smartwatches |

Alcatel Launches Kiddie Smart Watches

Alcatel showcased many cool devices, including a smarwatch for monitoring kids playing outside.

This year, Alcatel managed to showcase some very interesting devices at the Consumer Electronics Show. Among other electronic goodies, Alcatel launches kiddie smart watches, good for kids and for parents with paranoia.

As expected, CES 2015 displayed some awesome electronic devices. Some are them are brand new, some of them revamped, but all of them managed to catch someone’s eye.

Alcatel did not make any exception. The electronic giant provides its fans with a surprise in the form of the new PIXI 4 device family. This brand new family devices include 4 and 3.5-inch smartphone models, a whopping 6-inch phablet and a 7-inch tablet, all of them being powered by the Android OS.

All of these devices might be shiny and powerful, but CES 2015 featured another product, showcased by the same tech giant which can literally take your breath away or upset your child.

Besides the PIXI 4 device family, the company also announced that they will soon be launching another device that, according to them, is going to ensure the child’s safety when he’s playing outside.

The product bears the name of CareTime Children’s Watch. At first glance, the watch isn’t all that different from all the colorful children watches which you can buy from any store

Of course, there’s a catch to it. Beneath its colorful plastic cover and LED display, is a very powerful GPS locator. Basically, you can use this device in order to track your child’s movement while he is outside.

The device has to be paired with another device in order to work. Once that is done, the parent can set a “safe zone” and fire up the application which starts to monitor the child’s movement. But that’s not all.

A child wearing this smartwatch can receive text messages and calls from parent and friends of the family. Of course, the device is restricted so that no one can send or call your child beside you and your family and friends.

Also, when the child leaves the designated “safe zone”, the device send a message, notifying the parent. We don’t know whether to catalog such device as being useful or highly intrusive.

What we know is that the device might come in handy if you’re child made a habit of roaming free or if you live in a rough neighbourhood.

Although all showcased devices sound good, Alcatel hasn’t yet disclosed any prices or launch dates. But if you’re interested in testing one of these devices, then head on over to the Alcatel’s CEA booth and try them out for yourself.

Photo credits:www.wikipedia.org

Motorola Moto 360 Smartwatch Features

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The most important news about smartwatches as of late was about Apple’s iWatch released last week. But we haven’t forgotten about another anticipated smartwatch, the Motorola Moto 360 and we want to share with you some of its most important features.

The Moto 360 was first announced at a Google conference in June and it was presented as a flagship smart device for Android Wear. With its metal case and rounded face, the Moto 360 smartwatch was released earlier this month.

Some would say that the Moto 360 is the best smartwatch on the market right now, but as with many smartwatches, this too doesn’t come with an outstanding app. There are many who wonder why would anyone need a smartwatch when you can do basically the same things on a smartphone.

One of the most distinctive features about the Moto 360 is its round face. Most of the smartwatches available have that square or rectangular face which doesn’t make them look like watches. The fact that the Moto 360 has a rounded face makes you think that you’re looking at a watch and not at some miniature smartphone or something. The stainless steel case and leather strap make it look solid and not cheap. The thickness can be a bit of turn off (more than 1 cm thick) because it rises off the wrist and it looks a bit weird. It’s a good thing that the Moto 360 is fairly lightweight (less than 2 ounces). The screen has a low resolution and it shows the time like one of those plastic watches we used to have as kids.

The Moto 360 does what all smartwatches do: tell you the time, keep track of appointments, act as a pedometer and monitor the pulse rate.

The Moto 360 has 4GB of storage and you can get it for $250.

Android Wear Updates Bring Exciting Features

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Google showcased Android Wear at its I/O back in June. We are in September as so far, surprisingly, we haven’t actually learned much about this special OS’s progress. There are a couple of smartwatches sporting Android Wear which will be launched in just a couple of days. Obviously, Google has every reason for these gadgets to be successful. Positive reviews will certainly attract future clients and we definitely expect to learn that smartwatches are one of the trendiest Christmas gifts this year. You can check out the specs of the LG’s G Watch R, a smartwatch with a truly wonderful design.

