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?
10+ best free Android games with no in app purchases
There is no doubt that the very best games on Android do cost you money, sometimes you just don’t have the money to spend. Just because you’re broke doesn’t mean you should be left out in the dark when it comes to quality games on Android. In this roundup, we’ll look at the best free Android games with no in app purchases. It is important to note that free games usually don’t get the attention that paid games do, so don’t expect the moon.
AI Factory Limited collection
[Price: Free]
First up is AI Factory Limited. These developers have released a handful of card games and board games for you to play free of charge. Some of the titles include Chess, Hearts, Backgammon, Checkers, Four In A Line, Solitaire, Reversi, and plenty of others. There are some apps that cost a buck or so but the majority of the collection is totally free with no in app purchases and they provide a good baseline of time wasters for casual gamers.
Difference Games LLC collection
[Price: Free]
Difference Games LLC, much like AI Factory Limited, have released a bunch of free games with no in app purchases. Their collection consists mostly of hidden-object puzzle games that include their Hidden Scenes series and Hidden Mahjong series. They’re occasionally heavy on the advertising but hey at least there are no in app purchases.
Doom & Destiny Free
[Price: Free]
Doom & Destiny is a retro style jRPG that embraces old school 8-bit and 16-bit graphics along with a goofy story line and a fun premise. You play as four normal nerds who are sucked into a world where they must become heroes and save the day. There is a paid version that removes ads, but otherwise this is entirely free to play and contains roughly 40 hours worth of game play if you include side quests and additional stuff.
Don’t Tap the White Tile
[Price: Free]
Don’t Tap the White Tile is an addictive casual game where you must quickly tap black tiles in order to progress. You either win the level eventually or lose when you tap a white tile. It’s a vastly popular game and it’s been seen at such tech events as Google I/O and others. It’s easy to get into and you can put it down when you have to which is what defines a good casual game.
Dumb Ways to Die
[Price: Free]
Dumb Ways to Die is an adorably morbid game where you must help out dumb people who are unintentionally trying to kill themselves. It’s a casual game with a bunch of mini games where you defend people from their own silly actions. For instance, you’ll need to tap away piranhas who are trying to eat a person’s genital regions or defend a guy from wasps (ostensibly from a nest he hit). It’s a fun little game with a humorous premise. Also, if you have three minutes, check out the YouTube video (if you haven’t already).
Glow Hockey 1 and 2
[Price: Free]
Glow Hockey 1 and 2 are both air hockey style games and pretty much everyone knows what air hockey is. The tables are crafted out of colorful neon graphics which gives it a bright minimal touch. The games also feature offline multiplayer mode for those who may be wanting to play with friends in a place where there’s no web connection. They’re simple games but good ones.
Harpan LLC
[Price: Free]
Harpan LLC is another developer that focuses on free card games. Unlike AI Factory Limited, this developer doesn’t have quite the selection. That said, the games are solid. There is a basic Sudoku game, Spider Solitaire, FreeCell Solitaire, Pyramid Solitaire, and regular old Solitaire. If that sounds like a selection you can get into, the button to get them is below.
Ingress
[Price: Free]
Ingress is probably the best free game out there. It’s a GPS-based game where you must travel to portals, hack them, defend them, and otherwise battle over them against other, real life people. It has a very loyal following all over the world and it’s a great way to meet fellow Android users. There is also a feature called Missions that are essentially in-depth scavenger hunts that you can go on if the portal hacking thing just isn’t your thing. It’s a huge game and chances are your city has some people playing.
The LEGO Group collection
[Price: Free]
If there is one developer that should be universally applauded for raising the bar on free games, it’s The LEGO Group. They have a rather large collection of games and most of them are free with no in app purchases. Some notables include LEGO Bionicle and LEGO Star Wars, among others. The button below takes you to their whole collection. These are also great for kids since they can’t accidentally drain your credit card on in app purchases and the LEGO brand is generally inoffensive, which is great for parents.
Skyward
[Price: Free]
Last on our list is a casual game called Skyward. In this game you control two dots and you try to make your way up the puzzle without falling off or being left behind. It has simple mechanics and an easy scoring system. Some may be offended that the graphics are inspired by Monument Valley while others may enjoy the art style. It’s about as well designed of a casual game as you’re going to get for free.
