Will.i.am’s Puls wristband has its own 3G, support from AT&T
Will.i.am has just revealed the Puls at Dreamforce 2014, a smartwatch that doesn’t need to be tethered to a phone to send texts, emails or make and take phone calls. In fact, Will kept saying it’s not a watch, because smartwatches don’t typically come with SIM cards, which the Puls does have, along with speakers and a screen that curves along with its body, making the device look more like a cuff than a traditional watch. The Puls has 16GB of storage onboard, 1GB of RAM, GPS, a battery that goes around the bracelet, pedometer and accelerometer, all powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. It connects to the internet not only via WiFi, but also via 3G, which means it has carrier partners: the Puls works with AT&T in the US and O2 in the UK.
As we’ve mentioned in the past, the watch comes with a music streaming service baked into it. It also has a voice assistant (another Siri rival, if you will) that can remind you to call people or of an event, wake you up, among other tasks similar programs can do.
This is the puls. http://t.co/SS7dhOHrYE‘s smart watch. pic.twitter.com/BfE4GbmLII
– Roberto Baldwin (@strngwys) October 15, 2014
Developing…
Filed under: Wearables
Blocks’ modular smartwatch will talk to your iPhone
Blocks first unveiled its modular smartwatch with a plan to use Android Wear, much as Project Ara smartphone will use a special version of Android. However, there has been a change of plans — and it’s good news if you’re not of the Google persuasion. The team now says that it’s using a version of the open source Tizen platform that should support Android, iOS and Windows Phone, so you probably won’t have to give up a favorite device just to try this out. The Blocks team also has access to Intel’s newest processors thanks to a prize from a recent design challenge, and modules will have removable covers that let you change both the style and functionality of your wristwear. This is still an incredibly ambitious project that may not pan out as planned, but it’s evident that the pieces are quickly falling into place.
Filed under: Wearables, Samsung, Intel
Source: Phonebloks
Smart bracelet doubles as a handset for your phone
More than a few smartwatches will let you make calls, but that doesn’t mean they’re elegant substitutes for your smartphone — you’re going to look at least a little dorky bringing your wrist up to your face. The team behind the .klatz smart bracelet thinks it has a more elegant approach. Their wearable flips open, turning into a makeshift handset for your phone; you can take a call with your wristwear while hopefully maintaining some shred of dignity. The device’s crude 384-LED display won’t come close to what you’ll get on a Moto 360 or Pebble, but the developers are promising a giant battery (at least 600mAh) that lasts for 10 days.
Whether or not you’re enamored with the two-in-one design, the price may be right. Early birds can pledge $99 to get a .klatz bracelet when it (potentially) ships next spring, and the $139 price for regular backers is still decent for what you’re getting. No, it isn’t going to make Apple Watch enthusiasts have second thoughts, but it could be just the ticket if you refuse to look like Dick Tracy while holding a conversation.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wearables, Mobile
H. Tang; A smartwatch designed for Women
Smartwatches and wearable tech have been on the rise over the lat few years. The early years produced some odd creations. There were a number that took off and stood out, like the Pebble and Martian. Now we have Android Wear, and more prolifically known, the Moto 360. Along with the Apple watch. When Google and Apple get in the mix, that is when heads start to turn and the wearable tech concept starts to make its way to the more average consumers of the world. There is still somewhat of a disconnect, I feel, in the wearable space when it comes to the female side of things. Some of the fitness tracking wearable aren’t too terrible looking for active ladies, but they aren’t the kind of thing you would wear out to dinner. At least, not my wife. However, she is interested in having a smartwatch or wearable that offers her quick glance information, so long as it is small and elegant. That is what the H. TIMES is trying to accomplish with their new wearable, the H. Tang.
Like most wearable tech, the H.Tang uses Bluetooth 4.0 BLE to wirelessly connect to your Android or iOS device to deliver information to your wrist. It also monitors UV, temperature and humidity. The design of the H.Tang is certainly what is a bit more interesting. Its surface incorporates hand-polished sapphire glass and, a limited edition version, is encrusted with Swarovski diamonds. The main body will be offered in gold or silver with a variety of wrist bands.
