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Google Reportedly Making a Smartwatch, Too
judgecorp writes "With Samsung and (reportedly) Apple already making smartwatches, Google has now joined the party, according to a (paywalled) report in the Financial Times. The Google Watch is apparently being made by the Android group, and could have some synergy with Google's other wearable tech — the Glass spectacles. The distinctive thing in Google's patent seems to be having two displays — one for public data and a flip-up one for more private stuff."
To go with my glasses?
Meow
Reinventing the watch
Smartwatches are idiotic! Who would buy a smartwatch except some gullible Apple hipster?
Smartwatches are idiotic! Who would buy a smartwatch except some gullible Apple hipster?
Smartwatches are idiotic! Who would buy a smartwatch except some gullible Apple hipster?
(An Android-based smartwatch comes out)
ZOMG smartwatches are teh roXorz! (Buys and wears one)
The idea of a smart watch when you already have a smart phone sounds to my old man ears like sneakers that blink lights when you walk. Maybe you have to be young to want blinky sneakers.
http://www.businessinsider.com/google-is-working-on-a-smart-watch-of-its-own-2013-1
Signature has left the building.
You haven't been reading the comments on /. lately. Google has been getting a ton of flak from the circle jerking nerds.
And it'll require an internet connection to use.
/bandwagon
And they'll dump the server in 3 years and you'll be left with a useless wrist strap.
It seems that Google has its own prototype of nearly everything just waiting for the right moment to release it. What doesn't Google make these days?
Google *is* the circle jerking nerds.
Microsoft Reportedly Making a Smartwatch, Too, Kinda, Okay-So-It's-Really-Just-A-Surface-Pro-Ducktaped-To-Ballmer's-Forearm
the purpose of google glass is obviously creepshots and/or the virtual naked filter. how does wrist-mounting help? maybe the pulse sensor at your wrist can trigger image/video capturs whenever your pulse is elevated? what could ever go wrong with that!?!
pulse and galvanic skin response-driven advertising, where have you been all my internet!
What doesn't Google make these days?
Tools for protecting our privacy?
It would be the first coming of christ, since I'm jewish, you insensitive clod!
Friends.
I have to wonder if Apple was seriously ever even working on an "iWatch" before the 24hr news cycle pundits started the hype.
Once that happened, no one wanted to let Apple get the upper hand and so started making their own watch, to which Apple said, hey, we need an iWatch too!
I just cannot imagine this being successful. You would look like the biggest douche-bag in the world walking around with an iWatch. Fan boys of course will deny it and think about how cool they are, but nope...you really will be a D-Bag.
Still, there are loads of people that will buy it just because they want to be seen having an Apple product, no matter moronic it is. So, maybe it will take off.
Personally, I like a quality watch. Solid construction and precision movements with rhodium-plated finish. I like my watch to tell me the time and possibly the date.
Mostly, it should be lovely.
A smart watch is a hunk of plastic and metal crap on your wrist that has about as much precision construction as 1970's communist block apartment building.
How about using Google Glass and machine vision to overlay the time on your wrist?
Help! I'm a slashdot refugee.
What doesn't Google make these days?
Testicular implants.
"Look, someone's making a touchscreen phone, quick, lets make one too!"
"Look, someone's making a touch tablet, quick, lets make one too!"
"Look, someone's making a smart watch, quick, lets make one too!"
OK this is getting sickening, you can stop now.
I work for the Department of Redundancy Department.
Maybe the watch tie-in with Glass will have to do with typing. After all, voice commands can only take you so far. Here's a (corny) video that shows how typing can be accomplished on a watch: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-minuum-keyboard-project
Hell with that. Use it to overlay the time on breasts.
Then, when some chick is all in the face about "hey, I'm up here" you can fire right back with "yeah, I was just checking the time"
I think a "smartwatch" could be a good addition to anyone's gadget arsenal as long as its designed correctly. Long battery life, eInk screen (LCD just won't work that well on a watch), and small and unassuming form factor. I think pebble (http://getpebble.com/) has the right idea. If these smartwatches end up being essentially smartphones strapped to your wrist, I don't see them succeeding.
