LG has a new watch on the way and this one’s apparently analog. Wait! Don’t go! It’s also digital, with both a Wear OS-powered screen and mechanical hands.

The upshot is you should be able to get full smartwatch functionality and, when the battery inevitably dies, still know what time it is.

We’ve also heard rumors about some of the other specs and features, all of which you’ll find below, along with information on the likely-imminent release date. Plus, we’ve come up with a list of all the things we want from LG’s upcoming wearable.

Cut to the chase

• What is it? LG’s next smartwatch
• When is it out? Probably very soon
• What will it cost? Maybe around $300 / £300 / AU$400

LG Watch Timepiece release date and price

Although we’ve only recently started hearing rumors about the LG Watch Timepiece it’s likely that the watch is landing soon.

For one thing, LG’s last Wear OS devices (the LG Watch Style and LG Watch Sport) both landed over a year ago, so we’re due a new one. Also, it was rumored that the LG Watch Timepiece would launch on April 30. That, of course, didn’t happen, but if there was any truth to that rumor it suggests that the wearable is coming very soon.

As for exactly when, we’re not sure, but Google IO 2018 is a possibility and that kicks off on May 8.

We have less idea about the price, but based on the rumored specs and features it might land somewhere between the LG Watch style, which launched at $249/£229, and the LG Watch Sport, which started at $349, so perhaps the LG Watch Timepiece will be roughly $300/£300 (around AU$400)?

LG Watch Timepiece news and rumors

There’s only one real LG Watch Timepiece leak so far, but it’s a big one, detailing most of the specs and features.

According to Android Headlines, the Timepiece will run Wear OS, but as well as a screen it will have mechanical hands. That will allow it to keep telling the time for much longer between charges, with its apparently 240mAh battery said to keep the clock ticking for up to 100 days in its most basic time-telling mode, apparently dubbed ‘Watch Mode’.

Use the LG Watch Timepiece as a proper smartwatch and it can still supposedly keep telling the time for up to 100 hours once its main battery has died.

We’ve seen a similar combination of real hands and a smartwatch display on the MyKronoz ZeTime, but it’s interesting to see a big brand like LG embracing the idea of fusing the two technologies.

The same source says that the LG Watch Timepiece will have a 1.2-inch 360 x 360 screen, a Snapdragon Wear 2100 chipset, 768MB of RAM, 4GB of storage and dimensions of 45.5 x 45.4 x 12.9mm, and will be available in New Aurora Black and Cloud Silver. All of which is a fairly standard assortment of specs for a Wear OS device.

In fact, it sounds very similar to the LG Watch Style from a specs perspective, but with 50% more RAM and a thicker build. Like its stylish predecessor, the LG Watch Timepiece will also apparently lack GPS and NFC though.

What we want to see

The LG Watch Timepiece might be landing soon, and when it does we hope it has the following features.

1. Decent battery life

One of the biggest problems with smartwatches in general and with the LG Watch Style specifically is battery life, and we mention the Style because the LG Watch Timepiece is rumored to have a battery of the same size. That’s a worry.

While we may be able to keep using it as a watch for far longer, thanks to the rumored mechanical hands, we really want to get more than a day’s use out of the smartwatch functions, so hopefully that will be possible here.

2. GPS and NFC

Rumors suggest the LG Watch Timepiece won’t have GPS or NFC, but we hope they’re wrong, as without them its ‘smart’ functionality will be limited.

NFC is needed for contactless payments, while GPS is necessary to track runs and other excursions. Sure, you can use your phone for both, but that can be less convenient and means having to carry your phone with you even when you’re out on a jog.

3. A stylish design

One thing we don’t know much about yet is the design of the LG Watch Timepiece, though the rumored dimensions of 45.5 x 45.4 x 12.9mm put its size somewhere between the LG Watch Style and LG Watch Sport.

That’s acceptable, even impressive given that the company is apparently squeezing mechanical hands in there too, but hopefully it looks and feels stylish and expensive. With mechanical hands this could almost pass for an analog watch and we don’t want it to look like a cheap one.

