At this year's South by Southwest conference in Austin, Texas, Google (GOOGL 10.22%) announced plans to release tools to help developers create wearable computing apps for Android. Fool contributor Tim Beyers explains the implications in the following video.
No official timetable exists, though the search king expects to have an SDK, or "software development kit," ready within the next week or so. The idea? Make it easy for developers who've already written apps for tablets and smartphones to think creatively about bringing software to watches or accessories we've yet to consider.
Interestingly, the announcement comes amid reports that Google will unveil its own Nexus smartwatch around the time of its annual Google I/O developer conference. Having the SDK and another device for targeting it could put pressure on Apple (AAPL -0.35%) to respond with a device of its own.
Yet the story is also bigger than just competition. For Google, the spread of wearable computing could help fulfill a key wish of the founders: to organize the world's information. Having Android act as your electronic eyes and ears via worn sensors takes this idea and sharpens it to the most personal level, which some will no doubt find creepy. Either way, Tim says the new SDK could kick off Google's most ambitious data grab to date.
