smartwatch

Consumers eyeing an Apple iWatch could see one on their wrist sometime in the second half of the year.

Apple is expected to give the signal to the supply chain this month to start cooking up components for the much-rumored iWatch, says Citi's Glen Yeung. With parts suppliers ready to kick off production, the analyst sees a second-half launch as "increasingly likely" for Apple's high-tech watch.

"We believe iWatch is in a greater state of readiness, with the supply chain now waiting for the production go-ahead from Apple," Yeung said in an investors note … Read more

E-Ink sees a big future in small displays.

Perhaps best known for making the display for Amazon's Kindle e-reader, E-Ink is hoping to capitalize on the growing hubbub around smartwatches with an addition Monday to its Mobius line of electronic paper displays that measures 1.73 inches. The Mobius flexible display is based on thin film transistor (TFT) technology developed by Sony.

The screen, which supports a resolution of 320x240 pixels with 16 gray-scale levels, is touted as lightweight and rugged, making it ideal for use in smartwatches. The new screen will make its debut in the Sonostar Smartwatch, … Read more

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In you-knew-that-would-happen news, an adult app store called MiKandi is building apps for Google Glass. A robot refills your beer glass when you're ready for another round. And "Arrested Development" is proving popular, especially with pirates. All that and more on this week's Crave extravanganza. … Read more

From Google Glass to the Pebble smartwatch, wearable tech is where it's at. The curved-screen EmoPulse Smile is a smartphone, smartwatch, and digital companion wrapped into one chunky wrist bracelet. It will be interesting to see if it can successfully get off the ground thanks to an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign.

There's no Android versus iOS battle here. The Smile actually runs on Linux. That may put it at a disadvantage as far as app stores go, but it does give EmoPulse leeway to develop a custom system to try to carry out some ambitious features. The company is working on creating a device that learns what movies you like, monitors your sleep, and interacts with you with a personality meant to out-Siri Siri.… Read more

LAS VEGAS -- Just when you thought you'd seen all the smartwatch contenders, enter the Sonostar Smartwatch. I spotted this wrist-strapped number tucked away in a far-flung hall here at CTIA 2013.

Like many of its ilk within the emerging smart-timepiece category, such as the Pebble, MetaWatch, and Martian Passport, the Sonostar device promises to link to phones and give access to handy info. I have to put a heavy emphasis on the word promise since the gadgets I placed my hands on were all nonfunctioning prototypes.

Still, the Sonostar reps I chatted with swear that the gizmo links … Read more

Apple may be checking out displays for its much-rumored smartwatch.

The company has reportedly been examining 1.5-inch OLED screens built by Ritek subsidiary RiTdisplay, a Taiwan-based manufacturer of display panels, according to Taiwanese news source Economic Times. Apple reportedly was initially eyeing a 1.8-inch display but felt that was too large and switched to a 1.5-inch size.

CNET contacted Apple for comment and will update the story if the company responds.

RitFast, a joint venture between Ritek and Taiwan's YoungFast, would supply the touch technology for the so-called iWatch, the Economic Times added.

Another story from … Read more

The Pebble smartwatch certainly took its sweet time getting off the ground, but today the people who created Pebble say they have enhanced its application capabilities. Now able to talk in detail between phone and watch, Pebble apps promise true two-way communication. … Read more

The Google I/O keynote for 2013 is here and gone, but not without a fight; at nearly 4 hours, it was enough to challenge even the most rapt attention span.

Yet, Google I/O's central keynote event had precious little of the things we dreamed of and even downright expected. Instead, all most of us can seem to discuss is what we didn't get. Well, for starters:

No new Android OS: Despite a preshow rumor that Android Jelly Bean 4.3 would be unveiled, there wasn't any news. No Android 5.0, not even Android 4.… Read more