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A programmable watch you can actually wear

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Re: A programmable watch you can actually wear

#111

Post by asciimov »

danparsonson wrote: post #102

I've loved the idea of a computer on my wrist since I was a kid but now they're available, I find myself unable to think of an actual useful application for them apart from telling the time - what do you smart watch people actually do with them? Are they mainly toys or do they enrich your life in some practical way?

Apple Series 3 owner for about 9 years.

1. Notifications. Most useful in noisy environments such as grocery stores, airports, shop floors, or any place you may be wearing hearing protection. Also great while working with your hands, like car work or cooking and directions while driving. It’s best to limit them to the apps that matter, and only when you need them.

2. Biometrics.

However, after this watch finally dies, I don’t think I will be going back. Big reason is smart watches are not stylish at all. For men watches are our only fashion accessory that we can freely wear in all occasions. No matter what band or watch face you use you are stuck with a black square attached to your wrist. Also smart watch battery life is a bit of a bummer, it’s hard to beat self winding or solar powered watches that you never think about changing as long as you wear them.

Re: A programmable watch you can actually wear

#112

Post by crabbone »

danparsonson wrote: post #102

I've loved the idea of a computer on my wrist since I was a kid but now they're available, I find myself unable to think of an actual useful application for them apart from telling the time - what do you smart watch people actually do with them? Are they mainly toys or do they enrich your life in some practical way?

I run every day. Started doing it for multiple reasons, some of them being health. The watch tells me my pulse, speed, cadence, calories burned. I doubt the numbers are very accurate, but they are consistent, and, probably, not too far off outside of cases of obvious misreading. It also has a way of collecting some data about swimming (which I don't understand, like what is swolf? I know, I could look it up, but I'm a terrible swimmer, so I don't bother).

For people who like to leave their phone in random places around the house, the watch can help in locating it. You can also almost always turn off the alarm on your phone w/o getting out of bed (provided you sleep with your watch on and the phone's bluetooth didn't decide to randomly disconnect).

All this said, I think that smartphones, in general, provide very marginal utility. A little bit of convenience here and there but nothing groundbreaking. If phones had better GPS antennas and a framework to attach devices like pulseox or sphygmomanometer they'd be preferable to the watch because the display is bigger and the input is (slightly) more convenient.

Re: A programmable watch you can actually wear

#113

Post by danparsonson »

arximboldi wrote: post #110
danparsonson wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, we used to have MP3 players for that - I still have my Sansa Clip+ in a box somewhere...

As a former user of the Sansa Clip, I recommended the Shanling M0 as a modern alternative (they sell a separate case for the clip if you want that). Great audio quality and features, format and Bluetooth codes support.

Thanks, I'll take a look!

Re: A programmable watch you can actually wear

#114

Post by crabbone »

Revanche1367 wrote: post #105
danparsonson wrote: post #102

I've loved the idea of a computer on my wrist since I was a kid but now they're available, I find myself unable to think of an actual useful application for them apart from telling the time - what do you smart watch people actually do with them? Are they mainly toys or do they enrich your life in some practical way?

Same here, loved the idea since I was a kid and I spend a lot more money on gadgets than I probably should but somehow managed to avoid getting a smartwatch because it doesn’t do anything a smartphone does better. I just wear a simple casio solar powered watch I got for about $100 which I never have to charge. I still like the idea of something programmable though, but this watch in OP is a bit too DIY for my tastes.

Smart watches, in general, have a better GPS antenna. I tried running using just my phone's GPS and it's all over the place, completely unusable for that task (it showed me crossing walls, canals, running in circles where I went in a straight line etc.)

Also, a lot of smart watches come with a pulseox, so, you can look up your pulse any time you like :D Not super useful unless you are working out, but there's that.

Re: A programmable watch you can actually wear

#115

Post by danparsonson »

narag wrote: post #109
danparsonson wrote: post #102

I've loved the idea of a computer on my wrist since I was a kid but now they're available, I find myself unable to think of an actual useful application for them apart from telling the time - what do you smart watch people actually do with them? Are they mainly toys or do they enrich your life in some practical way?