To top things off, the H.Tang is also waterproof and charges on its own charging cradle. You kind of need to see the video to really get an idea behind it all.
The company is doing a funding run on Pozible right now. At the time of writing this the H.Tang already has hit $9,551 which cleared their start-up goal of $8,156. . There are still some Earlybird Specials left that put you with H.Tang in silver without the Swarovski stones for $82. If you want the Swarovski stones you can help fund for $98. It goes up from there. They have them listed with an estimated delivery of December 2014. Head over to the H.Tang Pozible page and take a look.
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Omate’s Lutetia is a smartwatch that women may actually like
Samsung, Pebble, LG and others may have already released a good handful of smartwatches, but we’ve yet to come across one that’s dedicated to the ladies. That’s about to change thanks to Omate, whose team of women led the designing and engineering efforts on the upcoming Lutetia. Most notably, we’re looking at a near-circular, always-on transflective LCD that’s similar to the one featured on the Alcatel Wave, and it’s covered with a curved, sapphire-coated glass piece. The body — available in silver, rose gold and gold — comes in shiny stainless steel with matching beaded wristband for a premium feminine look.
Like the Omate X, the Lutetia — named after ancient Paris — is also powered by MediaTek’s Aster MT2502 platform and runs on Nucleus RTOS, thus offering the same generous week-long battery life plus pairing capability with Android and iOS. In contrast to their TrueSmart sibling device, the X and the Lutetia serve mainly as notification watches instead of full-fledged cellular devices, but they do offer pedometer, music control, weather, stopwatch, timer and voice control features.
Omate’s CEO Laurent Le Pen said that rather than competing with the likes of Pebble, Samsung and Apple, the Lutetia is instead going after its counterparts from Michael Kors, Calvin Klein, Guess and D&G. The exec also acknowledged that like Michael Kors’ watches, his 40mm-wide, 12mm-thick timepiece is “a big lady’s watch, but not ridiculous on a woman’s wrist;” and it’s definitely smaller than the Moto 360.
Interestingly, the Lutetia will cost a little bit more than the X, but it’ll still be relatively affordable — just $169. If you or your other half are willing to take the plunge, you can go ahead and pre-order a Lutetia on Omate’s website starting from tomorrow, with shipment expected around end of December — a little ahead of the Apple Watch’s “early next year” target. Oh, and the first 1,000 “limited edition” units will get their unique codes engraved on the back, if you’re into that sort of thing.
Filed under: Wearables
Will.i.am is launching his smartwatch this week
Will.i.am must have solved whatever has delayed his smartwatch’s original July debut, because he’s launching it this week and proving it’s not vaporware. The musician will finally make the big reveal on Wednesday night in San Francisco during Salesforce.com’s Dreamforce event — just ahead of Apple’s upcoming event. As we reported the first time news of the device has surfaced, its creator claims the gadget’s able to make and take calls even if it’s not connected to a phone, and that it has Bluetooth, WiFi and even Facebook, Instagram and Twitter apps. The Telegraph also says it has a curved screen and can store music locally, though it might come with a digital music service, as well. Will.i.am has supposedly convinced music labels to sign on the dotted line with help from UK firm 7digital, promising them equal treatment unlike other services that offer lower deals to indie labels. We’ll know for sure once the watch has been officially launched, so keep an eye out for more details later this week.
Filed under: Wearables, Mobile
Source: Telegraph, Dreamforce
I did not expect that: Microsoft Android Wear keyboard is now in prototype, try it now
With their own glaring absence of a smartwatch, it appears Microsoft has thought it necessary to develop a keyboard for Android Wear smartwatches. The second most unusual thing about the Microsoft Android Wear keyboard is that it is an analog keyboard – the keyboard provides users with a space to ‘handwrite’ letters and symbols and the smartwatch interprets them as it sees fit. In the short examples shown in Microsoft’s prototype test video, it looks like it works pretty well as designed. Check out the Microsoft Android Wear keyboard in action:
Now you’re probably thinking that this is a bit cumbersome to write long messages, and the reality is that you’re probably right. Then again, there is very limited space afforded to you on a smartwatch’s screen, so perhaps this analog keyboard is a viable option. Apart from English, I can see this methodology being particularly effective for languages like Chinese that use a whole number of strokes and where a traditional keyboard in that language is ineffective on such a small screen. If you’d like to try out the Microsoft Android Wear keyboard prototype, you can download it now from the Microsoft Research site, however you’ll want to make sure to follow the instructions provided.
