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Yet another broadly-worded patent designed mostly to kill competition. EVERYONE KNOWS that we must have wrist mounted screens at some point. EVERYONE KNOWS that having the display wrap around the wrist a desirable feature. EVERYONE KNOWS that there must be wireless connectivity. EVERYONE KNOWS that the screen MUST be flexible and MUST be a touchscreen. EVERYONE KNOWS that in the long term the devices themselves WILL…
I was initially thinking that it was just going to be an Apple branded knockoff of http://www.amazon.com/Nanotch-Protective-Wrist-Watch-Strap/d... but it looks like they're intending to use the flexible screen tech that's been demo'd by Samsung recently http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v... before the inevitable complaining about who innovated what first, I'd like to say that it looks like Samsu…
I have a pet theory that, when removed, the iWatch will be flat and it will be possible to use it as a phone by holding up to your ear. The cellular technology will be in your iPhone Maxi or iPad. The importance of such a feature is simply—but not unimportantly—that this would look less dorky than holding up a 5" phone to your head or using a bluetooth headset.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Apple's patent application was filed on August 17, 2011. Pebble's Kickstarter campaign started on April 11, 2012. From the description of the patent application it's clear that this thing is nothing like a Pebble or a watch. It's a slap bracelet covered with a flexible touchscreen. What's more, the patent application describes the device's battery being charged by ambient light and kinetic energy. That's pretty wild.
> the patent application describes the device's battery being charged by ambient light and kinetic energy. That's pretty wild. Fairly common, automatic mechanical watches already use kinetic, but were we to say "But those aren't electronic" then you could always look at something like the Seiko Premier ( http://www.seiko.co.uk/products/seiko/c/premier/m/snp005p1_s... ) And for ambient light charging, you have Citizen…
A watch shaped like a bracelet and easily removable. That very much suits my intuition of what an iWatch would be. I have a pet theory that, when removed, the iWatch will be flat and it will be possible to use it as a phone by holding up to your ear. The cellular technology will be in your iPhone Maxi or iPad. The importance of such a feature is simply—but not unimportantly—that this would look less dorky than holdin…
http://www.halfbakery.com/idea/Slap_20Bracelet_20Cell_20Phon...
Yet another broadly-worded patent designed mostly to kill competition. EVERYONE KNOWS that we must have wrist mounted screens at some point. EVERYONE KNOWS that having the display wrap around the wrist a desirable feature. EVERYONE KNOWS that there must be wireless connectivity. EVERYONE KNOWS that the screen MUST be flexible and MUST be a touchscreen. EVERYONE KNOWS that in the long term the devices themselves WILL…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
> the patent application describes the device's battery being charged by ambient light and kinetic energy. That's pretty wild. Fairly common, automatic mechanical watches already use kinetic, but were we to say "But those aren't electronic" then you could always look at something like the Seiko Premier ( http://www.seiko.co.uk/products/seiko/c/premier/m/snp005p1_s... ) And for ambient light charging, you have Citizen…
Thanks for the explanation, but the watches in your examples use very little juice. Apple's concept device has a large touchscreen and a persistent network connection with other iDevices. That uses a lot more power, that's why I was surprised to read that they're trying to run it off ambient light and kinetic energy -- I would've thought it wouldn't be worth it.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
> the patent application describes the device's battery being charged by ambient light and kinetic energy. That's pretty wild. Fairly common, automatic mechanical watches already use kinetic, but were we to say "But those aren't electronic" then you could always look at something like the Seiko Premier ( http://www.seiko.co.uk/products/seiko/c/premier/m/snp005p1_s... ) And for ambient light charging, you have Citizen…
Thanks for the explanation, but the watches in your examples use very little juice. Apple's concept device has a large touchscreen and a persistent network connection with other iDevices. That uses a lot more power, that's why I was surprised to read that they're trying to run it off ambient light and kinetic energy -- I would've thought it wouldn't be worth it.
The patent also mentions many power savings features, basically putting the device into life-saving mode most of the time and only waking to perform a task or notify you of something.
If that's the case, then low power use when off is the priority for them, and if they are able to use drips of power from multiple sources to partially power that stand-by, then the battery only really gets used when you put the screen on... meaning that the device's standby time can be legitimately advertised as being some very long period of time.
And for an idea of standby power for a bluetooth device, let's go back to Casio ( http://world.g-shock.com/us/en/ble/function/ )...
> Since Bluetooth® v4.0 uses low-power near field communication technology, your function-packed G-SHOCK is able deliver to approximately two years of operation on a single coin type battery. This makes the watch's advanced functions practical for everyday use. Approximate battery life when communication function are used for 12 hours a day (tentative value).
2 years!
The iWatch (or whatever it's called) really is only going to drain the battery when that screen is on and in use.