Wrap up
If we missed any great free Android games with no in app purchases (and we probably did), let us know in the comments!
To see our complete list of Android apps and games lists, click here!
Nearly 750,000 Android Wear devices were shipped last year
In June 2014, Google launched Android Wear as a platform capable of taking the strengths of Android to wearable devices. The LG G Watch and Samsung Gear Live were first to the market launching that same month. The Motorola Moto 360, ASUS ZenWatch, and Sony SmartWatch 3 to support the growth of Android Wear since then. Those devices, all released in 2014, have accumulated for sales that did not cross break 1 million units shipped.
Market research firm Canalys found that Android Wear accounted for more than 720,000 devices of the 4.6 million wearables shipped in 2014. That means less than 750,000 units shipped in seven months of availability. Even though the figure is not too impressive, remember that Android Wear is an entirely new product for Google and its hardware partners. It is safe to say that the amount of shipped devices will increase in time, especially considering the incoming competition from Apple.
Source: Canalys
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Google testing out YouTube Radio stations for curated music and video playlists
Lately Google has introduced a few features that bring some overlap between All Access and YouTube, such as YouTube Music Key. Now it looks like we’re going to see some other features make their way over to YouTube to make it a better music hub for users.
Google is apparently working on a YouTube Radio feature, similar to the radio stations you get in All Access, to either replace or complement the current YouTube Mixes that are available. These radio stations are based off of whatever video you choose, and you can like, dislike, and dismiss videos in the playlist to curate the station to exactly what you like. We’ve already seen this implemented fairly well in All Access, so it makes sense for Google to bring over a popular feature now that it’s taking YouTube as a music service seriously.
Have you noticed the Radio feature on your YouTube videos recently?
source: Google System
Come comment on this article: Google testing out YouTube Radio stations for curated music and video playlists
Google reaches out to Yezz to make modules for Project Ara
We’ve heard a lot from Google in the past few months regarding the modular smartphone, Project Ara. And in a new report from CNET, Google has apparently invited Yezz, the Miami-based hardware manufacturer, to make modules for the project. The first modules built by Yezz will be shown off at Mobile World Congress 2015 in Barcelona.
Luis Sosa, CEO of DDM Brands and co-founder of Yezz, told CNET:
(Google) approached us, mainly because Yezz has been growing not only in Latin America, but also in the US and Europe. But there is more: Yezz is a product for the masses, and that is what Google is aiming at with Ara… I believe modular phones will transform the smartphone business in the same way apps transformed the world of smartphones.
Sosa also says that the company has already manufactured roughly 100 different module prototypes in factories in the US and China. There is a dedicated Yezz/Ara collaboration website already up, but it only shows a countdown to MWC, which officially begins March 2nd. DDM Brands is focused on creating contract-free, dual-SIM phones aimed at emerging markets. The company has released Android-powered devices like the Andy line, Windows-powered devices called Billy, and even Firefox OS devices called Foxy.
Google’s Project Ara pilot program will launch in Puerto Rico later this year, following an update to the Spiral 3 prototype device that should be on its way in the coming months. The first Ara device will be sold through food truck-style vendors, allowing customers to choose exactly what they want without the need to track down vendors. Moreover, when the device launches in the mainstream, Google plans to let you customize your device using an Ara Configurator app.
Google Plaso could be new voice-activated mobile payment system
A new report from The Information indicates Google has started testing a new mobile payment solution called “Plaso”. The system apparently relies on a voice-activated method for security that involves users saying their initials when they are at the cash register. This trigger helps the hardware at the cash register identify and connect to the correct smartphone to accept payment. Since they were mentioned specifically, it appears Google may have been testing the new system with Papa John’s and Panera Bread as they look for ways to take mobile payments in a new direction.
The need for a change from the current methods that involve tapping phones on terminals seems to have been triggered by Apple’s entry into the mobile payment space with their Apply Pay platform last year. That new entry has put pressure on the Google Wallet solution which had been Google’s standard bearer for payments made from Android phones. To try to not only encourage further adoption of mobile payment systems, but distinguish Android based solutions from their competitors, it looks like Google is searching for ways to make the payments even easier.
source: The Information
via: 9to5Google
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Google integrating G+ Photos into Google Drive
One of the most overdue features for Google’s cloud storage service, Drive, has been the ability to look at your Google+ photos. Google owns both services, so you’d think they would be interconnected, right? Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case up until now, but it looks like Google is working on rectifying that.
