Today, manufacturers began mass production of smartwatch: this area is not sufficiently developed, and the first steps have been made in this year. And I would like to note that for the first attempt turned out pretty good result. But does it make sense to bother about buying smartwatch?

Specific answer to give is hard enough, but let’s say at once – no, it is not necessary. And it has its reasons. First, let’s understand the meaning of hours for most people: it is primarily a mechanism that notifies you of the time, and most importantly to them – this time on a single battery. Many grew up in a time when mechanical clocks were quite popular, some wore them as a luxury item, while others – like gadget, for want of something bigger, but the rest – just as a clock, and in all cases (hours) to work on 1 to 5 or more years on a single battery; you can safely put on watch on your wrist and forget about them for 5 years.

Now imagine that instead of the usual hours you have “smart”, for example, Moto 360. Yes, of course, they look very futuristic, but think about how much time you will lose out on a daily basis to charge your watch? Of course, we can say that we will not be difficult to charge and watch, because we are used to charge the phone, but the phone today – it’s a different device than before, now the smartphone – a “virtual passport” of man.

On the other hand, smartwatch is not just got a similar name, you can not compare them with normal hours, because it is a complete device that can notify you about the different messages to remind you anything, you can reply to a voice message, ie Watch also in place did not stand, especially last year. However, we do not argue that because of the daily hours of charging to take them makes no sense. It is a question of how the available features and functions outweigh the need for daily recharging; smartphones have long been performing every conceivable task, for which charge the device will not be difficult, but in the case of hours – is it worth the trouble yourself with this for the opportunity to respond to messages when with the same ease you can get the phone and answer a voice? And charging – this is only half the problem.

The next thing to note is the lack of a permanent display backlight. Of course, this is a very subjective element, but one thing – smart phones, and another thing – the clock. People used to watch that you can look at any time and do not need to click on the different buttons just to see the time. This is not all, but most of them will work according to this principle is, as if they would be incorporated IPS-display wait constant illumination, in any case not necessary.

Next time – is the protection of your data. After Edward Snowden declassified data about spying on users, many have become more attentive to his correspondence on the web and more. And what is the chance that your voice messages will not be heard, that at any moment not turn the microphone on the clock and starts to broadcast everything that you say? Yes, many people think it’s funny, but it is a serious topic, and smartwatch the dangers that are always near you, in your hand.

Concerning the functions, there is also still quite damp, the main your opportunity – to look at the clock, change the dials, watch and reply to messages, everything. On this date the entire list of the main functions of smartwatch stops. In any case, the situation will change in the future. I would also like to note the inability to use hours without a smartphone. There are people who will want to use smartwatch as an individual unit, not as an accessory to your smartphone, and it is also a considerable disadvantage. Manufacturers need to understand that the clock – is not an addition to the smartphone, is a complete unit, which as well as smartphone requires an individual.

To summarize, let’s face it: smartwatch today are not so smart to be worthy of a daily charge. Technologically, they are also lagging far behind: at the start of sales of the same hang Moto 360 and the brake, the benefit of updates to somehow correct the situation. There are, of course, LG G Watch R, they are more technologically advanced and developed, but it’s the same functionality and charging interval of two days. Better? Yes, but this is not enough. The best solution for most users will be Pebble, because the charge holds weekly, which is not bad, but functionality is not inferior.

It should be noted, and the price that producers are asking for their watch. It ranges from 200-350 dollars, and it’s a lot, especially for the Russian market. Are you willing to pay 16,000 rubles for LG G Watch R? I do not think. However, I would like to know your point of view.

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Wearable electronics in general, and “smart” watches in particular continue to interest people are looking for new devices Pebbles include at least a modicum of desirable innovation. That’s it for sale must be received ZenWatch by Asus, which will show us the first attempts customization Android Wear manufacturer, and early next year, and “apple competitor” gets to the shelves. But notwithstanding the abundance of offerings on the market from different manufacturers are not in a hurry to leave the scene and pioneers – the company Pebble shared, what will be the next generation of smart watches Pebbles.

