When Google officially debuted Android Wear to the world back in March 2014, Fossil was named as one of the wearable initiative’s partners. However, it’s taken a bit of time for the company known for its watches (and much more now) to show off its first attempt at an Android Wear-based smartwatch.

Now the time has come, and Fossil has officially shown off its first Android Wear smartwatch at this year’s Intel Developers Conference. Unfortunately, that’s about all that Fossil did. The company wasn’t ready to talk about what the smartwatch will feature, other than Android Wear, or even what powers the device under that round hood.

The unnamed smartwatch features a round face much like Motorola’s Moto 360, and even features the “flat tire” at the bottom of the screen. Indeed, the new watch looks much like Motorola’s first attempt, for better or worse.

As for when the device will see the light of day, Fossil wasn’t ready to talk about that, either. How much it will cost, too, is unknown at this point.

What do you think of the Fossil smartwatch?

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Google isn’t all about Android, and that’s why when the company unveils a brand new router for “the new way to Wi-Fi,” it shouldn’t come as a surprise.

And that’s exactly what the company has done. Thanks to a partnership with TP-Link, Google has launched the OnHub, a new router that’s not just a router, with a price tag of $199 attached to it. As of this writing, though, it should probably be noted right up front that both the blue and black models are sold out, according to Google.

The OnHub is supports 802.11 b/g/n/ac at 2.4GHz and 5GHz, and when it comes to wired connections there’s only a single Ethernet (gigabit) port on the back, which just goes to show that Google is apparently serious about that Wi-Fi focus. There are 13 antennas inside of the OnHub, which is meant to ensure the best possible signal. The device will scan every five minutes in an effort to find the least congested wireless signal, too.

The OnHub will also remember your favorite devices and track how much data they consume, to better manage the bandwidth that each device gets. There’s a new app, “Google On,” which will let owners control the router, too.

The router supports Bluetooth Smart, Google Weave and Zigbee. There’s a USB 3.0 port on the back as well, just for good measure. Google is also promising relatively routine software updates that will improve the OnHub over time.

The OnHub also sports a speaker, for those wondering what else Google could include in it.

The OnHub is available from the Google Store, and it’s available to pre-order from Amazon right now. The retailer says the OnHub will begin shipping on August 31, and it costs $199.99 for the blue or black model.

What do you think of the OnHub?

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It’ll be months before the general public will get Android 6.0 Marshmallow installed on their phones, but that doesn’t mean you have to wait around to enjoy the new wallpapers that Google will include with the update. We’ve pulled together the new wallpapers from the latest Android M Developer Preview build into the image gallery below so that you can download and use them on your phone.

TIP: The best way to get the wallpapers onto your phone is to tap an image, wait for the image to load, long-press the image and select Save image.

Enjoy!

Gallery

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Today, Android One is expanding even further. Google is bringing its affordable smartphone program to six different African countries with the launch of the Infinix HOT 2. The Hot 2 features a 5-inch quad-core MediaTek processor, 1/2GB RAM, 16GB storage, 8-megapixel rear camera, 2-megapixel front-facing camera, 2200mAh battery, dual-SIM support and Android 5.1.1 Lollipop. All of those features can come in a body with color options of black, white, red, blue and gold.

The Infinix Hot 2 will be available in Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Egypt and Morocco, with availability in Nigeria beginning today through retail stores as well as online through Jumia. Pricing is set at N17,500 or about $88 USD. Other countries will gain availability within the coming weeks.

Google has also announced some software changes. The biggest one is that a new streamlined version of Google Search is rolling out around the globe that increases faster performance, particularly on phones with low RAM. It also has the ability to reduce the amount of data used on the results page by up to 90 percent, saving you some megabytes. In addition, YouTube offline access will expand through Android One to Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana and Egypt within the next few months, allowing users to pre-download videos in order to use less data.

It’s good to see Android One continuing to expand, particularly after it hit a rough patch a little while ago. And with the added software changes from Google, things just keep looking up for the program.

