Google confirms Android Wear will support custom watch faces

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/07/17/google-android-wear-custom-watch-faces/

Since its beginnings, the Android platform has been known for being heavily customizable. As such, it's not exactly a surprise to hear Google say its new smartwatch ecosystem, Android Wear, is due to support watch faces from third-party developers. However, having actual confirmation makes for perfect peace of mind. In a Google+ post, Android's VP of Design Matias Duarte affirmed this would be the case, stating that the Wear team is already working on a custom watch face API. "Customization has helped Android thrive, and the same will be true for Android Wear," he wrote. The incoming API will make it "as simple as possible" for devs to make all-around great watch faces, ones which can look good, not drain a battery and blend well with the watches card-based UI. Duarte said "some" of these things won't be available until later this year, but that they are, without a doubt, on their way. So, don't worry, soon enough you'll have better choices to deck out that fancy, smart tick-tock wearabl! e of yours.

Filed under: Misc, Peripherals, Wearables, Google

Comments

Via: Android Police

Source: Matias Duarte (Google+)

Read More...

Summary only...

Text your friends even when you don't have service

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/07/17/text-your-friends-even-when-you-dont-have-service/

Ever needed to send a message to a friend from the boonies? A company called goTenna has just launched a device that connects to your phone via Bluetooth and turns it into a low-frequency radio with a range of several miles (up to 50 miles). Using an iOS or Android app, that'll let you text or share GPS locations (no voice calls) over an unlimited, free ad hoc network with other goTenna users. The team behind it says that everything is encoded, and the app will automatically retry until your message goes through -- in case you're hiking in difficult terrain, for instance. The company's planning on selling a limited number for $150 per pair on its site to raise $50,000 in funding -- after that, it'll run $300.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

Comments

Source: goTenna

Read More...

Summary only...

NVIDIA's Shield tablet leaks with Tegra Note styling

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/07/17/nvidias-shield-tablet-leaks-with-tegra-note-styling/

We've been hearing rumblings about NVIDIA's slate-style Shield successor, and now we have a face to go with the info. Thanks to noted leaker @evleaks, we're given a glimpse of the gaming tablet's front side. From the looks of it, speakers line the top and bottom (or left and right in landscape) of the display with what appears to be a front-facing camera as well. All told, the gunmetal gray color scheme drapes a design that resembles last year's Tegra Note. As far as internals go, previous rumblings point to 7.9-inch screen with 2GB of RAM and a quad-core Tegra K1 CPU, complete with Unreal Engine 4 abilities. What remains to be see is if that controller we got a peek at a while back is an accessory to wrangle traditional controls or if the new NVIDIA slate will also double as a home console for PC title streaming. We shouldn't' have to wait long for a proper introduction though, as the company has already hinted that the official reveal will happen before the end of 2014.

Filed under: Gaming, Tablets, NVIDIA

Comments

Source: @evleaks

Read More...

Summary only...

A Robot Swarm descends on NYC's Museum of Math

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/07/17/a-robot-swarm-descends-on-nycs-museum-of-math/

Roboticist-in-residence James McLurkin offered an advanced preview of his Robot Swarm at NYC's Museum of Mathematics this week. The presentation detailed the background and programming concepts of these sensor- and speaker-laden bots -- which have a habit of spitting out 8-bit-style tunes while they work. The digital creatures exhibit group behaviors much like ants and bees, working together to map out their surroundings and communicating with each other -- and there's a definite hierarchy to their organization. The Robot Swarm exhibit will be open to the public when it's completed later this year and will be displayed beneath a transparent floor so you can watch the action happen from your own god-like perspective. Head on down to the gallery for a closer look at how the Robot Swarm will organize itself when robopocalypse finally arrives.

Filed under: Science

Comments

Read More...

Summary only...

Amazon testing Netflix-style subscription service for e-books

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/07/16/amazon-kindle-unlimited/

Ever heard of Kindle Unlimited? Us either, at least not until now. Originally spotted by kboards, a forum site that welcomes Kindle chatter, this previously unknown service appears to be an upcoming all-you-can-read subscription service from Amazon. For $9.99 monthly, as described by the image above, Kindle Unlimited is said to offer access to more than 600,000 books and "thousands" of audiobooks. Not surprisingly, that healthy digital library doesn't appear to include any of the major US publishers (Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Penguin Random House and Simon & Shuster) -- something e-book subscription service Scribd is very familiar with, since it only carries titles from one of the "Big 5." Amazon has yet to announce Kindle Unlimited, but after seeing these ads slip through the cracks, we can safely say it's only a matter of time before it becomes official.

Filed under: Internet, Amazon

Comments

Source: Kindle Boards, Gigaom

Read More...

Summary only...