What will be the next Pebbles

Many rightly point out that ‘smart’ watches must be not only another gadget, but also a stylish accessory. In the same Apple recognize this, touting their device including on the covers of fashion magazines. But Pebble is not going to go this route, for the company to continue to access and “content” of their devices will stand over his form. In an interview with The Telegraph CEO of Eric Migikovski expressed as follows:

“We decided Pebbles to create something that is related to your real life. It works with the phone, which is always with you – no matter, iPhone is or Android – it has long battery, waterproof, durability and affordability. These are the key things that we really care. “

Nevertheless, despite the fact that Pebbles is not going to radically change its direction, she still listens to what people want. Pebbles Steel, for example, are thinner than the first model of the assembly and overall look presentable.

As for the next generation of Pebbles – watches, as reported by Techradar, they should appear in the first quarter of next year, and, as assured in the company, “they will all Pobol.”

“Just maybe more … more beautiful, more subtle … just say” more “and add the adjective”.

And while the company does not want to tell us more popular western tehnobloger and concurrently “evangelist” Pebbles Miriam Dzhoir claims that the new model will be more customizable, beyond the choice of body materials and the strap. Answering the question of whether the new watches include modular components, Miriam said: “Can … But they can not.” In addition, she suggested that the company may soon move its platform to other devices, noting that Pebbles – a “wearable electronics company, no watchmaker.”

And what you would like from us Pebbles?

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Watch on Android Wear devices yet hardly a perfect device for them there is a lot of questions. However, Google promised to constantly improve the platform, and his words are not the company refuses.

The official blog Android update message appeared worn OS from Google, which promises us the appearance of some fitness functions.

Android Wear devices becomes useful

In particular, now on Android Wear devices gadgets will support integrated GPS-sensors that allow you to track your distance and speed of the user without the participation of the smartphone and the Bluetooth-connection of headphones and play music offline. Thus, going to the gym, the smartphone can finally leave the house, all you need is a “smart” watch.

Before that, these capabilities could boast only Samsung Gear S, running on Tizen. Now we can expect a new wave of Android Wear devices with a GPS-sensors. The first of them, by the way, promises to become Sony SmartWatch 3, which should soon appear on Google Play at a price of $ 250.

The other gadgets on the Android Wear devices should also get updated in the near future, of course, except for the support of GPS, which they simply do not have. As for not less than the expected API to create the dial side, it is still a little wait. According to the developers, the function should appear before the end of this year.

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Samsung is the largest manufacturer of devices on Android, which at the same time does not prevent her from trying to advance on their gadgets and the alternative system – Tizen. The company is not even her own, but only part of the Association Consortium. LG, apparently thought that she, too, would be nice to have a “fallback” and remembered acquired in 2013 WebOS.

According to The Verge, on the site, owned by LG, there was the release of a teaser developer tools for WebOS SmartWatch.

In LG already has two models of “smart” hours working on Android Wear on Google – square and round G Watch G Watch R. And second, by the way, have caused consumers decent interest. In short, the company is an active participant in the wearable electronics, and perhaps, like Samsung, does not want to depend on throughout Google. And considering the fact that this sector is just beginning to develop, it is not silly is the idea of ​​its own operating system, knocks out the lead.

However, due to the transition team of designers WebOS interface to work in the Pebble , the current status of the development of WebOS SmartWatch is unclear, but she is not keen on LG to shed light on this question, commenting on the situation as follows: “We have a lot of LG initiatives. Most of them never see the light.”

Not very encouraging. By the way, and the site was the cause of all of the conversations, it is currently not open.

And as you look at these steps manufacturers? Whether they should think about their own OS or better to use ready-made ecosystem of Google?

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Not so long ago on the Nokia page on LinkedIn there is a list of vacancies. “Well, what’s so remarkable?” Might ask you. And, for example, that among the specialists needed in the Finnish brand, are such, as a leading industrial designer, coordinator of patents, hardware engineers, application developers, and, most importantly, an engineer with experience of mobile photography to write drivers for Android. What can it mean?

