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Pixel Watch 5

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Re: Pixel Watch 5

#361

Post by cyberax »

sliken wrote: post #357
cyberax wrote: post #356

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have a small Meshtastic device, not quite button-sized but still tiny. The chip on it supports aGPS, so I can upload the almanac and prime it with the approximate location. I'm very familiar with this process, I wrote a small utility for my cell phone back in ~2010 after I screwed up its factory image by installing Cyanogen.

Nice, I have a few mestastic widgets, but do want something small enough for a dog collar. That way my wife and I can carry a radio and keep one in the car so we have a good chance getting in range. Sad that most of ham radio, which has similar APRS for tracking, doesn't do async or multi-hop.

I found this one when searching for something similar: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GF6QL9S9 - it should even be hackable.

I have not tested it, but it should be hackable. I have a couple of discrete RAK chips, and I've ordered a PCB with a trace antenna for them.

Re: Pixel Watch 5

#362

Post by ashf023 »

futureshock wrote: post #156
edent wrote: post #81

I overheard a conversation between someone on the Pixel Watch team and a woman I know. He was quizzing her at a party about what features she used - which were pretty much step counter and payment. He somewhat dismissively sneered, "Well, you're not exactly a power user, are you?" I'm trying to imagine what being a "power user" of a watch is like. Can anyone enlighten me? I think smart-watches are much like Alexa. Wh…

This. Totally. I would say I'm quite a power user usually. I very carefully explored every feature my apple watch has and tried to incorporate as many of them as I could. Very, very few features stuck because they were genuinely helpful. Almost everything being pushed is a gimmick or a feature bullet point from some product manager. The actual good stuff: Time Workouts Payments The occasionally useful stuff: Notifica…

Time is definitely a killer app on watches

Re: Pixel Watch 5

#363

Post by freedomben »

mrmckizzle wrote: post #273
edent wrote: post #81

I overheard a conversation between someone on the Pixel Watch team and a woman I know. He was quizzing her at a party about what features she used - which were pretty much step counter and payment. He somewhat dismissively sneered, "Well, you're not exactly a power user, are you?" I'm trying to imagine what being a "power user" of a watch is like. Can anyone enlighten me? I think smart-watches are much like Alexa. Wh…

Got my PebbleTime 2 about two months ago. I like it for tracking my exercise, heart rate, calendar, and time. My favorite is the alarm which is capable of vibrating when the watch suspects you are not at the deepest point in your sleep. I feel people like that are unpleasant to be around. Sorry for you friend.

Is anything with the pebble time able to capture heart rate for historical data analysis? Anything that can show graphs that you know of?

I've got the pixel watch and I'm using Fitbit for this currently, but it's way too expensive for all I'm using it for. I really just want historical heart rate at the moment plus basic exercise tracking, and of course being able to tell the time. Media controls are a huge plus as well.

Re: Pixel Watch 5

#364

Post by sliken »

cyberax wrote: post #361
sliken wrote: post #357

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nice, I have a few mestastic widgets, but do want something small enough for a dog collar. That way my wife and I can carry a radio and keep one in the car so we have a good chance getting in range. Sad that most of ham radio, which has similar APRS for tracking, doesn't do async or multi-hop.

I found this one when searching for something similar: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GF6QL9S9 - it should even be hackable. I have not tested it, but it should be hackable. I have a couple of discrete RAK chips, and I've ordered a PCB with a trace antenna for them.

Looks nice for some uses, but pretty big for a dog collar, almost 3" on a side. I've some long/thin dev boards that I could pair with an 18650 that should be closer to 1".

Re: Pixel Watch 5

#365

Post by ValentineC »

t_mahmood wrote: post #290
edent wrote: post #81

I overheard a conversation between someone on the Pixel Watch team and a woman I know. He was quizzing her at a party about what features she used - which were pretty much step counter and payment. He somewhat dismissively sneered, "Well, you're not exactly a power user, are you?" I'm trying to imagine what being a "power user" of a watch is like. Can anyone enlighten me? I think smart-watches are much like Alexa. Wh…

Having a Garmin, ruined me with awesome battery life, but after I melted it, I was using Amazfit ActiveEdge (can't find straps, the watch is still ok), which made me realize, I'm fine with it, both serves what I need, with over week of battery life. And, that matters the most at the end. Having ADHD, a smart watch is a life saver. But charging it everyday? Nope, who have time for that!? Alarms are crucial, I have 8 a…

> But charging it everyday? Nope, who have time for that!?

I wear my Apple Watch to sleep, and take it off to charge whenever I'm in the shower.

That's just another routine for me.

Re: Pixel Watch 5

#367

Post by ValentineC »

LoganDark wrote: post #15
Rotdhizon wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I still have the Pixel Watch 2 and it's much the same, battery barely lasts a day, if even that. I didn't know this going in. I had purchased the Pixel 8 I think it was and saw the watch was heavily discounted if I bundled it in so I did. Will never buy another one. I'm a heavily sleeper and need multiple alarms sometimes to wake up and would often use my watch alarm to supplement my phone. So it became a nightly rou…

I don't like having to charge my Apple Watch. I don't want to charge it when I'm asleep because I want sleep tracking. I don't want to charge it when I'm away because then I can't keep an eye on the time without getting my phone. I don't want to charge it when I'm at home because I could forget to put it back on before I go out or to sleep. If only there were a way to supply it power without having to take it off...…

> I don't like having to charge my Apple Watch. I don't want to charge it when I'm asleep because I want sleep tracking.

Feels like I've been replying the same thing everywhere, but people aren't charging their smart watches while they're in the shower?!

Re: Pixel Watch 5

#368

Post by ValentineC »

tw04 wrote: post #73
tlhunter wrote: post #70

I like how the footnotes are all broken. Like the repairability footnote links to charging. Lots of money was spent making that website.

I’m willing to bet AI made that website and nobody bothered to verify.

Googlers earn top-tier salaries but don't verify their AI-generated stuff?

Maybe people really do deserve their layoffs.

The buck needs to stop with a human being.

Re: Pixel Watch 5

#369

Post by maccard »

etrautmann wrote: post #126
maccard wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I love my Apple Watch. Alerts mean I don’t look at my phone which means I don’t unlock it and get sidetracked. I have plenty of ways to tell the time so it’s actually kind of useless for that. It’s a passable golf watch, a passable fitness tracker for running and it pairs with earphones so I can not bring my phone with me. I’ve occasionally used Apple Pay with it but that novelty wore off pretty quickly. I don’t care…

The novelty of Apple Pay on watch wore off? I use this all the time but it’s not noteworthy or interesting, just a great feature that’s seamless and doesn’t require pulling out my phone.

I find the whole “get the thing close enough to the reader” action to be difficult with the watch.

Re: Pixel Watch 5

#370

Post by ValentineC »

semiquaver wrote: post #119
dfee wrote: post #79

i was wondering recently if i could ditch my iPhone for (just) an Apple Watch. i know i can't fully ditch it (an Apple Watch needs an iPhone for management). but, i'm curious about the concept nonetheless: what would it be like to ditch a smartphone for a smartwatch?

An Apple Watch doesn’t need a SIM-enabled iPhone for management. You can just use an old one if you have any laying around, or your current one after you’ve deactivated service on it. Just get a standalone watch plan, something like $80/year from US Mobile or other MVNOs.

> You can just use an old one if you have any laying around, or your current one after you’ve deactivated service on it. Just get a standalone watch plan, something like $80/year from US Mobile or other MVNOs.

I don't think this is true. It needs to ride alongside a telco eSIM (and only specific ones that support SIM sharing) that's already provisioned on the phone.

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