The leaked iWatch schematics are the real deal

We had the biggest iWatch leak yesterday, just a day before the purported unveiling, consisting of CAD schematic drawings that show a pretty elaborate device. The leak revealed a waterproof iWatch that will come in two flexible screen sizes, at four color each. The iWatch is expected to be waterproof, sport a microphone, a tiny speaker, and will support Siri. Unfortunately, the battery is listed as lasting only a day, but, hey, the charging seems to be all wireless.

While that's what the CAD drawings' source derived from the schematics, they should have been taken with a grain of salt, as it was not really clear at the time if the CAD schemes really came from Quanta, which was wildly rumored to be the OEM behind the iWatch assembly. A little Google-fu done by Jack March, however, reveals that the leaked slides are exactly in the format that Quanta uses on its intraweb. As you can see below, the Quanta slides format is exactly the same as the leaked iWatch slides, so there is every chance that this will be the real deal. Not much left until the grand unveiling later today anyway, when we should see the actual iWatch in the flesh.

 

Apple iWatch CAD drawings leak appears to be legit

1. Quanta slides logo

Quanta's internal slides formatting.

2. Quanta slides logo compared

Quanta's internal slides formatting looks exactly like the one on the leaked iWatch schematics.

3. iWatch chassis

4. iWatch sensor plate

5. iWatch components

6. iWatch components

7. iWatch components

8. iWatch components

9. iWatch components

source: Jack March (Twitter)

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The Sony SmartWatch 3 is the latest Android Wear device

Sony's wearable devices line-up has increased from last year with the addition of the Sony SmartBand Talk and the SmartWatch 3. Like the band, the SmartWatch 3 is integrated with the Lifelog app for Android in an effort to go "beyond mere fitness tracking and number crunching", as Sony put it.

Unlike its predecessors, the SmartWatch 3 was designed in close collaboration with Google, resulting in the latest Android Wear device to hit the market. It pairs with a smartphone over Bluetooth, or works in standalone mode, offering apps and integrated microphone, accelerometer, compass, gyro, and GPS sensors.

The SmartWatch 3 has a 1.6-inch 320x320 TFT LCD "transflective" display, which should offer the needed visibility in bright sunlight, and built-in 4GB storage. It's another waterproof smart-watch, but it's also extremely slim, coming in at only 1.4 x 0.39 x 2 inches (36 x 10 x 51 mm), 1.34oz (38g). It has a silicone rubber band, while the back panel is made of stainless steel. The hardware platform is the usual Android Wear set-up, based on a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 CPU with 512MB RAM and a 420mAh battery.

The Sony SmartWatch 3 will be available in Classik (Black) and Sport (Lime). The Classic & Sport versions cost 230 EUR, with the equivalent US price likely being $230. The release date is unknown.

source: Sony

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Apple iWatch concept shows dreamy curves, iPhone-esque looks

The Apple iWatch is probably the most anticipated smartwatch out there. After years of talking about wearables, this year the revolution has started happening: the Pebble smartwatch seems to have kicked it off, and then Google picked up the torch with Android Wear, but while both releases brought new devices, sales have not really picked up significantly.

Now, Apple will try to stir the field with its iWatch and with the official unveiling expected on September 9th, this here is one of the latest concepts to imagine the forthcoming gadget. Created by Martin Hajek, a designer that has brought us the most detailed, true-to-rumors and good-looking iPhone and iPad concepts, these iWatch renders paint it as a device of an iPhone 6-esque style.

What do we mean? The curved edges, the button style, the plastic cut-out for supposed better RF transmission: all features we’ve seen or heard about on the upcoming iPhone 6. As good as it looks, a concept is nothing but a concept, especially for a device like the iWatch that has not leaked a single time in images.

This, however, should not stop you from leaving your thoughts about this design: would you like an iWatch looking like that?

Apple iWatch concept shows dreamy curves, iPhone-esque looks

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source: NoWhereElse (translated)

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Just hours ahead of the Samsung Gear S smart-watch's official announcement, Fleksy boasted that its gesture-crazy keyboard app has become the keyboard of choice for Samsung's curved time-piece. Through their partnership, Fleksy will be the only fully integrated third-party keyboard at the Gear S' launch, and it's coming free to all its users.

In addition, Fleksy will continue supporting its Fleksy Messenger app on the Samsung Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo, with a major update to be announced soon. So owners of Sammy's fairly recent Tizen-powered, non-curved smart-watches won't be left in the dust.