Alright it's not built by them. they bought it from Motorola. It's called a Motoactv and Google hasn't done anything with it yet. there has been no development on it since Google bought Motorola out and I hope that if this is true they start doing something with it.
I would defiantly buy another one once this one dies. I just, like everyone, would love more features and longer battery life.
Here is part of a post I've posted about it before.
It's a great device it's an MP3 player, exercise tracker that ties into a heart rate monitor or cadence sensor for biking, displays calories burned and number of steps taken in a day, It's got golf courses on it so you can see the distance stuff needed to play and keep your scores (I don't play golf), it has a GPS to show your route (wish it was more interactive on what you can do other than just see your you just ran) and the statistics that it keeps for your workouts. When tired into the website (it also has a android app) I can see exactly where I was on a map and show what my heart rate was, what song I was listening to at that moment, speed of my run, elevation of where I was. It tells time to. But it doesn't have an alarm clock also it doesn't vibrate, during workouts there is a coach that gives you information it's an electronic voice (a nice female sounding voice) , The device allows you to also race yourself with tones of if your running better or slower against your last workout. It's Bluetooth enabled so you can use Bluetooth headphones and also for notifications from the phone - weather, facebook, etc. Also has the ability to have a corded headphones if you want and you can then also use it as a radio. It's water resistant so a run in the rain is not a problem, wish it was water proof. Also it has to be charged every day. I really love it. I'm just said that once it dies I will not be able to get a replacement, although there are other ones that are out there that have gps and tie into online exercise communities they don't have an mp3 player built in. I do wish the battery lasted longer but when I'm not running I'm sitting at my computer so I let it charge then. https://motoactv.com/
Paul: Father... father, the sleeper has awakened! - Dune
So now we have a Google watch to add to the existing Google Spectacles and Google Wallet. I still feel like there's something missing to make the series feel complete...
...and I'm not interested in buying another one. In fact, I like the fact that I no longer have to wear a watch. My cell phone has become my watch.
My initial thought is that smart watches are being developed to appeal to the fitness industry. The aim is to replace the "feature" watches which record your steps, heart rate, etc. much like smart phones have replaced feature phones.
Now, if they came out with a smart roman arm guard.... After all, it would have enough space for a virtual keyboard.... (grin)
Oh, Nigel Tufnel, you were so right about that thin line.
I think most people's reaction today is that they don't want a wearable computer, because if capabilities were equal, then pocketable computers are simply be more pleasant to use. They get out of your way when they're unwanted, and they don't leave you with a sweaty body part at the end of the day. And capabilities aren't equal; the pocketable computers will be bigger and therefore more capable.
I feel like I agree with that: the idea of putting a watch on my wrist seems alien and uncomfortable.
Twenty years ago, though, it sure seemed ok to me. And I'd like to remind people, that a hundred years ago, the norm for watches was that they went into pockets, and from there we shifted to wearables. This really happened. This happened, upon a medium of civilization full of people just like you. How/why? Unless you can explain why the fashion changed from pocket to wrist back then, then I'm not sure I can accept arguments for how it can't change again.
All that said, just like everyone else, I don't think I want one. My point is that it's hard to predict whether or not the prevailing opinion will persist.
As copyright owner of this comment, I authorize everyone to defeat any technological measure which limits access to it.
An RSS reader?
Funny how it's a fact that Apple is making a smartwatch. Will it ship before their TV? lol
Because Android's Bluetooth support sucks.
IBM did it first - in 2001
http://www.freeos.com/articles/3800
So Linux has been there already - and for 12 years at least.
Nothing new there...
With the only exception of stylish brand name watches worn for fashion reasons. The "Smartwatch" is going to be DOA
I can think of lots of applications for a device attached to your body, and telling time is far down on that list.
(Since I work mostly within view of computers I haven't worn a watch in my professional life ever. Nowadays with smartphones, the need is even less.)
Can bone conduction work with a watch-like device? You could hear your phone ring without disturbing anyone else, and if you could identify the ringtone you could tell how important the call is.
