Huawei officially declares its new Honor Band Zero smartwatch

Having announced its premium flagship the Honor 7, Huawei quickly made another official announcement of its new Honor Band Zero smartwatch. However, the company has just put a teasing shot of the smartwatch of its Twitter handle and we are yet to have some of the specs details for the wearable.

Looking to the device images, it is a round wearable sporting some metallic-looking bezels. However, its not the first smartwatch to have circular display of-course and when compared to the company’s own Huawei Watch, it does match the aesthetics too. It will be certainly interesting to know as to what the Honor Band Zero is aimed at, whether its just a fitness tracking device or offers much more beyond it. Even though we believe that the wearable will be at least having an IP68 certification making it dust and water proof.

For the time being, it can be assumed that the Honor Band Zero will too have the Android Wear support. However, as of for now, there is no confirmation on this from the company neither is there any word on the pricing of the wearable. The Honor Band Zero is expect to come sometime in August in three color options of Black, White and Beige configurations.

source: Huawei

via:GSMArena

Huawei officially declares its new Honor Band Zero smartwatch

Lenovo’s new Magic View concept smartwatch has a ‘private’ second display

At its tech world event held in Beijing, Lenovo announced a new concept design ‘Magic View’ for its smartwatch. The Magic View concept features dual displays – the main round traditional display and the second small display below it, just above the strap. The secondary display, also called the Virtual Interactive Display (VID), offers you a new way to watch pictures and videos.

According to a report by Android Central who tested out the prototype of the Magic View concept watch at the event, the watch face is round like the Lenovo-owned Motorola’s Moto 360 (flat-tire cut-off, thin bezels)  and its size is the same as LG’s Watch Urbane LTE. The watch doesn’t run Android Wear but an Android-based custom software.

The VID of the concept watch is located below the main LCD panel. It looks opaque from far but when you hold it near your eye, you can see the images. Lenovo gave a demo of the VID in the prototype watch. The image clarity was quite good indoors but it can’t be said how it will fare out of doors in daylight. They also showed a 360⁰ panorama view of a stadium with sensors of the watch controlling the image motion. This view was also impressive. The only thing is you have to hold the screen right up to your eye as this is a private view which only you can see.  The optical reflection technology enables the viewers to see the images up to 20 times the size.

Well, this is only a concept smartwatch and we can’t say when it will be available to consumers. Also, how the second display impacts the smartwatch battery life remains to be seen.

Meanwhile, have a look at the Magic View concept smartwatch video below:

 

Lenovo’s new Magic View concept smartwatch has a ‘private’ second display

Updates on Android Wear Offers Favorable User Experience

Apart from showcasing the next version of Android OS, Android M, Google also explained about the next improvements that the company is going to do for Android Wear in the Google I/O conference this year. Android Wear has received a lot of good reviews from its users regarding its flexibility since the device was launched a few years ago.

One of such flexibility is the ability to change the watch faces. There are about 1500 watch faces that the users can choose from which can be downloaded from Play Store. On top of that there will be some updates which will improve the user experience in using the device.

With the latest gesture control feature, users do not need to use their finger to swipe through the notification; they just need to tilt the smartwatch in one direction to read the next notification while tilting it to the other direction will show the previous notification.

Another feature which makes the smartwatch convenient to use is the “always on” screen feature which is already implemented in the current device. With the next update, apart from showing the watch face, the user will be able to view any other app without having to consume much of the battery life. Therefore, the user will be able to view his or her grocery list or load up a route from Google Maps to navigate his or her way. To conserve the battery, the “always on” feature is switching the view to monochrome; therefore, it will only show in white and black, which is already in place currently.

With all these updates, Google hopes that it will make the device more convenient to use as it does not need two hands to operate the device.

Updates on Android Wear Offers Favorable User Experience

Things That You can do with Android Wear Smartwatches that Apple Watch can’t do

Apparently the competition of Apple and Google is not stopping on smartphones only, it is extended to smartwatch. With the Android Wearable and Apple Watch launched recently, each of them has its own strengths and weaknesses and neither one is compatible with the other although there is rumor that Google is working on Android Wear app for iOS.  There are a few things that Android can do which cannot be done on Apple Watch.

