SAN FRANCISCO — Voice-controlled smartwatches that track heart rates and connect to phones and tablets will debut later this year as Google partners electronics, technology and fashion firms to take consumers to the next promised frontier in computing.
Google has unveiled plans to help develop voice-controlled watches and other wearable computers based on its Android mobile operating system, which is installed on more than three out of four smartphones sold globally.
The Android Wear project is open to software makers to create apps for the watches, putting Google at the forefront of efforts to jump-start the nascent market for wearable computers.
A video posted on Google’s blog on Tuesday showed people speaking into their watches to check sports scores, control music, reply to text messages and even open their home garages.
“We’ve barely scratched the surface of what’s possible with mobile technology,” said Google in a blog post. “That’s why we’re so excited about wearables — they understand the context of the world around you and you can interact with them simply and efficiently, with only a glance or a spoken word.”
By aligning itself with a broad spectrum of partners to develop smartwatches, Google hopes to replicate the success that helped make its free Android software the most popular smartphone operating system, said analysts.
LG Electronics said on Tuesday that it would introduce its first Android watch, the G Watch, in the second quarter. Motorola said its Moto 360 Android watch would be available this summer, while Fossil Group, which makes watches, handbags and other accessories, also announced that it was working with Google on Android devices.
Many believe wearable computers represent the next big shift in technology, just as smartphones evolved from personal computers, but efforts by various firms have had mixed results.
Samsung was among the first to sell smartwatches, but its maiden effort, the Galaxy Gear, was widely panned by reviewers.
“(Google’s announcement) definitely gives wearables a status that (shows that) it’s a market in its own right and needs to be treated with the respect that a separate operating system branch gives it,” said Ms Carolina Milanesi, an analyst with market research firm Kantar World Panel.
Android smartwatches can be connected wirelessly to a mobile phone and be fitted with a variety of sensors, said Google. This means apps developed for Android watches will be able to monitor fitness and health information, such as a wearer’s heart rate or the distance he jogs.
The firm has also been developing Google Glass, a stamp-size screen attached to a pair of eyeglass frames, which can record videos, access email, provide turn-by-turn driving directions and retrieve data from the Web by connecting wirelessly to a user’s mobile phone. However, it has also raised concerns ranging from privacy intrusions to distracted driving. REUTERS
Google has unveiled plans to help develop voice-controlled watches and other wearable computers based on its Android mobile operating system, which is installed on more than three out of four smartphones sold globally.
A video posted on Google’s blog on Tuesday showed people speaking into their watches to check sports scores, control music, reply to text messages and even open their home garages.
“We’ve barely scratched the surface of what’s possible with mobile technology,” said Google in a blog post. “That’s why we’re so excited about wearables — they understand the context of the world around you and you can interact with them simply and efficiently, with only a glance or a spoken word.”
By aligning itself with a broad spectrum of partners to develop smartwatches, Google hopes to replicate the success that helped make its free Android software the most popular smartphone operating system, said analysts.
LG Electronics said on Tuesday that it would introduce its first Android watch, the G Watch, in the second quarter. Motorola said its Moto 360 Android watch would be available this summer, while Fossil Group, which makes watches, handbags and other accessories, also announced that it was working with Google on Android devices.
Many believe wearable computers represent the next big shift in technology, just as smartphones evolved from personal computers, but efforts by various firms have had mixed results.
Samsung was among the first to sell smartwatches, but its maiden effort, the Galaxy Gear, was widely panned by reviewers.
“(Google’s announcement) definitely gives wearables a status that (shows that) it’s a market in its own right and needs to be treated with the respect that a separate operating system branch gives it,” said Ms Carolina Milanesi, an analyst with market research firm Kantar World Panel.
Android smartwatches can be connected wirelessly to a mobile phone and be fitted with a variety of sensors, said Google. This means apps developed for Android watches will be able to monitor fitness and health information, such as a wearer’s heart rate or the distance he jogs.
The firm has also been developing Google Glass, a stamp-size screen attached to a pair of eyeglass frames, which can record videos, access email, provide turn-by-turn driving directions and retrieve data from the Web by connecting wirelessly to a user’s mobile phone. However, it has also raised concerns ranging from privacy intrusions to distracted driving. REUTERS
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