Smartwatches: Google Is Officially in the Game... Big Time!

After years of speculation and waiting, Google is finally very, very much in the smartwatch business. They beat Apple to the punch by announcing their new Android Wear operating system for wearable devices last week.

Already, there are 2 watches running the software available for purchase: the LG G Watch and Samsung Gear Live. Another offering, the Moto 360 from Motorola, is rumored to the real category killer. Tech bloggers are literally going nuts over the thing.

A centerpiece of Android Wear is Google Now technology, which kind of helps you 'think' better. It remembers appointments, gives you directions before you realize you need them, loads important things like boarding passes as your walking into an airport, guides you through workouts, and other cool stuff.

Best of all, you talk to the Google smartwatches instead of trying to type on tiny little keyboards!

We're pretty excited and you should be too. Now watch this video...



And now prepare to be amazed:



Cool stuff.

Learn some mo': Android Wear Review: The Watch That Wants to Save You From Your Phone

Samsung Gear Smartwatch: Worst to First With New Fitness Model

After launching the first big-brand smartwatch last year Samsung has followed up with a much better "fitness" version called the Gear Fit. The new watch is so good that it was selected as the "Best Mobile Device" by the GSM Association at last week's Mobile World Congress trade show.

The new Gear Fit features some major improvements over its big brother. It has more useful functionality, a much better and longer-lasting battery, a heart rate monitor, and very good exercise/fitness tracking capabilities. Oh, and it also has an incredible-looking curved Super AMOLED touchscreen display... the first ever on a wearable device.

Pretty cool.

Watch the video below to learn more...



Learn some mo': Samsung Gear Fit Awarded “The Best Mobile Device”

New "FiLIP" Smartwatch Tracks Your Kids (or Whoever Else You Want)

Want to know where exactly your child (or husband, wife, girlfriend, boyfriend, dog, etc) is at all times? Would you like to send a message to your kid when it's time for him or her to get home for dinner? Then you're gonna love the new FiLIP smartwatch device.

The chunky-looking "wearable tech" product is designed to be worn by children any time they're out of the house or away from their parents. It tracks location using GPS, WiFi triangulation, and cell tower location and can receive text messages. It has a special emergency button that automatically sends a bunch of texts, makes multiple phone calls, and causes the watch to record all nearby sound in case of a kidnapping or other dangerous event.

The makers, who worked with AT&T to develop the big-faced smartwatch, say the FiLIP was designed to be wearable mainly because kids lose just about everything not carefully attached to their bodies.

We say: The FiLIP and other similar tracking gadgets are gonna be a big hit in the US, which is home to millions of overprotective mothers. But we definitely see it being used in, uh, "creative" ways by jealous girlfriends and loving dog owners!

Watch the video below for more on this interesting new product:




Learn some mo': http://gigaom.com/2013/11/19/filip-a-wearable-watch-phone-for-kids-launches-for-199-with-10-plan/

Google Smartwatch: Coming THIS Month?

There are rumors zooming around the geek interwebs that search engine giant Google may be releasing a new smartwatch product this month. A Russian blogger from AndroidPolice.com says the product is code-named "Gem" (or possibly "Nexus Watch") and will be launched along with a new version of the Android operating system (called KitKat) on October 31st.

There have been rumors about a new Google smartwatch for a couple of years now but it would be a little surprising if they do end up announcing it this month. Of course, now that the Samsung Gear is out in the market, along with the new Sony Smartwatch 2 -- not to mention the very good possibility of an Apple iWatch release in the near future -- it would probably be a good move for the company.

We way: We're hoping and praying for a very cool-looking, not-too-expensive, and extremely functional Google Android smartwatch to come out before Christmas. Preferably one that wakes us up, makes us coffee, filters annoying calls and text messages, and finds great late-night TV shows all by itself!

Learn some mo': Google Gem smartwatch to be unearthed with Android 4.4 KitKat?

Video:

Samsung Gear: The First REAL Smartwatch?

Photo: SamsungTomorrow

Alright!

It's finally here: a real smartwatch from a real electronics company (other than Sony)... or at least that's what Samsung would have us believe. The Korean tech giant showed off its new digital wristwatch -- called the Galaxy Gear smartwatch -- this week at the Internationale Funkausstellung trade show in Berlin and promised it would totally change the world of wearable computing forever.

The Android-based watch allows you to receive calls and text messages (via a tethered smartphone), take photos, track your fitness progress, and use all kinds of interesting apps. It will even help you find your cell phone... as long as it's a Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and it's within a 30-foot Bluetooth range.

Some reviewers aren't thrilled with it, especially since it doesn't work with the vast majority of smartphones, at least not yet. Here's a nice review from Inspector Gadget-fan Joanna Stern:



More from CNet News:




And learn some mo' here: Samsung's $299 Galaxy Gear smartwatch coming Sept. 25

Got any questions or comments about this interesting new "intelligent" watch? Leave them below!

Expert: Smart Watches to Replace Smartphones

The New "Pebble" Smartwatches

Many tech experts believe that smart watches are going to be the "next big thing" in personal technology. Writer Michael Wolf thinks the new "intelligent" watches being unleashed on the US market might soon replace our iPhones, Galaxies, and other smartphones.

In a new article on Forbes.com he says that the new wrist computers will soon change how we think about mobile computing, just like the iPad and other tablets did. In fact, they could eventually become even more popular than tablets and laptops.

It's definitely true that the pace of modern technology development means things that once seemed absurd can quickly become "must have" devices. In the 80's (and even early 90's) very few people would have believed that billions of human beings would be walking around talking on mobile phones by the mid 2000's.

Wolf believes the new smart watches will eventually overtake smartphones in popularity in some demographics (like men who hate carrying phones everywhere). They will get to a point, probably rather quickly, where they have all the same essential features of smartphones. Also, improvement in voice recognition software should make smart watches much more useful than they are now.

Here's one great quote from Wolf:

"... think about it this way. Five decades ago computers filled entire rooms, and phones were stuck to walls. Twenty five years ago computers filled entire desktops, and for the past few decades they've been on our lap. Now they've teamed up with the phone and taken up residence in our pocket.... Is it so strange to think that one day they might actually sit on our wrists?"

Definitely not!

We say: We are 100% certain smart watches are going to be BIG, at least in the United States and, most likely, Asia. We actually hate having to carry clunky cell phones everywhere so being able to strap a "mini" smartphone on our wrists and go sounds like a wonderful idea!

Learn some mo': Here's Why a Smartwatch May Eventually Replace Your Smartphone

Google Smart Watch Coming to a Store Near You (Maybe)

More good news for high-tech gadget geeks: Google is developing a new "smart watch" that uses technology similar to their Google Glasses product released a few months ago. According to a new patent filed by the web giant, the watch features a flip-up lens that can "see" nearby objects and written words and then provide up-to-date info related to what it sees.

So in many ways it's Google Glasses for people who don't use glasses. According to the patent, the smart watch will communicate with your smartphone so you can view info on the screen. But it will also feature a built-in screen, underneath the bezel/lens, to view fresh data from the comfort of your own wrist.

Among other uses, a Google Smartwatch could potentially be set to always be scanning the area around you, giving you real-time info related to buildings, products, streets, signs, and maybe even people. Obviously things like GPS directions and "best price" information would be easy to serve to the wearer... as would all those lovely Google advertisements.

We say: This is great because we don't wear glasses and want more ways to view more Google ads all day long (Gmail, search, YouTube, Android apps, etc just aren't enough for our unquenchable ad-thirst!).

Learn some mo': Google patents smart watch with flip-up display that could reveal everyday objects' secrets