Perhaps it is worth to clarify that this Nokia has nothing to do with Microsoft and with the mobile division of the Finnish company, have passed into the ownership of a soft-giant, and then renamed the Microsoft Mobile. On the contrary, it is the “free” part of the company from Microsoft, which gave users Z Launcher for Android.

Nokia to Android

And now, thanks to the application of senior vice president of Nokia’s strategy Sebastian Nyström (Sebastian Nyström), we know for sure that the Finns recruit for “new business products.” He stated this in his twitter account.

What Nokia may be planning to publish? All in the same LinkedIn company reports the following:

«Nokia creates new business built on innovation Nokia, focusing on physical and digital products and services directly to users or other client companies. We have already identified a number of product opportunities where we can affect the market in the areas corresponding to our vision, and where our brand has a weight, and we continue to look for opportunities where we can win “

Meanwhile, we know that as a result of the transaction with the company Microsoft, Nokia can not use their brand for their own phones until 2016, and may not issue a license for its use to anyone other than Microsoft, for 30 months from the date of the transaction. But we also know that Nokia still holds the majority of its patents, though, and probably can not use a name already promoted technologies (PureView, for example).

In short, Nokia could well pave the way for future phones, imagine that it could not before 2016. In addition, the company can, and that’s probably more likely to think of other products, such as wearable electronics.

By the way, about a month agoevleaks reported intentions to release Microsoft Mobile Lumia on Android . Then we learned about the major cleaning personnel in the ranks of the absorbed part of Nokia (laid off was about 18 000 employees), as well as the closure of the project Nokia X , ie gadgets on anything remotely resembling Android no longer in sight. Did it affect intentions towards the line Lumia? Likely.

Now we have a new hope. However, those who, in spite of everything, continues to wait for Nokia to Android, do not forget that it still is not quite the company that the world bestowed legendary device. Whether this part of the former big team to make a decent gadget and, finally, to give users the flagship Nokia to Android, and most importantly – is going right? Answers to these questions can only give time.

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After the conference Google I / O many people want to try finally presented clock on Android Wear, despite their ambiguity. But what is good in them, is the fact that they are something more than just expensive electronic clock. After all, they can be installed standalone applications written specifically for wearable devices for Android. And, as noted 9to5Google, the first of which have already appeared in Google Play.

Generally the clock on the OS from Google supports three types of applications:

• Only run on the smartphone and sent to the Wear-device notification
• Have APK-file to run on both devices
• Run only on the Wear-device

And the developer by the name of Marian Zorilla has managed to write a few applications from the third category. What they can do first independent applications on Android Wear?

Apps Android Wear

Well, firstly, this calculator Wear Calc. More about the application, perhaps, you could not tell. Interestingly, the video, shot one of the first users to run the application voice failed – team «Wear Calc» recognized as «Where Calc». This poses the question of the name of the developers of applications for handheld devices.

Another application of Marian Zorilla became compass appropriately named Wear Compass. Strictly speaking, the app is useless, because in G Watch, Gear Live and built their own compasses. And if you find fault, then the arithmetic operations, in fact, you can do with Google Now.

Nevertheless, this is the first application on the Android Wear, became available in Google Play, which, so to speak, be heard by history. By the way, Google asked to refrain from downloading applications until July 7, so that after a while the author himself and deleted them, worrying for your account. But at the same time promised to upload them again in a few days.

In the very near future, we expect to see a lot more applications for a new type of device that will boast greater functionality than the pioneers.

And what app for Android Wear would like to see you?

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Was a presentation of Google, over Google I / O – it’s time to speculate about what they saw. One of the central themes of the conference was the first Android Wear and clock running on the OS (which we covered in detail here ). Lucky, located directly at an event in San Francisco, even lucky enough to get to choose gadget from LG or Samsung , and later they will still Moto 360. But is it worth it on this occasion to envy?

