Guest post by Alexander Goncharov of Daragon Technology
In just a few short days, Watchland will be released into the wild, fresh from it’s makeover and pumped full of sexy features. Without further ado, let me present the biggest ones.
Centralized parser
One of the reasons Samsung pulled the app from the store is that it allowed the installation of GWD files. We’ve tried making the app available for you to sideload, but as you know it didn’t work out so well. So, in our new app, the GWD parsing is done by the server, and you download a face package ready to be sent to your Gear. You can (and should) still submit GWD files to our brand new website, under the “Upload” section. The biggest benefit of this is that if the initial file has some problems, we can fix it on our end and you’ll just have to get the newest version, which is easier.
Bitmap fonts work
You heard it right love, bitmap fonts work properly now, and animations as well! There’s really not much to add here, hopefully you’re all as excited as I am 🙂
You can still get the GWD
Our community is all about sharing, so you can still get the GWD files! Just go on the website, choose a face, and click “GWD” in the popup!
No more “Face not found”
All the faces you’ll see in the app are guaranteed to be there, so no more “face not found” errors or downloads getting stuck.
Automatic face install
Forget about tapping the face with two fingers to switch back to Watchland! Just send a new face and you’re good to go! The old face will be replaced 🙂
Sign in has been simplified
I’m thinking global for the app, and that means I’ve had to simplify the sign-in procedure a bit. From now on, all you need to sign-in is your phone number. Google and Facebook aren’t available in some countries, and I wanted the whole world to be able to experience Watchland. Thanks to Twitter, sign-in by phone is as easy as entering your phone number and then the verification code.
Cool things are coming
My vision for the future of Watchland is to implement an editor that will allow you to customise your own faces online and then send them to your watch, so keep your eyes open 🙂 You should be able to use whatever pictures, graphics, fonts you want!
Are you as excited as I am about Watchland? Check up on the website, it might be up earlier than you think!
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