Google is getting ready to release a software development kit that will help developers build apps for wearable computers on the Android platform.
Sundar Pichai, Google's senior vice president of product management, told an audience at the SXSW conference on Sunday that Google will release a software development kit (SDK) for wearable tech in the next few weeks.
The SDK should make it easier for third parties to build wearable devices, including computerized eyeglasses, smartwatches or even smart bracelets, to run on the Android platform.
Pichai noted that Google sees a strong connection between the ecosystems for smartphones and wearable devices.
"We want to develop a set of common protocols by which they can work together," Pichai said, according to a report in The Verge. "They need a mesh layer and they need a data layer by which they can all come together... When we say wearables, we are thinking much more broadly."
Google has its own hand in the wearable computer category with its upcoming Google Glass project.
Last year, Google began selling prototypes of its computerized eye glasses to about 8,000 early adopters and developers. Glass, which is expected to be released sometime this year, enables users to take photos and video and share them on Facebook and Twitter. Users also can use the eyewear to read and send emails, scan the news and see maps.
There's also speculation that Google will release its own smartwatch at its annual Google I/O developer conference being held in San Francisco in June.
This article, Google to release wearables SDK in few weeks, was originally published at Computerworld.com.
Sharon Gaudin covers the Internet and Web 2.0, emerging technologies, and desktop and laptop chips for Computerworld. Follow Sharon on Twitter at @sgaudin, on Google+ or subscribe to Sharon's RSS feed. Her email address is sgaudin@computerworld.com.
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