Some applications that we use in smartphones are very useful, like the alarm clock. I have begrudgingly adapted to their quirks and privacy implications. I'd rather program my own versions, same for smartwatches.

Alarms I can understand, but that's been a feature of standard watches almost since they were invented I think. I'm looking for something that requires a programmable device to be meaningful and so far the ideas are fairly thin on the ground :-) I get the techy appeal though, and agree wholeheartedly about the value of having total control over a device if possible.

Re: A programmable watch you can actually wear

#116

Post by danparsonson »

crabbone wrote: post #112
danparsonson wrote: post #102

I've loved the idea of a computer on my wrist since I was a kid but now they're available, I find myself unable to think of an actual useful application for them apart from telling the time - what do you smart watch people actually do with them? Are they mainly toys or do they enrich your life in some practical way?

I run every day. Started doing it for multiple reasons, some of them being health. The watch tells me my pulse, speed, cadence, calories burned. I doubt the numbers are very accurate, but they are consistent, and, probably, not too far off outside of cases of obvious misreading. It also has a way of collecting some data about swimming (which I don't understand, like what is swolf? I know, I could look it up, but I'm…

Yeah fitness tracker is a good one; I'm the opposite with my phone though - I get a ton of utility out of mine, but not things that I think would be improved by shrinking them down onto my wrist.

Re: A programmable watch you can actually wear

#117

Post by danparsonson »

asciimov wrote: post #111
danparsonson wrote: post #102

I've loved the idea of a computer on my wrist since I was a kid but now they're available, I find myself unable to think of an actual useful application for them apart from telling the time - what do you smart watch people actually do with them? Are they mainly toys or do they enrich your life in some practical way?

Apple Series 3 owner for about 9 years. 1. Notifications. Most useful in noisy environments such as grocery stores, airports, shop floors, or any place you may be wearing hearing protection. Also great while working with your hands, like car work or cooking and directions while driving. It’s best to limit them to the apps that matter, and only when you need them. 2. Biometrics. However, after this watch finally dies,…

Yeah the battery life is off-putting for me - watches I had as a kid would last for years on a single battery so I think I have that expectation stuck in my mind. I do like the biometrics angle - something that tracked my health condition and alerted me to any problems would be interesting, but it would have to be fully under my control; I'm not keen on my health data disappearing into who knows what databae.

Re: A programmable watch you can actually wear

#118

Post by culopatin »

danparsonson wrote: post #102

I've loved the idea of a computer on my wrist since I was a kid but now they're available, I find myself unable to think of an actual useful application for them apart from telling the time - what do you smart watch people actually do with them? Are they mainly toys or do they enrich your life in some practical way?

Lately the only useful thing I get out of it is Auto Unlock my phone when I’m wearing a helmet and gloves.

Re: A programmable watch you can actually wear

#119

Post by perrygeo »

danparsonson wrote: post #102

I've loved the idea of a computer on my wrist since I was a kid but now they're available, I find myself unable to think of an actual useful application for them apart from telling the time - what do you smart watch people actually do with them? Are they mainly toys or do they enrich your life in some practical way?

Biometrics, heart rate and sleep tracking are huge, like 95% of the reason I own a smart watch. It's a sensor, not a UI. Everything else can be done better on a phone.

I turn off notifications (because if I get a message on my watch, what am I going to do with it? watch is basically read-only)

One use that comes up a lot: setting a timer. Being able to ad hoc set timers with your voice is huge - without it, my coffee would get cold, my laundry would stay wet, and my kid would be late because dad got distracted by a HN comment.

Re: A programmable watch you can actually wear

#120

Post by analog31 »

gunalx wrote: post #95
analog31 wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For an application using bluetooth low energy, a Nordic NRF52840 turned out to be the winner.

Not the newer more energy efficent nrf54 series?

Ooh I'll take a look! Sometimes I get behind the times because I have to find a favorable dev board.
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