CNET managed to talk with two Google engineers about the latest Android Wear updates. Android Engineering Director David Singleton and Vice President of Android Engineering Hiroshi Lockheimer explained how they envision the future of the novel platform. Firstly, Android Wear will be updated several times until the end of the year, so it will be a lively platform.

One of the most useful information is that Wear will support standalone functionality. The new Android platform was created with accessories in mind. The philosophy implies that any accessory running Android Wear must be connected to the smartphone. Google’s engineers concluded that a smartwatch can be involved in more activities than a smartphone. The first example is running.

Android Wear updates include GPS support

While running, you will be able to listen to music stored on the smartwatch. That is right, from now on the platform will support music storage and playback. To enjoy music from your smartwatch alone, you will pair a Bluetooth headset, as AD2P Bluetooth is now supported as well.

GPS support is among the latest Android Wear updates. Basically, by using Google Fit and your smartwatch alone, you will be able to record data regarding your outdoors activities. It seems that the smartwatch increases its functionality and may even compete with smartphones at one point, which sort of makes sense, as smartphones start getting way too large for comfortable use.

“One of the things we set out to do when we set out developing the platform was to make it possible for a manufacturer to bring any sensor they could find to the platform.” Singleton claims. “We’re also seeing people do interesting things with sensors like altitude and pressure. You can imagine a device that’s particularly aimed around taking a hike. Or skiing.”

Microsoft Wristband Device Rumored

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The competition to provide a bestselling wearable device has a new contender. It does not come as a huge surprise that a Microsoft wristband device might be released at one point, as long as most of the largest companies in the field already unveiled smartwatches or plan to do so in the near future. Android Wear OS has been presented at this year’s Google I/O with great success, we would add. The first three smartwatches featuring Android Wear, especially the stylish Motorola Moto 360, impressed everyone.

Smartwatches are not new. All kinds of attempts have been made in the last ten years. Looking back, it seems quite strange that none of the devices really turned popular, with the slight exception of Pebble. Microsoft tried to enter the wearable scene eight years ago through ‘Smart Personal Objects Technology (Spot) Initiative’, which was shut down in 2012, with just two years of actual production.

Microsoft wristband device in the rest of the market

Because Apple set the scene for smartphones, as well as for tablets, the other companies are eager to ride the wave this time. The rumors of the upcoming Apple iWatch produce shivers among competitors. The iWatch is on everybody’s lips for the last two years and the last rumors hint at a final launch in September 2014, in the same time with iPhone 6.

Microsoft will allegedly focus on developing a wristband. It will be able to display the time, sure, but it will not have the similar full capabilities as the latest Android smartwatches. Another feature sported by the alleged Microsoft wristband device will be of displaying the smartphone’s notifications. But the company’s main goal will be to orient the wristband’s use to fitness activities. A heart monitor will prove to be a central spec. So nothing extraordinary so far. Nike and Samsung already produced gadgets with similar characteristics.

The surprise comes when you learn that Microsoft plans to make the wristband compatible with Android and iOS. The intention would have produced a greater shock if it would have been announced a couple of years ago. Microsoft has long been the leader of the software world and the rest was lagging behind. In the meantime, Microsoft’s strategy seems to be directed at accepting and cooperating with the rising competition. For example, recently they announced the release of Office for Android.

Microsoft wristband device will probably be sold for approximately $200, which is just a bit lower than the new Android smartwatches.

Android Wear OS is launched by Google

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Smartwatch with Google Android OS

As smartphones got larger and larger, their most important characteristic – mobility, began to shrink. It is a price to pay which consumers happily traded off for having access to almost laptop capabilities in their pockets. Now, the Android ecosystem is about to solve the problem by launching a complementary OS meant at reducing the new gap in mobility. The Android Wear OS powered smartwatches will be the primary target of this new OS. We wait for new applications of it provided by large companies such as LG and Samsung. Health, fitness and travelling will likely be the domains among the most probable candidates for massive development.

At the Google I/O, the G Watch by LG and Gear Live by Samsung are the first to be introduced. Both sport rectangular displays in an attempt to unify the UI. The round shape Moto 360 will be introduced this summer as well.

