Wearables - If you wear it and it's not iOS or Android come in here!

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Inspect Your Gadgets > Wearables - If you wear it and it's not iOS or Android come in here!

japtor: Oct 28, 2005

Nut Better posted:

Have any of you with the other android wear watches used the screen only on when you're looking at it feature. Is it responsive enough for you not to be bothered when it turns off?

If it's not really an issue and you can get a day of battery on the 360 using it, I could definitely see myself picking one up. Right now I have a pebble. It's nice having a screen that's always on but since it's e-ink, it isn't always glowing like an lcd would. That always glowing might get annoying anyway, so turning it off might be nice.

To piggyback off this since there's something similar I've been wondering about, how are the backlit screens under low light like in a movie theater?

# ¿ Sep 5, 2014 23:31

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# ¿ May 1, 2024 20:59

japtor: Oct 28, 2005

bull3964 posted:

That's up to you. I would still find a tap of the screen if it didn't recognize me looking at the watch for some reason to be less troublesome than pulling my phone out of my pocket. Really though, for me it's about not missing notifications when my phone is in my pocket.

I had a FuelBand a while back and thought the button press to show time could be annoying cause it required my other hand to press the button, vs being able to just pull out my phone and press a button with my thumb with the same hand to see the screen. I guess that's one of my concerns usability wise with these things. The wrist is more convenient for showing stuff but seems like it can be more cumbersome to actually interact with if necessary.

# ¿ Sep 8, 2014 22:25

japtor: Oct 28, 2005

Some watch dude on the Apple Watch:
http://www.hodinkee.com/blog/hodinkee-apple-watch-review

quote:

I'm not even sure we can call it a watch. Okay, it goes on the wrist, and it happens to tell the time, but that's about where the similarities between Apple's just announced watch and the hand-assembled, often painstakingly finished mechanical watches we write about, and obsess over, end. I was lucky enough to be invited to Cupertino to witness the announcement of the Apple Watch firsthand, and though I do not believe it poses any threat to haute horology manufactures, I do think the Apple Watch will be a big problem for low-priced quartz watches, and even some entry-level mechanical watches. In years to come, it could pose a larger threat to higher end brands, too. The reason? Apple got more details right on their watch than the vast majority of Swiss and Asian brands do with similarly priced watches, and those details add up to a really impressive piece of design. It offers so much more functionality than other digitals it's almost embarrassing. But it's not perfect, by any means. Read on to hear my thoughts on the Apple Watch, from the perspective of a watch guy. Oh, and there are dozens of in-the-metal pictures, too.

# ¿ Sep 10, 2014 22:52

japtor: Oct 28, 2005

explosivo posted:

A friend of mine (a huge Apple fanboy) who went to the last Google I/O conference gave me his free Samsung Gear Live he got there after trying it for a week and not really liking it, and I've really been enjoying it. I was initially in the "Oh, that's all it does?" camp after loving with it for a day but I've grown to appreciate it's simplicity. The notifications are pretty great, it performs admirably as an actual watch, and I think it's one of the better looking smart watches out there right now. With the Apple Watch stuff coming out am I the only one thinking it seems like they're trying to cram too many features into their watch?

I felt the same way, part of me thought they might go simplistic with it just cause the inherent limitations (size/battery) but no they blasted it with some pretty random stuff. Well I can get why they'd do the random social stuff, but the Photos in particular seemed really pointless. I think the main thing was just that it could do whatever and that there is (or will be) an SDK ready. The state of early third party apps should be entertaining/hilarious/ :ughh:

, it'll be interesting how it all turns out in actual use.

Craptacular! posted:

All of these things only can read your heart rate if you're absolutely still.

You're probably best off looking at one of those Misfit waterproof wearables for swimming, but they don't contain a heart rate monitor so have another device when you aren't in the pool. I haven't looked at iOS 8 that hard, but I think Apple's upcoming "Health" app will import information from all these wearables so you can add all that in?

If you can't tell, I'm not totally certain of what I speak, especially on iOS, so hopefully knowledgeable people can ring in.

Yeah the Health app should be able to, assuming the hardware/software dev takes advantage of the API for it. Haven't really been keeping track but it seems like companies are generally on board with it, probably since it'd be a disadvantage if they're not.

quote:

I guess I'm the only one who likes the Apple watch? The aluminum on the sport housing looks like it will collect fewer smudges than the shiny stuff, and while I may not be totally nuts about it's associated band, it can be changed.

I'll grant that NFC aside, they aren't doing anything functionally different for more money. But that leaves hardware, and the 360 just looks unattractive to me. Still, I will play around with all the options next time I go to Best Buy or wherever.

