Affichage des articles dont le libellé est smartwatch. Afficher tous les articles
Affichage des articles dont le libellé est smartwatch. Afficher tous les articles
dimanche 27 octobre 2013
lundi 7 octobre 2013
vendredi 4 octobre 2013
Sony Smartwatch 2 – Review
Do you remember back to when you were a kid and you used to watch Knight Rider? Remember looking wistfully at the Hoff’s watch communicator that he used to talk with Kitt? I did anyway. Now we’re getting a step closer to this becoming a reality.
I present to you the Sony Smartwatch 2..
This version builds on both LiveView and Smartwatch, which were Sony’s previous attempts at clever wristwear. Unlike Samsung’s recently launched effort this is designed as a second screen for your phone. We will come back to what that means shortly.
Hardware
The watch feels premium straight out of the box and so it should for the price at £149.99 rrp. You have a 1.6? screen on the front which is fully touch sensitive. It will also interpret swipe gestures as well. Around the screen you have a Aluminium unibody construction that feels brilliant and seems to be fairly resistant to scratching.
On the side we have got a very familiar button for Power as it has been lifted straight from the recent Xperia line up.
On the opposite side is the micro USB charger hidden under a water resistant flap.
Up front we have three capacitive buttons on the bottom. Up top we have a Sony logo and then an ambient light sensor.
The watch has got a standard size mount for changing straps and mine has come with a rubber one although you can get a stainless steal one if you want to. All in it feels like a great wee product and has the added bonus of being water resistant.
Software
Being completely up front here the software used on the watch is not Android and at the time of writing I have no real concept of what is being used. What I can tell you is that whoever wrote the code has done a good job for the basic functions of the watch. It is here that we have a slight issue – the entire purpose of a Smartwatch is to communicate with your phone.
Now in my time of using the watch I have had mixed results in this happening reliably. This seems to be down to the Smartwatch 2 Beta App that is needed on the phone.
This app is really what controls the phone and gives you the second screen functionality. When you pair the watch either via the inbuilt NFC or Bluetooth you will be prompted to install the above app.
When this loads up it will give you the options to install all the Smartwatch apps. These are small apps that will run on both the phone and the watch to facilitate 2 way communication. Most of the Sony made ones are all free and there are other developers that have got onto the bandwagon and have started making app, however the majority are charging for these which is fair enough as it is normally only about £1.
After initial setup the watch will continue to keep you notified of the various events by vibrating when an event occurs. This will then allow you to check out that event on the watch. In the case of messages you get the first 2 lines of text and this is also true with Emails, Facebook, Twitter etc.
In Use
So as I said previously I have been having some issues with the device and they seem to be software related. Aside from that the device has proved to be very useful. The in-built Torch function I’ve used at least once every night since got the watch.
I’ve found the battery life to be stellar with at least 4 days out of a charge. The issues I have been having have been reported to Sony and are being investigated as I write this, I will put an updated review together when this has been resolved.
So in conclusion should you run and buy this to allow you to relive your Kitt and Hoff related fantasies (easy now)? At the moment I’d have to say no, but (and it is a big but) watch this space as there is great potential here and room for improvement. I am looking forward to seeing where Sony can take this product especially if the devs at XDA start to get involved like they have with previous versions of this design.
vendredi 13 septembre 2013
Mykronoz Zewatch BlueTooth SmartWatch – Review
Watches are making a bit of a comeback, but in a new form, they have Bluetooth, a range off odd buttons and loads of features that you didn’t know you ever needed. I’ve never owned a SmartWatch, I’ve looked at many though and wondered what life would be like having to charge my watch every day as well as a selection of phones.
But now that has changed, I spotted this watch the other day, probably because of the rather bright strap it has. I’ve been using it for about a week now and I thought you’d like a review of it, starting as always with my good and bad points.
Good Points
Nice range of coloursCan be used to answer callsCan play music through the speakerAlerts you if the paired phone leaves the vacinityBad Points
Only basic SmartWatch functionalityScreen basically unreadable outdoors and fairly dull indoorsSpeaker quality a bit basicNo separate volume controlsNo Bluetooth multi function buttonOnly vibrates in emergenciesDesign
To look at the Zewatch it is nice to look at, the contrasting strap and watch are eye catching and the strap actually feels quite nice. The watch has a variety of buttons, holes and sockets. Starting with the watch face which house a microphone hole and speaker slot.
The left hand side has the green call button.
The right hand side has the red call button.
The rear of the watch has a charging port, which is charged by a clip on attachment that plugs into the wall.
The strap is a pretty basic affair, it is quite long though, meaning people with strangely thick arms will be ok.
Here are the rest of the photos I took of the Zewatch.
In Use
The watch is Bluetooth 2.1 so you need to pair it with your phone or tablet, on my Android devices I could change whether it dealt with phone audio and media audio separately.
Once set up I made a test phone call, as expected the call audio came blaring out of the speaker slot on the top of the watch, you can then speak towards the microphone hole on the bottom of the watch.
