TAG Heuer teams up with Intel and Google to build their first real smartwatch [UPDATE]

High-end watchmaker TAG Heuer is building a smartwatch, but they can’t do it on their own. The watch is said to be officially revealed tomorrow, with CEO Jean-Claude Biver telling Bloomberg in an interview that the Swiss company had to rely on key partnerships inside Silicon Valley to help build the smartwatch, as Switzerland was lacking the necessary tech know-how.

Exactly who are these partners? According to Reuters, Intel has already signed on to supply the processor, while Pocketlint is reporting that Google is also onboard, who we guess will likely provide the OS. That means, we could be looking at a luxury Android Wear smartwatch to compete with the Apple Watch.

Biver notes that while the internal components and OS will be American, the rest of the watch (casing, dial, crown, and design) is all Swiss. The watch will be a near replica of their current black Carrera watch, which retails for around ,000 depending on the exact model. Needless to say, we don’t expect this new smartwatch will come cheap.

We expect to learn more tomorrow when the new smartwatch is officially unveiled.

 UPDATE: Annnnnnnd… it’s official.

Pick up a Nexus 6, 9, or Android Wear smartwatch and get $50 Google Play credit for a limited time

It’s not the price drop we were hoping for (not unless you plan on grabbing the Sony SmartWatch 3), but we’ll take it none the less. Starting today, you can get in Google Play credit when purchasing a Nexus 6, Nexus 9, or any Android Wear smartwatch from the all new Google Store. The credit is good for any and all digital content in the Play Store — not hardware.

Once one of the eligible devices has been ordered, you’ll receive an email with a promo code once it actually ships out. Google says the promo code in your email does expire, so you’ll only have until April 20th to redeem it. Even then, once redeemed, you’ll only have until September to go on a Play Store binge, so hopefully you’ve already built up a healthy wishlist of apps/games/music/movies or whatever your heart fancies on Google Play.

Deal ends on March 31st, so if you’ve been thinking about picking up one of these devices, you’ll have to act fast. Oh, and if you get the Sony SmartWatch 3, it’s currently off + Google Play credit. Not a bad deal at all.

[Google Store: Nexus 6 | Nexus 9 | Android Wear smartwatches]

Google Keep is now a full featured app on your Android Wear smartwatch thanks to latest update

Making that monthly shopping trip to Walmart is never easy task. If you’re anything like me, you probably cruise about the aisles phone in hand, narrowly avoiding pedestrians with your cart (or occasionally bumping their heels). Today, Google is making those trips a little easier, with new and improved Keep notes now available on your Android Wear device.

Now, we’ve been able to add Keep notes for quite some time using the “Ok Google, take a note” command, but this allows you view all your notes straight from your wrist with a fresh new UI. Simply say “Ok Google, open Keep” and the app will pop up right on your smartwatch (or you can open from the app list). From here you can view all your notes, archive, add list items, or even add a reoccurring reminders. But until the latest Android Wear update arrives — which allows for always-on apps — you’ll have to keep opening the app every time the screen turns off. Not. Fun.

To get started, simply update the Keep app from the Google Play Store. Link provided below.

Download on Google Play: Google Keep

I spent a week without Android Wear or how I turned into a savage without my smartwatch

I’ve been living like a savage barbarian the past week and I don’t like it one bit. In fact, my life has been inconvenienced more times than not, it’s been filled with various frustrations, and from time to time certain tasks that were once simple have been much harder.

Next month will mark twelve months since the launch of Android Wear and I’ve worn either my LG G Watch or my Moto 360 every day since the Google I/O 2014 launch. I’ve spent the past week without my Android Wear powered Moto 360 smartwatch and I can’t wait to get home and get it fixed.

You see, while traveling to China to attend the OPPO R7 and R7 Plus launch event, my Moto 360 got snagged on a cramped bus aisle seat and was roughly ripped off of my wrist. The accompanying strap pin went flying off into the unknown and I was left without a wrist computer for the first time in nearly a year.

Smartwatches are not for everyone. They’re accessories. Just like how not everyone needs a smartphone case, not everyone needs to wear a bracelet, not everyone needs a traditional watch, and not everyone needs a smartwatch. But that doesn’t mean that each of those items do not serve a purpose in one way or another.

Smartwatches are all about convenience and how I personally use Android Wear reflects that as notifications, Google Now, and Smart Lock are my three main use cases.