If you're talking about design I think it looks ok, a bit tall but not too horrible looking to me otherwise. Like it looked almost normal on the wrists in the video, and I'm a sucker for the Milanese loop strap (reminded me of Breitling's fancy rear end ones). In theory I should like the 360 cause it's round and really clean, but I'm not a fan of how the straps meet the body, maybe too clean for me. Kinda makes the body look bigger (not that it needs help there) and awkwardly resting on top or something. I actually like the LG R one better...well the default face makes it look bad I think, but the body casing and strap connection look decent (if admittedly plain/normal looking).

(As far as actual utility I still have questions about usability in just looking at it without interacting the opposite hand, while cautiously optimistic about other random possibilities)

KingEup posted:

Why do you say that? I thought this was the wearables thread.

Cause the stuff you asked for all fitness specific and probably more suitable in that area, while apparently this thread is for the more general type of tech wearable. While the latter can do that stuff to an extent they're not purpose built for it like the fitness stuff. There's an overlap between them but it's not enough to fit your needs at this point.

# ¿ Sep 11, 2014 10:40

japtor: Oct 28, 2005

Dr. Video Games 0050 posted:

I'm going to call a round watch face on the next gen of Apple watches. I'm not saying the square ones are worthless, but I just seriously think they're silly. Especially when you put a knock off watch face on it. Square isn't appealing. The moto 360 just looks loving swank. It needs to rid itself of the flat tire and get a retina display so the watch faces look even nicer.

I'd be surprised just cause watch faces probably aren't going to be the primary reason to get one. Most data would either need to be cropped to fit or have a bunch of wasted space with a round screen.

In other square screen news, will.i.am is still venturing into random stuff:
http://gizmodo.com/meet-puls-will-i-ams-gigantic-wearable-cuff-1646838552

# ¿ Oct 18, 2014 05:50

japtor: Oct 28, 2005

Another story on it:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/18/us-tagheurer-basel-idUSKBN0ME2OB20150318

quote:

Tag Heuer is planning to launch next autumn a smartwatch version of its Carrera watch that will offer many of the same functions as the Apple watch such as geolocation, distance walked and altitude.

The major difference is that the watch will be a digital replica of the original Tag Heuer black Carrera, known for its bulky, sporty allure, and will look like the original.

"People will have the impression that they are wearing a normal watch," Tag Heuer Chief Executive Jean-Claude Biver told Reuters in an interview at Baselworld, the industry's biggest fair where retailers place their orders for the year.

Course that was before the actual announcement (which had no details on design according to that other link) so who knows if the source was off there. Just for the sake of seeing something cool I'd like to see some neat mechanical element along with the digital stuff, but I wouldn't be surprised at all if it's essentially just Wear in a Tag casing and bracelet.

And this from January kinda makes me lean more that way too:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-01-19/tag-heuer-casts-aside-swiss-made-label-to-take-on-apple-watch

quote:

For a smartwatch, �we can�t produce the engine, the chips, the applications, the hardware -- nobody can produce it in Switzerland,� Biver said. �The hardware and the software will come from Silicon Valley. But the watch case, the dial, the design, the idea, the crown, that part of the watch will, of course, be Swiss.�

In addition to functionality expected of a smartwatch -- think GPS and health monitoring -- TAG Heuer�s timepiece will have applications that are specific to its own brand to give it a unique selling point, he said, such as tie-ups with sports it sponsors.

# ¿ Mar 20, 2015 05:59

japtor: Oct 28, 2005

Reverse Centaur posted:

Also it looks like Google is trying out this "let people know your product exists" strategy that Apple is so good at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ybg5klCxQGA

It...kinda reminded me of the first Surface ad:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iB5txqIl8jQ

Just in terms of "hey look! new product, here's some kids dancin!". But at least it's just dancing while wearing/showing off their watches vs, I don't know how to describe it, a dance number with tablets?

# ¿ Mar 23, 2015 09:15

japtor: Oct 28, 2005

Citizen Tayne posted:

Has anyone here received their Apple Watch yet? I have some questions.

Try the Apple Watch thread.

# ¿ May 15, 2015 18:34

japtor: Oct 28, 2005

Citizen Tayne posted:

Does anyone have their Apple Watch yet?

Yeah, in that Apple Watch thread I linked last time you asked about it. (Well I don't have mine yet, it's still a month away apparently)

# ¿ Jun 9, 2015 02:11

japtor: Oct 28, 2005

SneakyFrog posted:

Its sad how partisanship just drives us apart

Positive spin: it just means the segment is growing so much we can't all keep using the same thread!

# ¿ Jun 9, 2015 02:32

japtor: Oct 28, 2005

Won't be the same since it won't be "smart" about it, but as a simple workaround you could just set some hourly reminder/calendar event to stand.

# ¿ Jul 8, 2015 06:05

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# ¿ May 1, 2024 20:59

japtor: Oct 28, 2005

How's Samsung's history in the software support side of things, like is this thing going to stop getting updates once the next watch comes out?

# ¿ Sep 3, 2015 20:13

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