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Hi, proud owner of the gear for like 2 days, finding my uses a bit limited so far, so I thought i would list mine, if you list yours! Maybe we can get ideas from each other of how to best use this awesome piece of tech:
1. Notifications (the only one that isn't great is Touchdown for exchange, does normal Samsung exchange email work better - ie show a preview of the email?
2. The time: yup, it is a watch, after all
3. Calendar: : Keeping tabs on what my next meeting is
4. Camera:; For quick snaps to remind me of things, it's ideal
5. Phone:: For seeing who's calling, and rejecting their call usually
Feel like I should start using the pedometer, but i go to the gym every day, and don't walk alot. And definitely feel like there are other uses for this that haven't been thought of/ apps haven't come out yet. I haven't gone the custom ROM route, but I have updated to MK7.
A
1. To look like a geek
2. Notifications
3. Watch
4 Making short calls to find other peoples phones.
5. Checking current weather conditions
1 - time
2 - meeting events
3 - pedometer (hooked into s health)
4 - camera
5 - notificaations
6 - gaming! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAQ3xQnaW18&feature=c4-overview&list=UUZAweAIkRllQ7PjR9SfnNyg
7 - news (using zite)
8 - quick photo notes to Evernote
1. geek
2. girl magnet
3. phone/text
4. watch
5. wrist top flashlight like on the old centurions cartoon.
1. Time
2. Hacking
Not sure if the order is right
1: Notifications. Knowing who emailed me or texted me without picking up my phone is huge.
2: Music control. It works great with the stock music app, and even shows album art on the watch. I can be on the treadmill with my BT headphones and the phone completely hidden away and change songs and volume.
3: Quick pictures.
4: Weather updates.
5: Pedometer.
so what kind of things can you do with real apps, after installing the null rom? i'm really tempted to pick one up if there are any black friday deals
I really wish the #1 feature of the Gear was to tell time. But I find it so frustrating when glancing at my wrist to check the time all I see is a blank screen! C'mon! The wrist flick thing works ok if your hands are free. But at work my hands are always working/holding on something, and flicking of the wrist is not an option. Very hard to consider the Gear a true watch if I can never get it to tell me the time.
1. Notifications
2. Kill/waste time loading ROMs and customizing watch faces
3. Camera
4. Attract nearby geeks within a 25ft radius
5. Time
definitely this would come in handy when weightlifting in the gym
imdbui said:
I really wish the #1 feature of the Gear was to tell time. But I find it so frustrating when glancing at my wrist to check the time all I see is a blank screen! C'mon! The wrist flick thing works ok if your hands are free. But at work my hands are always working/holding on something, and flicking of the wrist is not an option.
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Click to collapse
Agree, and even when I flick my wrist it shows up only 75% of the time... needs to be either more sensitive or always-on (it has an AMOLED screen that shouldn't burn too much battery?)
eurorauser said:
Agree, and even when I flick my wrist it shows up only 75% of the time... needs to be either more sensitive or always-on (it has an AMOLED screen that shouldn't burn too much battery?)
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Click to collapse
YEP! I was able to run Big Digital Clock app and have it running with the display always-on, but the battery on the Gear is tiny, so it does drain it quickly. Also, there is an issue with screen burn-in with the clock always on. Overall, I still wear the Gear over my other watches for the geek factor.. pretty cool to have a tablet on ur wrist that lets u read ur notifications. I'm coming from the original Sony Smart Watch on my PPC, which was a watch #1, then notifier #2.
My List
1. New geek toy to play with
2. Reading notifications while in meetings etc.
3. Taking calls while my hands are full.
4. Snoozing my alarm in the morning so I don't need to roll over and find my phone.
5. Telling the time.
6.Taking quick snaps.
7. Controlling my music for my Bluetooth headphones.
8. Using the wine scanning app
Ok sorry to sound a percy pessimist but here are some little gripes so far.. I'm totally understanding that its still early days yet and software may well be improved over time and also I may well be being dim and not knowing where some settings are etc. If so then please by all means let me know!
* Cradle/dock VERY awkward to attach.
* Does nots seem to have the cool "bypass phone lockscreen if watch is attached" feature which was demo'd in I/O.
* Doesn't seem to be a way to open apps or do anything on the watch if you are not in a position to talk. (other than the list of "example" searches you can see if you don't talk to the watch quick enough.
* I don't seem to be getting vibration notifications
* doesn't seem to be a way of using your own photos for the photos watch face
* doesn't seem to be a way of editing the call reject text messages
* strap is very awkward to put on and for the heart rate monitor you need to have it on pretty tight which is tricky to do one handed with the kind of clasp it has.
