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Wearable Technology

Android Wear Could Be Headed To iOS Soon

March 10, 2015

Android Wear Cross PlatformIf you have an interest in smartwatches, no platform has more compatible devices than Android. Over the past 12 months there has been a steady stream of Android Wear watches released, with some manufacturers even selling multiple models. Whether you are looking for round, square, almost-round, or curved, chances are you can find a design that makes you happy. Unfortunately you have to using an Android phone to utilize these Android Wear watches. That might be about to change! According to French technology website 01net, Google could be set to make Android Wear compatible with iOS as soon as May, at Google’s annual developer conference. Last October, Jeff Chang, an Android Wear senior project manager, suggested that cross platform compatibility was something Google was strongly interested in but the company was working through some technical hurdles. We will see what May brings.

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by Doug Parker
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Sports, Wearable Technology

Microsoft Releases Sensor Ladened Fitness Band

October 30, 2014

Microsoft Band

After a few recent rumors that Microsoft was working on a wearable device, the company announced the immediate availability of their new full featured fitness band, Microsoft Band. Besides monitoring sleep cycles, tracking activity, and providing guided workouts, it also displays notifications, emails, and calendar events. One of the standout features of the device are its sensors. Featuring now standard sensors such as heart rate and accelerometer, the Microsoft Band also tracks things such as UV exposure and galvanic skin response and has built in GPS. If you are a coffee drinker who is still on the fence, a forthcoming update to the device will allow you to pay for purchases at Starbucks. The bluetooth 4.0LE device has a 48 hour battery life and is compatible with iOS, Android, and Windows Phone. It is available immediately for $199 from Microsoft’s website or stores.

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by Doug Parker
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Wearable Technology

Google Announces Android Wear Platform

March 18, 2014

Motorola Moto 360 Android Wear WatchToday smart watches and wearable devices made their first mainstream step forward.  Google announced the Android Wear platform and the release of the accompanying software development kit earlier today.  Based on Android Mobile OS, the new platform is designed to make it easier and less costly for hardware developers to launch wearable technology.  The software is designed to work with Android phones and allow app developers to push content to the device. It offers features such as always active voice recognition (“OK, Google.”) and Google Now’s preemptive search.

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by Doug Parker
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Wearable Technology

Finnish Company Creoir Shows The Prettier Side Of Smart Watches

February 26, 2014

Creoir Ibis Smart Watch Concept

 

This week at the World Mobile Conference in Barcelona, Finnish technology design studio Creoir revealed its concept of what they believe a smart watch should look like.  A far cry from a Galaxy Gear watch, Creoir’s Ibis design more closely resembles jewelry that someone integrated technology into.  Crafted from stainless steel, Creoir’s design features a traditional watch face and a small OLED touch screen running an optimized version of Android.  Addition specs of the design include Bluetooth 4.0, WiFi, an accelerometer, an e-compass, an ambient light sensor, and the ability to remotely interact with either iOS or Android mobile devices.  Since Creoir is a design firm it is unlikely that this watch will be hitting a store near you any time soon, but with a history of working with top technology companies, it is likely you might start seeing devices utilizing a similar design language.  Head below the break to see Creoir’s video of the watch in action.  

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by Doug Parker
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