Casio now has a Wear OS-enabled G-Shock watch

If you're a G-Shock fan and want to own a smartwatch, you can finally get both. The Casio G-Squad Pro GSW-H1000 has the G-Shock's signature design paired with full smartwatch OS capabilities. As a G-Shock watch, you get shock resistance and 20 bar water resistance. Its back is made from titanium, while its buttons and portions of the top part are cased in aluminum.

It has a round 1.2-inch dual-layer display with an always-on monochrome panel on top of its colour LCD screen. Like other smartwatches, it can track your heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, sleep, and stress. The G-Squad Pro also has an on-board GPS, a compass, and a barometer. It can track 15 activities and 24 indoor workouts.

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Casio outs a cheaper version of the Pro Trek smartwatch

Casio seems to have listened to the consumers who have said the WSD-F20 was a tad too expensive for a smartwatch. The watchmaker updated the smartwatch and introduce the Pro Trek WSD-F20A, which is US$100 cheaper than the original at US$399. We don’t know what powers the smartwatch but it does run on Wear OS and features a new indigo design accent. It could still be powered by 512MB RAM and 4GB internal storage. Some of the other similar features include water resistance of up to 50 meters, a digital compass, an activity tracker, microphone, low-power GPS, and a dual-layer, full-color LCD screen. It integrates with nine major app companies including ViewRanger, Hole19, and Fishbrain. The smartwatch is expected to arrive next month.

Source: Android Authority

Casio launches rugged action camera line, starts with GZE-1

Casio is getting in on the rugged action camera market with its new line called G’z EYE. Kicking it off, the company launched in Japan the GZE-1.This action camera takes inspiration from the company’s G-Shock series. It makes use of the similar cylindrical guard structure as the watches and has urethane resin material to handle the shocks and impact it might incur. As you can see in the video above, it looks like an armoured GoPro. Its body is dust-, water-, shock-, and low temperature-resistant. It can work underwater for up to 50m or in temperatures as low as -10°C without needing an extra case.

In terms of its camera specs, the GZE-1 has a 6.9-megapixel 1/2.3-inch BSI CMOS sensor that can take 6-megapixel stills and 1080p30 video. It has a 13mm f/2.8 wide angle lens. If you want to record slow motion videos, you have the option to do so in 240fps at 384p or 120fps at 480p. You can control the camera using Casio’s smartwatch or move images to the mobile app using the built-in Bluetooth connectivity of the camera. It launches in Japan with a price tag of 46,000 yen (around CA$525).

Source: GSMArena

Casio partners with Microsoft for wearable patents licensing deal

The Android Wear 2.0-powered Casio WSD-F20

Casio inks a deal with Microsoft so the tech company will share its wearable patents with the watchmaker. This agreement includes a “broad coverage” of Microsoft’s smartwatch technologies including patents for operating systems, connectivity, sensors, artificial intelligence, security, etc. Casio can use these technologies to supplement what it’s doing with Android Wear.

The watchmaker partnered with Google for its upcoming Casio WSD-F20, which will run on Android Wear 2.0. But Casio spent some time customizing the OS to offer a unique experience for its product. Wareable speculates Casio can build on this experience and use Microsoft’s other technologies to create compelling and unique wearables.