One of them is that Google allows consumers to design and sell their own custom watch faces for Android Watch whereas Apple Watch only allows 11 watch faces officially, however, it can be more with some complications like using widgets.

To see the time, normally you will need to do a exaggerated motion, which is fine when you are walking down the road but it is a little bit irritating when you are doing something else and you just want to know what time is it while continuing to do your stuff. Android Wear supports an “always-on” feature which switches the device into a low-power state. When the device is in this mode, all the colors are stripped down in order to conserve battery life while keeping it on.

You can receive notification on your Apple Watch from you iPhone by using Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. However, both of the devices must be connected to the same Wi-Fi network. With the latest update from Android Wear, you can receive notification on you smartwatch eventhough both devices are not connected in the same Wi-Fi network. Therefore, if you left your smartphone at home, you can still receive notification on your Android Wear provided you can connect to any Wi-Fi network out there.

Things That You can do with Android Wear Smartwatches that Apple Watch can’t do

Commandr app enhances the power of Google Now by adding many useful voice commands

Many of us are used to saying ‘Ok Google’ and command Google Now to do so many cool things for us like checking a flight, setting alarm, initiating calls, sending messages or asking any questions for which we want to know the answers. Well, the Commandr app makes it even better.

Commandr does not use any advanced algorithms but it simply adds several triggers or commands to Google Now. Ryan Senanayake, a 16 year old developer has created the Commandr app which when installed, toggles several commands. These include Wi-Fi on/off, GPS on/off, flashlight on/off, Bluetooth on/off, Wireless Hotspot on/off, Play/Resume music, Previous/Next song, Raise/Lower Volume, Silence/Unsilence ringer, Lock/Unlock phone, take a photo/Selfie, enable/Disable rotation lock, sync, Airplane mode or car mode, and many more such functions that are useful to us in our day to day life.

Commandr is integrated with the Tasker which enables you to add the custom commands you want.  All you need to do is turn Commandr into the default note-taking app so that when you say “Ok Google” and then “note to self”, you will be giving a command to the Commander.For example, if you say “note to self, turn on the WiFi”, your WiFi will turn on. The commands also work offline but for that you have to type them out.

You can also use this app on Android Wear smartwatches as they support Google Now. You can either say “ok Google” and the command which you want executed or you can open the full Android Wear app and tap the command.

You can download the free Commandr app from the Google Play Store.

Commandr app enhances the power of Google Now by adding many useful voice commands

Android Wear App updated with new design and features

Google has announced updates for its Android Wear app which is now available on Google Play Store. Android Wear is Google’s operating system for smartwatches. Google had earlier announced a major Android Wear firmware update which includes Wi-Fi support, always-on app support and other usability upgrades. Your smartwatch will first have to receive this firmware update for some features of the new Android Wear app update to take effect. The firmware update will be rolling out for all the Android Wear smartwatches starting with LG Watch Urbane.

The new Android Wear app update comes with several changes to the settings of your smartwatch.  General settings will be just a click away and through them, you will be able to block notifications and choose which calendar you want shown on the watch. You can adjust settings to show card previews. Your watch will remain always-on although its battery life may decrease somewhat.

In the settings, there will also be a new “Cloud Sync” feature which you can opt for, but it will work after you have installed the latest firmware on your Android Wear watch as it will enable Wi-Fi connectivity on it.  If you enable the Cloud Sync feature, you can receive notifications and also search even though your watch may not be connected to your Android phone via Bluetooth. If you disable Cloud Sync, the Wi-Fi connectivity will be turned off on all the Android devices you have. On turning Cloud Sync again, your watch will get back its WI-Fi connectivity.

You can install the Android Wear app update on your Android phone through Google Play Store.

