Gear News of the Week: Android gets emergency live video, Pixel Watch 4 supports gestures

Forget just calling 911; If you have Android phoneNow you can share the live video directly with the sender. It’s a new Google feature Announced this week It’s called Android Emergency Live Video, and it’s rolling out to people in the US, along with select regions in Germany and Mexico, for phones running Android 8 and later with Google Play Services.

This capability becomes available during an emergency call or text message, where the sender can send a request to your phone to share live video. You need to tap to accept the request, and your phone’s camera will start streaming footage, whether it’s to assess a fallen tree on the road or to guide you through CPR until the ambulance arrives. Google says the feature is encrypted, and you can stop sharing your live video stream at any time. There is nothing you need to do to set up the feature.

Courtesy of Google

You can now double tap on your Pixel watch

That’s the coolest thing to me, but I like being able to have control My smart watch or Fitness tracker Without having to poke or tap the screen. Apple provided Double click on the Apple Watch in 2023, which took lessons from Apple’s accessibility program, called AssistiveTouch. It has helped Apple Watch wearers with accessibility issues use gesture-based controls. This year, Apple introduced… Flick the wrist To reject calls or silence timers using WatchOS 26.

Google now offers gesture controls on pixel watch 4. These features have been called (with no apparent shame at all) double pinch and wrist rotation. Like Double Tap, you can use Double Pinch to answer or end calls or pause the timer. The Pixel Watch will give you hints on when Double Pinch might come in handy.

These features join Raise to Talk, a wrist-based gesture that Pixel Watch wearers can use to talk to Gemini. Smart responses have also been improved on the watch. When Wear OS was called Android Wear, Google had a few gestures that let you move your wrist away or toward your body to swipe through notifications and windows. what goes around comes around. —Adrian Su

Apple Fitness+ expands to new markets

Apple Fitness+ It is an unusual case. It’s one of The company’s weakest offers Financially, according to Bloomberg. Management of the division recently passed to Apple Health chief Sumbul Desai after explosive allegations that Jay Blahnik, vice president of fitness technology, created a system Toxic work environment. (Before the management change, Apple said it would launch an internal investigation into the alleged behavior.) Personally, I’m waiting for Fitness+ to get involved New Health+ app rumored for 2026. I’m tired of being confused about where all my health data is on my iPhone!