Apple Event - 09 Sep at 10am PDT

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by Hitch

Gosh, can't WAIT. it's not bad enough everybody walks around like some paranoid schizo now, talking to themselves (headsets), now they'll skulk around like FBI agents? It just gives me the damn giggles. I'm getting a real "MAXWELL SMA-RT!" vibe here. MWAHAHAHAHA.

LOL

Want privacy while talking to your gadgets? Maybe Apple can be talked into perfecting the portable cone of silence

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by Hitch

I mean, honestly: does everyone want to walk around looking like Dick Tracy? But talking to THEMSELVES? Talking to their WRISTS, like grown-ups playing at being G-Men, (or G-ladies, whatever), like they did when they were 5 years old?

Have you seen Google Glass?

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

For the life of me, I fail to see any practical reason for these smart watches to exist. I mean, how difficult is it to reach in your pocket to get your phone?

There is one good reason for smart watches: you can still receive alerts and messages in a place where normally cell phones are not allowed. For example at work (depending where you work).

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

There is one good reason for smart watches: you can still receive alerts and messages in a place where normally cell phones are not allowed. For example at work (depending where you work).

Doesn't the phone have to be in close proximity of the wrist thingie?

[treadlightly]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

There is one good reason for smart watches: you can still receive alerts and messages in a place where normally cell phones are not allowed. For example at work (depending where you work).

And fitness apps. You can't ride your bike and hold your phone at the same time (well, some people do this, but it's not smart).

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

There is one good reason for smart watches: you can still receive alerts and messages in a place where normally cell phones are not allowed. For example at work (depending where you work).

See, this is DEFINITELY, from my POV, an age thing. My attitude is, if it's a crisis, there's a thing called a PHONE, to call me on. An office phone, or something. Everything else is just distracting NOISE. Alerts and messages at work? Sure, if you're a trader on the floor...you need alerts on big moves, stock changes, etc. You're a paramedic, you need alerts. An on-call physician.

However, for the average Joe (or Bob, or Fred or Fydor), "pick up a gallon of milk," or "User JohnQPublic just posted THIS on Quora!" is not a crisis. You don't need an alert that your buddy ate BLTs' at lunch, via FB. That's just not-work. It's time away from your gig, unless it's absolutely work-related. And if it is, why isn't it on your computer, where your company put it?

I mean, if a cellphone isn't allowed, what are the alerts, here, that we're talking about, FOR?

Just askin'.

Hitch

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by Hitch

See, this is DEFINITELY, from my POV, an age thing. My attitude is, if it's a crisis, there's a thing called a PHONE, to call me on. An office phone, or something. Everything else is just distracting NOISE. Alerts and messages at work? Sure, if you're a trader on the floor...you need alerts on big moves, stock changes, etc. You're a paramedic, you need alerts. An on-call physician.

However, for the average Joe (or Bob, or Fred or Fydor), "pick up a gallon of milk," or "User JohnQPublic just posted THIS on Quora!" is not a crisis. You don't need an alert that your buddy ate BLTs' at lunch, via FB. That's just not-work. It's time away from your gig, unless it's absolutely work-related. And if it is, why isn't it on your computer, where your company put it?

I mean, if a cellphone isn't allowed, what are the alerts, here, that we're talking about, FOR?

Just askin'.

Hitch

...my thinking exactly.

[meeera]

I like the idea of configurable quick-look alerts exactly because it allows me to triage alerts/messages without taking out my phone. Is that missed call/left-a-message from the school just a callback about something happening next week, or is my child injured and needs to be picked up? Was my dad just wanting to ask about our next gathering, or has he had another medical crisis? I might not be an on-call physician these days, but I'm still on-call.

You can configure twitter etc not to send alerts of any kind on the iPhone (or to send a silent banner, or to give a notification), and I'm assuming the watch will be the same. And I really like the idea of non-audible alerts that I can actually feel, instead of a subtle vibration in my pocket. (I would like them even more if the whole damn population started to use them instead of the constant infernal beeping and random bursts of noise!) I won't get a revA of this, but I'll be watching with interest.

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by Hitch

See, this is DEFINITELY, from my POV, an age thing. My attitude is, if it's a crisis, there's a thing called a PHONE, to call me on. An office phone, or something. Everything else is just distracting NOISE. Alerts and messages at work? Sure, if you're a trader on the floor...you need alerts on big moves, stock changes, etc. You're a paramedic, you need alerts. An on-call physician.

However, for the average Joe (or Bob, or Fred or Fydor), "pick up a gallon of milk," or "User JohnQPublic just posted THIS on Quora!" is not a crisis. You don't need an alert that your buddy ate BLTs' at lunch, via FB. That's just not-work. It's time away from your gig, unless it's absolutely work-related. And if it is, why isn't it on your computer, where your company put it?

I mean, if a cellphone isn't allowed, what are the alerts, here, that we're talking about, FOR?

Just askin'.

Hitch

Well obviously those alerts and messages would be non work related distractions. And usually the reason why use of cell phones is not allowed so workers don't play on their phone instead of working. It sounds like everybody you met is an angel at work and would not think about bending the employers rules.

[Barty]

Smart watches have no reason to exist. Samsung made them because they figured apple would and they wanted to beat apple to the market. Apple made one because wall st. is convinced apple is doomed if they don't release something revolutionary every decade. It's mutually assured stupidity.

The truth is the technology simply is not ready for a truly useful smart watch that isn't an absurd contraption or an eyesore. We're not able to cramp that much electronics into that small a space and more importantly Moore's law does not apply to batteries.

The moto 360 looks like a normal watch. It just doesn't do that much.

[WT Sharpe]

If I could make clear phone calls and take decent pictures with it, I'd consider a smart watch.

[afv011]

Originally Posted by Crowl

Besides the cost issue, there is actually a reason why mobile companies don't slap in a lot more ram than they need is that it has a negative impact on battery life.

This is plain wrong. Having more RAM may actually improve battery life as the OS has to read less data from disk, as it can cache it in RAM. Reloading an app from disk is not only slower, it requires more CPU (to inflate layouts, maybe make some network calls to retrieve data, ...) than just switching to a memory instance of the app.

[Kumabjorn]

Originally Posted by afv011

This is plain wrong. Having more RAM may actually improve battery life as the OS has to read less data from disk, as it can cache it in RAM. Reloading an app from disk is not only slower, it requires more CPU (to inflate layouts, maybe make some network calls to retrieve data, ...) than just switching to a memory instance of the app.

Could be wrong off course but I don't think there are any disks in Smartphones.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by Kumabjorn

Could be wrong off course but I don't think there are any disks in Smartphones.

"disk" == "permanent storage memory" (as opposed to RAM).

[Kumabjorn]

Yes, but are they more of a drain on battery than RAM?