Statistics smart watches- Android Wear

According to statistics, a month ago, the market leader in smart watches remain Pebble, though not very far ahead of the competition – they account for 35% of all devices used. After the first presentation of Android Wear we have tried to argue that awaits hero kraundfandingovogo project, which brought together worth more than 100 times greater than necessary. Then the outcome seemed obvious to me: with the release of hours on Android Wear Pebble go into oblivion. And now, LG G Watch and Samsung Gear Live is available for pre-order. But Pebble in my eyes not in a hurry to fade on their background.

Autonomy – Android Wear

Declared autonomy from LG hours is 36 hours in standby mode. How they will behave in active use, we have yet to learn. The specification Gear Live specified 1-day battery life. That is, in the best case clocks have to charge every night. At least with applications for tracking sleep can say goodbye, but do not want to.

At the same time the user will appreciate the Pebble whole week battery life. Once a week I sleep statistics, perhaps, ready to sacrifice. At least one does not offer me a better user experience.

Screen – Android Wear

Bright colorful screens – this, of course, great. But what happens to them when we go out on the street, getting under bright sunlight? They can not see anything, that’s what happens. Probably watch enclose palm from the sun to see the message, it is easier than the screen of the smartphone, but still such a need does not cause delight.

Pebble, again, uses E-ink-screen, both in electronic reader. In the sun, all the information on this screen is perfectly visible.

Moreover, unlike Wear-hours, no need to press buttons on the case or poke at the screen to see which elementary hour. E-ink-screen battery spends only changing the image, allowing it to be always active.

Whether to abandon it for the sake of bright colors and touch control? Perhaps.

iWatch

To interact hours on Android Wear with a smartphone, the last to be Android 4.3 or higher. In other words, Android Wear not work with iOS-devices.

A Pebble – work. And while no iWatch flashes on the horizon, they may continue to be an option for a considerable number of users of devices from Apple.

But – Android Wear

Nevertheless, the power of Google has not been canceled. Over the past year, in between the Google I / O 2013 and 2014, the company paid developers about $ 5 billion. With the release of SDK for Android Wear they have yet another field of activity, and they will not hesitate to use it. Compete with that of the Pebble-enthusiasts community, however widely it may be, hardly can.

Marketing power again on the side of the major manufacturers. Pebble have to order online and wait and watch from LG and Samsung will be ubiquitous in electronics stores, not to mention the advertising budgets of some manufacturers.

In short, the leader Pebble is, perhaps, not be. However, if we ignore these facts aside, they still seem to me more interesting solution. What do you think about claims to Android Wear?

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While tehnomany languish in anticipation of the conference Google I / O, wanting to know all the details about the operating system Android Wear and understand how portable gadgets on the new platform will be useful in everyday life, the development team of the Corporation Good teases all the new video clip, opening opportunities Wear a new side.

The first obvious benefit to using wearable electronics will be a saving of time that you spend with your smartphone. Green on the chart labeled “real life” in red – the moment you pick up the device, and blue – the precious moments spent in contemplation of information on the screen. Clock on Android Wear show only the most necessary at the appropriate time.

Unlike a competitor, Google does not force developers to learn a new programming language, and makes porting of applications to the OS for handheld gadgets as simple motto: “You do not need the extra work.” Software to support notifications in Android Wear, just add a few lines of code.

Before you release the SDK, Google encourages the program makers to reflect what tasks are performed more efficiently with a wearable accessory, and not with a smartphone, and keep in mind the principles of Android Wear: simple, intuitive operation and integration with the overall ecosystem.

Are you planning to get a Wear-device and you want to get from the new generation of portable devices? Be sure to tell us in the comments.

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Before the presentation of the first “smart” watches from LG, G Watch, on the platform Android Wear, have less time. Some sources claim that the gadget will be presented at the conference Google I / O 2014 at the end of this month, but the Korean company will have to try to surprise the audience: leakage of wearable accessory appear punctually. Now the subject of discussion was the characteristics of smart hours.

Distributor of classified information became microblogging @ upleaks, which was previously published interface G Watch, a list of applications installed on it and start the animation.

