Tag: wearable technology

Consumers can purchase new wearable devices from Google Play.

Yesterday, Wednesday, June 25, 2014, the long awaited Android Wear powered and web connected LG G and Samsung Gear Live smartwatches were made available at the Google Play store for consumers to pre-order.

Google announced that this wearable tech is ready for the market.

During its annual I/O developers conference, which was held in San Francisco, California yesterday, the search engine giant made it known that the Samsung Gear Live smartwatch and the LG G smartwatch are market ready. However, the company stated that Motorola’s smartwatch – Moto 360 – will not be going on sale until later on in the summer.

In addition, Google declared that the voice enabled Android Wear platform is available in API for developers. This feature allows users to verbally interact with their wearables in a way that is not unlike Google Now.

Furthermore, social media has been integrated into the devices. For instance, if a user likes another person’s pin about a restaurant on Pinterest, the watch will alert the user when they are near the restaurant. Also, users can ask their smartwatch to call them a car with Lyft, which knows where the user is located from the watch’s GPS. Google demoed the notifications and voice commands during the conference.

Android Wear smartwatches will be available with circular and square screens.

According to Google’s director of engineering, David Singleton, Android Wear devices will be made available with screens of different shapes and sizes. He said that both smartwatch models from Samsung and LG have square displays, but Motorola’s will be round. He also said that the devices will be available in a diverse range of “fashionable designs.”

“We’re right at the beginning of a new phase of the miniaturization of technology, which means it’s finally possible to make a small computer that can fit comfortably on your body all day long,” Singleton said during the conference.

The Samsung Gear Live costs $199 and the LG G carries a $229 price tag. Those who pre-order either of these smartwatches from Google Play should receive them on July 7.

Unofficial reports are now stating that the so called iWatch will be available in September.

According to a published report that has not been confirmed by Apple, the company’s long anticipated smartwatch, dubbed the iWatch, will likely be launched before the end of the year, and this will probably occur in September.

It is expected that the wearable technology device will have a heavy focus on health monitoring.

The going belief is that the smartwatch will contain at least 10 different sensors that will allow the wearer to be able to collect various forms of health measurements and other types of data. Even the Wall Street Journal is publishing its own predictions about the iWatch, which it believes is currently being planned in a number of different possible screen sizes.

Apple has been a latecomer to the smartwatch market, as the majority of its competition is already offering something.

For instance, Samsung, Qualcomm, Sony, Pebble, and several others have already launched their wearable technology gadgets. In fact, a few of them have already released more than one generation after having produced an update based on new technological developments and user feedback.

The majority of these wearables are currently focused on providing clock functions, email, call, and text notifications, and other similar features. Samsung released its Gear 2 line, this year, which added a range of apps that are fitness related, and the mobile device, itself, is equipped with a heart rate sensor.

It has been long believed that Apple has been working on its own iWatch, which is not an official name, but is merely the title that has been given to this rumored product. As is the policy of that manufacturer, absolutely nothing has been confirmed or denied regarding any of the claims that have been made about a smart wearable from its brand.

That said, it is broadly believed that it is in development and that its release should be expected quite soon. The main question isn’t whether or not the smartwatch exists but is rather when it will be officially launched. The going belief is now that the device will be launched in September, and that it will join the market at the same time as the company’s next range of iPhones.