The wait for much anticipated wearable technology, it seems, will be over sooner than later. With the announcement of Android Wear, an operating system built specifically for wearable devices, Google has announced its plans to turn the vision for the latest buzzword in the tech world into reality in a big way.
The company which brought to us Google Glass has this time turned its eyes to a product even more accessible to the public at large – a smartwatch. In the videos for the launch, that have quickly gone viral over the internet, designers have unveiled smartwatches like they have never been seen before.
Containing information ranging from the weather to daily schedule, the watch provides all information a user might need at a simple touch. What’s more, just like a smartphone, it tells you just what the user wants – directions to the venue of the next meeting or a list of all the bars in the area. In addition, it relays information from social networking sites, allows a user to reply to messages and even gives directions.
Motorola has promised users a real experience in summer this year, announcing plans to put on sale a smartwatch powered by the operating system.
Designers in the video insist the aim is to make it extremely fast and have all the details come up in a display that is perfect on that small round of the watch. The new operating system having been built to provide the best possible results, is according to them based around voice and contextual information. The aim – to have a technology that is “reactive to the surroundings,” which is just a way of saying the users will have the necessary information in a flash based on a voice command.
And this Android Wear is not restricted to just smartwatches. It is now expected to power a whole range of similar wearable devices, some of the most popular of which are expected to cater to the health and fitness sector – imagined around keeping track of sugar intake, cholesterol levels, calories expended during exercise and the like.
After years of smartphones and tablets and laptops, industry watchers are convinced the future lies in wearable technology. Already the company has announced tie ups with Samsung, LG and Motorola for its watches. And to ensure the style is not compromised over form, the tech giant has also roped in fashion brands for its latest offering. A current estimate is that the release date will be within the second quarter of 2014.
Those in the know of this newest chip on the block insist the current products on the shelf are just the beginning and the potential for wearable devices remains mammoth. In its present form, the wearable devices will not phase out the smartphones or tablets, but instead enhance and enrich that experience – making it smoother and more convenient.
Another big name, Apple, is rumoured to be working on a similar wearable smartwatch, but no formal announcements have been forthcoming. However, its interest in the field is clear and with Google coming out with its plans, the race for the next big thing in tech industry is only expected to heat up – making the customers raise a collective cheer for all the promise that this holds.
YouTube: Introducing Android Wear Developer Preview
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xQ3y902DEQ
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Wearable Devices The Next Step For BYOD, Unified Communications
