Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch: 10 things it can do

New Delhi: Samsung has introduced a digital watch for the holiday season that will let users check messages with a glance at their wrists and have conversations secret agent-style! The Galaxy Gear, a wearable computing device from Samsung that looks like a digital wristwatch, is certain to pique much curiosity when it starts being worn in public. We take a look at what this new device can do:Voice dictationSamsung said replies are possible through voice dictation. Voice commands can also be used for such tasks as setting alarms, creating calendar entries and checking the weather.Calling functionSamsung 's smartwatch uses Google's Android operating system, just like many of the phones and tablets made by the South Korean electronics company. Mistry demonstrated the calling function on the Gear by holding it up to his ear and talking into a microphone hidden in the watch. The watch then relays the call to a smartphone over a built-in Bluetooth connection. AppsThe number of apps that work with the Gear is till limited. More than 70 apps are currently supported, including Facebook, Twitter and RunKeeper. That compares with the hundreds of thousands available for leading smartphones.Must be linked wirelessly with a smartphoneThe Gear must be linked wirelessly with a smartphone to perform its full range of functions. It acts as an extension to the phone by discreetly alerting users to incoming messages and calls on its screen, which measures 1.63 inches diagonally. "With Gear, you're able to make calls and receive calls without ever taking your phone out of your pocket," Pranav Mistry, a member of Samsung's design team, told reporters.Strap with 1.9 MP cameraThe strap, which comes in six colors, holds a 1.9 megapixel camera that can be used to shoot photos and video. When linked to a smartphone or tablet, the Gear lets people check emails and Facebook updates from their wrists. FunctionalitySwiping from left or right shows a list of icons, including the S Voice, Samsung's equivalent of Apple's Siri digital assistant that responds to voice commands. You also get a list of emails and notifications from social networking apps. At any time, tapping the screen twice with two fingers conjures a pop-up window that shows the time, the weather and the amount of battery left.CompatibilityThe Gear will be compatible initially with two Samsung products - the Galaxy Note 3, a smartphone with a giant 5.7-inch screen and a digital pen, and the Galaxy Tab 10.1, a tablet computer with a 10.1-inch screen comparable to Apple's full-sized iPad. But Samsung promised to update other Galaxy phones and tablets to work with the Gear in the future.Features work efficiently"In terms of what the Gear can do, the three features I tested worked efficiently. It was easy to activate the camera and quick to shoot a photo. It left both hands free while placing and answering calls. The Gear alerted me with a nice soft buzz and showed a preview of a newly arrived email. The full message can also be read," said the AP reviewer.Works on full day battery lifeUnlike normal watches that can tick away for years on end, Samsung only promises a full day's use out of the Gear before it has to be charged.Ease of use"The Gear's design flair and ease of use are its sweetest attributes, but it may not entirely please either group. Although powered by the Android operating system, like many phones and tablets, it will work only with Samsung devices - and only with newer models," said AP in its review.