Monday, March 10, 2014

Google to release Android-based SDK for wearable devices end of March

Juan Carlos Torres

It might not be the Google smartwatch revelation that some might have been waiting for, but it might be the next best thing. Google SVP Sundar Pichai announced at SxSW that the company will be making available in two weeks a sofware development kit (SDK) based on Android that manufacturers and developers can use for their next hit smart something.

The description of the SDK is pretty generic and pretty vague. All Pichai says about it at this point is that it will help developers to take a couple of sensor data and combine them into something more usable. If that sounds like it could cover a wide range of sensors, applications, and devices, it is precisely because Google isn't limiting its vision to smart glasses and smartwatches alone.

The wearable device market is still in its infancy and there is still a lot of room for innovation. We have seen some of those at work, like contact lenses that assist diabetics monitor their sugar levels, shirts that help athletes keep track of their heart rates, or even clothing and accessories that alert parents to their baby's needs. None of these are devices you strap to your wrist or put on your head.

Google will be leaving it up to other parties to think of the use cases the SDK will be applied to. There is, however, still some lingering questions whether Google will be eating its own SDK dogfood for its rummored smartwatch or if it will use a slightly different software based on Google Now, as some rumors put it.

VIA: Re/code



source: androidcommunity

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