Smartwatch Week continues, with the Adidas-owned Runtastic introducing the Moment, its first conventional smartwatch. Though it also sells a heart rate monitor and the Orbit fitness tracker, Runtastic is better known as a leading fitness app developer, claiming 70 million registered users. The Moment looks like an analog watch rather than a tracker. It's aimed squarely at … [Read more...]
Motorola Unveils New Moto360 Smartwatches With Mid-Range Specs
It's apparently smartwatch week; in addition to Huawei, ASUS, and Samsung, Motorola's dived (dove? diven?) back into the pool with updated Moto360s. They're a lot like their predecessors: Android Wear, round screen, customizable at purchase, small "flat-tire" cutout at the bottom of the dial. But there are also some notable improvements and extensions to the line. This is … [Read more...]
Huawei Watch, a Round Android Wear Device, Available This Month
Back in March, Huawei -- one of the world's biggest cellphone makers -- showed off a handsome circular Android Wear watch. It's going on sale September 17. The Huawei Watch has a 42mm diameter dial, a stainless steel case and two-layer sapphire glass. Standard 18mm bands look like they'll work, too. It has the standard array of electronics including a 6-axis motion sensor, … [Read more...]
ASUS Zenwatch 2 Details Unveiled
The existence of ASUS's next smartwatch leaked out a few months ago; now there are some more details about what the ZenWatch 2 will actually be. The watch, according to AnandTech, will be a rectangular-faced Android Wear device and come in two sizes: about 50mm and 45mm tall. That's bigger than the Apple Watch, although the actual display is smaller on the ZenWatch. It will … [Read more...]
Samsung Announces Gear S2 Round Tizen Watch
As expected, Samsung has announced a new round-faced smartwatch, the Gear S2. Continuing Samsung's embrace of the open-source Tizen operating system and rejection of Android Wear, the Gear S2 introduces a new interface element: a rotating bezel that would allow users to literally "dial-in" their inputs. The watches are nearly 12 mm thick and faces are 1.2 inches in diameter, … [Read more...]
Android Wear Now Runs on iOS
The Apple Watch now has some added competition at the low end: Google has released an Android Wear app for iOS that brings Wear-based watches into the Apple ecosystem. Or vice versa. At any rate, the app means you can now control Android Wear devices from your iPhone. Previously, smart wrist wear lived in one ecosystem or another; if you had a Moto 360 on your wrist, it … [Read more...]
Apple Watch a Close Number 2 Behind Fitbit, Says IDC
We've been saying for months that we won't judge the Apple Watch a success or failure until we see hard numbers from a company like IDC. Now, the market intelligence company says Apple shipped 3.4 million units in 2Q15 -- the first quarter of its availability -- compared to Fitbit's 4.4 million. The wearables industry as a whole shipped 18.1 million units, up 223 percent from … [Read more...]
Ingestible Temperature Monitor Goes on Cross-Channel Swim
We got an e-mail this morning about the commercial launch of e-Celcius Performance, a connected pill that tracks the core temperature of the, ummm, wearer. Aimed at elite endurance athletes, the e-mail said Austrian swimmer Josef Kolbert would use the device on a swim across the English Channel today, August 25. The pill, from the French company BodyCap, monitors … [Read more...]
Intel’s “Make It Wearable” Initiative Goes on TV
Intel's successful "Make It Wearable" challenge from last year is getting the reality TV treatment. Intel, Turner Broadcasting, and Mark Burnett (creator of Survivor, The Apprentice, Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader and a ton of other shows you don't admit you watch) are producing the program America's Greatest Makers to air next year. You've got to be at least 18 (15 with … [Read more...]
Android Wear Updates Allows Interactive Faces, Native Translate Support
Techcrunch points out an update to Android Wear that lets programmers build interactive watch faces -- faces that respond to taps or touches. That capability will allow designers to create much more complex (and possibly useful) complications. Google also announced today Android Wear support for Google Translate, even if Translate isn't installed on your phone. Speak into … [Read more...]