Would body measurements be useful? Heartbeat, temperature and blood oxygenation seem obvious. Would it help your doctor rule out certain diseases to know the characteristics of the fever - spiky/continuous, low/high level, exact date of onset?
Could the device make fitness measurements? Tell how much exercise you're getting per week, let you know when to get out more and which type of exercise best meets your goals?
If there's an embedded accelerometer, can the instrument detect tossing/turning at night? With the blood oxygenation, could it detect sleep apnea? Snoring? Other sleep disorders?
Could the device detect dust levels in the manner of a [non-radioactive] smoke detector? Would this be useful for people to monitor their allergies?
I once worked with a scientist at Berman Gund laboratories (Boston) who was amazed [at the time] that you could put a microprocessor on a lanyard connected to a light sensor mounted on the patient's eyeglasses. He wanted to see if the progression of Retinitis Pigmentosa correlated with the amount of light entering the patient's eyes.
Light sensors are now cheap and tiny.
Does the amount of light in a user's environment correlate with depression? With SAD? Does fluorescent light correlate with depression? Does brightness matter or total daily duration?
Will it have a GPS receiver? Could it display an arrow and distance information?
Lots of applications here. Telling time is almost an afterthought.
Make me a sandwich, too.
I'm a good cook. I'm a fantastic eater. - Steven Brust
My problem with wearing *any* type of watch is durability. Will it's screen get scratched? Will the pins that secures the wriststraps break? I've lost watches (cheap Casios, thankfully) because of this. When cellphones (that had the time) became affordable was when I stopped needing to wear a watch. So unless these have some killer app like a 24/7 blood pressure monitor, they'll just be "Look what I can afford" fashion statements.
"I can quickly look at my watch to see if I need to leave for my next appointment without having to take my phone out of my pocket or scout around for a clock and hope that it has the correct time."
If I am in a conversation with someone and they check their watch for appointments i the middle of our conversation, then I may just tell you to piss off.
Also, why are you not able to know when you have an appointment before you step into my meeting? Is your time so much more valuable than mine that you cannot be bothered to check your fucking calendar before you except a meeting?
I already had a smartwatch 20 years ago as a kid. It played Robocop.
http://www.gamewatchguys.com/game_watch_details.php?toggle2=off&watchid=116
Google *ARE* the circle jerking nerds.
There, FTFY.
Actually they do. Maybe you should get your head out of you ass?
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
Tools for protecting our privacy?
Actually, Google does make a tool for protecting our privacy: it's the Incognito window in Chrome.
"The agriculture ministry is not in charge of Gundam" - Japanese ministry official.
Google *ARE* the circle jerking nerds.
There, FTFY.
"Google" in that sentence is singular, numbnuts. It is one company, one entity.
If he said "the employees of Google" then you would have had a point. If you're going to correct someone, get your own shit together.
Google already owns a smart watch. It is called the Motorola MotoActv. It is a smart GPS watch running android and can interface with some android phones. It has Wifi, BT, ANT+, FM, with GPS, Touchscreen, music player, etc. I believe that someone has jailbroken it already. Unfortunately, Moto was slipping on their support and since Google has bought them it has just gotten worse.
So why not make it a smart watch? Especially if it'll do things I was going to buy a fitbit to do.
When does this happen in the movie?
It seems like a lot of Apple fanbois are crawling all over this thread going "See, see when Apple does it...whhhaaaaa" or whatever. I never heard Google or Microsoft or Samsung go "gee, that's dumb." These are the companies and not the fanbois doing this, there is no "WHEN APPLE DID THIS YOU GAVE THEM SHIT" crap.
I'm also curious about all of the "we don't need this stinkin' stuff" mentality. Maybe it won't have that many uses -- what it does serve is helping to shrink components, increase battery life, and act a medium to future development of future technology. R&D needs money and sometimes consumer products are a great stepping stone. Smartphones would've never existed until your plain ol' brick-style non-touch screen, non-colored, 1" LCD screen, 1 hr of battery life cell phone became popular. But that technology along with consumer demand gave those with the $$$ to blow reason to invest their money.