The watch is set to the correct time by pressing and holding combinations of the two buttons, once set up it provided me with a nice looking watch face, I wore it on my left wrist but you can flip the watch face with another button combination so you can wear it on your right wrist. It should be noted here that if the watch battery dies, then you’ll need to reset the time again. It should also be noted that the watch isn’t constantly on, to see the time you have to tap one of the buttons and even then the watch only stays lit for five seconds. This behaviour can’t be changed at all, it is how it is.
Media playback is an interesting feature that the watch has, which works as media playback is one of the many Bluetooth protocols manufacturers can use. This feature wasn’t great though at volume the speaker got a little distorted though, it is best suited for use like this picture that MyKronoz have on their website. Or sat on the back of a bus.
Another use for the phone is to use whilst driving, again when the volume was turned up it was a little distorted, using the watch on my left wrist meant that every time I changed gear (in a UK car) I couldn’t really hear the other caller, they did report that the call was sounded very good from their end.
The annoying thing about making calls with the Zewatch is that you can’t trigger a call from the watch, normally a bluetooth headset would have a multi function button that can trigger voice activation or last number redial. With the Zewatch you have to either have your phone in a windscreen mount so that you can initiate the call. If you receive a call though you can choose to answer or decline the call using the green or red buttons on the side of the watch.
As the watch routes all phone audio through the watch speaker all SMS, Email, Alarms and Reminders all sound through the watch, which is quite handy. Sometimes my phone will be in my bag or somewhere where I couldn’t hear/feel the message.
Vibration is another issue, it would be quiet handy if the watch vibrated at the same time as the ringtone plays through the speaker, if you were in a noisy environment it would let you feel that you had a call or message. The only time it does vibrate is if it becomes disconnected, which is when you leave the vicinity of the phone or someone runs away with your phone.
To improve the Zewatch I would add another button to act as the multi function button, I would make the screen stay illuminated longer, I would make it so that you could actually read the screen outside, I would have the date on the screen as well as the time, I would add further “SmartWatch” functionality such as all notifications popping up on screen in some manner, I would have a volume rocker on the watch and also improve the quality of the loudspeaker. These extra features would no doubt bump the price though.
Conclusion
The term “SmartWatch” was rather loosely applied to the MyKronoz Zewatch, if “SmartWatch” means that you can divert calls to it and awkwardly struggle to listen to music using it then maybe I’ll let them off.
The design of the Zewatch is nice, it just lacks a little in functionality, even as a plain watch it struggles, as you have to press a button to get the time to display, it can’t tell you the date and it also beeps all the time alerting you to the lack of phone connection.
I’m left wondering who would buy it, in car use you’d be better off with a normal Bluetooth headset, for media playback many devices have speakers that are more than capable than this. If it’s all about the design for you then the Zewatch is available from Mobilefun here for £59.99 along with a range of other accessories here.
Watches are making a bit of a comeback, but in a new form, they have Bluetooth, a range off odd buttons and loads of features that you didn't know you ever needed. I've never owned a SmartWatch, I've looked at many though and wondered what life would be like having to charge my watch every day as well as a selection of phones. But now that has changed, I spotted this watch the other day, probably because of the rather bright strap it has. I've been using it for about a week now and I thought you'd like a review of it, starting as always with my good and bad points. Good Points Nice range of colours Can be used to answer calls Can play music through the speaker Alerts you if the paired phone leaves the vacinity Bad Points Only basic SmartWatch functionality Screen basically unreadable outdoors and fairly dull indoors Speaker quality a bit basic No separate volume controls No Bluetooth multi function button Only vibrates in emergencies Design To look at the Zewatch it is nice to look at, the contrasting strap and watch are eye catching and the strap actually feels quite nice. The watch has a variety of buttons, holes and sockets. Starting with the watch face which house a microphone hole and speaker slot. The left hand side has the green call button. The right hand side has the red call button. The rear of the watch has a charging port, which is charged by a clip on attachment that plugs into the wall. The strap is a pretty basic affair, it is quite long though, meaning people with strangely thick arms will be ok. Here are the rest of the photos I took of the Zewatch. In Use The watch is Bluetooth 2.1 so you need to pair it with your phone or tablet, on my Android devices I could change whether it dealt with phone audio and media audio separately. Once set up I made a test phone call, as expected the call audio came blaring out of the speaker slot on the top of the watch, you can then speak towards the microphone hole on the bottom of the watch. The watch is set to the correct time by pressing and holding combinations of the two buttons, once set up it provided me with a nice looking watch face, I wore it on my left wrist but you can flip the watch face with another button combination so you can wear it on your right wrist. It should be noted here that if the watch battery dies, then you'll need to reset the time again. It should also be noted that the watch isn't constantly on, to see the time you have to tap one of the buttons and even then the watch only stays lit for five seconds. This behaviour can't be changed at all, it is how it is. Media playback is an interesting feature that…Mykronoz Zewatch BlueTooth SmartWatch – ReviewMykronoz Zewatch BlueTooth SmartWatch – Review52The term "SmartWatch" was rather loosely applied to the MyKronoz Zewatch, if "SmartWatch" means that you can divert calls to it and awkwardly struggle to listen to music using it then maybe I'll let them off. Although saying that it does look quite nice.