What do you think about the Microsoft Android Wear keyboard? Is it a keyboard that you’d want to use? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Microsoft Research via The Verge
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It’s official: HTC smartwatch will not be happening in 2014 because no one “has gotten it right”
We were surprised by the lack of presence of HTC during IFA 2014 this year, particularly seeing as most other manufacturers were making big pushes with their maiden, or even second, Android Wear wearables. This naturally gave birth to rumours that HTC had put their HTC smartwatch on hold while they reevaluate given the stiff competition, and today, the company has confirmed as much. Speaking on behalf of HTC’s Creative Labs team, Drew Bamford revealed the reason HTC won’t be releasing a HTC just yet is less about being scared of entering the market, but more about feeling irresponsible to their consumers:
“We’ve seen a lot of general purpose wearables come to market. There’s not a strong reason to wear one every day. When we come to market with our product we want to make sure the product has a strong point of view and there is a really compelling reason to strap it on your wrist. We think the strategy we were working on will get us there, but we want to take our time and get it right. We honestly don’t think anyone has gotten it right.”
Delaying your release so you can get it right – hardly a strategy that we can complain about, but presumably only if they come through with something. A HTC smartwatch has been on the radar for some time now, but everything has been vehemently denied, apart from the fact that they have been working on one. We’ll likely have to wait till 2015 to see even a trace of an Android Wear wearable from the Taiwanese manufacturer, so we’ll just have to wait and see.
What do you think about HTC waiting to release their first smartwatch? Let us know your opinion in the comments below.
Source: re/code via Droid-life
We think the strategy we were working on will get us there, but we want to take our time and get it right. We honestly don’t think anyone has gotten it right.
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HTC still plans to tackle wearables, wants to ‘get it right’
We told you last month that HTC had shelved plans for its upcoming smartwatch. And with good reason; as a spokesperson told Re/code, it doesn’t seem that “anyone has gotten it right.” The wearable that HTC was working on was originally supposed to debut right around now, but it simply wasn’t ready for primetime. That doesn’t mean that the Taiwanese manufacturer is going to stay above of the fray for good, though. The company still has plans to build a wearable, it just wants to make sure it has a clear winner on its hands first. (And considering the state of battery technology that might be quite a while.) It will probably be sometime before we see a smartwatch stamped with the HTC name, but the company says its working on a strategy. What that strategy is, isn’t exactly clear. We’re just going to have to wait until the company is ready to reveal more. Though, that might not be until next year.
Filed under: Wearables, Mobile, HTC
Source: Re/code
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LG G Watch R release date is set for October 14th, but only in South Korea for now
With the Motorola Moto 360 currently owning a monopoly on the circular smartwatch arena, it was only a matter of time before its main competitor, the LG G Watch R, stepped into the ring. We’ve been wondering when the LG G Watch R release date was going to come and LG has today confirmed it itself that the wearable will be launching on October 14th. Now before you ready your money to throw, there is one catch – the LG G Watch R is only going to be launching in South Korea on that date. Don’t get too disappointed though as many other regions will likely get the device soon after, probably before the end of October, though that hasn’t yet been specified by LG.
The LG G Watch R was somewhat of a surprise release at IFA 2014 last month, particularly seeing as it had only launched its maiden Android Wear wearable, the LG G Watch, just two months prior. In fact, if you look at the stat sheet of the G Watch and the G Watch R, they will look very similar, the primary difference of course being the completely circular display – something even the Moto 360 lacked because of its ambient light sensor. And contrasting its Android Wear and indeed, all smartwatch, brethren, the LG G Watch R actually looks the most like a mainstream watch, something that may work in their favour when it goes global. No pricing has yet been confirmed.
What do you think about the LG G Watch R release date? Are you hoping to get one? Let us know your thoughts.
Source: LG via TalkAndroid
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