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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
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.
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.
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.
I'm pretty sure the success of the Pebble on kickstarter had a bunch of companies realize there was a market where they didn't think there was one.
The Pebble was a great big success, now the big boys want to cash in on someone else's risk.
The trouble is they don't understand the point of the Pebble or why it would be popular or the scope of users who would strap one on, so I expect these offerings to be pretty weak from major competitors like Apple/Google/(and who knows) Microsoft
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
It's not exactly rocket science.
The interest in the Pebble shows there's a market. Sony's had a smartwatch out for quite a while, although apparently while it's great when it works, their software is buggy as hell. Too bad, because they jumped in early enough that they could have owned the market.
The trend towards larger and larger phones means that the whip-out-ability of the average smartphone has been rapidly dropping, to the point where pulling out your phone to check the time isn't even close to handy or discrete. On top of that, with always-on connectivity and a boatload of online services, the notification/interruption rates are increasing.
So there's arguably a place for a small, always visible "front end" that allows the phablet to live in a pocket or purse until the larger display is needed.
Log in or piss off.
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...
they jumped in early enough that they could have owned the market
This is a recurring theme with Sony, they are to consumer products what Xerox PARC was to computing. Good ideas but shitty implementation, frequently combined with ridiculous DOA rates.
"Think about how stupid the average person is. Now, realise that half of them are dumber than that." - George Carlin
...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)
The interesting thing about the Google watch is there already seems to be a number of watches that interface well with android phones, with interfacing with iPhone to a lesser degree. For android I think Motorola has a car set that will even read the message. So it is not clear if a Google watch is really going to be what we might be expecting from Apple, which is a device connected to the Phone, or something else.
What is a surprise is that MS did not come out with a connected watch at the same time as the new phone.
Once the electronics are fit into a watch type space, it can be put into any case, as fancy as one wants. On can imagine that the time, analog or digital, can be imparted on the crystal for use as a watch, and then removed so that one can see the text display underneath.
"She's a scientist and a lesbian. She's not going to let it slide." Orphan Black
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?
A regular watch in the modern age is mostly an ornament: pretty but pointless, as you can get the right time pretty much anytime from any number of sources. Your phone, for one. With that said, I love quality watches too...
A smart watch on the other hand is functional: you wear it mostly because of the useful functions it provides, much like the (fugly) calculator and database watches of the 80s. Still, such a watch does not have to be ugly, it can be nice-looking and well made.
If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
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
Just when you thought the iPod nano on a wristband craze was over, someone had to restart the smart watch fad all over again.
No worries. It's been an on again/off again thing since the Casio calculator watch...
These comments are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of my employer or colleagues...
Uh... sorry. I guess I've been around so long now that I forget that when I write "Sony fucked up", not everyone automatically adds "again".
Log in or piss off.
When I'm in a meeting or in a middle of a conversation, 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.
You don't actually believe that people don't get annoyed when you pull out your smartphone to see what time it is.
These comments are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of my employer or colleagues...
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.
To be fair the pebble didn't exactly fill me with confidence that they had the ability to make a good product.
The promo shots on the kickstarter showed all the "analog" faces were cut off because the scaled the watch face to the longer of their screen dimensions.
I'd be more inclined to try the apple version over the pebble just because Apple generally doesn't fuck up simple crap like that.
"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?
Wasn't there all this with the iphone though? Ooooh look, it's MASSIVE! You'll look like a dork holding that big thing next to your ear.
Personally, I like the idea of a smart watch, phone and glasses. Battery life should be a priority I imagine, and any improvements in that tech will flow out to phones pretty much immediately I'd say. I think of it as a smartphone wrapped around your wrist that will be monitoring your pulse. Anything else it can access by skin contact to determine health?
I don't know, but a monitoring system that can auto alert the paramedics upon a clear heart attack, even if you're alone - will call and give gps, and there's a prior, crude datalog of heart activity beforehand? Count me in. It might even be able to say - hey dude, I've been monitoring your heart activity over the past year, and you should go see a doctor to look at X Y Z more carefully! That's a watch that I want.
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 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.
They tried watches years ago. I expect that this time, they're going to wait until Apple shows them how to actually make money at it...
Log in or piss 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!"
...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.
I can already picture the romantic, cheesy Apple video advertisement where some guy talks "I was astonished when our team realized that we can finally build it. Something from a science fiction movie. A smart watch. We just had to invent that." White background, soft piano music playing in the background.
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.
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
My smart watch has little teeny gears that go round and round, and it tells you what time it is.
I used to love my datalink watch. For 1990's tech, it was pretty good. I had to retire it with my last CRT monitor, but it was useful to me for all the years I owned it.
I was there for most of it. MS Windows and Apple took PARC's good ideas and made them into actual products that businesses and consumers would purchase. No one wanted to spend several times the price for Xerox's implementation, which only worked with a couple of applications anyway.
"Think about how stupid the average person is. Now, realise that half of them are dumber than that." - George Carlin
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.