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‘Blocks’ has a new modular smartwatch prototype w/ Snapdragon 400, crowdfunding to begin in ‘summer’ [Gallery]

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We first told you about the Blocks modular smartwatch earlier this year when we reported that the company had been in talks with Google about a potential partnership with the Ara team for cross-platofrm modules. A few months have passed since Blocks demoed their prototype at CES in January, and today they’re out to show the world the latest developments — and in just a few months, it looks like they’ve come a long way…
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Google potentially working w/ BLOCKS smartwatch team to build cross platform Project Ara modules

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The BLOCKS smartwatch platform was unveiled a few months ago, and it’s still very much in development. But the company building the modular wrist-worn computer recently had a chance to sit down with the Project Ara team at Google, and it seems that the Mountain View corporation might be interested in working with the team to bring the best of the market’s modular devices together in harmony.


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Project Ara MDK 0.2 released detailing Module Marketplace, Vestigen announced as module partner

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Another “alpha” release of the Project Ara MDK (module developers kit) has been released, and interestingly, it goes into some previously undiscussed preliminary details regarding requirements for developers to submit their modules to the Google-run module marketplace we told you about last month. Also, it was announced today on Phonebloks’ blog that a company called Vestigen, known for creating smart liquid sensors, will be creating a module for the project.


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Project Ara marketplace in the works will be like Google Play for hardware modules (Updated)

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Project Ara is still slowly but surely making its way toward being a commercial product, and today one of the mysteries of the device–how people will buy and sell various interchangeable hardware modules–has been answered. Globant, a company focused on delivering “innovative software” has announced that they’ve partnered with Google’s Advanced Technology & Projects (ATAP) group on the development of a marketplace made specifically for Project Ara.


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Google partnering with Rockchip to make a custom SoC for Project Ara

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It seems as if Google’s Project Ara modular smartphone project is coming along nicely, despite a few manufacturing setbacks. There was apparently a problem with manufacturing devices for those who won units at Google I/O, but Google yesterday announced some exciting developments: the third iteration of Ara is planned to sport a custom-made system-on-a-chip made in collaboration with Rockchip, which is going to be made with the unique form factor of the device in mind.


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Google announces 100 beta testers for its first Project Ara device

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Back at Google I/O, Google’s Advanced Technology and Projects team showed off the first booting prototype Project Ara device and teased that the first units would be available to developers later this year. Today, Google announced that 100 members of its Ara Scouts program will soon be the recipients of the first Project Ara devices. In a post announcing the closure of the Ara Scouts program, Google said that the lucky 100 people were chosen based on how often they participated in the Scouts program.


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Google announces LG building Project Tango tablet for 2015 release

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During a session at its I/O developer conference today, Google announced that it’s partnering with LG to build a tablet that’s part of its Project Tango program to release to consumers next year. Google earlier this month announced that it was releasing a prototype Tango tablet, but only for developers. The version made by LG will be intended for consumers, and presumably, cheaper than the $1024 developer version.


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Google’s modular Ara phones to go on public sale in Jan 2015 via configurator tool

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If you’re keen to get your hands on one of Google’s modular Ara phones, the bad news is you’re going to be waiting a while: the company has said at its first developer’s conference they won’t go on public sale until January of next year. You will, though, be able to configure your own phone using a Moto Maker style tool that will allow you to not only select your components but add customized colors and designs to them as you do … 
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Watch Google’s Project Ara Developer Conference livestreaming now

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The first Project Ara developer conference kicks off at 8:30 AM Pacific Time this morning, and will take place today and tomorrow. While Project Ara was originally developed inside of Motorola, the project is still owned and operated by Google. While Google’s sale of Motorola to Lenovo will soon be completed, the Advanced Technology And Products (ATAP) team behind Project Ara is one part of the company that Google is holding on toProject Ara’s goal is to create a smartphone with interchangeable components and the developer conference will also see the release of the Ara Module Developers’ kit:
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Google’s modular Ara phone will be held together with electropermanent magnets

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Ahead of the first Ara Development Conference on 15 & 16 April, Google has released a teaser video showing a few glimpses into the project to create a phone with swappable modules, allowing customers to configure a phone to order and update individual components at a later date … 
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