4. Full waterproofing

The LG Watch Style has IP67 certification and the LG Watch Sport has it beat with IP68 certification, but neither of them are really designed to be taken swimming, which is what we want from the LG Watch Timepiece – especially if it also has the tools to track us while we’re in the pool.

Given that it’s rumored to lack GPS and NFC we doubt we’ll get this, as it’s probably going to be a fairly basic smartwatch, but we live in hope.

5. Standout features

A major problem faced by Wear OS devices is the lack of a standout feature. Many of them are very similar and arguably few if any are anywhere near essential – rather, they’re luxury items that can add a little convenience to your life.

What we’d really like is for the LG Watch Timepiece to truly justify its existence. If it has mechanical hands as rumored that could be a big step in the right direction, and certainly help it stand out from most Wear OS watches, but ultimately all that would do is make it a match for a conventional watch (with smart features on top), so we’d like to see something more from it.

http://www.techradar.com/news/lg-watch-timepiece

Sharp-eyed Google watchers have noticed a rather interesting development over at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the US – specifically that Google has registered a new Chromecast device with Bluetooth support.

Now before you start dreaming about using Bluetooth headphones with your Chromecast or maybe beaming audio in the other direction, we don’t know anything about this new dongle yet. It’s not particularly clear what Google is planning with this Bluetooth support, and it’s made no official announcement yet.

What is clear is that this is a new Chromecast – existing devices won’t get Bluetooth support, so Google must be intending to show off something new soon. That said, it looks like an upgraded version of the second-gen Chromecast, not the Chromecast Ultra.

All eyes on I/O

It’s even possible that the updated Chromecast is going to work with Bluetooth keyboards and gamepads, but at the moment this is all just speculation. For an FCC filing to be registered, though, this is a device that’s quite far down the road to a launch.

When will we get more details? As it so happens, Google has a big developer conference happening next week in the shape of Google I/O 2018. The company likes to show off new hardware devices and software updates at I/O each year, so it’s possible that we’ll get information about a Bluetooth Chromecast then.

In the meantime, maybe hold off on a Chromecast purchase if you’re thinking about getting one in the next few weeks – it’s likely that an improved version of the dongle is launching in the near future.

Via 9to5Google

http://www.techradar.com/news/google-is-planning-to-add-bluetooth-to-a-new-chromecast-dongle

Despite the fact that we live in an increasingly digital world, many organizations still print out important documents on paper – whether it be a letter, contract, bank statement, invoice, receipt or educational handout. At the same time, these are usually sent out via the post and end up in your letterbox. 

One of the main reasons companies rely heavily on paper is because they understand that there are still people who don’t have access to the internet. But this is only a minority of folks, with estimates suggesting that just 10% of British homes and 11% of American homes aren’t connected to the internet.

Receiving bank statements, retail invoices and important notices through the post may seem redundant when you can access most of this information online, although you can’t shy away from the fact that paper still dominates society. Unfortunately, managing so many letters isn’t exactly easy. Most of us end up misplacing important documents. 

But technology, as it often does, can save the day in the form of document scanning apps. With these, it’s possible to scan paper-based items such as letters, receipts and contracts using the camera of your mobile device. You can then keep them safe and stored on the cloud for future use. The other benefit of this sort of software is that it lets you send documents quickly. Here are the best document scanning solutions out there right now.   

1. Dropbox Business

With around 500 million users around the world, Dropbox is clearly one of the most popular file sharing and cloud computing tools on the market. And it also offers a nifty, mobile-based feature for scanning documents, which is capable of capturing text, multi-page documents and photos. 

Dropbox’s scanning capability works across Android and iOS devices, giving you the ability to transfer important documents to save virtually on the cloud in a quick and easy manner. However, there are a few limitations. The feature only works with typed documents written in English at present, and there’s no support for PDF files.

At any rate, Dropbox Business is a great way to store and organize sensitive company documents. With, you’re able to recover and restore misplaced files, create and share content with colleagues, access files from any device, get feedback on work, protect files with passwords and other security features, and control who can access certain documents.   