Android Wear App updated with new design and features

Huawei officially unveils Huawei Watch, its first Android Wear Smartwatch at the MWC

After yesterday’s teaser videos, Huawei has today officially announced its first Android Wear smartwatch dubbed the Huawei Watch. It is quite an impressive looking watch having a circular display and a design which the company says has been “Designed by a team of experienced watch designers that have a rich history in creating fashionable and timeless watches”.

The circular Huawei Watch sports a 1.4-inch AMOLED display with 400 x 400p resolution (286 ppi) at a high contrast ratio of 10,000:1. It is made from high quality stainless steel and is a scratch resistant. There is a 2 o’Clock press button for control.

Specs include a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage, and Bluetooth 4.1 for connecting to smartphones. Huawei Watch is Huawei’s first Android Wear smartwatch and is compatible with smartphones that run Android 4.3 or a higher version. The watch also has a 6-Axis motion sensor, a barometer sensor and a heart rate monitor that monitors wearer’s activities such as heart rate, calories burned, steps taken, distance travelled and height climbed.

The Watch is available in 3 colors – Gold, Silver, and Black. There are 40 different watch faces and a whole range of straps of various materials and styles to choose from. The Watch will also have a magnetic charging station.

The Huawei Watch will become available in over 20 countries which includes US, UK, Australia, Russia, France, Germany, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Canada, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Sweden, Argentina, Brazil, Denmark, Finland, , Norway, Philippines, South Korea, and UAE. The company has not disclosed its price yet and has said that it will be announced in the local markets when it hits the shelves there.

Have a look at the Huawei Watch:

Via PhoneArena

Huawei officially unveils Huawei Watch, its first Android Wear Smartwatch at the MWC

LG releases the first promo video for its new Watch Urbane

About a week back LG had announced that it would be introducing its new smartwatch, the LG Watch Urbane at the MWC to be held in March in Barcelona. The South Korean company has now released a 60-second promo video that showcases the beautiful watch.

LG Watch Urbane is an all-metal luxury smartwatch powered by Android wear. The stylish watch is designed for the urban user and comes in polished gold and silver finish. It has a 1.3-inch P-OLED with a resolution of 320 x 320 and 245ppi, same as LG’s earlier G Watch R. However, the new watch is thin and has narrow bezels, and it can be worn by both men and women. Other specs include a Snapdragon 400 processor, 512MB RAM, 4GB internal memory and a 410mAh battery. It also has a heart rate monitor. The watch is dust and water resistant with IP67 certification.

The Watch Urbane video shows it to be a watch where “Contemporary and Classic Unite”. The video also shows the various watch faces and strap options available.  Any 22mm band of users’ choice can be fitted onto the watch.

LG says, “LG Watch Urbane will bring endless beauty, long-lasting ingenuity and essence of luxury to your life.”

LG Watch Urbane is available for pre-order at online retailer Expansys and the watch will be reserved for you for $410.50 which seems quite expensive. However, this is not the official price which remains undisclosed as yet.

Well, we will know more about the LG Watch Urbane at the MWC in a few days. Meanwhile, check out the promo video:

Source LG Mobile Global

LG releases the first promo video for its new Watch Urbane

Pebble working on a new thinner smartwatch with color display?

Pebble has put out a teaser on its website showing a countdown timer below the picture of a watch, hinting that there will be some announcement from the company when the timer becomes zero i.e. at 10AM EST on next Tuesday. Earlier in the month Pebble’s CEO Eric Migicovsky had said that the company would be releasing a new software platform and a new product line this year.

Now 9To5Mac has received information from multiple inside sources that Pebble has been working on major updates to both the hardware and the software of its watch and they will be ready to roll out next week on Tuesday. Pebble’s new smartwatch is reportedly thinner in size but with a wider screen and a color display looking like e-paper. However, it will not be a touch screen like the Apple Watch is supposed to have.

Although the new watch will be thinner and brighter than the earlier models, the battery will reportedly remain the same as the current models. It will sport an improved backlight for the display and a microphone which could lead 3rd party developers to create new apps for the Pebble platform. A heart rate monitor is a part of the company’s long term plans but not just yet.