Managing notifications on your wrist is a godsend if your pocket is constantly buzzing with updates and notifications from your smartphone. While it’s not generally a big deal to pull out your phone a few times a day, this can become quite annoying and repetitive if you’re an avid smartphone user. Having this simple, yet extremely powerful capability removed from your life just plain sucks. Glancing at your wrist for a second or two is much more convenient than pulling your smartphone out of your pocket and interacting with it for a longer period of time. Think about how many minutes a day you waste just pulling a phone out of your pocket. Also, sometimes you just can’t get into your pocket because your hands are full or you’re in a meeting and anything beyond a quick glance would be considered rude, it happens.

Next on the smartwatch added convenience factor is Smart Lock and trusted Bluetooth devices. Smart Lock for Android Lollipop allows you to conveniently unlock your smartphone if a trusted device is connected or you’re in a trusted location, etc. With Smart Lock enabled, you won’t have to constantly unlock your phone if one of the security criterias are met. I like to use my Moto 360 as my trusted Bluetooth device. If my Moto 360 is powered on, then it’s on my wrist and that means my smartphone won’t prompt me for a PIN, password, or pattern each and every time I go to use it. It’s extremely convenient and a time saver.

Do you know how annoying it is to get hundreds of notifications per day and have pull your phone out of your pocket and unlock it each and every time? Sure, queue the first world problems meme, but the struggle is real.

Google’s contextual service, Google Now, is the last on my list of hardships I’ve gone through the past week. Google Now is an extremely powerful tool, giving you just the information you need, when it’s convenient. In fact, I’d argue some of the most powerful and useful features of Google Now don’t shine until you’re traveling. Having your boarding pass show up on your wrist when you arrive at the airport, having hotel information pop up on your check-in date, showcasing local restaurants, or even just the temperature, all of these just pop up with very little effort on your part. I really missed those things the past week. Though, in my case, most of them wouldn’t have worked anyways, because Google Services in China are worthless thanks to the Great Firewall of China blocking the Googs, but I’ll leave that to a future article.

Even as I type this now in the Chicago O’Hare International Airport, I hear my Nexus 6 vibrating in my backpack as it’s charging with a power bank. I can’t look at my wrist to see what’s going on and it’s driving me mad.

There’s no doubt in my mind that smartwatches are going to take off in the next year or two. Wearable tech is still fairly new, but once you give it a try, the convenience factor will win you over and you won’t want to go back to your savage, phone checking life.

Do you use Android Wear or another smartwatch? If so, have you gone an extended time without it? Let me know in the comments.

Samsung’s Gear SDK reveals new details about Gear A smartwatch, shows rotating bezel and slick UI

A few weeks back Samsung confirmed round smartwatch rumors when they revealed their upcoming Gear SDK for developers that showed a variety of round smartwatch faces and apps. Today, the folks at SamMobile were able to dive into said SDK and managed to dig up a few details on Project Orbis, which could officially launch as the Samsung Gear A later this year.

The most interesting hardware feature is the inclusion of a rotating bezel that can be used to navigate the watch’s Tizen-based software. Samsung’s answer to the Apple Watch’s Digital Crown, the secondary form of input can be used for app specific actions, zooming in and out of images, to change the volume, or simply to navigate between screens. Initially it sounded odd, but now we’re getting a better picture of how useful this feature could be when used properly.

The Gear A will also feature a round 360 x 360 resolution display and appears to be using a fair amount of aluminum in its housing. A handful of sensors were also revealed and include the standard accelerometer, gyrosensor, heart-rate monitor, pressure sensor, and magnetic sensors. Wi-Fi, GPS, and a cellular radio were also on board, but absent was a camera and ambient light sensor.

The all new 100% more round Samsung Gear A is expected to be officially unveiled alongside the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 later this year. Although not an Android device, it still looks to be an interesting entry into the smartwatch category.

Huawei Honor Band Zero is a minimalistic circular smartwatch

Huawei is teasing a new smart watch today. It’s being called the Huawei Honor Band Zero, with that name being chosen thanks to its minimalistic design. It’s a circular smart watch that seemingly doesn’t have any buttons, and appears to boast a steel chassis.

And that’s about all we know so far. Huawei hasn’t issued any press releases or dished out any additional info, so we’re only left to our guesses. Our first guess is that this could be a souped up fitness wearable, as the watch shares the same “Band” moniker used for the Huawei Talk Band B1 or B2. Whether it’ll use Android Wear for those fitness needs is up for date, as Huawei could just as easily use their own custom platform such as the one featured in the aforementioned TalkBand devices.

We also imagine it isn’t going to be some game changing smart watch, so we’ll expect industry-standard specs such as the Snapdragon 410 found inside the more classic design of the Huawei Watch.

It does look like a decent design for those who prefer this style, though, so if this is something more your taste then be sure to keep an eye out for more!

[via Twitter]