Google Launches 'Android Wear' Project for Wearable Devices

[knewsom]

Why would I be cycling between cars? That's suicide. Don't you have bikeways where you live ...

Image​

Ohhhh, you're a GERMAN. Ok, that explains a lot.

Edit: not necessarily in a bad way - just info that alters assumptions. You live where there are a lot of dedicated bike paths, for example. I'm an American, so I do not. Different sets of data to begin with.

 

[Serelus]

Then you don't do anything that requires such a tool. I do, and many other people do. If it doesn't do anything for you, don't get one. As for me, I'd love to be able to read texts while fishing without making my phone smell like fish guts.

Yeah iPhone aluminium is a great smell absorbent... wait it's not.

Really? reading texts? That's the best feature you could come up with?
That right there is the problem, this thing isn't going to do anything more than a smartphone already does.

 

[tomtendo]

I still don't see wearables being successful, but I could be wrong, and I probably will be wrong.

However, our current phones and devices barely last a day... so how many times are we gonna have to charge a wearable that's always on? These batteries gotta be pretty impressive (and small).

Also, it is extremely hard to get the consumer to want to wear something on them.

 

[vomhorizon]

The market is so fresh and in its infancy that apple can well afford to take its time to get the product as close to its initial goals. Its nothing like delaying the iPhone by 6 months because apple is unable to get key technology incorporated in time. If they are indeed working on wearables then i think some sort of announcement would be made to the developing community at WWDC..Perhaps even a launch or a "soft-launch" snippet like they did with the mac pro.

 

[knewsom]

Yeah iPhone aluminium is a great smell absorbent... wait it's not.

Really? reading texts? That's the best feature you could come up with?
That right there is the problem, this thing isn't going to do anything more than a smartphone already does.

Oh? How are you going to wash it off when it's covered in fish blood?

 

[Boston007]

It's pretty hilarious seeing the Apple fanboys bash Google.

When there was a whiff of a rumor Apple was going to do an iWatch the Apple fanboys wet themselves.

Here we have a competitor with a decent rendition and what do we hear?
- Who would wear that
- Who would talk into their watch
- Apple won't go that route

 

[samcraig]

Yeah iPhone aluminium is a great smell absorbent... wait it's not.

Really? reading texts? That's the best feature you could come up with?
That right there is the problem, this thing isn't going to do anything more than a smartphone already does.

I will tell you why I enjoy my Pebble. And I haven't worn a watch in several years because I carry a cell phone.

When at work - I have my ringer off. Often I step away from my desk. However during those times, I get whatsapp messages, calls with caller ID, etc all on my Pebble. And my wrist vibrates - no sound. I can quickly see if I need to get back to my desk or if I can "let it go"

When my daughter is asleep at night - same thing. Phone is off. I can see who's calling if I am not right at my phone.

When it's winter out (like it has been here in NYC) and I have my phone in my pocket - I don't always hear it or feel the vibration. However I do feel alerts on my wrist.

And so on.

So the extension of my cell phone to my wrist helps me be more productive. I also miss less calls. Does the watch "do" anything MORE than a cell phone - perhaps not. But it provides data differently and more efficiently in several use cases.

 

[musika]

This looks like exactly the kind of thing that Google should be making. Can't wait to see where Apple's going with its reported health projects, but either way both companies are definitely making really cool stuff.

 

[SvP]

Why did no one on that bus looked surprised that guy was shouting at his wrist?

Because marketing. Also the reason i will not use this, ever.

 

[macduke]

Forget everything else. Why does the watch in the video have a crown on the side? What purpose would that serve—to set the time on this digital watch? Yet another reason why Google will never be Apple: Lack of attention to detail. He also says "Thanks we'll get you something from New York" and it puts on the screen "Thanks will get you something from New York". Details! Another thing—there is no hardware design here. Maybe that's on purpose since it will run on a variety of designs. But it's uninspired—it just looks like a watch. It will be funny when Apple releases the iWatch (probably won't even be called that, as we used to call the iPad the iSlate or iTablet) and it looks completely different from what we think of as a watch. And then all Android manufacturers will follow suit.

 

[Roessnakhan]

Because marketing. Also the reason i will not use this, ever.

Do you not use Apple products because marketing?

 

[puffy1980]

The Moto 360 does look good, but those are just renderings. How they will work in the real world, I guess we will have to wait till the summer to find out.
I'm still not convinced with the whole "smartwatch" concept. Seems like a very closed market. Its only going to be those very much into tech wanting one. I cant see the average person on the street shelling out X-amount for one when you can just pull your already expensive smartphone from your pocket.
What is interesting though, is if Samsung will switch back to Android for their Galaxy Gear, as from the promo vid, and the renderings from Moto, Android Wear is a BIG step up from Tizen. If they do, they are kicking the adopters of Gear 2 in the face the same way they did the original adopters releasing a new version 6 months after.
Will Apple release a wearable? I still have my doubts, especially with the close ties they have with Nike. I am guessing if they are going to, the WWDC would be the perfect place to announce it.

 

[Aluminum213]

No by my definition there is no reason to get excited about a mockup.

Let me know when the real product is out especially a new product category.

Apple certainly doesn't make commercials showing off how fake consumers are enjoying its product 6 months before it might come out.

When Apple announced the iPad you saw a feckin' iPad. On the stage. IN person. Being used by Jobs. Same thing with the phone. And half the time the products are available for the purchase the same day.

Now go grow a brain please.

