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Moto Hint: a wearable and a digital assistant in your ear

Motorola has a weaerable surprise here at IFA 2014. While it did hint at some sort of a Bluetooth earpiece, this new Moto Hint wearable is anything but conventional. Small, inconspicuous, and smart, this Bluetooth mono earbud is the perfect companion for the new Moto X, putting the power of its always-on Moto Voice features, not at your fingertips, but in your ear.

Many Bluetooth earphones, headpieces, and earbuds advertise voice-controlled integration with smartphone virtual assistants, but the Moto Hint is hands down the most hands-free and hassle free of them all. It doesn't even have any buttons at all. It does have a capacitive touchpad for those times when you might need an "OK" action, but everything is all voice-controlled. This will truly put Google Now's capabilities to the test. At the moment, there are still some parts of Google's voice-controlled assistant that would require some manual manipulation. But since there is no display at all, except when you pick up your phone, everything has to be done by voice.

Google Now isn't working alone though. Motorola's own Moto Voice lends a helping hand, particularly with that always-on feature. No need to unlock your smartphone or tap the touchpad. All you need is to speak your mind. And you won't have to shout either, as the bud's microphone is sensitive enough to hear you whisper. The connection between the Moto Hint and the smartphone works even at a distance of 150 feet, so there's no worry even if you left the phone in the bedroom. Moto Hint is also ergonomically design that it snuggles in your ear comfortably and yet, at the same time, securely. No amount of jumping, shaking, or wiggling will be enough to dislodge it.

Moto Hint is also smart enough to know when its in your ear and what to do when its not. If you are in the middle of a call and you put on the earbud, it will transfer the audio from phone to your ear. Take it off again and it will put the call back to the smartphone. When it comes to playing music, it does the same except that when you take it off, it pauses the music instead of transferring it to the phone's speakers for those moments when suddenly blasting your tunes out loud would be too embarrassing. This seemingly magical feat is made possible by Moto Hint's infrared sensors that can determine whether you are wearing it or not.

One of the great things about the Moto Hint is that you don't even need a Motorola smartphone to use it. You can pair it up with any Android smartphone or even an iPhone, a Windows Phone, or an upcoming BlackBerry. Practically any platform that has some sort of voice-controlled smart assistant and a way to trigger it with a push of a button. The only caveat is that, outside of the new Moto X, you won't get that always listening feature and will have to resort to tapping on that touchpad to start the process.

The Moto Hint will come with either a silver or black anodized body, with choice of linen, leather, or wood for finishing. This smart earbud will launch in October in the US with a price tag of $149.99, available from Motorola and select retailers, and later on in other regions during the holiday season. Motorola disclosed that it is also working on a stereo version of the earbud, which will involved two separate buds that won't be connected by any wire of some kind, definitely a feat that is worth waiting for.

Moto 360 puts a real watch with Android Wear on your wrist

After months of speculation, leaks, and wishful thinking, Motorola has finally unveiled its own take on the nascent smartwatch line. But while LG may have beaten it to the round face punch with its G Watch R, The Moto 360 could still win when it comes to design, finesse, and wireless charging convenience.

Motorola has pretty much delivered on the promise of a round faced smartwatch that it showed off last June, including that small occluded portion of the display. Motorola says that the section is necessary to house the LCD driver and the ambient light sensor. Now, one might ask how LG managed to pull off a full display surface on the G Watch R. While the technical answer is still partly a mystery, there is one thing that partly answers that: LG's gadget is considerably bigger, perhaps choosing to hide the components behind the face instead. Now, the official statement from LG is that the girth is attributed to waterproofing. And yet the Moto 360 also boasts of an IP67 grade but still manages to keep the watch's design petite and, for all intents and purposes, more unisex than other existing Android Wear options out there.

It is that attention to design that might give the Moto 360 an upper hand. The smartwatch is beautiful and durable, with a body made of stainless steel and a screen protected by Gorilla Glass. The strap is made from premium and genuine Horween leather but its use of standard pins and sizes means you can use any strap of your choosing. That said, Motorola warns against using metal straps not designed specifically for the Moto 360, as it may interfere with the watch's radio antenna nested inside the bezel. One other important factor that sets the Moto 360 apart is its wireless charging capabilities. While more of a technical feature, it means that Motorola was able to give the watch a smooth and whole body, without ports or pins to break the surface and the illusion of a regular watch. The wireless charging dock might be less portable than, say, a cradle, but there are myriad wireless charging pads out there that could do the job just as well.

In terms of hardware and software, the Moto 360 is unabashedly quite vanilla, with almost the same features as other Android Wear smartwatches out there, including a heart rate sensor. While that may be a bit disappointing to hear initially, on further analysis, it isn't surprising. Motorola's most popular smartphones, namely the Moto X and the Moto G, offer an unencumbered pure Android experience from beginning to end. And so it would be totally out of character for it to deviate from that when it comes to Android Wear. In short, you get a pure Android Wear experience, no frills, no gimmicks, in an exquisitely designed smartwatch.

The Moto 360 will be available with a slightly higher price tag of $249.99, starting midday of September 5 in the US and can be purchased from Motorola's website, Google Play Store, and Best Buy. The default color options for the smartwatch include black and grey leather straps, but Best Buy will offer an exclusive limited edition with a grey suede finish. Later in fall, more options and accessories will be coming, including leather straps for $29.99, metal bracelets for $79.99, and wireless chargers for a yet to be announced price.

Motorola Power Pack Micro: built for micro emergencies

One accessory that Motorola didn't hint at in its IFA 2014 invitation is the Power Pack Micro. This seemingly innocuous little box packs quite a punch, with a considerable amount of charging power and a built-in locator that will make sure will never be at a loss for power, your smartphone, or your keys.

External batteries have become a fact of mobile life, but their wires have left us tangled, hassled, and frustrated. While wireless charging still has some catching up to do, others have solved that problem by letting the battery's body attach directly to the smartphone's (micro) USB port. To that extent, the Motorola Power Pack Micro is like any other, but in the usual Motorola fashion we've seen this IFA 2014, the company is doing it in style and with a few bonuses too.

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The Power Pack Micro looks quite inconspicuous, almost like a cigarette lighter when viewed from afar. A very thick lighter. And a very classy one, too, as it comes in vibrant color options and different textures, including fabric. Don't let looks deceive as it hides power within. Battery power, that is. Don't expect it to match up to or exceed your smartphone's battery, of course. Given its size, it has only room for a 1,500 mAh battery. But that is quite enough to give your smartphone a quick boost in a pinch. It also features fast charging, giving an output of 1A.

But the Power Pack Micro also has another trick. It has a keyring hole where you can fit, well, your keys. And with Motorola Key Link, you can pair your smartphone and the power pack to find each other when the need arises. Misplaced your phone? Push the power pack's button to make it beep. Lost your keys? Let your smartphone be your guide.