Smartwatches

ddrueding

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My wife has given me permission to buy her a smartwatch. She tends to put her phone in her purse and her purse in a drawer. The only must-have feature for her is that the watch notify her when her phone is ringing (within BT range is fine). Of course, the only thing she cares about is that it looks "good". From what I understand, all of them will do what I want, so I'm apparently looking for a comprehensive list so I can show all of them to her.

Since I'm looking for a complete list, this will probably turn into a general-purpose thread (hence the title).

Thanks!
 

Mercutio

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For looks, I'd probably go with the Moto 360 (round face) or Asus Zenwatch (rectangular face). The Pebble Steel is too thick for me, but it's the clear winner when it comes to battery life. Pebble isn't Android and therefore may or may not be the best choice for software compatibility, but it does have an e-Ink display, which means it's the only choice that's going to last more than a full day on a charge.

One of my students had a Samsung smartwatch. He said it MIGHT last through his work shift and drive home, not even a full 10 hours. Battery life can be a real deal breaker.
 

ddrueding

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A co-worker just got the Samsung Smartwatch. Very fancy. Something about having its own 3G connection and not needing to bring your phone with you? Still trying to figure out the systems offered.
 

time

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A Fitbit Charge will provide the notification (vibration) and caller id. It's obviously not dressy, but it's discrete (and you can change the color if desired). Anyone who does notice it will assume you're a health nut, which is not a bad look for a doctor.

Bear in mind that almost all "smartwatches" are ludicrously large and unsuitable for a typical female wrist.
 

timwhit

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When the Pebble came out I considered getting one, but they are just way too big and thick. If Pebble or someone else could make an e-ink smartwatch about 1/4 as thick as the Pebble that got a week of battery life, I would consider getting one.
 

CougTek

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My wife has given me permission to buy...

You need her permission to buy stuff with the money you've earned? Good thing I've never had a wife or she would have become an ex-wife pretty quickly.

Just curious but what do you guys expect to do with a smart watch? The device is too small to have any real processing power and even if it did, the screen is too small to let you do any kind of work. Please don't tell me you plan to do some form of RDP on a smart watch. A smart phone with a 4" screen is already too small to be usable for that. A smart watch's display is also too small to show anything video, even shitty Youtube videos.

I've so far dismissed the entire smart watch buzz and I don't understand everyone's interest into it. It's not like you'll do Powerpoint presentation to wow investors on this.
 
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Striker

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It sounds like she's interested in knowing when she has notifications when her phone is out of earshot. It's why I bought my pebble. Even when I had my phone nearby I often didn't hear it ring or chime.
I've used the Pebble on both iOS and Android and the experience is a little different but it will definitely let her know when the phone is ringing or when she gets texts emails or other notifications.
It's all configurable too, she can turn off any of those being delivered to the Pebble if she's only interested in the phone calls.

When the Pebble came out I considered getting one, but they are just way too big and thick. If Pebble or someone else could make an e-ink smartwatch about 1/4 as thick as the Pebble that got a week of battery life, I would consider getting one.

Really? Maybe I'm used to it, but I really don't find the Pebble big at all. Maybe the Pebble Steel, but not the regular Pebble. It is not thicker than many smartphones and I don't think it's face is very large either. Certainly not compared to any competitors.
It may look large on a smaller wrist however, I don't think many would make a big deal about it. Too much smaller and it loses significant functionality I think.
 

ddrueding

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Buying presents is stupid. Purchasing something for someone else introduces inefficiencies in the selection process that could be counteracted just by giving cash. Therefore when buying something as a gift for someone else it is best to get their feedback first. Buying her a watch that she didn't wear would be a waste of money.

Further, we run a combined bank account and she has a mid-level management position and contributes to that account, so any purchases from there are at least partially with her money.

But, of course, I still buy just about whatever I want for myself.
 

Mercutio

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I've so far dismissed the entire smart watch buzz and I don't understand everyone's interest into it. It's not like you'll do Powerpoint presentation to wow investors on this.

I have a fancy Boccia watch that I wear about once every three years. I don't like typing with an extra lump around my wrist and I'm at a keyboard almost all day, so for the most part a watch would be more of an annoyance in the first place. The appealing things for me are being able to look at Email notifications and controlling whichever music player is running in a better fashion than I can with my headphones. Those two things don't add up to even $100 worth of need and honestly the place I'd use it most would be the car rather than on my wrist (a new head unit would make a lot more sense), but for maybe $50? Sure. I'd think about it.
 