The standard edition costs £10 ($13.50) a month per user, providing 2TB of cloud storage, 120 days of file recovery, 256-bit AES and SSL/TLS encryption, smart sync, Office 365 integration, admin console access, remote device wipe and a range of collaboration tools. However, there is a 30-day free trial available. 

2. Abby FineScanner

If you’re looking for something a little more advanced, it’s worth checking out Abby’s FineScanner. The software not only lets you turn scanned documents into PDF and JPEG files, but it also uses optical character recognition to scan texts in 193 languages from around the globe.    

Compatible with Android and iOS, the app lets you scan both printed and handwritten texts straight from your mobile device. There’s not only support for nearly 200 languages, but FineScanner also works with 12 file formats, including DOCX, PDF and TXT. The great thing about the app is that it preserves original document formatting.   

What’s more, you can access a set of easy-to-use annotation tools to add signatures and notes to text. And the iOS version of the software sports a feature called BookScan, which lets you digitize books with ease. It turns facing book pages into separate images, removing any defects and removing curves. 

 Once you’ve made a scan, you can share it with anyone over email or save it to cloud storages such as Dropbox, Evernote and iCloud Drive. Currently, FineScanner is free to download on Android and iOS devices, but it offers in-app purchases if you’d like to get more storage and capabilities.   

3. Genius Scan

Genius Scan is yet another highly popular mobile scanning app, with its developers claiming that the software has digitized more than half a billion documents worldwide. Described as “a scanner in your pocket”, it lets you turn paper-based documents into JPEG and PDF files.   

Headline features include smart page detection, perspective correction and image enhancement. And with patch scanning, you can create digital copies of dozens of pages within seconds. The app also enhances the legibility of documents, ensuring they’re readable, and you can keep your files organized with titles, tags and a search function. 

Just like FineScanner, you can upload scanned documents to a range of cloud storage platforms, including Dropbox, Evernote, Expensify, Facebook, Google Drive, OneDrive (and OneDrive for Business), OneNote (and OneNote for Business), FTP, SugarSync and WebDAV. If you’re scanning sensitive documents, you can protect them with built-in encryption, passwords and Touch ID. It’s free to download on Android and iOS, but offers in-app purchases.   

4. Scanbot

Scanbot is positioned as an easy and fast way to create high-quality scans on iPhone, iPad and Android devices. According to the developers behind the app, it is capable of making “hundreds of decisions to capture the document perfectly, crop the document, straighten it and apply the filter”. 

With the software, you can scan documents, receipts, sketchbooks, whiteboards, business cards, labels, QR codes and barcodes. Once you’ve scanned an item, you can choose from five color modes to make it look perfect. There are also tools to crop and optimize scanned documents, all of which are automatically captured with 200+ dpi.   

You’re able to save documents as PDR or JPD files, and you can upload these to a range of major cloud services. The software supports iCloud, Google Drive, Dropbox, Evernote, Amazon Drive, Slack, Todolist, OneDrive, OneNote and Box.

If you plan on using Scanbot for business purposes, you can easily fax documents directly from your mobile device in 50 supported countries. As is the case with most of these apps, Scanbot is free to download on Android and iOS, with the option of in-app purchases. 

5. CamScanner

As the name suggests, CamScanner is an app that turns the camera of your mobile device into a document scanner. With it, you’re able to scan a range of documents, from invoices to receipts. The software turns scanned documents into PDF files, which are automatically uploaded to cloud services such as Box, Google Drive, Dropbox, Evernote and OneDrive 

Targeted specifically at business users, the app lets you invite colleagues to view and comment on scans. However, they must hold a user account. There’s also an advanced editing feature, which lets you add annotations and watermarks to documents, making them look more professional. For improved security, you can add passcodes to documents.   

The app is free to download on Android and iOS. But you can upgrade to a premium plan to get to get 10GB of storage, add 40 extra collaborators to the app, send document links with password protection and batch download documents. You have the option to pay either $4.99 (£3.70) a month or $49.99 (£37) a year.

http://www.techradar.com/news/best-document-scanning-app