The new Pebble watch will have a redesigned brand new Pebble OS. It will offer a timeline view showing recent notifications and several new animations in the user interface. The watch will have a new Cortex M4 chip and a 6-axis gyroscope. Its pricing is expected to be similar to that of Pebble Steel.

Of course, the Tuesday’s announcement may be for entirely another reason, we can’t say for sure. But if not now, Pebble’s new smartwatch is certainly expected sometime in the near future. So far, Pebble has been facing tough competition from Android Wear smartwatches and now it will have added competition from Apple Watch that is expected to release in April this year.

Source Pebble

Via 9To5Mac

Pebble working on a new thinner smartwatch with color display?

LG to introduce luxury all-metal smartwatch Watch Urbane at MWC 2015

The South Korean company LG Electronics has announced that it will unveil a new all-metal Android Wear luxury smartwatch LG Watch Urbane at the MWC 2015 to be held next month in Barcelona, Spain. It is a stylish and elegant smartwatch designed for the sophisticated urban user.

LG Watch Urbane will have a full metal body and a changeable natural leather strap giving it a classic look. It will be available in polished Gold and Silver finish. The strap can be swapped with other 22mm wide bands.

President and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company, Juno Cho said, “The LG Watch Urbane’s classic design and smart features make it the perfect smartwatch to complement our G Watch and G Watch R, which were designed as more casual and active devices”.

The Watch Urbane has 1.3-inch full circle P-OLED (320 x 320 resolution, 245ppi) display similar to the G Watch R but has even more narrow bezel and thinner profile so that it could be worn by both men and women. This smartwatch has a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor to measure the wearer’s pulse and heart-rate during exercise. It has an ‘always-on’ ambient mode that shows the time continuously in dim mode and saves battery life. LG Watch Urbane has a touch-based UI and is compatible with smartphones running Android 4.3 or more.

Other specs of the device include a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor, 512MB of LPDDR2 RAM, 4GB of internal storage and a 410mAh battery. The watch is dust and water proof with IP67 certification. Its dimensions are 45.5 x 52.2 x 10.9mm.

LG says that pricing and other details will be announced when the watch is made available in local markets.

Source LG

Via PhoneArena

LG to introduce luxury all-metal smartwatch Watch Urbane at MWC 2015

Huawei’s MWC teaser hints at a new 4G LTE standalone smartwatch

Just a few days back Huawei had revealed its roadmap for 2015 informing that it would be releasing several new devices during the year which also included an Android Wear smartwatch among others. Now the Chinese mobile maker has released a couple of teasers on its official Weibo profile, both containing the phrase “Next is here”.

One of the teasers could very well be for a smartwatch that Huawei may be planning to unveil at the MWC 2015 in Barcelona next month. This teaser shows a crescent shaped design with a star at one end which might be hinting at Huawei’s upcoming smartwatch with such a curved design. The phrase “Next is here” could mean that the next upgrade version of its smartband is here. Huawei had released its smartband TalkBand B1 last year which is a fitness band that also doubles as a Bluetooth headset.

The teaser also has the words “4G LTE” on top left hand corner which could mean it could be a standalone smartwatch supporting 4G LTE networks, a step ahead of Samsung’s Gear S which is also a standalone device but supports 3G. Huawei’s CEO Richard Yu had hinted in September last year that the company’s smartwatch will be a standalone piece like the Tizen-powered Samsung Gear S.

The second teaser could be that of Huawei’s Honor X2 (MediaPad X2) tablet, a successor to Huawei MediaPad X1. This teaser too has the words 4G LTE suggesting that the tablet phone will support it. This new tablet is also expected to be introduced at the MWC. Latest rumors suggest that this next gen tablet will feature a 7-inch display with 1920 x 1200 resolution, Huawei’s own Hisilicon Kirin 925 processor, 3GB RAM and a 5500 mAh battery. The tablet is said to be priced at about 1999 Yuan ($320).

Well, MWC 2015 is just round the corner and we will know more then.

