steel band back at CES 2015, and we really enjoyed the new watch strap. No exact day was announced for the global availability, and no pricing information has been revealed either.
One problem many users have with the SmartWatch 3 is that users are forced to use proprietary straps with the watch, since the device comes with no latches or pins. The company aims to fix that problem with their new SmartWatch 3 “holder” kit. This will allow users to install any 24mm watch strap they’d like. The holder will also be available with either black or brown leather strap options, and should launch sometime in the coming weeks. Sony says they’ll make both the leather and stainless steel straps available sometime in the early Spring.
To make the deal even sweeter, all new SmartWatch 3 stainless steel and “holder” kits will include free vouchers for six months of access to Todoist Premium. With that said, if you’re a Android Wear-loving Todoist user and could use the upgrade to a Premium account, Sony has you covered.
Not so fast! There’s another deal out there that you may want to check out. If you’re looking to snag a SmartWatch 3 with a silicone band, Verizon is currently offering one for only $199.99 ($50 off). A 20% discount on one of the better Android Wear devices out there is a pretty great deal, so you may want to take advantage of it before the promotion ends. Head to the link below if you’re interested. Oh, and be sure to check out our hands-on with the Sony SmartWatch 3 stainless steel at CES!
Buy the Sony SmartWatch 3 from Verizon for $50 off
Stainless steel Sony SmartWatch 3 will be available this week
The steel version of the Sony SmartWatch 3 will be reportedly made available for purchase later this week according to a blog post by the company. The Japanese manufacturer failed to divulge pricing details for this particular model, but we’re guessing it will be slightly more expensive compared to the current model.
Sony mentioned that it will sell these steel bands for existing owners of the SmartWatch 3 to get the new look. There will also be a new holder kit, which will let customers add any 24 mm band to the SmartWatch 3. This is a feature that is available on almost every Android Wear smartwatch by default, but unfortunately missing from the SmartWatch 3.
At $250, the SmartWatch 3 isn’t cheap to begin with. The steel variants should set you back by at least $300, which is the same price as the LG G Watch R and the Moto 360 in steel.
Source: Sony
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Upwards of 720,000 Android Wear devices shipped in 2014
Android Wear became available to the masses last year after Google released the LG G Watch and the Samsung Gear Live at Google I/O last year. According to a new report from Canalys, Google’s wearable platform has been getting off to somewhat of a rough start. The report states that a little over 720,000 Wear devices shipped in the year 2014, which accounts for around 16% of the 4.6 million “smart wearable bands” sold last year.
While we don’t have any specific numbers, the report states that the Motorola Moto 360 was the “clear leader” among Android Wear vendors, despite the watch’s supply constraints in Q4. Additionally, LG’s G Watch R performed better than the original LG G Watch. We also saw the launch of the ASUS ZenWatch and the Sony SmartWatch 3, but again, no numbers were given on individual sales.
A spokeswoman for Google told The Wall Street Journal:
With six unique watches on the market (round and square), a growing collection of watch faces, and thousands of apps created specifically for Android Wear, our team and developers are helping users wear what they want.
Perhaps the problem with Android Wear isn’t with the OS itself, but that consumers just don’t know why they need a smartwatch. If that message can get through to shoppers, we could see a huge growth in the platform through 2015.
Read more: Failure to launch: a few reasons why smartwatches haven’t caught on
For comparison, the biggest wearable competitor for Android Wear is Pebble, which has shipped upwards of one million units of the original Pebble and Pebble Steel since its launch back in 2013. With the upcoming Apple Watch launch in April and wearable announcements from HTC and other major OEMs, there’s no telling how many Android Wear devices will be sold this year.
Do you have an Android Wear device? What do you think of it so far?
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