Category: Android Wear

On the official Android blog, Google has announced that they have begun rolling out a new update to Android Wear.  This new 1.3 version for those keeping score is going to be huge with a lot of new interactions and with Google Translate embedded into the release.  What Google has done with it is great and should make it much easier to get help in up to 44 different languages right on your wrist.

How it will work is simple.  You tap on the Google Translate app on you Wear device and speak into it.  When you are done, flick your wrist over and the person you are interacting with can read your question or statement in their own language.  You can do it all on your wrist and there is no need to get your phone from your pocket unless you want spoken translations.

Google has dropped a couple of small updates in the Google Play Store for the Android Wear and Google Messenger apps for Android Phone.  Both updates are in the bug fix and performance improvement categories so don’t look for any new features in either of the releases.  In fact, the updates don’t even update the release notes.

Android Wear, the app that lets you sync up your Android Wear device to your phone, has been bumped to build 1.3.0.2171751 for those keeping score at home.  It builds on the last major update to the app, just last week.  In testing the update this morning with my Moto 360, I’m not seeing any changes in functionality and frankly, it was stable for me before this update so its a bit of a wash.  If however you have been having issues, get this update and see if it addresses them for you.

Android Wear for Android – Free – Download Now

Google Messenger for Android – Free – Download Now

When compared to some of the more advanced activity tracking apps available in the Google Play Store, Google Fit seems pretty basic.  And it is.  While designed to be a hub of all your physical activity, Google Fit has some growing up to do.  Yet there is a simplicity about the app that makes it a joy to use.  It’s not cluttered with endless bar charts or huge amounts of data shoved in your face.  The data’s there, but tucked away so you only focus on the here and now.

I’ve been using Google Fit for the past several weeks as I explore its benefits and its limitations.  There are plenty of both and if Google continues to build on it as they have done over the past few months, it will be a powerful application for you to keep track of your steps, miles walked, runs, swims and other activities along with your weight.  Plus, there are already other apps like Withings and RunKeeper that plug into Google Fit to be that central hub of activity.  And it’s free and with Android Wear support, the future is bright for this app.  But you will need a bit of patience for now.

Google Fit – Free – Download Now

The Android Wear companion app for Android phones has been updated today but it certainly falls in the category of minor update.  The new build, version 1.3.0.2139573 for those keeping score at home, is an update to the 1.3 build that was released a few weeks ago. There are not any new features or functionality to be found in the update but there are certainly tweaks and fixes that should make the app and the updating of your Wear device a bit more reliable.

Android Wear for Android Phone – Free – Download Now

While there are plenty of note taking and task management applications available today, one of the best and leading applications is Evernote.  It’s multi-platform agnostic and you can get to your notes and to-do’s offline as well as online no matter what device you happen to be using.  This now includes your Android Wear device.  Evernote for Android Wear is an extension of your Evernote app on your Android phone and allows you to quickly and easily create notes and to-do’s, and find notes be it your most recent or notes that you have created near the location you happen to be in at the time.  It is also fully integrated with Google Now so you use voice commands to create notes and reminders while on-the-go.  If you are an Evernote user (I have been since 2011) and want to be able to get to notes quickly from your Android Wear device without touching your phone, this is the app for you.

Evernote for Android Wear – Free – Download Now

Microsoft’s continued mobile app development on iOS and Android continues seemingly non-stop and today’s release of Microsoft Translator shows they are both serious about it and really good at it.  Microsoft Translator allows you via typing or speaking, translate between 50 different languages and it comes with out-of-the-box support for Android Wear, something that is not supported in Google Translate.  It also has far smoother audio playing of the translated text than Google Translate, sounding far less “robotic” than Google’s offering.  If you are looking for a translation app, this is one to seriously consider.  It’s free and in my testing of it today has performed flawlessly.

Microsoft Translator for Android – Free – Download Now