Maybe Apple's idea was stupid, but I generally like when companies innovate. Although lately it seems Apple does more of buying/combining old technology and puking out some bastardization of it and then sue anyone who attempts anything remotely similar in nature. That may be why I personally cringe whenever Apple announces new products and why most of the Apple haters do too. When you're known for stifling competition through frivolousness lawsuits it becomes hard to cheer any product that will just cause an entire concept to be locked to the Apple world.
Google is already falling into the copy over innovating mode that Microsoft is in. This, the Evernote rip-off and even android went from blackberry rip-off to iPhone rip-off.
There are great reasons to do this, unfortunately, most manufacturers will forget to Keep It Simple.
As in smart sandwich ... that's what my brain told the rest of me that word meant in the first few fractions of a second. And frankly, I couldn't care less about a smart watch ... but am now obsessing over the idea of a smart sandwich. "What you want, when you don't even know you want it! SMARTWICH!"
Different sizes will be available, just like smartphones and phablets. I will consider buying a gauntlet-like size device attached to my arm, not an ipod nano-like size.
At that size, you don't need the device to be complementary of a smartphone or a second-thought device, it can be a full feature device attached to your arm just like a gauntlet, acting as a smartphone.
Same for Google Glasses, I think this size sucks, but wgat if it was a device à la Cyclop in X-men ?
What about a bluetooth smart ring that you can talk in with a camera ?
Welcome to the era of wearable computing. I think struggling manufacturers like HTC should go after a market not yet invested by the big guys.
...But Google will probably kill it next spring, so why bother?
Since 2003, i am using a Casio Edifice EFA-114D watch, for the following reasons:
-Dual analog/digital display
-Stop watch
-Timer
-Light
-5 alarms and snooze
-World clock
-Metal bezel (i tend to melt or break resin because of the weather here)
-Great battery life (about 5 years)
-Small round display (i have a slim wrist)
I have been looking for 2 years for a replacement that does all of the above and more, and haven't find any. The other casio watches that have some other features i actually want (atomic time, barometer, thermometer) are 500$, big and bulky and non metallic bezel.
I have looked at the Pebble and i think smartwatches are still in their infancy.
Open Source Java Web Forum with LDAP authentication
The only reason why Apple is making iWatch is because Google came out with Glass. Now Google is making a watch too, which means Apple will follow up with some socially connected set of support underwear.
Seems like 2013 is all about companies out dumbing themselves creating something nobody wants.
I haven't thought of anything clever to put here, but then again most of you haven't either.
The fact everyone else is racing to come out with one it feels like a repeat of the iPad launch.
They'll announce it in two years after the market has proven successful. But by then it will be dominated by other companies and it will be an up hill struggle to get a toe-hold.
Google *ARE* the circle jerking nerds.
There, FTFY.
"Google" in that sentence is singular, numbnuts. It is one company, one entity. If he said "the employees of Google" then you would have had a point. If you're going to correct someone, get your own shit together.
Nitpick, nitpick nitpick... Google, the people who run it and their entire army of sycophantic fanboys are a bunch of circle jerkers.
Reminds me of short Wired article a long time ago about watching porn on 300dpi PDAs.
Title: If You Do This, You Really Will Go Blind
Still working for ya all?
The Datalink watch that claimed copatibility with Windows NT and yet could not flash the screen?
The Datalink watch that programming details were "going to be released" for it?
Say - where can I go buy a Datalink watch?
My smart watch has little teeny gears that go round and round, and it tells you what time it is.
What a pity: the Android group are involved, so it will be be written by poor developers and full of Java crap.
Tools for protecting our privacy?
You mean, like incognito mode in Chrome? Or a dashboard that lets you enable/disable any feature you distrust? Or enabling https by default on its services? Or two-factor authentication? Or a social site the defaults to sharing with no one, instead of sharing with everyone?
Oh, never mind. It was just an Anonymous Coward taking a potshot.