Fleksy is one of the best keyboard apps out there, and in addition to its Android version holding a Guinness World Record for speed typing, the app has many firsts over its two year history. Fleksy is the first keyboard app to ship on a SmartWatch, the first to arrive on iOS (in standalone app form), the first to explore 3D gesture systems such as Leap Motion, and the first app to integrate with the Samsung Gear 2. 

For even more information, check out our review of Fleksy for Android and how it fared in our keyboard app shoot-out!

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Fleksy becomes the Samsung Gear S's keyboard app of choice

Posted: 03 Sep 2014, 06:30, by Luis D.

Tags: Samsung+ Apps+

Just hours ahead of the Samsung Gear S smart-watch's official announcement, Fleksy boasted that its gesture-crazy keyboard app has become the keyboard of choice for Samsung's curved time-piece. Through their partnership, Fleksy will be the only fully integrated third-party keyboard at the Gear S' launch, and it's coming free to all its users. 

In addition, Fleksy will continue supporting its Fleksy Messenger app on the Samsung Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo, with a major update to be announced soon. So owners of Sammy's fairly recent Tizen-powered, non-curved smart-watches won't be left in the dust.

Fleksy is one of the best keyboard apps out there, and in addition to its Android version holding a Guinness World Record for speed typing, the app has many firsts over its two year history. Fleksy is the first keyboard app to ship on a SmartWatch, the first to arrive on iOS (in standalone app form), the first to explore 3D gesture systems such as Leap Motion, and the first app to integrate with the Samsung Gear 2. 

For even more information, check out our review of Fleksy for Android and how it fared in our keyboard app shoot-out!

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Fleksy for Samsung Gear S

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source: Fleksy
Press Release

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Asus unveils the ZenWatch, an Android Wear smartwatch with head-turning design

Today at IFA, Asus finally unveiled its first smartwatch - the Android Wear-powered Asus ZenWatch. We had hear quite a lot about this so-called "hero" device, and it's finally here to wrestle against its Android Wear contenders.

Several months ago, the chairman of Asus revealed that the device will rely on its design to lure potential buyers, and it seems that the maker has done so indeed. At first sight, the wearable strikes with its eye-pleasing exterior, which comprises oval angles and premium materials. It comes with slightly arched sides and a moderately curved "2.5D" display. The manufacturer claims that the stitched genuine leather strap of the ZenWatch embellishes "iconic Italian design". The quick-release clasp is another nifty addition to the ZenWatch's bag of features.

“Our design philosophy is Start with People. We want to deliver a seamless digital experience for everyone to enjoy. With our ZenWatch, you will always be connected to everything that matters in your life,” said Mitch Yang with Asus.

Design aside, the Asus ZenWatch is running the company's home-made ZenUI user interface on top of Google's wearable platform and comes with more than 100 watch faces. It also comes with the rumored gesture-based features that we first heard about more than half a year ago. But what are these, exactly?

Well, thanks to the Tap Tap feature, which got showcased during Asus' keynote, its user can easily tap the display and locate the paired smartphone. Another interesting functionality, Cover to Mute, does just what its name suggests - when someone's calling you and your ZenWatch is notifying you about this, you can simply cover the latter and it will mute itself. Some of the other onboard features are Remote Camera, which allows you to take pictures remotely, Presentation Control, Find My Phone, and Watch Unlock.

It also comes with the usual health-centric and fitness-oriented features that we are normally being treated to with each and every new wearable device. The ZenWatch measures the steps you've made, how many calories you've burned, your heart rate, relaxation level, and many more.

Initially, we heard that the device might retail between $99 to $149, but this won't be the case, at least at first. Asus announced that it will be selling the ZenWatch for EUR 199, which translates to roughly $260 (before taxes and subsidies).

Asus ZenWatch

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From Smartwatch Now To Smart Ring What's Next??

MOTA is a California-based startup that specializes in high-tech gadgets, such as 3D printers, wearable smart devices, and portable battery solutions. The name comes up now, because the company is about to unveil a wearable that everybody has been brainstorming about, since the first smartwatch came out. Namely – MOTA is about to debut its smartring device at this year's IFA.

The device doesn't carry a fancy name. Subtly called SmartRing, it is a sleek band that comes in two colors – midnight black and pearl white. It totes a display on one side, which shows its images in cool cyan on a black background.

The ring will come with a companion app, compatible with Android and iOS. Once paired, it will be able to receive notifications for texts, emails, Facebook and Twitter events and messages. If one wishes to limit the amount of notifications that get fed to their smartring, the app has a VIP list to help filter out the less-important stuff. The company claims that, given the ring gets a favorable reception from the public, the number of supported social apps will grow to include Instagram, Uber, and LinkedIn.