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Finding a decent Bluetooth speaker is pretty easy these days. Walk into Best Buy, Target or any large retailer and you’re presented with dozens of options that range from $15 to $300. The problem is that most Bluetooth speakers, even the good ones, don’t offer a fully immersive audio experience due to the left and right channels being so close together. We wouldn’t call this a flaw in design, but rather a limitation based on the need for these Bluetooth speakers to be portable. If you’re looking for superior audio quality and don’t have the urge to move the speakers, the Thonet & Vander Kürbis Bluetooth speaker should be right up your alley.

Specs

Price: $199.99
Power output: 60W RMS (30W + 30W)
Frequency Response: 50Hz – 20kHz
Acoustic box: Wooden box HDAA 276 x 181 x 222 mm
Driver size/material: Woofer 5.25-inch, Aramid Fiber
Impedence/power: 6 Ω 30W
Tweeter size/material: 1-inch, Silk
Impedence/power: 4 Ω 20W
Antimegnetic shield: Yes
Controls: Volume, treble, bass
Inputs: Bluetooth 4.0, 3.5 / RCA stereo
Color options: Black, white

The Good

Build Quality: Weight isn’t always a great measure of quality, but the 12.3 pound weight of the two speakers is a direct reflection to the attention to detail that Thonet & Vander put into the Kürbis. As you can tell from the pictures, the Thonet & Vander Kürbis isn’t your traditional Bluetooth speaker. The Kürbis is styled like traditional studio monitors with two speaker boxes built with HDAA (High Density Acoustic Absorber) wood, which helps reduce distortion for a more authentic sound. Each box sports a 5.25-inch woofer made of bright yellow aramid fabric that resonates smooth, low bass. The tweeters are built with silk, allowing the treble to resonate perfectly.

Design: The Thonet & Vander Kürbis was designed to stand out. While most Bluetooth speakers fit neatly on a shelf and blend right in with your home decor, the Thonet & Vander Kürbis has a bit of a hard time not sticking out like a sore thumb. The black speaker boxes look great when flanking a computer monitor on your desk, but they would draw too much attention away from your TV if placed in your entertainment center.

Sound Quality: Like it or not, the size of a Bluetooth plays a huge role in the quality of the sound that it produces. The Thonet & Vander Kürbis’ unabashed 276 x 181 x 222 mm boxes allow for a  5.25-inch aramid fabric and 1-inch silk tweeters. Portable speakers like the Jawbone Big Jambox and Grain Audio Packable Wireless Speaker offer a rich audio experience, but they both come up short when compared with the Thonet & Vander Kürbis. The highs, mids and lows are breathtaking.

When the volume is turned up, the bass is distortion-free yet powerful enough to vibrate every object on my desk besides my monitor. Fortunately, Thonet & Vander built the Kürbis with volume, treble and bass knobs into the side of the left speaker, giving you full control of the audio with a few simple twists. Adjusting the audio profile on a phone or computer can be a hassle, but I found myself adjusting the treble and bass settings based on the type of music I was listening to. Not because the speakers needed to be adjusted, but because a quick turn of a knob would allow me to tailor the audio more to my liking.

The Not so Good

Connectivity: For the everyday consumer, the Bluetooth 4.0, 3.5mm and RCA stereo connections should be more than adequate, but the lack of XLR or 1/4-inch input options may hold a few pro users at bay. Another item that’s missing is a built-in microphone, which means you will not be able to use the Thonet & Vander Kürbis as the world’s most powerful speakerphone in your home office.

Portability: Let’s be honest: if you buy the Thonet & Vander Kürbis, you will not be taking it to the beach or packing it it up for this weekend’s picnic in the park. Not only is the Kürbis extremely heavy, but it doesn’t have an internal battery. If you want music to come out of the Kürbis, you will need a standard wall plug at all times. Then again, the two speakers are large and sturdy enough to be used as a small stool. So Thonet & Vander Kürbis may be the perfect picnic companion after all.

Gallery

The Thonet & Vander Kürbis Bluetooth speakers are available online for $199. That’s a bit higher than most of the speakers we have reviewed in the past, but well worth the money if you’re looking for studio-quality audio with wired and wireless connectivity for your home office.

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