One user on Reddit has noticed an option in Drive’s settings to automatically integrate G+ Photos into Drive, creating a separate Google Photos folder where all of the backed up pictures from the social network are presumably stored. The option isn’t showing up for anyone else, but the Redditor has uploaded a couple of screenshots showing the new feature. There’s no telling if this is an incredibly elaborate hoax or if Google is testing out the feature in a very limited user base, but this move makes sense for Google.
We’ll keep you updated if the feature makes it way to other users over the next few weeks.
source: Phandroid
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Daily Roundup: Google’s robotic dog, one-way trips to Mars and more!
In today’s Daily Roundup, we marvel over the impressive stabilization abilities of the latest robot from Google-owned Boston Dynamics, get all the details on why people want to go on a one-way trip to Mars and review BlackBerry’s latest phone, straight out of 2011. All that and more past the break.
Google’s got a robot dog that stalks indoors, haunts dreams
Google-owned Boston Dynamics showed off its latest quadruped, “Spot.” This 160-pound robot is able to conquer a variety of challenging situations thanks to an array of sensors on its head that helps keep it balanced.
Here’s why people are volunteering for a one-way trip to Mars
A new documentary about the Mars One mission was just released by The Guardian. It interviews three Mars One finalists and asks why they’d want to leave our relatively safe and comforting home for a new life on a planet far, far away.
BlackBerry Classic review: A love letter to fans and few others
The BlackBerry Classic looks like a phone straight out of 2011, but it has a few modern touches to make it interesting. Is it enough to turn things around for the struggling company? Read our review and find out.
New video spec clears the way for 8K laptop screens
We’re finally starting to get comfortable with 4K displays, but the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) just unveiled Embedded DisplayPort 1.4a, a new format that lets all-in-ones and laptops use 8K screens. That’s a resolution of 7,680 x 4,320 pixels.
Neil Armstrong kept the original moon landing camera in his closet
After returning from the moon, Neil Armstrong stored numerous items from the Apollo 11 moon landing in a closet at home, including the 16mm Data Acquisition Camera used to record the iconic moment he reached the lunar surface. Some of these items will be on display at the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum starting on June 8th.
Apple cracks down on accessory makers to discourage leaks
Sources for 9to5Mac claim that Apple is making key accessory manufacturers sign agreements that prevent them from making items for upcoming devices based on factory leaks. If the firms give in to the temptation and ship leak-based products, Apple warns of “penalties.”
Samsung swears its smart TVs aren’t eavesdropping on you
Samsung’s smart TV privacy policy recently left a number of people worried that the manufacturer was eavesdropping on private conversations. The company posted a response clarifying how its voice-recognition features work.
New app for Project Tango shows off 3D drawing and depth capabilities
Project Tango still has a long road before it will be publicly available, but thanks to some early development units we can see just how developers and apps can take advantage of the hardware. The hardware on Google’s project includes two computer vision processors, plus depth sensors and motion trackers, which Left Field Labs took advantage of to create a drawing app called Space Sketchr.
Space Sketchr lets you create drawings on a Project Tango tablet, which doesn’t sound that impressive. But the unique twist here is that it fully utilizes the depth capabilities that Project Tango offers, so you can create different images at different points in space, then rotate your view around to see your creation. In reality, the “drawing” really turns out more like a sculpture, but it’s very, very cool to see.
This is just one of the few apps that we’re seeing on the new platform, but it is available on the Play Store, if you happen to have a Project Tango tablet.
source: Gizmodo
Come comment on this article: New app for Project Tango shows off 3D drawing and depth capabilities
Google I/O 2015 scheduled for May 28-29 in San Francisco
The biggest Google event of the year just got scheduled for May 28th and 29th, 2015, and is being held at the Moscone Center West in San Francisco.
Registration for Google I/O 2015 is scheduled to kick off on March 17th at 9:00am PT/12:00pm ET.
Google says that I/O 2015 will be “two days of hands-on interaction with the latest technologies, inspirational talks and a few surprises in between.”
Keep the calendar free!
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