Santilli

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There are certain functions that would be nice. Since I have a Samsung Mega, I don't usually carry it around the house when doing work here.
I do have some very nice watches, and do wear those.
It would be nice if the watch actually did what Surfline is trying to get them to do: Show weather, tides, etc. I would actually like them to figure out how to integrate such information into Google Calendar, or put Google Calendar on a watch.
Along with notification of calls, etc.


https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.surfline.watchface




There are many businesses that require accurate weather prediction, down to the hour. Traffic in the bay area is another thing that would be nice to have on a watch.

Waze is pretty good, but combined with an accurate weather prediction would be better.
 

Santilli

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I have to use Puffin, and go to KRON's bay area traffic over view before starting off. Even today, 580 going to Tracy is a solid redline, and 101 south from Mendicino is also red. Often times the bridges are likewise 0-10 miles an hour.

Waze doesn't really give you a bay area overview, or, I don't know how to get it. It does do a pretty good job of predicting which path in navigation to go to a certain point, and lists, police, and slowdowns and estimated times.

For instance right now, around Navato, Waze has numerous reports of 101 being stopped. If it was next weekend, I would likely have to deal with that mess.

Waze does have the information, it just takes awhile.

Your link to the tide setup works like a charm. Thank you.
 

ddrueding

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Waze is the best at traffic at the moment IMHO. Start by giving it your destination and then have a look at the ETA of the various routes for any surprises. If something seems out of place, just pinch-zoom and drag along your route until you find it. We did this for the trip to Tahoe and back last week and it worked great. Just make sure the phone is mounted properly on the dash or you're doubling your effort.
 

Striker

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Doesn't Google Maps incorporate that stuff from Waze now, or is there something additional Waze has that Maps doesn't?
 

Mercutio

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Waze has a social or peer to peer aspect where data is shared with other Waze users. Areas that have a lot of Waze users (like Chicago's western suburbs or probably the Bay area) get ridiculously good traffic data in essentially real time. I don't think Google Maps has that component.

If traffic data were particularly relevant to my life I'm sure I'd be using it.
 

Howell

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Gmaps does use some of the Waze data but does not allow for user input. I have received notices of stalled cars and the like but I don't know if the traffic speed information is integrated.
 

Howell

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Btw I think the accuracy limits of gps produces a situation where a fast moving off ramp influences the average speed of traffic.
 

ddrueding

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And I should have added a while ago in this thread that I did get my wife a Moto360 in time for Christmas 2014 that she's been wearing every day since and likes it.
 

jieunu93

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Thanks for the information about the smartwatch. Have a nice day:D
Hi guy, you know where can create and customize the watchface for the apple and android smartwatches ?
 

Tea

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I happened to spot a not-so-smart watch accessory in Aldi the other day.

It is an automatic winder for automatic watches. You know the ones: mechanical things powered by clockwork. An automatic watch is an orthodox mechanical watch with some kind of extra little weights added inside it so that your normal everyday actions move the weights which in turn twist a shaft which winds up the watch spring so that you never have to wind it. This device, for a few tens of dollars, vibrates your automatic watch to wind it for you in case you are so bone lazy that you don't move around enough for it to wind itself.

The really weird thing is that this was at Aldi! (Aldi is a supermarket chain. They have small stores, perhaps one-fifth as large as the average Coles or Woolworths or Safeway. Mostly they sell eggs, milk, cans of soup, stuff like that. From time to time they buy in other stuff such as tools which can be excellent value for money. This stock of other stuff changes from day to day, you can't just go there and expect to find (say) a torque wrench. They buy some thousands of torque wrenches, sell them for about half what you'd expect to pay for an equivalent quality product at a hardware shop; next week they might have bicycle pumps; the week after it's spirit levels.

But this extraordinary watch winder wasn't in as one of their special items, it was in the little glass case where they have mobile phones, tablets, and suchlike.

Who TF even owns a mechanical watch these days? Double who TF has an automatic one? Triple who TF needs a machine to wind the damn thing?

No. I wasn't drinking. I really did see it. But I don't believe it.
 

Mercutio

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A fancy sort of person might have such a watch.
A fancy sort of person who wouldn't be shopping at an Aldi's.

We have those here in the US. My company actually does some training for their corporate offices. I had no idea it was international.
 

