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LG Is Working With Audi On WebOS Smartwatch

January 20, 2015

LG Audi webOS Smartwatch

In October we reported that LG briefly posted reference to webOS making its way onto the company’s wearable devices. While nothing was announced at CES, several astute reporters spotted a special Audi smartwatch from LG. The watch was on the show floor to demo interconnectivity between the device and a car and was likely not intended to be outed quite yet. The most intriguing aspect of the device is not the Audi tie-in, but that the unannounced device was discovered to be running webOS. We are likely to find out more at Mobile World Congress in February.

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by Doug Parker
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Watches

Alcatel OneTouch Targets Mass Market Smartwatch

January 13, 2015

Alcatel OneTouch Watch Wave

Alcatel OneTouch has a daring business proposition, to be the first company to produce a truly mass market smartwatch. With their reasonably priced, round-screen device, Alcatel might just be on to something. The company’s Watch (previous called Wave) has been in the works for a while and has seen a sizable update since it was shown off in September. The homegrown OS has been vastly refined and polished. Alcatel decided that Android Wear was too immature and that they were better served developing their own operating system. This has allowed Watch to be compatible with both iOS and Android devices. More significantly though, it has afforded the Watch a staggering 2 to 5 days of battery life. Feature wise, the Watch is a nearly full-fledged smartwatch with notifications, activity tracking, music control, heart rate monitor, and phone locator. The only lacking features seem to be GPS, voice recognition, text response, and apps. Those might seem like large trade offs, but with a $150 price tag those will likely be features worth shedding for a large number of people.

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by Doug Parker
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Watches

Dull Sony Smartwatch 3 Gets New Look

January 13, 2015

Sony Smartwatch 3 Stainless Steel Android

Sony’s Smartwatch 3 was released in late 2014 to excellent reviews. The largest criticism though was the aesthetic design of the device, which was universally considered as boring as its name. Well the Smartwatch 3 has received a new stainless steel coat of paint. The metal version of the Android Wear watch is expect to launch at an unspecified time in 2015 for an unspecified price. The rubberized version of device is currently on the market for $250 so hopefully it won’t deviate significantly. Beyond the revamped exterior, the metal version of the Sony Smartwatch 3 is unchanged. It still features a 1.6″ 320×320 display, is fully dust and waterproof (IP68), and has GPS. If all this sounds like a winning combination, remember that unlike Sony’s earlier efforts, the Smartwatch 3 runs on Android Wear and thus requires an Android phone.

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by Doug Parker
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Watches

Lenovo’s Striking E-Ink Fitness Band

January 8, 2015

Lenovo Vibe Band VB10Lenovo’s new E-Ink based, curved screen fitness band is one of the most striking uses of E-Ink in a wearable we have seen to date. The Vibe Band VB10’s power-sipping screen is housed inside of a metal case, has a rubberized strap, and weighs a mere 30grams. Thanks to the E-Ink screen you can expect around 7 days of battery life from the $89 fitness band. The VB10 is able to track steps, calories, distance, and sleep quality in addition to receiving notifications from your smartphone, via Bluetooth 4.0. If all that wasn’t appealing enough at that price point, it is also waterproof. Unfortunately when the fitness band launches in April it will not be coming to the US. Lenovo currently has no plans to bring it to the US market.

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by Doug Parker
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Watches

Guess Tries To Stay In The Game, Launches First Smartwatch

January 8, 2015

Guess Connect SmartwatchGuess is still ticking and fighting to remain relevant. In those hopes the company has teamed up with Martian Smartwatches to produce the Guess Connect. The company is trying to improve Connect’s odds in the market place by basing it off of Guess’s most popular watch design, Rigor. The watch operates as two separate entities, a clock and a small notification screen. The clock is a standard mechanical setup with a replaceable battery with 2 year battery life. The notification screen recharges via micro-USB and will have a considerable shorter battery life. While you loose a lot of the interaction Android Wear devices provide, you can also have faith that you will still be able to read the time at the end of a long work day. The Connect is expected to be able to display push notifications and have some form of voice control. It should launch sometime this summer for around $300.

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by Doug Parker
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Watches

Withing’s Analog Fitness Tracker Now For Less

January 6, 2015

Withings Activite Pop

How do you feel about saving $300 on a device and not loosing any functionality? Well, then Withings’ Activité Pop is for you. Functionally identical to its $450 brother, the $150 Activité Pop sheds the leather band and high-end black or white watch faces for silicone and colors (sand, black, and blue). Like the original, the tracker is practically indistinguishable from a traditional time piece. The analog dial and appropriately sized face make the Activité family look like plain old analog watch. The only giveaway is a smaller second dial that shows your progress towards your daily activity goal. Inside, the device couldn’t be more different from your traditional analog watch. Activité monitors your sleeping, swimming, running, and walking and has a vibrating alarm to gently wake you. It connects to your phone via Bluetooth 4.0 and automatically adjusts to time changes. Perhaps the killer feature that will drive the Activité Pop onto users’ wrists is an astonishing 8 month battery life through a traditional, replaceable watch battery. That combined with an understated design and reasonable price could mean that the Activité Pop has was it takes to be a break out hit for Withings. Head past the break for Withings’ launch video:

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by Doug Parker
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TAG Heuer Smartwatch
Watches

TAG Heuer Announces Plans For Smartwatch

December 17, 2014

TAG Heuer SmartwatchSeems that luxury watch maker TAG Heuer has had a change of heart. Back in September, when Apple unveiled their Apple Watch, TAG Heuer’s interim CEO (and head of LVMH’s watch division), Jean-Claude Biver, was one of the first detractors of the device. Biver was not a fan of Apple’s design but, more importantly, not a fan of smartwatches. At the time Biver said that smartwatches will soon be outdated while “luxury always has something timeless.” What a difference a few months make. Biver has now changed his mind and sees value in TAG Heuer developing a smartwatch. Likely the company is starting to sense consumer demand for the devices and does not want to risk being left behind if the product category finds success. The watch industry already took a huge hit from smartphones and smartwatches could be the final nail in the coffin for a company not able to adapt. Biver says TAG Heuer started exploring the concept 4 months ago and has already formed partnerships with Intel and Google. They do not want to release anything unless it feels “first, different, and unique.” The device is expected to utilize traditional watch mechanics in addition to a bevy of sensors. TAG Heuer’s smartwatch is unlikely to launch before late 2015.

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by Doug Parker
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