 

Source Weibo

Via GizmoChina

Huawei’s MWC teaser hints at a new 4G LTE standalone smartwatch

Moto 360 tops Android Wear sales in 2014, Apple Watch to drive major wearables growth in 2015

The year 2014 has seen 4.6 million smart wrist wearables shipped globally of which about 720,000 were Android Wear devices, according to research and analysis company Canalys. The low sales of Android Wear devices can be attributed to the fact that this was the first year of existence for the platform.

Motorola’s Moto 360 topped Android Wear sales although no specific figures have been given. Canalys also says that the performance of LG’s round smartwatch G Watch R was “significantly better” than the company’s original G Watch. Asus and Sony entered the Android Wear market in 2014 with their Zenwatch and Smartwatch 3 respectively.

Samsung launched 6 devices in 14 months and clearly leads the smart wrist wearables market. However, of the 6 devices released by Samsung, only the Gear Live runs Android Wear, the rest are Tizen-based.

Apart from Android Wear devices, other smartwatches and bands that did well include those of Pebble and Xiaomi. Pebble sold its 1 millionth unit in December 2014 since its launch in 2013. Xiaomi shipped more than 1 million units of its affordable Mi Band that includes over 103,000 pieces sold in a single day. However, Fitbit topped the basic wearable bands market globally.

Apple is expected to launch its Apple Watch in April this year and according to Canalys, “The product will dramatically grow the market for smart bands and wearables overall”.

 

Source Canalys

Moto 360 tops Android Wear sales in 2014, Apple Watch to drive major wearables growth in 2015

Huawei’s roadmap for 2015 revealed; to unveil tablets and 3 new wearables at MWC

Huawei has announced its plans for the current year 2015. At a media event held in Shenzen, China, the company revealed that it would be introducing possibly more than one tablet and three new wearables at the Mobile World Congress to be held in March in Barcelona. However, no new smartphones would be unveiled at the show.

Huawei also unfolded its brand strategy for the year 2015 saying it will focus on “premium to consolidate leadership in mid to high-end markets”. The company showed a slide that revealed the complete roadmap. As the above picture shows, there will be new entrants in its smartphone portfolio –  in the high-end Huawei Mate and Huawei P series; and in the affordable Honor series, Huawei G series and  Huawei Y series.

Regarding its tablets portfolio, there will be a new tablet in the X-series that will offer “big screen integrated experience” and another one in its M-series offering an “outstanding Audio/Visual experience”.

Huawei is planning to enter the wearables market with a fashionable Android Wear smartwatch. It will also release a successor to its TalkBand  B1 and another new smartband in several colors.

According to Pocket-lint, Huawei will launch its next flagship Ascend P8 on 15th April in London. The company will also be holding a press conference on March 1 at MWC in Barcelona.

Huawei’s roadmap for 2015 revealed; to unveil tablets and 3 new wearables at MWC

Google’s Android Wear Lollipop Update is here with new watch faces, easier navigation, brightness boost and more

As we had reported yesterday, that Android Wear Lollipop could hit on December 10, it did. Google has announced the Lollipop update for Android Wear as rumored and it brings with it a number of features including the official Android Wear Watch Face API, better access to settings, screen brightness and much more.

Most of the rumored features have found a place in the updates such as retrieving dismissed cards, showing of recently used actions just by tapping the watch face, quick modes for screen brightness and sound and easy viewing of battery and storage information. The Sunlight mode will increase the brightness to a maximum while the theater mode will keep the screen off and mute the vibrations.

There are some new changes too, that were not included in the rumors. One is the change in the action carried out with the swipe-down gesture. Earlier, a short swipe would show the date and battery info while a full swipe would mute the watch. In the new update, swiping down will show the quick settings menu that will allow you to change notifications and brightness settings. All the notifications can now be muted directly from the watch instead of the smartphone as before.

