Google/Motorola "Gem" smartwatch

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We know the Google smartwatch is probably not far off but today we've heard that it could even be coming this month, and currently exists under the codename of the Google Gem.
Now, the information is reported by Android Police's Artem Russakovskii in a Google+ post, and while that makes it slightly more credible than just some person off the street, he doesn't offer any source to back it up. But according to Russakovskii, the smartwatch will be announced on October 31. In a separate post, he claims that this will also be the date we see Android 4.4 KitKat officially launched.
Russakovskii said he obtained the information about a month ago, and it could well have changed in that time. "None of this may end up being true, though I have a good level of confidence in the sources," he noted.
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http://www.techradar.com/news/porta...be-unearthed-with-android-4-4-kitkat--1187047
http://pocketnow.com/2013/10/04/google-smartwatch-launch

Could be interesting. What do people want to see in a smartwatch? If it would be a neat way of getting notifications and reading messages I may consider it. I don't know much about the Galaxy Gear so apologies if people have covered this already.
 
gps
touchscreen
waterproof
as thin as possible
mounts for bikes, wrist etc
ant + support
notifications for texts/emails/meetings/fb
app development support

etc

pretty much everything that my motoactv already does lol.
 
Maybe I'm just dense.
But I don't see the point in a smart watch at all?

I love my gadgets, but this is one I just can't seem to get any interest or excitement for.
 
I don't get it either, it's like were going backwards back to small screened limited phones but it's ok because it's a "watch".
 
I can definitely see potential in smart watches. It's just the wrong people that are trying to make them. Nobody wants a smaller smartphone on their wrist. A watch is a bit of functional jewellery it should look elegant and stylish.

The people who should be making smart watches are watch makers, like Omega and Rolex. Take a Seamaster and give it subtle ways to display information like missed calls or new emails maybe give it some other functions like the buttons can skip tracks on your music player. Then you have what should be a smart watch.
 
m4rk84 said:
I can definitely see potential in smart watches. It's just the wrong people that are trying to make them. Nobody wants a smaller smartphone on their wrist. A watch is a bit of functional jewellery it should look elegant and stylish.

The people who should be making smart watches are watch makers, like Omega and Rolex. Take a Seamaster and give it subtle ways to display information like missed calls or new emails maybe give it some other functions like the buttons can skip tracks on your music player. Then you have what should be a smart watch.
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If you buy a high end watch you expect it to last years. Tech is superceded too easily for that in my view. You don't want a £5k rolex smart watch which is rendered obsolete when the next natty phone operating system has its moment in the sun.

I also don't really see the point, I get why they are trying it but I think it is not that useful when your phone is in your pocket complete with better screen, more power etc.
 
Every single smart watch so far has been pig ugly except the 'Agent'.

H5jBrjd.jpg
 
Skidder said:
If you buy a high end watch you expect it to last years. Tech is superceded too easily for that in my view. You don't want a £5k rolex smart watch which is rendered obsolete when the next natty phone operating system has its moment in the sun.

I also don't really see the point, I get why they are trying it but I think it is not that useful when your phone is in your pocket complete with better screen, more power etc.
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Well no, if designed well they could implement their own API which would allow smartphones to communicate with their watches on their own terms. From there they could create apps for and support any platform they like and even release the API so developers could maintain support in the distant future.
 
It would be good if you could leave your phone at home and go out to the pub and get drunk with only your watch to worry about. Can you do that?:confused:
 
I'm tempted to own a smartwatch but I don't feel they're ready yet... at the moment it feels like mini smartphones or cheap looking... I like my watches :p.
 
i like the idea of a smartwatch but from what i understand they are at the moment useless.

what i'd like:

1. phone is always locked unless the smart watch is near by, then the phone is always unlocked.
2. the ability to lock the phone from the watch in case someone gets hold of it.
3. nfc chip to do things with nfc tags (but nfc tags need to take off too - home automation i've been waiting for from google for too long now which would be immense with some nfc tags)

the above however could be done with a simple tag hidden under your skin, which wouldn't need upgrading and would be far less expensive.
 
mame said:
It would be good if you could leave your phone at home and go out to the pub and get drunk with only your watch to worry about. Can you do that?:confused:
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Nope they normally connect through bluetooth so they've got to be pretty close by.
 
useless gimmicks, proven so by their users making up excuses as to why they bought it, like it helps motivate them to do stuff, you then see them for sale a few weeks later on the member's market.

if you want something useful for when your biking like one guy in this thread suggests, then you will want a heart rate monitor built in, otherwise it's pointless.

there's already devices which do that, and connect to your smartphone already.

only big "kids" buy this sort of crap, it's not even useful.

as in, why would you want to look at your wrist to read a text message, then have to pull out your phone to reply?

please explain what moron would even think that is a good idea?

oh "emergency situation" texts, well if it's an emergency you would be excused for using your phone, which has far better functionality and more use than a watch in a emergency situation.


oh the best one is, when the user's make a thread saying, i have bought this smartwatch, been using this one app which is okay, can't seem to find anything else i can use it for, anybody else know of any decent apps?

like wtf? seriously, why did you even buy it if you don't have any use for it?

google glass > smartwatch and even then i don't think google glass is going to take off either anytime soon.
 
Glass can do far more than these smart watches though and is getting more functionality with every update. They just opened it up for devs to submit "Glassware" and there are already some pretty neat apps.

XE10 brought transit directions which would be fantastic when in an unfamiliar city.
 
Psycho Sonny, I think you're being a bit narrow minded. Wearable tech is clearly not at a level where it's going to be useful to the majority of consumers yet, but once a good designer and developers are onboard, I think we'll see some pretty cool applications.

I'm no Apple fan, but I think Apple's first smartwatch will be the game-changer. Apple generally get the balance between design and functionality spot on. The aesthetics of a smartwatch are more important than a smartphone, it needs to be subtle, modern and elegant. It's a difficult balance to get right. Curved OLED displays will certainly help.
 
Xinn said:
Glass can do far more than these smart watches though and is getting more functionality with every update. They just opened it up for devs to submit "Glassware" and there are already some pretty neat apps.

XE10 brought transit directions which would be fantastic when in an unfamiliar city.
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Glass was always going to be a massive commercial failure. Technically very good, but VERY limited use in the real world, and that's not to mention you're not allowed to wear them whilst driving and public places have already started banning them.
 
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