The display fits a single notification icon, with a number for unread events. If the user desires, they can also read the messages, as the smartring's screen can hold the height of a single line of text – reading a whole message would mean that one would have to scroll word for word – probably not the most comfortable way to do it.

Renders of the device also show it displaying time and weather information. Unfortunately, the pre-order page is still not active and we have no leads on pricing. With only a couple of days to IFA's start, we should soon have info on the price tag, as well as some real-life shots to see whether the device looks as good as it does in the renders. Not to mention that we are very curious about its battery life.

MOTA SmartRing

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source: MOTA via SlashGear

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Sony SmartWatch 3 and SmartBand Talk renders appear, as clear as the Hudson River

Sony is expected to introduce the Sony Xperia Z3, Sony Xperia Z3 Compact and the Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact this coming week at IFA in Berlin. In addition, it appears that Sony will be introducing a pair of new wearable devices at the same time. Fuzzy looking renders of both the Sony SmartWatch 3 and the Sony SmartBand Talk have appeared, sparking talk that both will also be unveiled at the Sony event on September 4th.

The Sony SmartWatch 3 is powered by Android Wear and will feature a 1.68 inch screen with a 320 x 320 resolution. The timepiece has an IP58 certification, which means that it will withstand a submersion in up to 5 feet of water, for as long as 30 minutes.

The Sony SmartBand Talk is the follow up to the Sony SmartBand line, used by health conscious fitness buffs, to monitor all of their movements over the course of a day. With a curved e-ink display, the SmartBand Talk features Bluetooth connectivity. Use of the word "Talk" at the end of the product's name reveals that this wearable might have some phone capabilities, or perhaps it will notify you about calls to a paired smartphone.

It is a big week coming up with product introductions expected from a number of manufacturers. The excitement is building, and Sony's presentation will be taking place on Thursday.

Fuzzzy renders of two wearables by Sony, both expected to be introduced this coming week at IFA 2014

source: 9to5Google via AndroidCentral

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WhatsApp brings Android Wear support out of beta

It was less than a month ago that WhatsApp brought on support for Android Wear via a side-loaded beta update direct from the company’s website.

Now, the app, as it resides in Google Play, has been updated with the usual “bug fixes and improvements,” messaging reliability, and official Android Wear support.

WhatsApp’s functionality with Android Wear is not outside of what we have already experienced with other messaging features on Android Wear devices like the LG G Watch and Samsung Gear Live. You can tap to view full message contents, navigate among stacked messages, and dismiss notifications with a simple swipe. There are ready-made responses you can choose to use too, and of course, you can voice reply or command the app to open in your phone.

If WhatsApp is your preferred messaging platform, and there is every reason to expect it is, but lack of native support for Android Wear has kept you from taking the plunge to pick up an Android wearable, or, you prefer not to side-load your apps, those obstacles have now been removed.

sources: Google Play via Android Police

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Nike+ Running app for Samsung Gear S gets announced

Samsung and Nike have announced today that they’re partnering up to bring the Nike+ Running app to the Samsung Gear S smartwatch.

The watch was made official yesterday, and it is Samsung’s first wearable that can work independently of a smartphone. The Nike app will be able to exploit this capability, by tracking your moves and mapping your runs using only the GPS and 3G connection built into the Gear S.
The app will do its tracking (of, for example, speed and distance covered) in real time, and it will also show you live statistics. And obviously, you’ll be able to share your achievements with your friends on social networks.
The Nike+ Running app will come preinstalled on the Samsung Gear S when it becomes available in October. The Gear S features a 2-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen with 360×480 resolution, a 1 GHz dual-core CPU, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of storage, Wi-Fi, HSPA, Bluetooth, and a 300 mAh battery that’s apparently going to be good for two days of typical usage.
Via

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How to find Android Wear apps in the Play Store

We had a slew of Android Wear apps hit the Play Store yesterday, and it was only the beginning. We are likely to have thousands of apps by the end of the month, and it will only continue to grow. To make things easier, Google added an Android Wear section in the Play Store. You can access it via the link below or from your Android Wear app on your phone. Just tap on “Browse compatible apps” at the bottom of the main screen, and select “Always” for opening with the Play Store.

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Developers need to add appropriate information in order to get their apps to appear in this section, but some might not do it right, so it’s likely there will be a lot of apps that won’t appear in it. You can always type
“Android Wear” in the search box to find every app that has that phrase in it. Unfortunately, you will also get a lot of unrelated stuff, like themed widgets or even apps announcing their future intentions for Android Wear. It’s still worth a try though.
source: Play Store

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