The most important in the update is the inclusion of official Android Wear Watch Face API. You can choose from a wide selection of watch faces available on Google Play and many other enhancements. Watch faces in Google Play will be available under a new section and include Pac-man, Despicable, Plants v Zoombies, Google Santa, Porche as well as those from designers like Hugh Turvey, Rebecca Minkoff, Craid Ward and many more. Android Wear app in the smartphone will also be updated to make it easy for browsing, downloading or swapping watch faces.

The new Watch Face API will be available to developers who can create more watch faces. Google recommends developers to update their apps on Google Play only after the roll out of Android Wear 5.0 API 21 OTA is over because otherwise a watch face that needs API 21 will not be visible in a watch that is running API 20. Google also warns that support will be removed for watch faces not using the official API by 31 January 2015.

According to Google, both the updates will roll out over the next week. The Lollipop update will roll out for all the six Android Wear devices.

Here are a few watch faces:

 

Source Android Official Blog, Android Developers Blog

Via PhoneArena

Google’s Android Wear Lollipop Update is here with new watch faces, easier navigation, brightness boost and more

Android Wear 5.0.1 Lollipop Update could hit today

Android Wear owners can rejoice because they are going to get the 5.0.1 Lollipop upgrade for their smartwatches soon, maybe as early as today i.e. December 10. Although Google hasn’t revealed anything about it, Phandroid has learnt from a trusted source that the Mountain View giant is on the verge of rolling out the 5.0 Lollipop Update for Android Wear.

Although the update for Android wear will not be as big as it was for tablets and smartphones when their OS was shifted from Android KitKat to Lollipop, it will have some great improvements incorporated in it.

As was rumored earlier, new update will allegedly include information about the battery and storage in the companion app; recovery of dismissed cards; quick toggles for screen brightness including regular mode, theater mode and sunlight mode; several new watch faces and option to switch watch faces through the companion app; better “Ok Google” experience by reordering actions based on earlier usage; and text size, magnification and color-blind options for visually impaired.

The rumor also says that in the Android Wear 5.0.1 update, there will be a substantial improvement in the battery life of some smartwatches. The changes appear to be quite exciting and those having Android Wear watches will no doubt be eagerly waiting for the update.

Android Wear 5.0.1 Lollipop Update could hit today

Sony SmartWatch 3 now available on Google Play Store

Sony’s new Android Wear Smartwatch that appeared on Google Play a while ago as “coming Soon” has now become available. You can now buy the Sony SmartWatch 3 from Google Play Store for $249.99 and it will be dispatched within 1 or 2 business days. The SmartWatch 3 is already available through Verizon Wireless.

Sony’s SmartWatch 3 has a sporty rugged look, laying more stress on fitness rather than elegance. It is the only Android Wear device to have a GPS that helps you to track your runs. The smartwatch is waterproof with IP68 certification so that you can wear it while showering, swimming or running in the rain. IP68 rating means it can remain immersed underwater up to a depth of 1.5 meters for 30 minutes.

Apart from this, the SmartWatch 3 has features similar to any other smartwatch. It sports a 1.6-inch 320×320 TFT LCD display, 1.2 GHz quad-core ARMv7 processor, 512MB RAM, 4GB internal Storage and a 420mAh battery. The Smartwatch  is slim with dimensions of 36mm x 10mm x 51 mm and a weight of 38g. It has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.1 connectivity.

The smartwatch pairs with devices running Android 4.3 or higher to give notifications about calls and messages. It can play music through the Walkman player app. It also acts as a fitness tracker and records the number of steps, distance walked and also your sleeping time. It uses Sony’s health and lifestyle tracking LifeLog app. The smartwatch can keep track of your activities done during the day, the songs you have listened to and the movies you have watched.

Would you like to buy the Sony SmartWatch 3?

Sony SmartWatch 3 now available on Google Play Store

Take Screenshots on Android Wear Smartwatch at Any Moment

There are many lacks of facilities in the Android Wear although this is a Smartwatch. However, Google’s Android Wears have only operating system by which you can have different types of features. Don’t you have any Smartwatch right now which seems to be slowed down? However, the Android Wear developers are creating more apps that will increase the speed of the Smartwatch.

