3 days battery life with galaxy gear

Hi folks,

Yes 3-4 days battery life, is quite possible, with your Galaxy Gear!!!

As most of you knows, Samsung already declared that, new "gear 2" battery, will last 2-3 days and this was considered as an important improvement, compared to initial "galaxy gear".

So i have decided to check, what was this enhancement, in the battery of this new device and seen that, "gear 2" battery, is even less powerful (300 mAH) then the one which was coming with "galaxy gear" (315 mAH)

In fact, this was a confession from Samsung side that, the issue wasn't at the hardware, that is why, they have just made some fixes on the OS (tizen) and apps running on top of it.

Then i have loaded to my "galaxy gear" an application, which shows top battery consumers:) The result wasn't so big surprise, default applications, specially the ones which were dealing with my mobile phone, for handling data transfers between phone and watch were consuming almost all resources.

So, as these features, were nearly completely useless to me (because i was looking for a "real smart watch" not a phone accessory) i just uninstalled gear manager, enabled "Nova" as default launcher and VOILA; in a reasonable usage (you can still drain your battery in a few hours, if you continuously play subway surfer;)... or watch movie, on your "smart watch") it is lasting more then 3 days...

If you have rooted device like me, yes i also passed to dark side:) you can even rename/delete completely system apps, which you don't want to use at all...

Here i would like to open a small brackets for rooting; It's quite easy and gives you a lot of control on your "smart watch" (reaching it as a physical drive from your PC, installing apps by just running apk, without android developer kit, etc...), with tools like "root explorer", but without it also, you can still do a lot, as i have tried to show in the scope of this blog;)

Thanks for reading, cheers;)

How to transfer files, between galaxy gear and android phone, via bluetooth

Hi again,

You can use following tool, in order to transfer files via bluetooth, between your android phone and galaxy gear.

You have to install same app to both devices... The rest is quite straight forward.

Bluetooth File Transfer

Galaxy gear video capture sample, with lowest quality (table soccer)

Hi guys,

I prepared a sample video capture, with galaxy gear and ICS Camera app. 

I used lowest quality (SD 480p), otherwise size is too big, 1.5 GB for 18 min!!! with medium quality (HD 720p).

As you'll see result is quite good, specially for a watch...

Hope you'll like it...

s3 and Note 2 official galaxy gear support with android 4.3

Hi Guys

Finally android 4.3 upgrade reached to my note 2 and as of yesterday, i have started to use my gear with its full support.

If you didn't receive it yet, don't worry!!! i am sure you'll get it soon. Once you have android 4.3 installed, just go to samsung market and search for "Gear Manager". I only had one issue during this switch between manually installed and obtained from samsung market "Gear Managers"; I had to "factory reset" my galaxy gear!!! because, otherwise peering didn't worked.

One quick note about "Nova Launcher" also; As i have started to use my gear more and more, with new standard android applications that i installed, i have realized that, battery life is causing me issue, when i also use "Nova Launcher". So i switched it off.

How to convert your galaxy gear, to a SMARTWATCH, Showtime!!!

Hi again

Finally here is the new look of my Galaxy Gear, after installation of standard android apps, that i suggested in my previous post;)

Hope you'll like it guys...

My top 15 favorite galaxy gear apps

Hi Guys,

You can see below, my favorite Galaxy Gear apps list. 

This list is a bit different then the ones which you'll encounter, when you google "best/top galaxy gear apps" in your browser and in fact this is quite normal:) 

Because, i intend to create a fully functional smartwatch, from Galaxy Gear, without rooting&cracking it and my favorite apps, are useful for this purpose. 

So what i am expecting from a smartwatch?

Of course internet connection, but unfortunately it is not possible for now, without hacking your device... So lets come, to my applicable desires;

- I need an easy to use keyboard, even on such a small screen
- I expect nice functional user interface, with categorized and customized tabs, docks etc...
- i want a camera with unlimited capture time.
- i expect to have a file browser
- i look for a nice alarm clock
- i would like to have calculator (maybe nostalgic, but it is a must for me)
- i must have a functional video player (for watching videos that i captured)
- i absolutely want to play games, with nice graphics, even in such a limited screen.

So, do we have such applications, prepared specially for Galaxy Gear!!! right now? Answer is obviously; NO...

But there is a lot of nice, free, "standard android apps", which suit almost perfectly, with our Galaxy Gear and that is why, here is my list, which will present them to you:)

Ranking of listed apps, is according to their importance, of course regarding my evaluation.

1- Nova Launcher

Perfect free launcher, with nice functional user interface, categorized and customized tabs, docks. You'll have a great new custom smartwatch menu, with it, in your galaxy gear. 

Even auto starting an app (for example your clock app) after hibernate (Nova setting->gesture buttons->home button) is possible. 

Only negative issue is, not working widgets, when gear is not rooted. If you manage to make it work, with non rooted device!!! please let me know;)

2- Fleksy Tastatur
 
Great keyboard, works perfectly with gear.

