Moto360 smartwatch is capable, but not always cool

Dick Tracy. Michael Knight from Knight Rider. Penny from Inspector Gadget. The original Power Rangers.All classic characters over many generations, all popularizing the idea of a wristwatch doing more than telling time.

That idea wearable technology is now thriving. With todays launch of the Moto 360, Canadians can talk to their watch, get vital information off of it and even respond to friends.

But the day-to-day realities of having a connected wrist are about as cool as Inspector Gadget or the Power Rangersare in 2014.

The device itself is well-made. Despite the popularity of the term "smartwatch," Motorola doesnt call its wearable device that. It prefers "timepiece," to demonstrate the thought process behind the 360: Make it look and feel more like a dresswatch and less like a1980sCasio calculator watch.

The leather strap is very comfortable and combined with the stainless steel housing, keeps the watchvery light. Wrists, big or small, wont feel put off by the 11.5-millimetrethickness and 46-millimetrediameter.

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All that keeps the Moto 360 very unassuming. Duringmy two weeks of wearing it, no one really noticed it was more than a watch.

The round, vibrant, touchscreen display is made of the latest Gorilla Glass and held up to rain, sweat and spit. (Just try talking to your wrist without at least a few dropletsflyingout.)

The voice controls, however, arent perfect. After threeattempts of trying to tell my wife on WhatsApp that Ill pick up the milk, I resorted to scrolling through a preset list of responses.

When the voice controls do work, its very smooth. You feel a sense of accomplishment by leaving your phone in your pocket.

Surprisingly embarassing

To be clear: I only felt that accomplishment talking to my 360 when I was alone. In public, I hunched over, whispering forfear that someonewould see me, wondering, "How loud do I have to speak? How close do I have to bring it to my mouth?"Dick Tracys trench coat would have helped I was surprised by how embarrassed I felt.

That awkwardness aside, the 360s functionality goes beyond the gimmick of talking to your wrist. Since its connected to your Android phone (running version 4.3 or higher), its great for handling notifications.

Dont want to read that fifth email about a work server being down? Swipe, delete. Cant answer a call in a meeting? Swipe left to refuse. Pause your music? Tap.

It also uses Google Now, the made-for-you set of cards on Android that show contextual information such as flight times or transit directions. You can even use navigation, which makes a short vibration at every turn-by-turn direction.

All this makes the Moto 360 very capable, hitting more than it misses.

Its battery can last all day, but charges only on adock that comes with it, which can be inconvenient.

Another question is whether you want to pay$279 for what is essentially an accessory, some elegant hardware that will probably be obsolete in acouple of years.

Finally, theres still the issue of what asmartwatch is in essence, a wearable device that does less than your phone.

People heaped the same criticism on tablets when they first came out, but they soon became a must-have gadget. And with the Apple Watch coming out next year, there will be a greater public consciousness over the connected wrist perhaps even making it cool to talk into one.

For now, though, it seems only crime-fighters on TV can get away with it.

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