Wednesday, November 25, 2015
Monday, November 16, 2015
Google Glass team is working on a wearable that isn't glasses [feedly]
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Google Glass team is working on a wearable that isn't glasses
// The Verge
The division of Google responsible for wearable tech is experimenting with new designs, including one without a screen. According to a report today from The Information, the team behind Google Glass, a division now called Project Aura, has at least three new prototype gadgets, one of which would be a headset that relies only on audio. It's not stated how this would be different from headphones or a Bluetooth earpiece, but an audio-only device could still achieve Glass' original goal of hands-free computing.
Project Aura is Google's new wearable tech outfit started back in June to succeed the Glass division. Though the Google Glass initiative was originally part of the Google X "moonshots" lab, Aura was reportedly moved under Google proper with Nest Labs CEO Tony Fadell leading the development alongside famed designer Ivy Ross.
The audio-based wearable works through bone conduction
Google went on a hiring spree starting in August when Amazon laid off numerous engineers from its Lab126 hardware division, some of which were audio experts whose expertise is likely informing the new device. The Aura squad isn't ditching screens altogether. While the audio-focused gadget would be fashioned as a "sport" device, The Information reports, Google is working on two other devices with screens aimed at businesses that may need the head-mounted display. So while Glass as a product may be dead, it appears its original conceit isn't done yet.
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Thursday, November 12, 2015
What the hell is going on with LG Watch Urbane 2nd Edition LTE pricing? [feedly]
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What the hell is going on with LG Watch Urbane 2nd Edition LTE pricing?
// pocketnow.com
LG's latest smartwatch is about to have its retail debut, and it's making a lot of noise in doing so as it brings cellular connectivity to Android Wear. Maybe we shouldn't be at all surprised, but the presence of that cellular radio in the Watch Urbane 2nd Edition LTE brings carriers very much into the retail equation of this wearable, and that means what's turning out to be some incredibly confusing pricing.Overnight we told you about Verizon's plans for the ...
The post What the hell is going on with LG Watch Urbane 2nd Edition LTE pricing? appeared first on Pocketnow.
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Monday, November 9, 2015
Sunday, November 8, 2015
Thursday, November 5, 2015
This tiny disc turns analog watches into smartwatches [feedly]
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This tiny disc turns analog watches into smartwatches
// The Verge
Watch enthusiasts may not want to exchange their timeless timepieces for short-lived smartwatches, but a new product can help give their analog pieces some of smartwatches' best tricks. The product, called Chronos, is a thin disc that sticks to the bottom of a watch and can vibrate and light up to alert you of notifications. Chronos does fitness tracking too, and it can also control a connected phone in basic ways, like declining calls or skipping ahead a track when listening to music.
Chronos does notifications and activity tracking
Chronos basically looks like a watch battery. It's just under 3mm thin, and there's a rubber surface on one side that forms a suction against the bottom of the watch it's connecting to. Putting a tiny flashing disc beneath a several hundred or several thousand dollar watch isn't necessarily the most elegant solution in the world, but it's a neat option for people who are interested in smartwatches but don't want to give up what they're currently wearing. The Chronos does add an appreciable thickness to the watch, setting it higher off of your wrist, but it isn't particularly noticeable when placed beneath a larger model.
The Chronos' main job is to alert wearers to incoming notifications. It doesn't vibrate for every notification, however, instead asking wearers to set up every app and every contact who they want to receive notifications from. Each can be set with different vibration patterns and different light colors. The lights can also be turned off, in case a person doesn't want their wrist flashing all the time, but Luke Fromowitz, Chronos' CTO, claims that this is actually something people are fond of, especially people with high-end watches. "They love it. They love the lights," he says. Apparently the lights make for a good conversation starter.
What the Chronos can do is obviously very limited — you can't read or reply to a text message, for instance — but it still gets at the core of modern smartwatches, which is enough to make it a passable substitute. The device works with both iOS and Android, and it's going up for preorder today for $99, with shipments starting in the spring.
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