The developers have highlighted that Android Wears have its own screenshot feature but they can’t address it. There is a limitation but they are not sure why they can’t address the function of screenshot.

However, taking screenshots on Android Wear Smartwatch is available although this is not easy like using a Smartphone. In fact, you will need to give more effort that you give for a Smartphone because of coding problem. There is no hard to develop the basic of the Smartwatch to take screenshots on Android Wear but the baby steps are given just you need to jump right into the selected Smartwatches.

Take Screenshots on Android Wear Smartwatch at Any Moment

Google Keeps Options Open for Android Wear to be Cross-Platform

Android Wear is normally referring to a wearable device which provides you with information when you are on the move.  One of the trending wearable devices currently is the smartwatches. Smartwatches sometimes are platform specific device and it is limited. For example, Tizen smartwatches is only working with Samsung Android devices.  One of the common usages for Android Wear is for the fitness tracker segment. Some smartwatches even allows the users to receive or reply notifications or messages by using voice command.

Since there is news recently that Google has made Google Glass compatible with iOS, many wondered whether Google could bring Android Wear compatible with iOS also in the near future. Android Wear product manager Jeff Chang is not ruling out it either.

“We always want as many users as possible to enjoy our experience, so in terms of enabling more people to use Android Wear we’re very interested in making that happen” Said Jeff Chang.

Well, that statement itself hinted a possibility of it happen but we are also not sure when it is going to happen. It sounds like the Android Wear team will seriously thinking about how to make that happen. Well, let us just hope so!

Google Keeps Options Open for Android Wear to be Cross-Platform

Asus ZenWatch Will Be The First Smartwatch With Android Wear Customization

Google is planning to take its Android operating system to the next level. Not only it will run on smartphones or tablets, but it also will be operating in new products like smartwatches, cars and TVs. However, as part of the process, Google said the company is going to restrict the customization level of the core of the software by the hardware manufacturer. The company also insists that they will not lock down Android which is a common concern among device makers and players in mobile industry.

“It’s not some Google-way-or-the-highway kind of thing,” Google’s Vice President of Engineering Hiroshi Lockheimer said in an interview on Tuesday when the technology company rolled out Android 5.0 a.k.a Lollipop. The new Android version is designed to power up a wide range of product type apart from the usual phones and tablets.

Lockheimer also said that Google will need some time to ensure that it has the core right first on the operating system before the company allows the hardware manufacturer to go deeper in the customization of the software.

The Asus Zen Watch will be the first smart watch which comes with the software customization by the hardware manufacturer. Google is encouraging the device makers to come out with custom apps instead of creating their own versions of Android user interface. This movement is in line to the company’s objective to produce lower-cost devices in the range of $100 to the emerging market. One of this example is the Android One which is recently released in the India Market.

Asus ZenWatch Will Be The First Smartwatch With Android Wear Customization

Motorola Camera update turns Android Wear smartwatch into shutter

Motorola has recently updated its Camera app for Moto E, Moto G 2013 model, Moto G 2014 model, Moto X 2013 model and Moto X 2014 model. The updated Motorola Camera app is now available for download via Google Play Store on your Motorola Android phone.

According to Motorola, the updated Camera app brings remote shutter control feature for Android Wear smartwatches. So, the Motorola smartphone users will now be able to click images on their phone using the Android Wear watches.

How does the remote shutter work?

• Open Camera app on your Motorola phone


• The first step will trigger a notification on your Android smartwatch – Take Photo, tap this and it will show you a giant shutter button.


• Tap the shutter button and the camera counts down from three and clicks the image and an image preview is sent to smartwatch as well as phone.

The update to the Camera app also brings the usual performance improvements and bug fixes as most application updates do. The remote shutter functionality will work on any Android Wear smartwatch, it doesn’t have to be a Moto 360. So, if you have a Motorola device, be sure to update your camera app in order to grasp this amazing feature.

 

Motorola Camera update turns Android Wear smartwatch into shutter