According to the “leaks”, watches run on Snapdragon 400, have 512 MB of RAM and 4 GB of internal memory. LCD-screen with a diagonal of 1.65 inches has a resolution of 280 by 280 pixels, and the battery capacity of 400 mAh allows the device to remain in standby mode and up to 36 hours to recuperate for 2 hours of charging. For comparison, the nearest competitor machine from LG – Galaxy Gear 2 – equipped with a battery of 300 mAh. Weight devaysa wrist is 61 grams, dimensions: 37.9 x 46.5 x 9.95 mm.

G Watch connects to your smartphone via Bluetooth 4.0, showing notifications and executing voice commands like “send sms” or “create a note.” However, if the veracity of published documents, use all the “smart” watches from LG domestic gadzhetomanam fail: in the “Language Support” means only English, Korean, Chinese, Spanish and French.

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Google a little late with its operating system for wearable electronics Android Wear, having five advantages . First smartwatch based on this OS resemble the first Android-plates. What they have in common? They dampish. However, maybe, by the time they become real debut with modified quite devices. Based on the new platform will appear more and more new miniature wearable Soup: in late summer or early fall in this market debuts and HTC.

Android Wear now looks promising. Primarily due to the spectacular Moto 360 hours, which will be launched in the coming months. Lead editor Zach Epstein BGR managed to get acquainted with the new platform closer. Google engineer shared images, which in all its glory appeared notification system Android Wear.

Notifications Android Wear easy to integrate with third-party applications

Google employee Timothy Jordan writes on page Android Developers Google+:

One of the components of Android Wear inspiring is that it extends the Android platform for a new generation of devices and works right out of the box, without any need to update your application. If your application notifications are enabled, they will work on your laptop devices.

It is not hard to imagine … how wonderful they are after a little refinement. Just a few lines of code will make your experience with a wearable device even richer by using stacks of pages and voice response capabilities.

Why is it so important notice? The fact that they are probably the main “smart” tool Smartwatch. Thanks to this tool, users of a new type of wearable devices are aware of the messages that came to their smartphone.

Resource CIO believes that Android Wear will succeed. Main reason for this is called the support of a number of operating system applications. Google is committed to making a simple task for developers to integrate their applications with smart clock.

Especially for developers who want to get acquainted with the new platform, the search giant created Android Wear Developer Preview. The project includes a set of tools and API (application programming interfaces) designed to optimize the generated notifications for application developers.

It is expected that the first models of smart hours running Android Wear become G Watch from LG Electronics, which can gain support SIM-card and Motorola Moto 360, details of which are always interesting to anyone who loves information technology and follows the news in this advanced field.

The academic year begins with smart watches from HTC

But this list of smart watches, which will be shown in 2014, is not exhausted. Yahoo News UK reports that the first SmartWatch HTC will be launched in late August or early September 2014. They will have a circular shape and get the name of HTC One Wear.

If the clock is not too late, then they just go out to the end of summer and early autumn, harvest pores. Just in time for the beginning of the school year at the most interested in high-tech audience, students.

One of the reviewers Taiwanese resource TK Tech News reports that he was able to get acquainted with the new clock and find out the details regarding the time of their announcement, the name and design.

HTC Chairman Cher Wang confirmed the earlier information about the company’s plans to develop a smart watch, but did not disclose details of how they will look, what the price will be and how to call a new watch. It merely noted that the novelty will appear in the second half of 2014.

HTC is on the list of key partners on the project Google Android Wear. From the message TK Tech News that One Wear may be implemented as a metal, and the polycarbonate blocks. That is, it is assumed that there will be two versions of smart hours. In an interview with Cher Wang said:

Many years ago we started looking for smart watches and wearable devices, but we believe that actually have the ability to solve the problems of batteries and LCD-backlight. Addressing these problems, it is important to consumers.

Will it be something wearable electronics market with access to a HTC? Hour or smart hours had not yet arrived, and they will use, as now, a very limited market?

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