Latest articles by Michael L Hicks
Motorola's Moto Watch needs to start living up to the brand name
Moto Meh A licensed partner made the old budget Moto Watches. Now Motorola is stepping in, but it's not clear yet how they'll do things differently.
It looks like Samsung isn't holding anything back for One UI 8 Watch, and I'm pumped
Wear OS Weekly A much-needed injection of excitement is coming to the stale Galaxy Watch 8 formula, according to leaked code for the upcoming One UI 8 Watch update.
Ultrahuman promises '100%' US Ring Air sales from Texas, despite Oura's ITC challenge
UltraDrama Ultrahuman will make over a thousand smart rings in Texas per day, up until Oura and the ITC (possibly) make them stop.
Best GPS smartwatches and fitness trackers 2025
Accurate positioning We have rounded up the best GPS watches with all-systems or dual-frequency satellite data and fitness trackers with built-in GPS.
Google has a winner in YouTube Premium Lite; now it just needs more plan options
Lite Plus YouTube Premium Lite has reintroduced me to the joys of ad-free YouTube, and now I'm just hoping Google gives Lite users more options.
The Garmin Instinct 3 AMOLED is a pretty face on a classic experience
Trust your instincts Despite the AMOLED face lift, the Instinct 3 remains the niche option for adventurers who care more about battery life than smarts.
COROS's charging adapter is a neat solution to the smartwatch charging cable problem
Simple solution We'd love Qi2 to become the smartwatch charging norm; until then, this is the next-best solution we've seen.
Garmin's post-tariff strategy could include pricier watches and cutbacks
Tariff challenges Garmin's plan to "mitigate" tariffs is a perfect example of how Big Tech in general will change products to keep shareholders happy.
Gemini needs a sidekick for Android XR to work, and it could be on your wrist
Wear OS Weekly Gemini and gesture controls work great in demos. In the real world, AR glasses could use a tactile alternative, and smartwatches are the obvious choice.
Meta's Q1 2025 earnings show major AI priority shift, Ray-Ban success
Earnings Zuckerberg laid out Meta's 'five major opportunities' for growth while discussing their outlook on tariffs, Meta AI, and major Ray-Ban glasses growth.
New Meta AI app provides a Llama 4-powered challenge to Gemini
Conversational AI The Meta View app is becoming the Meta AI app, moving beyond Ray-Ban glasses settings to a more general AI experience built to rival Gemini Live.
I used Boston Marathon runners' official smartwatch stats to help with my training
Sunday Runday You'd be surprised how much an amateur can learn from the running stats of someone twice as fast as them!
First nine things to do with the Google Pixel 9a
A+ 9a tips The Google Pixel 9a is a straightforward phone to use, but there are plenty of settings you should change to get the most out of your experience.
Galaxy vs. Pixel Watch: The battle of the faces
Wear OS Weekly I looked in-depth at how Samsung and Google's default watch faces compare, and it tells a surprising amount about their design approach.
Meta Ray-Bans roll out Live AI and Live Translation, add new frames and apps
Meta AI Get ready to hold in-depth, natural conversations with your Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses based on whatever the camera sees.
Strava's AI Performance Predictions offer a grounded alternative to Garmin's Race Predictor
AI estimates I compared Strava's new race predictions against Garmin's race widget, and the differences between them are telling.
Second April Wear OS 5.1 update 'resolves' bad step algorithm issues
Ctrl+Z Google's second update this month will finally align November, March, and April update users onto one version that fixes a key accuracy issue.
Meta Quest 4 and Quest 4S: Everything we expect from the Quest 3 successor
Thinking ahead The Quest 4 most likely won't arrive until 2026, but we already have some hints of what to expect courtesy of Mark Zuckerberg, Meta, and leakers.
Forget iOS vs. Android, the smart glasses war between Apple, Meta, and Google should be much more fun
Free for all The race to sell AR and smart glasses is all about breaking into the mainstream. And Meta has shown how Big Tech needs outside help to pull this off.
AR running glasses aren't there yet, but the future is almost here
Sunday Runday These particular glasses are imperfect, but don't be surprised if Meta, Google, and others try to tempt runners and cyclists with AR glasses soon.
Make sure your smartwatch calorie burn is accurate with this scientific calculator
No more mystery Different smartwatch brands calculate burned calories from workouts very inconsistently. This scientific tool gives you exact data.
The Meta Quest 3S FINALLY gets discounted at Best Buy — plus you can claim $70 of free stuff
New low Meta rarely discounts its headsets, and its free Batman: Arkham Shadow credit expires by end of April. That's TWO reasons to snag this deal now.
Is Google's new step count algorithm any good? I put the Pixel Watch 3 to the test
Wear OS Weekly Google's new step algorithm is designed for "challenging situations" where a watch normally can't track movement. Here's how it does in real life.