* **the movement to wake the watch is a bit hit or miss. it doesnt seem to be just a matter of flicking the wrist or moving up to face.** (this is beginning to be a problem. it is pretty random if it wants to wake up from movement or not. cant work out if it dependant on which watchface or not). i reallllllllllly don't want to have to touch the watch to see notifications etc.
* to even entertain viewing it outside, you have to manually crank the brightness up to max else it is pretty much unreadable. and thats in the UK sunshine!!!
other than that, it seems to be a nice watch.
i feel like i just wasted 180 quid
Sent from my SM-N9005 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
thefunkygibbon said:
Ok sorry to sound a percy pessimist but here are some little gripes so far.. I'm totally understanding that its still early days yet and software may well be improved over time and also I may well be being dim and not knowing where some settings are etc. If so then please by all means let me know!
* Cradle/dock VERY awkward to attach.
* Does nots seem to have the cool "bypass phone lockscreen if watch is attached" feature which was demo'd in I/O.
* Doesn't seem to be a way to open apps or do anything on the watch if you are not in a position to talk. (other than the list of "example" searches you can see if you don't talk to the watch quick enough.
* I don't seem to be getting vibration notifications
* doesn't seem to be a way of using your own photos for the photos watch face
* doesn't seem to be a way of editing the call reject text messages
* strap is very awkward to put on and for the heart rate monitor you need to have it on pretty tight which is tricky to do one handed with the kind of clasp it has.
* **the movement to wake the watch is a bit hit or miss. it doesnt seem to be just a matter of flicking the wrist or moving up to face.** (this is beginning to be a problem. it is pretty random if it wants to wake up from movement or not. cant work out if it dependant on which watchface or not). i reallllllllllly don't want to have to touch the watch to see notifications etc.
* to even entertain viewing it outside, you have to manually crank the brightness up to max else it is pretty much unreadable. and thats in the UK sunshine!!!
other than that, it seems to be a nice watch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The lockscreeen unlock feature relies on Android L, not the watch.
The strap is replaceable. I have 2 Silicone ones from Amazon ready to go.
And this is Google Now on your wrist. Yes it's first generation and has plenty to improve upon. But it's essentially meant to be Google Now on your wrist.
Just be happy you got yours! Haha. I'm refreshing the UPS page like a mad man (had it delivered to work.... But I received the day off. Hahaha)
STILL way way better than that Tiezen BS Samsung tried out... Be positive!!
(Keep in mind I have a gear 1 and love it)
Yep, cradle is annoying
Vibrate is very slight I hardly ever notice it
All apps need to support wear before they can be interacted with (contacts, emails, messages etc if using a non google product)
Strap clasp doesn't feel very secure
love how light it is
has google now integration which so far has been hit and miss 70/30
always on face is cool (except still emits light in dark rooms)
Alix8821 said:
The lockscreeen unlock feature relies on Android L, not the watch.
The strap is replaceable. I have 2 Silicone ones from Amazon ready to go.
And this is Google Now on your wrist. Yes it's first generation and has plenty to improve upon. But it's essentially meant to be Google Now on your wrist.
Just be happy you got yours! Haha. I'm refreshing the UPS page like a mad man (had it delivered to work.... But I received the day off. Hahaha)
STILL way way better than that Tiezen BS Samsung tried out... Be positive!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah i had a feeling it might be a L feature. although its a bit annoying as i had the same feature with my Pebble using an app called Pebble Locker which basically bypassed the requirement for entering a pin etc if the watch was connected to the phone. So its defintely possible without L. hopefully someone will make a quick little app to do that
I will be ordering a metal braclet style strap sometime soon, like i had on my pebble. much more comfortable.
Brendo said:
(Keep in mind I have a gear 1 and love it)
Yep, cradle is annoying
Vibrate is very slight I hardly ever notice it
All apps need to support wear before they can be interacted with (contacts, emails, messages etc if using a non google product)
Strap clasp doesn't feel very secure
love how light it is
has google now integration which so far has been hit and miss 70/30
always on face is cool (except still emits light in dark rooms)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah the vibrate is VERY slight. it took me a while to realize it was doing it. I hope they add an option to change the intensity of the vibration as I'm pretty sure it is capable of a more stronger vibe.
thefunkygibbon said:
yeah i had a feeling it might be a L feature. although its a bit annoying as i had the same feature with my Pebble using an app called Pebble Locker which basically bypassed the requirement for entering a pin etc if the watch was connected to the phone. So its defintely possible without L. hopefully someone will make a quick little app to do that
I will be ordering a metal braclet style strap sometime soon, like i had on my pebble. much more comfortable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed. App will be out soon. I already have 5 exclusive Wear apps ready & waiting. Hahha.
I wish they gave us the nicer strap from Gear 2. Not this BS from Gear Fit... Oh well.
This is a starter watch... Moto 360 & after will only get better & better. As will the software. LOVE that Google is keeping control.
