Tag: smartwatch

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My Week Without a Smartwatch…

qualcomm toq activity tracker update smartwatchI’ve been super critical of the smartwatch. I make no effort to hide the fact that I hope people will move directly to heads up displays soon. I think they’re an evolutionary midpoint, a convenient way to continue the conversation on wearable computing started by Bluetooth headsets. Having worn watches like the Toq, Martian, and Pebble for a couple months now though, my opinion on smartwatches has changed a bit, and lately I’ve been more positive on the experience.

During my recent trip to Vancouver, I opted for a Windows Phone instead of an Android. It provided me a better camera and the ability to store maps for offline use, handy as data was something of a premium on my pre-pay SIM. Unfortunately this meant no smartwatch support. I was surprised by how much I missed wearing one… Continue reading “My Week Without a Smartwatch…”

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Qualcomm Toq update improves fitness tracking and notifications

qualcomm toq activity tracker update smartwatchToq owners should see a new update for the smartwatch and companion app. I normally wouldn’t write up a .1 update, but Qualcomm is quickly refining the Toq experience.

Toq software update 1.4 brings a couple new watch faces while polishing up the notifications and activity tracker. You can now see the last five text messages in the watch’s history. Also the fitness tracking has been expanded with better charts for visualizing your progress. You can also set goals for yourself in the Android app, and the watch will show you your progress.

The whole Toq experience is getting cleaner while providing more functionality, and now we’re just waiting out more 3rd party app support. We’ve already seen Toq added to the list of supported watches by Augmented SmartWatch Pro, which adds even more notification customization and support for Fitbit and Withings.

Nice little bit of progress for Qualcomm’s smartwatch tech test bed.  Continue reading “Qualcomm Toq update improves fitness tracking and notifications”

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AT&T Begins Pre-Orders for Galaxy S5 and Gear Smartwatch March 21st

glam_gear-2-fit-galaxy-s5-blackSamsung’s newest Galaxy phone is one of the first out of the gate this year, and AT&T is on top of pre-orders!

Starting tomorrow, March 21st you can snag a spot in line for what’s sure to be one of the hottest phones of the year. The GS5 features a 5.1″ 1080p display, Qualcomm 800 series chipset, a new 16MP camera, a larger 2800mAh battery, and a few new tricks like a fingerprint scanner and a heart rate monitor.

The 16GB model will set you back $199 on a two year agreement, or you can drop $650 to buy it out right.

We also have official pricing from AT&T on the family of Gear smartwatches. The Gear 2 will drop for $299, the Gear Neo and Gear Fit  $199.  Those shopping a Gear alongside the purchase of a Galaxy S5 will also receive $50 off their smartwatch.

AT&T expects the GS5 and various Gears to start shipping in early April. Hit the full press release below!

Continue reading “AT&T Begins Pre-Orders for Galaxy S5 and Gear Smartwatch March 21st”

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Experts Roundtable: Android Wear, Moto 360, and the future of Smartwatches!

A pair of exciting announcements dropped today for wearable computing fans. Google took the wraps off of Android Wear, the OS and UI that will be gracing many a wrist in the future. Motorola quickly followed (or maybe preempted) with the reveal of the Moto 360.

Now that Google has officially joined the smartwatch wars, let’s talk about the future!


I’m joined by a terrific panel of bloggers, so make sure to give them all a follow!

Enobong Etteh – @BooredAtWork – http://booredatwork.com
Andrew Kameka – @AndrewKam – http://MobileBurn.com
Tori Dorsey – @GlassesnGlitter – http://www.glassesandglitter.com/

motorola moto 360 smartwatch teaser announced (1)

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Android Wear Teaser Videos Show Off Google Now on Your Wrist

Android WearIn a pair of videos showing off their new wearable OS, Google finally took the wraps off their long rumored smartwatch UI.

Dubbed Android Wear, it’s a system designed to feed notifications, small pieces of contextual information, and voice controlled services to your wrist. Modular enough for a variety of square and circular form factors (like that sexy Moto 360), it features a Google Now card style interface to feed you small pieces of relevant info. Backed up by voice actions, users should be able to stay informed as to what’s happening in their digital world, while still being able to interact with messages. A handy little trick in providing us tools to actually use our phones less while still consuming data services.

LG and Moto are already announcing hardware to use the new Wear software, and traditional watch manufacturers like Fossil are expressing interest as well. This might be the mainstream push required to get “old world” makers on board.

Also announced is a preview SDK releasing this week, so developers can already start work on migrating apps and services to these smaller screens.

Hit the videos below for the full scoop, and a demo of the Android Wear UI in action!


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Motorola Announces Gorgeous Moto 360 Smartwatch

*** Update: Our Moto 360 Review is now live! ***

motorola moto 360 smartwatch teaser announced (2)I try not to just gush, especially about products I haven’t actually handled yet, but following on the heels of a circular smartwatch mock up floating around the web, Motorola went ahead and did that.

Little is known about the Moto 360 right now, but this teaser vid walks us through some of the design process. It’s maybe the prettiest geek time piece I’ve seen to date.

It looks like Moto is focusing on the new Android for wearables SDK which was recently released, enabling a number of Google Now style controls and notifications. We’re likely looking at a Summer release, and I’ll definitely be looking forward to wearing one.

motorola moto 360 smartwatch teaser announced (1)

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Samsung Drops Hands On Videos for Galaxy S5 and Gear 2

glam_gear-2-fit-galaxy-s5-blackWhy wait for reviewers? You can get the full scoop on all the new features coming to the Galaxy S5 and Gear smartwatches before they’re released! The following two videos have all that handsy gadget molestation action you folks are so fond of, with an 8 minute vid for the GS5 and 9 minutes for all the Gear 2 and Gear Fit. Enjoy!

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Qualcomm Reduces Price of Toq Smart watch to $249.99

qualcomm toq box smartwatch wireless charge cradle review somegadgetguyWe’re fans of the Toq here at SGG, but the price tag has certainly been a barrier for many looking to take the smartwatch plunge.

Well it looks like Qualcomm is addressing that concern by quietly slashing $100 off the price. You can now grab the Toq and its incredible outdoor viewable display for $249.99, bringing it right in line with the Pebble Steel. Not bad at all for a color touchscreen, wireless charging, and five day battery life. The recently announced SDK might mean we’ll soon see more apps for the Toq ecosystem.

Shop for the Qualcomm Toq, or read through our Toq coverage with reviews and updates!

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