You show your complete ignorance for product development if you think a product being released in a couple months is in mock stages


Wow, you aren't an apple stock holder yet you blindly going to bat for them and making a fool of yourself in the process is a good thing

 

[SvP]

Do you not use Apple products because marketing?

Can you not see the quote?

 

[Roessnakhan]

Can you not see the quote?

My bad, just misinterpreted whether you were referring to the marketing of the product or the action in the ad. But to comment on that, it's no different than people using Siri.

 

[koruki]

Google launched this so when Apple releases an actual working, purchasable product, they can anchor back to this video and say: "Look, we're not copying Apple! We're innovators! We were first! We're a giant university of idea-men! We've got tons of ideas! Ideas as we all know are worth 100000x more than execution!!! We are Google!!! The innovation capital of the google-verse. All bow to our vapor-novation"

Nailed it

 

[Gudi]

Tim Cook "we've got big plans". Well then where are these products? Others showing prototypes designed to explore public acceptance is far better than nothing.

No. Doing nothing is far better than asking anybody. "If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses." – Henry Ford. Do not ask people, figure it out yourself. You're the expert in your field. Here is what comes closest to Apple Vaporware. Before all research and development within Apple was redirected to actual products during the second coming of Steve, they wasted time making videos like this:

Apple Future Vision 1987

 

[samcraig]

Nailed it

Nike, Pebble, etc will laugh at Apple, Google and you for even suggesting...

 

[SvP]

My bad, just misinterpreted whether you were referring to the marketing of the product or the action in the ad. But to comment on that, it's no different than people using Siri.

NP at all

It is tho: talking on the phone is completely normal. And almost all of the marketing of siri show people in solitary situations (at home cooking, in the car, jogging).

Using it in the bus like that is not beneficial to your attractiveness ;-)

 

[kdarling]

LG's version goes for the square look:

 

[Serelus]

Oh? How are you going to wash it off when it's covered in fish blood?

Okay wait, bloody fish hands mode. How are you doing it now?
Now imagine getting a text on your "smartwatch" you're to busy catching your fish so you don't read it immediately.
You get another one asking you why haven't answered, the screen is not big enough for both texts to be displayed.
Now, I am going to assume here you cannot switch between texts or contacts with your voice -- even if you could, you'd have to activate it by touching in order to prevent abuse -- so that leaves gesture waving your hands over the watch, or actually touching the thing.
Good luck with those bloody fish hands.

 

[Bobleh]

I still don't see wearables being successful, but I could be wrong, and I probably will be wrong.

However, our current phones and devices barely last a day... so how many times are we gonna have to charge a wearable that's always on? These batteries gotta be pretty impressive (and small).

Also, it is extremely hard to get the consumer to want to wear something on them.

Yes, wearables is an extremely diffucult and cutting-edge technology-intensive category, that's why no one has cracked it yet. It seems a flexible battery with solar cells and low-power connection will be one of the keys.

 

[samcraig]

Okay wait, bloody fish hands mode. How are you doing it now?
Now imagine getting a text on your "smartwatch" you're to busy catching your fish so you don't read it immediately.
You get another one asking you why haven't answered, the screen is not big enough for both texts to be displayed.
Now, I am going to assume here you cannot switch between texts or contacts with your voice -- even if you could, you'd have to activate it by touching in order to prevent abuse -- so that leaves gesture waving your hands over the watch, or actually touching the thing.
Good luck with those bloody fish hands.

I could have wet hands using my pebble and switch messages and then dunk my wrist into the water to wash "blood" away. Try that with most smart phones.

Next scenario?

 

[Serelus]

I will tell you why I enjoy my Pebble. And I haven't worn a watch in several years because I carry a cell phone.

When at work - I have my ringer off. Often I step away from my desk. However during those times, I get whatsapp messages, calls with caller ID, etc all on my Pebble. And my wrist vibrates - no sound. I can quickly see if I need to get back to my desk or if I can "let it go"

When my daughter is asleep at night - same thing. Phone is off. I can see who's calling if I am not right at my phone.

When it's winter out (like it has been here in NYC) and I have my phone in my pocket - I don't always hear it or feel the vibration. However I do feel alerts on my wrist.

And so on.

So the extension of my cell phone to my wrist helps me be more productive. I also miss less calls. Does the watch "do" anything MORE than a cell phone - perhaps not. But it provides data differently and more efficiently in several use cases.

While I must admit these are some very good examples of how it helps things along the lines of quick notifications. I really don't mine taking my phone out of my pocket once a while. When I am called I pick up, period. If it's someone I can talk to later I won't, or i'll just call back. The phone is an accessory itself, I find that it doesn't need another extension added to it. The same goes for google glass.

 

[knewsom]

Okay wait, bloody fish hands mode. How are you doing it now?
Now imagine getting a text on your "smartwatch" you're to busy catching your fish so you don't read it immediately.
You get another one asking you why haven't answered, the screen is not big enough for both texts to be displayed.
Now, I am going to assume here you cannot switch between texts or contacts with your voice -- even if you could, you'd have to activate it by touching in order to prevent abuse -- so that leaves gesture waving your hands over the watch, or actually touching the thing.
Good luck with those bloody fish hands.

I could activate it by touching it with my nose, then speaking a reply.

...and if you think anybody is too busy catching fish to glance at a text message on their watch, you've obviously not done much fishing. It's called fishing for a reason - not "catching".

PS - thanks for telling me that my needs as a consumer are completely invalid - I appreciate it. I had no idea that features I was looking for in a device were pointless until you showed me the light.