Coming from Gear Neo; initial observations:
1. Watch has more metal and feels more premium
2. Watch strap is larger, will accommodate larger wrists but the clasp is junk compared to the neos.
3. OS is a little overwhelming right now, which I actually think is good. After 30 minutes, I am still cant do much- Iam not concerned with "watch cant do" xxx yet.
4. I have had 2 OS updates in the first hr.
5. Gear Manager seems to be a little more straight forward than Wear Manager but it is too new to make a final call on that
6. Watch is fast! "Okay google, what is the capital of NY?" is recognized and answered immediately.
7. Interface is smooth as silk
I use skiplock to bypass the lock screen. Works with WiFi networks and Bluetooth devices
Sent from my D6503 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
thefunkygibbon said:
Ok sorry to sound a percy pessimist but here are some little gripes so far.. I'm totally understanding that its still early days yet and software may well be improved over time and also I may well be being dim and not knowing where some settings are etc. If so then please by all means let me know!
Here's my opinions after receiving the watch today. See if you have the same thoughts, thefunkygibbon:
I was quite pleased that it is not really big
the set up process was easy enough but took quite a while - I think mainy due to downlaoding a firmware udate
there's quite a learning curve in using this new OS
the watch is a bit useless at the moment because it is constantly disconnecting so it is just a simple watch - I need to find out how to correct this
I noticed the battery on my phone goes down fast when the watch is connected.
It really sucks that there is no auto brightness
the notifications work really well and look great with the picture backgrounds
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can start apps without voice by going to the Google voice prompt then swiping all the way down to Start...
Archon810 said:
You can start apps without voice by going to the Google voice prompt then swiping all the way down to Start...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Feels to me like we are missing a launcher. Voice control is great, but there are times it just won't work and the method above is cumbersome.
Any other negative points? I want to buy a gear live soon...but I rather hear the reviews first. I'm guessing the problems listed all here are going to be on the LG G watch and the Moto 360 since most of the complaints seem to be Android wear related.
Be careful w attaching or taking off charging cradle. Reports show breaking off or breaking piece off phone. Thought mine coming in today but, scheduled for tomorrow.
Ian B
Just a couple quick notes:
- I noticed that I can somewhat bypass the lockscreen. I'm currently on 4.4.4. (S4 - KangaKat) When I have the watch open the app on my phone or perform an action on the phone, I can simply press the home button (or side power button) and I do not have to swipe my pattern.
- Vibration notifications SHOULD be working. There were two system updates that were done when I first connected the watch. Perhaps that's the issue?
- I am able to see that I have a notification without turning on the watch. When I swipe it up, I get more details, which I can then swipe away, so that the next notification with show on the screen. I think this is just a matter of managing the notifications and making sure that you are top of them. Swiping them away & handling them as they come in.
- Yes, outside sucks. Today is pure sunlight, I was having trouble seeing it with a setting of 3. I was able to view it better when I put my hand over it. Not much different from trying to look at portions of my phone's screen in the outdoors with a similar brightness.
All in all, I'm pretty satisfied and I understand that this is first gen. I am hoping that through some proper feedback to google / developers, we start to see some software updates & applications developed that further the watch's capabilities. For now, though the notifications are great....although I wish I could not have it send work emails to the watch. The thing vibrates non-stop.
ElPajaro14 said:
Just a couple quick notes:
- I noticed that I can somewhat bypass the lockscreen. I'm currently on 4.4.4. (S4 - KangaKat) When I have the watch open the app on my phone or perform an action on the phone, I can simply press the home button (or side power button) and I do not have to swipe my pattern.
- Vibration notifications SHOULD be working. There were two system updates that were done when I first connected the watch. Perhaps that's the issue?
- I am able to see that I have a notification without turning on the watch. When I swipe it up, I get more details, which I can then swipe away, so that the next notification with show on the screen. I think this is just a matter of managing the notifications and making sure that you are top of them. Swiping them away & handling them as they come in.
- Yes, outside sucks. Today is pure sunlight, I was having trouble seeing it with a setting of 3. I was able to view it better when I put my hand over it. Not much different from trying to look at portions of my phone's screen in the outdoors with a similar brightness.
All in all, I'm pretty satisfied and I understand that this is first gen. I am hoping that through some proper feedback to google / developers, we start to see some software updates & applications developed that further the watch's capabilities. For now, though the notifications are great....although I wish I could not have it send work emails to the watch. The thing vibrates non-stop.
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Click to collapse
can't you blacklist apps? or do you use the same app for work and personal email?
adiliyo said:
can't you blacklist apps? or do you use the same app for work and personal email?
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Click to collapse
I have not seen yet that you can blacklist apps. Since it uses native notifications, the only way I can see to prevent this would be to disable email notifications altogether Not something I want to do. I will either just have to have the notification sit there and disappear as I check my emails / dismiss the notification. Hopefully, there are some changes in the future on this.
