Wear OS

[youtube=http://youtu.be/CZrGDo9Grgk]

Google has just posted four new Google Wear ads to its YouTube channel that show off the device in every day situations. Compared with the mostly technical videos Google has posted for its Android Wear wearables platform thus far, the commercials look a lot more like TV spots aimed at regular consumers.

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In an announced by Facebook’s Ian Lake, an updated version of Messenger, version 9, will include lots of new Android Wear focused improvements. First on the list is voice replies. The update includes the ability to tap the reply button when a message comes in, and speak what you want to say. Also included is the ability to mute a conversation directly from a Wear device.

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Did you buy an LG G Watch and somehow managed to break or lose its charger? If so, your rescue ship has just pulled into Google Play. Whether you need a reserve or replacement charging cradle for LG’s new Android Wear-powered timepiece, Mountain View’s got you covered for $20.

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A beta update for the ridiculously popular WhatsApp messenger for Android has been released with official support for Android Wear, extending its wrist capabilities beyond just viewing and clearing notifications. Among the additions that are included in the update are stacked notifications, complete preview of received messages and, most importantly, the ability to reply to messages with voice.

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When Android Wear was first announced, I was very impressed. Aside from Google Glass, Android Wear and its associated devices is Google’s first major step into the wearables market for consumers. Let’s be honest, Glass came around a bit too early and it’s definitely not ready for mass consumption.

LG, Samsung, and Motorola jumped on the Android Wear train and so far, we’ve seen a couple of different smartwatches hit the market. The G Watch and Gear Live are our first Android Wear devices and I’ve been getting to know them over the past few weeks. This my experience…

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A lot of Android Wear enthusiasts are holding out for the Moto 360 strictly because of its casual appearance. So far most smartwatches have square faces that make them look more like a gadget and less like a fashion statement. While that may work for some people, others are looking for a timepiece that compliments their wardrobe, hence the Moto 360’s popularity. However, some recently awarded patents suggests that Motorola’s forthcoming smartwatch may eventually receive some round competition from Samsung.

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via <a href="http://www.technobuffalo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Screen-Shot-2014-07-27-at-11.36.46.jpg">TecnoBuffalo</a>

Pioneering the Android Wear platform, the LG G Watch and Samsung Gear Live have been met with mixed reviews as of yet. Most thoughts on the smartwatches have been about Android Wear as an operating system, but little has been said about either device’s actual hardware. It appears, though, that some thoughts are now coming out about the LG G Watch, and it doesn’t look so good.
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Android Wear devices are being used to do quite a few awesome things, and now we can add being a remote control for the Tesla Model S to the list. It was about a year ago that we first saw this capability come to Google Glass via the GlassTesla app, and now it looks like the lucky few owners of the Tesla Model S can do the same kinds of remote control actions via their wrist.

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Android Wear is still in its infancy, with the LG G Watch and Samsung Gear Live the only devices on the market, but that hasn’t stopped developers from taking advantage of the new opportunities that the platform presents. SWIP3 is a new match-three puzzler that now holds the accomplishment of being the first game designed specifically for Android Wear. 
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According to a new report out of The Information, the already tense relationship between Samsung and Google has begun to worsen thanks to both of their own lines of wearables. The report claims that Google CEO Larry Page and Samsung Vice Chairman Jay Y. Lee took part in an a “tense” private meeting at the Allen & Co. conference last week in Sun Valley. The meeting reportedly centered around Page being frustrated that Samsung was investing more in its smartwatches running Tizen than the ones running Android Wear.

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When Android Wear first launched, it was unclear whether Google was going to be offering official support for third-party watch faces. This uncertainty definitely didn’t stop developers from just going ahead and making some, but Google has today come out to say that they’re “hard at work” on an official watch face API.

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Wouldn’t it be cool if you could tell your watch to change the temperature, turn on/off lights, or perform various tasks on your computer? Well, thanks to Android Wear and some third party services, you can transform existing smart devices around your house into fully automated tasks using a device like the Samsung Gear Live, Moto 360, or LG G Watch.

The process will slightly vary between different Android devices and “smart” devices in your house, but we’ve put together the groundwork necessary so that you can build on these ideas in your own home. The setup procedure is a bit more than some people would like to go through, but in the end saying simple commands from a smartwatch to control things in your house is absolutely worth it.

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The Minuum keyboard has already been announced to be in development for the Moto 360, but today the company demoed its keyboard actually running on another Android Wear device — the LG G Watch. Last time we only got a concept, but now we have a real-time video demo of a slick — albeit (intentionally?) cramped — keyboard running on Android Wear. And Minuum says they’re ready to send out its earliest release.

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If you have your hands on an Android Wear device, you might know that getting access to the third-party apps you have installed can be quite cumbersome — it definitely requires digging through a few menus to reach them. And most likely, this wasn’t an oversight by the Android Wear team. It wouldn’t make sense to simply have a mini Android smartphone on your wrist, and the Mountain View company instead decided to put Google Now front and center for controlling the device’s functions.

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Google has just updated its Camera app to version 2.3 and with it comes the ability for users to snap pictures remotely using only their Android Wear smartwatch.

As first noted by AndroidPolice, once users open the updated app on their Android device, a connected Android Wear smartwatch will automatically present them with a shutter button that includes a countdown. Android Wear users will also be able to preview the shot they take on their wrist after snapping the photo. 
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If you’ve been frustrated by the fact that you can’t install paid apps on your Android Wear devices, your frustration should soon be at an end. Google has just notified developers of a workaround to the problem, which was caused by a bug in the anti-piracy measures employed with paid apps … 
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