5
jeudi 12 septembre 2013
Nissan release a smartwatch too. Yes Nissan, and it’s rather good too.
I tell you what we need right now. Another smartwatch. Oh yes. How about a watch made by … a car company? Hehehe… yeah. I’ll bet that’ll be really tacky and cheap.
I bet it’ll just be a bad design with the car logo wedged on. Hang on, I’ve got a photo of it here somewhere, let me just open it up…
Oh.. oh wait. Aactually, it’s rather beautiful. I like it.
This is the Nissan Nismo Concept Watch and it’ll connect you to your Nissan Nismo car. Apparently Nismo is the performance / tuning side of Nissan. Hmm.. I’ve never heard of them personally but they’ve sent us a picture of the Nissan Juke Nismo version too..
Woaha.
OK. I’ve been proved wrong on both counts. So, what we have here now is a very nice looking watch and a rather sporty vehicle. The watch itself lets you monitor how efficient your Nismo is, including average speed and your MPG. Connect via Bluetooth and you’ll instantly access telematics and performance data, but it’s not all about your car. The watch also lets you capture biometric data via a heart data monitor, plus it’ll track and rate your “social media performance” on Twitter, Facebook and elsewhere via their “Social Speed” software.
The Nismo Watch will use a lithium battery and gets charged via micro-USB. Nissan reckon that you’ll get over seven days of use under normal usage conditions, which is very decent indeed. No pricing as yet, but you can bet it’ll be an extra if you buy the Nissan Juke Nismo. It’ll be available in black, white, plus black and red.
Simply put, this watch will look after you and let you keep in touch with your car. So, for the second time in less than a week, it’s a fantastic reason to post this image once more.
Nissan Enters Wearable Technology Space with the Unveil of the Nismo Watch Concept
Nissan launches first smartwatch to connect car and driver performance
· First smartwatch concept to connect driver and car
· Nismo Watch showcases Nissan’s intent to deliver biometric data that enhances driver performance and efficiency
· Nissan is investigating heart and brain monitoring technologies for future wearable tech
Rolle, Switzerland, 9th September, 2013 – Nissan will become the first car manufacturer to create a smartwatch designed specifically for drivers of Nissan Nismo cars. The Nissan Nismo Concept Watch will be the first smartwatch to connect a driver to the car and will provide drivers with real-time biometric data.
The watch, unveiled today ahead of its display at the Frankfurt Motor Show (10th – 22nd September 2013), is Nissan’s first step into wearable technology and epitomises its ‘fan first’ approach to performance.
The Nissan Nismo Watch will allow drivers to:
- monitor the efficiency of their vehicle with average speed and fuel consumption readings;
- access vehicle telematics and performance data while on track;
- capture biometric data via a heart rate monitor;
- connect to the car using a smartphone app via Bluetooth Low Energy;
- receive tailored car messages from Nissan;
Gareth Dunsmore, Marketing Communications General Manager, Nissan in Europe, commented: “Wearable technology is fast becoming the next big thing and we want to take advantage of this innovative technology to make our Nismo Brand more accessible. On track, Nissan uses the latest biometric training technologies to improve the performance of our Nissan Nismo Athletes and it is this technology we want to bring to our fans to enhance their driving experience and Nismo ownership.”
Earlier this year, Nissan launched the Nismo Lab – a bespoke, mobile laboratory that features the latest, advanced biometric training tools such as brainwave technology and JukeRide – a cutting-edge performance analysis tool, that captures live biometric and telematics data from the race cars and Nissan Nismo Athletes during races. Nismo’s vision is to take these digital age technologies and make them available to athletes from other disciplines and to Nissan owners through future wearable tech. Three key technologies have already identified for future development:
- ECG (Electrocardiogram) – to measure the intervals of the R-R rhythm of the heart, and identify early fatigue;
- EEG (Electroencephalogram) Brainwave – to monitor the drivers’ levels of concentration and emotions, and help athletes to get ‘In The Zone’;
- Skin Temperature – to record core body temperature and hydration levels;
The Nismo Watch will also track and rate the user’s social performance across Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram via Nissan’s proprietary Social Speed software.
The sleek Nismo Watch will be available in three colours – black, white and the flagship black and red. The watch design was inspired by the Nismo ring and is reflected in a seamless, futuristic and ergonomic design. The simple user interface can be controlled by two buttons and is secured onto the driver’s wrist via a simple snap-fit mechanism.
Even the packaging will have a unique n Nismo identity.
Dunsmore concluded: “We have brought the Nismo experience to life in every aspect of the watch, including its packaging, which will be made using tyres and rubber from the racetrack. As Nismo is the performance arm of Nissan, we wanted a way of integrating Nismo’s heritage in racing into this futuristic innovation.”
The Nismo Watch will use a lithium battery and will be charged by micro-USB, with a battery life of over seven days under normal usage conditions.
mardi 3 septembre 2013
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