Recently, our president, Rick Osterloh, has been sharing his thoughts about the mobile device industry and other topics on Medium. We wanted to share one of his posts here. He'll be posting more stories like these on Medium, and you can find them here.

You might have heard the phrase in an art history class, read it in article, or even heard a friend use it describing her shoes: patina. It’s the term people use to describe what happens to an object over time. Patina has an especially beautiful effect on leather and wood—which means that your Moto X and Moto 360 become more beautiful over time.
Photo Credit: Kevin Flynn

Google recently introduced Project Fi -- a wireless experience that intelligently moves you to the fastest available high-quality connections between Wi-Fi and 4G LTE network partners. This service is designed to push the boundaries of what’s possible wirelessly and makes it easy to communicate across multiple networks and devices.

Posted by Andria Nickel, Nexus 6 product manager

Simpler, easier and more fun. In the next few weeks, an update is coming to Moto 360 equipped with fun few new features like Wi-Fi connectivity, new gestures and easy-to-draw emojis. That way, you can get more done and have some fun with your watch.

Go Ahead, Put Your Phone Down
Over Wi-Fi, you’ll be able to use your Moto 360 when you are out of Bluetooth range from your phone.

Flick It
With a flick of the wrist, scroll between cards of useful info, check out new notifications or go back to the previous one without ever touching the screen.

Turn Quick Drawings into Emojis
Admit it, life is more fun with emojis. Now you can simply draw something - a burger, a clock with time, a smiley face - and Moto 360 will transform it into an emoji to send to your friends and family.

Always-on Screen, Always-on Apps
MOTOROLA and the Stylized M are trademarks of Motorola Trademark Holdings, LLC. Android and Google are trademarks of Google, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. (c) 2105 Motorola Mobility LLC. All rights reserved.

Taking the perfect selfie is an art. We understand how important it is to get the perfect shot which is why we created the perfect accessory - custom selfie sticks made with the same craftsmanship and genuine materials we use for our phones, like wood and leather. Because your selfie stick should be as unique as you are.

Authenticity of materials and quality craftsmanship are at the heart of every product we make. As designers we understand the importance of what we call “Materiality.” It is a critical component to engaging people’s senses in a visceral way: the look, feel, smell and sound of materials help elevate the quality of an object. Materials can add delight and surprise to a person’s experience and remind people of positive and emotional memories when they use our products.


Every material we choose must embrace a high standard of quality, both in terms of how it looks and how it feels against your skin, so that you can choose a distinct look to fit your style.

So when it came to choosing the leathers for Moto 360 watch bands and for the back of your Moto X through Moto Maker, the details counted. We turned to Horween, a classic, family-run leather company that has been making quality leather for more than 100 years.

We sat down with owner Nick Horween, whose great great grandfather started the company in 1905. Nick answered a few key questions about Horween leather and even let us snap a few pictures around the workshop near Chicago’s Loop.
Can you give us an overview of the Horween story?
I’m a fifth-generation Horween. The company was founded in 1905 in Chicago by my great great grandfather Isadore Horween who worked at a different tannery from 1893-1905. We bought our current building in 1920. The building was a tannery before. There were many tanneries in Chicago when we purchased the property, but we’re the last tannery today. Our factory has always been family owned and operated. All of our hides are fully traceable. They come from here in the Midwest and also Toronto, Quebec, and France.

Why do you think Horween leather ages so well?
It has a lot to do with what we put in the leather. We use vegetable tannage extract made from tree barks. Just like wood, when left out in the sun, the leather darkens. Our leather also reacts well to oils from hands, which instead of breaking the material down give it more color and character.
Where is Horween Leather used?
Forty percent of our leather is used for sporting goods. It’s used for NFL Wilson footballs and NBA Spalding basketballs. About half of the players in the MLB play with Rawling gloves made from Horween leather.