Galaxy Gear updated with Twitter, Facebook and Gmail messages
Samsung's smartwatch gets smarter
Samsung's Galaxy Gear just got a little smarter, as it can now display partial messages from Twitter, Facebook and Gmail.
An update that enables the new features is hitting now, slowly rolling out to the Samsung smart watch.
Galaxy Gear users will now be able to see tweet activity, Gmail emails, and Facebook notifications they receive on the smart watch's 1.63-inch display.
The rub is that these messages will only be displayed in part, but Gear users will at least get a preview before deciding whether to whip out their smartphones.
Keep holding your breath
The Galaxy Gear was unveiled and launched in 2013 to a lukewarm reception.
The Samsung smart watch seems to have potential - or at least the ideas behind it do. But ultimately it doesn't do very much, it supports a limited number of smartphones, and it's bulky besides.
This update helps a bit, but Smart Watch hopefuls are still waiting for the futuristic device of their dreams.
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The current Galaxy Gear update also tweaks Smart Relay, making it easier to jump between the smart watch and your phone, and an improved lift-and-pause gesture to activate the clock.
However Pocket-lint reported that there are some kinks to work out, including a bug that somehow combines Gmail messages when you get three at the same time.
In related news, Phone Scoop reported that Verizon's Galaxy Note 2 has been updated with Galaxy Gear support. Happy holidays, everyone!
Michael Rougeau is a former freelance news writer for TechRadar. Studying at Goldsmiths, University of London, and Northeastern University, Michael has bylines at Kotaku, 1UP, G4, Complex Magazine, Digital Trends, GamesRadar, GameSpot, IFC, Animal New York, @Gamer, Inside the Magic, Comic Book Resources, Zap2It, TabTimes, GameZone, Cheat Code Central, Gameshark, Gameranx, The Industry, Debonair Mag, Kombo, and others.
Micheal also spent time as the Games Editor for Playboy.com, and was the managing editor at GameSpot before becoming an Animal Care Manager for Wags and Walks.