ElPajaro14 said:
I have not seen yet that you can blacklist apps. Since it uses native notifications, the only way I can see to prevent this would be to disable email notifications altogether Not something I want to do. I will either just have to have the notification sit there and disappear as I check my emails / dismiss the notification. Hopefully, there are some changes in the future on this.
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Click to collapse
i thought i read somewhere you could blacklist apps though the wear manager app
here you go #7 on that list
http://www.androidcentral.com/first...e-today-here-are-10-more-things-you-need-know
I'm the wear manager you can blacklist apps.
adiliyo said:
i thought i read somewhere you could blacklist apps though the wear manager app
here you go #7 on that list
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Click to collapse
You are correct. I missed that completely. I have muted my email application, let's hope tomorrow is a little more quiet. Thanks for pointing that out!
I am new to Android Wear and the Gear Live. I am comming from the pebble. I absolutely love my pebble with its simplicity and doing things without fail that I need out of a smartwatch. One of those things was right on my watch face I put together was of course the usual, time, date but then I have icons for watch battery and phone battery in the top right corner and along the mid right section I have 3 icons 1 was a mail icon then a number to show how many unread gmails i had, then a phone icon with number of missed calls, then a message bubble with number of sms's i had waiting. then alond the bottom 2 lines of the watchface I had my next appointment listed with date and timeon the top then description on the very bottom line. Is this something possible with the gear live? I know the cards come in and block the bottom of the screen and thats fine I just want kind of a glance information screen.
I dont have a picture of the exact watchface i built on my pebble but this one is one i used prior to building my other one and even something like this would be very helpful to me.
Download watchmaker app from the playstore. Install it. Then go to facerepo.com and look for watch faces for gear live.
You can always make your own watch face with watchmaker but I would suggest going pro if you intend to do so
I am new to Android Wear and the Gear Live. I am comming from the pebble. I absolutely love my pebble with its simplicity and doing things without fail that I need out of a smartwatch. One of those things was right on my watch face I put together was of course the usual, time, date but then I have icons for watch battery and phone battery in the top right corner and along the mid right section I have 3 icons 1 was a mail icon then a number to show how many unread gmails i had, then a phone icon with number of missed calls, then a message bubble with number of sms's i had waiting. then alond the bottom 2 lines of the watchface I had my next appointment listed with date and timeon the top then description on the very bottom line. Is this something possible with the gear live? I know the cards come in and block the bottom of the screen and thats fine I just want kind of a glance information screen.
I dont have a picture of the exact watchface i built on my pebble but this one is one i used prior to building my other one and even something like this would be very helpful to me.
https://plus.google.com/113174784868717359202/posts/AwYoDzTQYX5
Search for watch maker in the play store. If link to it but the play store is acting up for me right now. Think it was a dollar or two and you can make your own watch faces and go to facerpo.com to download tons of faces that you can edit and change to your taste
gunkle said:
Search for watch maker in the play store. If link to it but the play store is acting up for me right now. Think it was a dollar or two and you can make your own watch faces and go to facerpo.com to download tons of faces that you can edit and change to your taste
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for the direction!
For 0.99 i got pretty much what I needed, thank you. all thats left is to figure out the way to add the notification counts for phone, sms and gmail on the watch face and i am sorted but having daily agenda is the biggest one.
I got myself this cover:
http://www.sonymobile.com/global-en/products/accessories/style-cover-window-scr42/
i now I cannot seem to find a widget or an app of some sort that would allow to call at least my favourite contacts (if the whole phone book is a problem) with the cover closed. There is an app for the clock, calendar, music, but no contacts? Am I missing it, is there a third party app? It is somewhat annoying to open the cover just to make a call.
Never heard about such, but this would be good for me too. On other hand almost used to open cover for calls.
I didn't even consider that it would not be available. It's the main Phone function. And usually nobody needs a 5 inch screen to make a call. On the other hand my mums S6 has this and am even more frustrated. Hopefully somebody will soon come up with something.
I've got the SCR42. I agree that the speed dial widget would be a great idea. However, I I don't think it would work because the widget system with this cover seems rather pointless to me. If you try to tap on any of the widgets it tells you to open the cover anyway to get to the app, so even if there was a speed-dial widget you would have to touch it and then open the cover to unlock and then it would take you to speed dial.
I assume that this is for security reasons but makes the SCR42 widget idea rather pointless.
Not True. Camera works. Also it is not impossible to make calls with cover closed. My car Bluetooth does it all the time.
Those with the src-42 have issues when answering with the cover closed? The "Swype to hang" button on screen keeps going forwards and backwards bleeping as well. Should not the screen go off straight away when nearing it to the ear?