3- Camera ICS

Very functional camera app, it work perfectly with galaxy gear and you can capture unlimited video with it;)

4- AppDrawer (MIUI App Drawer)
 
Useful tool for reaching, all installed apps together, when you work with customized menu of Nova Launcher. 

5- Androzip Data Manager

Great file browser, zip and search tool.

6- Alarm Clock Xtreme
 
A must have alarm clock application, which fits perfectly to galaxy gear.

7- Studio Clock

Nice clock app. You can set it, as default home button app, in Nova Launcher;)

8- MX Player
 
Best android player, works perfectly with Galaxy Gear also.

9- Calculator
 
It is simple, easy to use calculator, for your gear...

10- Subway Surfers
 

11- Temple Run 2
 

12- Fruit Ninja
 

13- Traffic Racer
 

14- Angry Birds


15- Doublemill

How to install standard android apps to your samsung galaxy gear

How to install standard android apps to your galaxy gear?

part 1

part 2

PS : Your Galaxy Gear should be "USB Debug" enabled.  If "Settings->Gear Info->USB Debug" is not present!!! click 10 times "Settings->Gear Info->About Gear->Software Version", to make it visible!!! and then enable it...

How to setup your new galaxy gear, without compatible phone?

You just bought your galaxy gear and you are trying to pair it, with your android phone... In fact you are just trying to make it work:) as actually, it only shows a video, which explains how to connect your watch to a COMPATIBLE android phone!!! These phones are listed in official galaxy gear page. 

But there is a small problem, your phone is not in this list:) Do not panic, you just need "gear manager" but you won't be able to download it from android market:( Actually Samsung prevent this, because "gear manager" will not support all features of your galaxy gear, as it is right now, if you run it, on a android device, which is not a "Samsung with android 4.3"

But if you just want to make your galaxy gear run and you expect to use it as a stand alone smartwatch, rather then a phone accessory!!! of course you don't care, how perfectly, it pops up your phone notifications etc...

So, for making your gear work, what you have to do is very simple; google "gear manager apk" apk means, android install package, it is a runnable setup file for your android. 

Once you download gear manager setup, copy it to your android phones's file system. Then, use any file explorer application which you can find from android market, for reaching to this apk file, and run it. 

When you click apk, it will be installed to your phone and you'll be able to pear your phone with galaxy gear, by following instructions, on the annoying video which is continuously playing on your gear's screen.

So, finally you'll be able to start to use your gear, as an android smartwatch.

Congratulations:)

How to convert your galaxy gear, to a SMARTWATCH

Hi Guys,

In this Blog, i will try to show you, how you can easily convert your Galaxy Gear, from a moderate phone accessory, to a functional "Smart" Watch.

Here, i would like to underline term "WATCH", because this will be the main point and focus of this Blog!!!

In today's world, everything about portable technology devices, turns around mobile phones. I am not against phones:) but, why not enhancing alternative devices, with similar technology.

From this point of view, a real smartwatch, with an operating system, huge application market and different accessory options like; gps, thermometer, phone, tv etc... seems quite reasonable to me. 

So, you can buy your smartwatch and if you need a simple phone, you just buy your mobile phone accessory, which only gives you dummy call functionality with a very affordable price, as it will be only a small box even without screen.

Unfortunately, such a watch concept, is not in place in the market yet and maybe will never be. But at least, thanks to Samsung, hardware of Galaxy Gear, has more then enough, for making real!!! my android based smartwatch dreams:)

If you are still asking the following question;

"why i would convert, my great phone accessory, to a simple watch?"

here are my reasons;

- For me, having some notification on my wrist, without checking my phone is not so fascinating. 
- It is not supporting all android phones:(
- Even making phone calls with your watch, which looks nice in first sight, is not so applicable in real life, because of some privacy reasons.
- Its price is not so affordable for a PHONE ACCESSORY.

- Having a watch with android OS, which support all application in the android market was my dream:) (YES ANY ANDROID APPS WHICH GEAR'S HARDWARE SUPPORTS, RUNS PERFECTLY ON IT AND I'LL SHARE YOU MY FAVORITES LIST)
- Its price is quite reasonable for a WATCH and even very cheap!!! if you can imagine all the possibility, to shape it up, according to your needs, by just adding new android apps, games etc...
- FOR DOING SUCH SWITCH YOU DON'T NEED TO MAKE ANY HACK, ROOTING ETC... YOU USE FULLY LEGAL APPS FROM THE ANDROID MARKET AND YOUR GALAXY GEAR'S INITIAL FUNCTIONS AS PHONE ACCESSORY, ARE ALWAYS IN PLACE, IF YOU WANT TO USE THEM!!!

NOW!!! if you are interested to make this happen, just get your Galaxy Gear and follow instructions in my posts.

Don't worry:) you don't need to be a programmer, expert, technology freak:) just any simple PC user, can follow & apply these instructions... Of course,  if you still encounter any issues, please just write me comments, i'll answer them asap...

HOWTO's will be here soon:)

Thanks