Howell

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I have seen the winder boxes that can hold 4 or 5 at a time. Some people collect watches and have had them since before flip phones were old hat.
 

mubs

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This device, for a few tens of dollars, vibrates your automatic watch to wind it for you in case you are so bone lazy that you don't move around enough for it to wind itself.

Triple who TF needs a machine to wind the damn thing?
Even if you're not bone lazy. Let's say you're sick for a week. These things just stop working because they're lying on a table or desktop and are not being moved. Or if you have a couple of watches and wear the other one for the few days you're traveling. Has happened to me plenty of times; I used to wear these as a teenager. When the watch died, I would hold it and move it in particular ways; you could tell the weights were moving around because of a slight buzzing sensation you could feel. It would get tiring to keep doing this enough for the thing to have enough "charge" to keep going.

Also what Merc & Howell said.

You're too young to know about these things, furry one.
 

Tea

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A fancy sort of person might have such a watch.
A fancy sort of person who wouldn't be shopping at an Aldi's.

We have those here in the US. My company actually does some training for their corporate offices. I had no idea it was international.

Aldi is a German company (well, actually two companies, but let's keep it simple.) See here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldi Their presence in Australia is most welcome. The Australian retail market is dominated - and I mean absolutely dominated by two massive duopolists, Coles and Woolworths. Through fair means and foul - mostly foul - they have carved up the market and ruthlessly eliminated almost all competition. A favourite tactic (now regarded as illegal, but the damage is already done) is to "persuade" local councils to allow permits for only certain nominated shopping facilities. I wouldn't say that cash changes hands. (That would be actionable.) You figure it out. With a local monopoly on sites they then either point-blank refuse to allow competitors anywhere in the centre, or else provide only the worst-available building at a grossly inflated rent. Small retailers are allowed in, of course, and they are charged astronomically high rents such that the giant supermarket goes along practically rent-free.

But having eliminated their competition in this way, and having organised a very low cost base for themselves, they are now free to sell at very low prices, yes? No. They are expensive. In fact, the big two Australian supermarket chains are the most profitable supermarket chains on Earth. They make massive profits. Oh, and they use their monopoly power to shaft suppliers something terrible. Most of the small and medium size grocery suppliers in Australia have gone out of business because they can't sell to Colesworth except at a loss, and they can't sell to anyone else 'cox there isn't anyone else. Well, not to speak of. Many years ago I used to work for the 2nd biggest clock importer in Australia. I ran the warehousing and shipping, so I saw all the figures as routine. Most of our sales volume was (of course) to the two giants. Mostly, we sold to them at a loss. On a good year, we would make that up by selling a much smaller number of items to small, specialist shops (mostly jewelers) at very high margins. The only reason we kept on supplying Colseworth at all was that the sheer volume of these large loss-making sales got us quantity discounts with the big manufacturers. The only reason. No bloody wonder Australian shops are very expensive! No bloody wonder Australia is the nation that buys more goods from overseas via the Internet than any other!

Oh, and the big two have also done shonky deals with the giant oil companies. Now to pay the regular price for petrol you have to show a Coles (or Woolworths) supermarket docket. Otherwise you pay 4c a litre extra. Not to mention hardware, car parts, you name it they own it.

This is why so many Australians say "I don't give a bugger if Coles is an Australian company, I'm shopping at Aldi!" Aldi is a breath of fresh air. They have a limited range but cover all the main requirements, their quality is equal or better, and their pricing is way, way lower. Forget the 4c/litre extra you have to pay for petrol - that adds up to about $2 extra for an average tank. The same basket of grocieries that costs you $70 at Woolworths or Coles costs you $50 at Aldi. It's annoying that I have to drive across town because they don't have full access to locations the way the incumbent giants do, but so be it. Ten minutes extra driving to save $20? That's effectively paying me $120 an hour to not shop at Coles.

(Sorry about your thread Dave. But I did mention clocks in my post. Was that a help?)
 

Tannin

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Silly me. I thought that the idea of an automatic watch was that you had to wind it up by shaking your hand up and down vigourously for five minutes or so every night using a particular certain motion. I guess that explains a few things, like (just as an example) the mystery of why so many people wore their watches on their left wrists.
 

Mercutio

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Looks like last year's $300 Android Wear devices are this year's $125 or less impulse buys. I still don't need one, but Amazon has an LG G Watch for $90, which is cheap enough that I'd consider it just to play with.
 
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