Android Wear OS functions

The ‘Ok, Google’ function will be a core function of the devices which will be geared at sensing and guessing the user’s future actions based on the history of the settings and accounts synchronization. In other words, it will be context oriented. This approach is the value added by Google itself through the Android Wear OS, as smartwatches are not a quite novel occurrence.

The Android Wear’s main function is to inform the user on the smartphone’s notifications together with enabling a number of core functions such as answering calls and visualizing text messages. Vibrations are a welcomed mode of notifying the user, after which the user can dispose of a notification through swiping. Moreover, the music player will be controllable from the watch. Another provided set of actions involves the management of travelling – the watch will notify you to check, for example, if you have your passport with you as you prepare to travel.

So far, as Ben Wood, from the CCS Insight tech consultancy, stated for BBC:

“Android Wear is not a full operating system, it’s merely a smartphone companion, and my view is that’s the right starting point for Google at a time when everyone is feeling their way in the dark and trying to find a compelling case for what to do with it beyond the basic stuff.”

It remains to be seen later on how the Android Wear OS will be implemented and how the third-party app developers will turn this new gem into a dependable workhorse.

Garmin Vivofit Fitness Tracker Will Keep You Fit For A Whole Year

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Wearables are the latest invention as far as smart gadgets go. Either smartwatches or fitness trackers, these little pieces of technology can help us with our process of staying fit (or wanting to stay fit). The latest wearable device is the Garmin Vivofit fitness tracker that promises something we all wish from a wearable device: long battery life. The Garmin Vivofit fitness tracker’s most important feature is that its battery lasts for a whole year. That’s right! Not seven days like Fitbit, not three days like the Samsung tracker, but one whole year. As you know, a fitness tracker is useless if you don’t use it. And just when you’re in the middle of your jogging, having to find a place to plug it into a USB slot to recharge it can be a little discouraging.

The Garmin Vivofit tracker is also waterproof. You can shower and swim with it you want. This means that you can wear it all the time for a better tracking of your exercise program.

Another great feature that Garmin offers is its clasp mechanism. It’s basically a rubber strap (of different colors) that overlaps itself and can be held tight with holes and pegs. They snap together very easily and in a secure way. The clasp mechanism is another very important feature when you’re looking to buy a wearable device. It needs to be secure and sturdy since it’s meant for a whole day wearing.

Garmin Vivofit fitness tracker – great battery life

Garmin Vivofit fitness tracker has a screen where you can press a button and it will show you the miles you’ve walked, the steps you’ve taken, calories burned, time and date, etc. The screen also has a motivational feature that will help: when you’re standing still for too long, the bright red bar on the screen grows longer. You need to do some walking in order to reset the bar to zero again. It’s a great reminder to put us back on track when we tend to get lazy.

The Garmin Vivofit fitness tracker works with wireless heart-rate monitors, the one that you can strap around your chest while you exercise. In order to keep the battery going for so long, the Garmin tracker had to compromise a little: the screen doesn’t light up, you can only see it when there is enough light in the room. Something like the Kindle E ink.

LG G Watch Will Have Always-On Display And Will Be Coming Soon

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It is pretty obvious that this year is going to be prolific for the smart gadgets we’ve come to know as wearables. There are a number of companies who have already released their smartwatches this year and have been acclaimed both by tech critics and tech lovers. Two of those companies are Samsung and Sony who announced their first wearable devices last year and Sony didn’t wait long to come up with improved versions of their smartwatch called Sony Smartwatch 2.

Another company who wants to compete with an already crowded market of wearables is the South Korean smartphone maker LG who has given us the first curved smartphone, the G Flex. Now they’ve announced a new piece of gadgetry called the LG G Watch which runs on Google’s recently released Android Wear platform.

The LG G Watch has been unveiled in two color choices: champagne gold and stealth black. If you ask us both variants have that great premium look which tells you that you’re dealing with high quality tech products. The Stealth Black watch has been announced a few months back which makes it the fourth collaboration with Google. As you know, the other three are LG G Pad 8.3, the Nexus 4 and Nexus 5.

