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androidwear14_moto360_main

Google announced several new features in the latest Android Wear update for smartwatches. While Google'southward Android weblog mail service doesn't specifically identify the release number, other Google sources have verified the update is Android OS vi.0 and Android Clothing 1.4. In comparison, the showtime-generation Moto 360 watch I apply currently runs Android Bone 5.1.ane and Android Clothing 1.3.0.

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The first set of new features are new navigation gestures, which are documented in an Android Wearable Assistance page. The commencement of iii new gestures is "take activeness on a card," which lets you select options in a carte du jour or go back to a previous screen. The instructions for this gesture are:

Agree your arm in front of you and quickly push downwardly, and bring it back normally to the original position.

Pushing down on a carte du jour will have you to that card's starting time action. Pushing down a second time volition select that first action, which is the near mutual action. In that location is non a manner to select or perform an action after the kickoff action using solely gestures. Yous go dorsum by performing the gesture in contrary.

The 2d set of new gestures lets you open the apps carte du jour and pull down settings from the watch face. Opening the apps menu is done by holding your arm in front of you and quickly pushing downwardly, and then bringing information technology back usually to the original position. Pulling downwardly settings is done past slowly turning your wrist away from you then speedily flicking dorsum towards yous.

The third new gesture lets you get dorsum to the watch face by property your arm in forepart of you and shaking your wrist out and in apace a couple of times.

The 2nd new feature is the ability to send messages to Google Hangouts, Nextplus, Telegram, Viber, WeChat, and WhatsApp by speaking to an Android Wear wristwatch.

The third and last new feature is potentially the nearly useful, only it's express to Android Habiliment watches that have a built-in speaker. Google notes that ii currently available watches have speakers: The Huawei Sentry and the ASUS ZenWatch 2 (49mm). With the update, you can make phone calls and heed to messages right from the watch, as long every bit it has a speaker. (The LG Watch Urbane 2nd Edition LTE was the first Android Wear scout to include a speaker.)

The announcement says the update volition become available on the various Android Wear smartwatch models over the next few weeks. If you are considering developing an Android Wear watch app, read Google's official API 23 SDK documentation.