Although the company doesn’t want to reveal the LG G watch’s specifications at the moment, there are a few important features known: the G watch is said to be water and dust resistant. The other cool feature about the new smartwatch is that it comes with an “always-on” display, a screen that never goes to sleep. The LG G Watch will be compatible with a lot of Android smartphones, just like the Pebble watch. As we mentioned before, there aren’t many details about the LG G watch revealed yet but there are rumors saying that the new smartwatch will feature a 1.65 inch IPS LCD of 280×280 pixels, 4GB of internal storage and 512MB of RAM. From the new images revealed it appears that the watch has a magnetic charging port on its rear side. Last month LG announced that their new watch will also come with changeable straps.

LG G Watch – pricing and availability

There aren’t any specific details on how much will the new LG G watch cost and the Korean mobile giant reportedly said that they play to introduce their first Android Wear watch in the second quarter of this year. We’re thinking somewhere around June-July 2014.

Google Announces Android Wear, the OS for Smartwatches

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Google smartwatches are still a thing of the future, we’ve got some technical specifications leaks and some rumors, but there isn’t any clear launch date or an official picture, so we know what lies ahead for the smartwatch, because when Google launches its smartwatch, smartwatches in general will just become ten times more popular. Until that day comes (which is most likely pretty soon), Google has announced Android Wear, the OS for smartwatches!

This only tells us that a Google smartwatch is on its way and things can’t get any better than that, right? Wrong! Let’s take a look at Android Wear, the OS for smartwatches and see how awesome it is!

Android Wear, the OS for Smartwatches

Until the Google Smartwatches get released, some people guess it’s going to be June, Android Wear, the OS for smartwatches is here and it is spectacular. Android Wear is an operating system for wearable devices, such as smartwatches and it will be available for any company who would like to use Android for their devices.

Google has announced that it is already working with companies such as Samsung and Motorola on smartwatches and other wearable devices that are going to incorporate Android Wear.

If you take a look at the promotional video we ensure you that your mind will be blown away! The people wearing smartwatches are receiving important messages, environment and travel information right on their watches. You’ll also be able to talk to your smartwatch, which brings the future even closer to us, aside from tracking your daily activities and fitness data.

If you’ve seen the video, you must know that the images shown are simulated and we don’t know just yet how the Android Wear, the OS for smartwatches will really look like. Will we be able to talk to our watches and ask them to make dinner reservations for us?

What are your thoughts on the Android Wear, the new OS for smartwatches? Are you excited about it? Tell us what you think in the comment section below.

New Smartwatch For Alzheimer’s Patients Revealed

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Fortunately, smart gadgets aren’t designed only for entertaining purposes like tracking calories, reading emails or games. Guard2me is a new smartwatch for Alzheimer’s patients that incorporates a tracking system that is specially designed to look after the patients and other elderly people. This new gadget has a GPS and a cellular networks which helps to pinpoint the location of its wearer in case one gets disoriented and wander into unknown or unfamiliar places. A smartphone or a website can be used to track the location since it’s positioned on Google Maps.

Users can set the watch to update at certain interval via the site. It can also be used if the wearer leaves the safety zone. If the wearer enters a zone that the smartwatch sees it a “danger zone” it will send a text message to alert the one who’s in charge. The new smartwatch for Alzheimer’s patients can record activity so the caregivers can configure the updates for the best interest of the watch wearer.

Thanks to the SIM card of the device the system can use what it’s called “cellular triangulation” for locating the wearer in indoor locations where a GPS can be out of its range. This SIM card makes the smartwatch usable in 145 countries.

New Smartwatch For Alzheimer’s Patients Revealed – Guard2me

Inside the smartwatch there is an accelerometer that alerts the caregiver if the patient has lost his way.

Although there are a lot of GPS tracking devices out there Guard2me stands out from all of them with its panic button mode that sends a text message in case there is an emergency. It also gives the name of the wearer, his contact and medical details like the blood type and the medications the wearer is taking.

The new smartwatch for Alzheimer’s patients costs around $400 and it was made available starting march.