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Pixel Watch 5

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Re: Pixel Watch 5

#161

Post by rootusrootus »

blltprfmnk wrote: post #141
lenova wrote: post #125

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've noticed and interesting social shift in recent years: friends who get distracted mid-sentence by an Apple Watch notification, pause the conversation to check the alert, and then continue the conversation afterwards without realizing they had paused/were momentarily not present. It's fascinating becaus…

I loved my Apple Watch at first but due to exactly these sort of distractions no longer wear it and have more recently turned off most of the notifications on my phone. I am sick of my attention being stolen away by everything around me.

Why not just turn off the notifications on the watch, so you can enjoy it for what it's good at? I won't give up the functionality, but I am extremely selective about what it notifications it can put in front of me.

Re: Pixel Watch 5

#163

Post by saghm »

enquirewithin wrote: post #149
saghm wrote: post #147

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My hot take is that the "killer feature" of a smartwatch is that it's quicker (and less disruptive in social contexts) for glancing at notifications. I can't look at my phone in a meeting (nor should I!), but I can spend literally a single second glancing at my watch without anyone batting an eye.

If you can’t use your phone in a meeting, what utility does seeing a notification serve anyway? Other than to distract you.

Some things are important enough that I don't want to have all notifications turned off (e.g. in the case of emergency), but I'm much more distracted by a lingering notification that I haven't been able to glance at, determine that it's not urgent, and then move on.

As for distractions, I think you're both underestimating how long I'll be distracted by glancing at my watch and overestimating how interesting something has to be for me to find it distracting.

(I'm sure some people reading this will have the urge to chime in with claims that the only reason I ever have trouble focusing is because of all the notifications and devices in my life. They're free to believe what they want, but unfortunately I don't think I'm going to be able to make myself available to them for diagnosis like I did for doctors who saw me for the 18 years of my life when I had no laptop, smartphone, or smartwatch and treated my ADHD)

Re: Pixel Watch 5

#164

Post by rootusrootus »

kurthr wrote: post #150
etrautmann wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

You know the other killer feature of the Apple Watch? Find my phone! See someone with an Apple Watch on frantically looking for something, just say "Hey you know your watch knows where it is". Just press the button, DING.

Guilty as charged. It helpfully points the direction and distance, so even if I cannot hear the phone ding I know how to get close enough.

Re: Pixel Watch 5

#165

Post by saghm »

kibwen wrote: post #157
saghm wrote: post #154

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That seems extremely overdramatic for what amounts to a personal choice that doesn't disrupt anyone else.

Whether or not it disrupts anyone else isn't relevant to the point here. Your mind and focus are sacred, and surrendering to notifications is damaging to your brain. You have the right to damage your brain all you want, and I have the right to think less of anyone who does so thoughtlessly.

You're certainly welcome to whatever religious beliefs you want. Ultimately you have no clue how much I think about or don't think about anything, which means the only real thing you're describing here is a dogmatic view of how everyone else should live their life based on what you think is "sacred".

Personally, preaching and condescending to people about one's subjective worldview feels like a far worse thing than what we're talking about here.

Re: Pixel Watch 5

#166

Post by stavros »

Zigurd wrote: post #129
lenova wrote: post #125

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've noticed and interesting social shift in recent years: friends who get distracted mid-sentence by an Apple Watch notification, pause the conversation to check the alert, and then continue the conversation afterwards without realizing they had paused/were momentarily not present. It's fascinating becaus…

Horolophasia?

It would be "horologoaphasia", you need the go and the a.

Re: Pixel Watch 5

#167

Post by blltprfmnk »

rootusrootus wrote: post #161
blltprfmnk wrote: post #141

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I loved my Apple Watch at first but due to exactly these sort of distractions no longer wear it and have more recently turned off most of the notifications on my phone. I am sick of my attention being stolen away by everything around me.

Why not just turn off the notifications on the watch, so you can enjoy it for what it's good at? I won't give up the functionality, but I am extremely selective about what it notifications it can put in front of me.

Because it's ultimately not very useful. Sleep tracking - I've become convinced this is actually a bad idea, and since I stopped I stress less about sleep and ultimately sleep better. Step tracking? Phone does that adequately.

I do wear it for workouts, but once it's closer to end of life will replace it with something dedicated for workouts like a Garmin that holds a charge for 14+ days.

Re: Pixel Watch 5

#168

Post by rddbs »

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…

I would have agreed on instinct but everyone replying with which features they actually use seems like it pretty much makes up all the major available features. Maybe having all these features is necessary to appeal to every individual’s needs rather than one power user who uses them all?

Re: Pixel Watch 5

#169

Post by NeutralWanted »

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…

I stopped wearing my pixel watch as soon as fitbit air came out and I could put my real watch on again

Re: Pixel Watch 5

#170

Post by izacus »

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…

I don't have a Pixel Watch, but I do have a Garmin one which I use for:

- Watch stuff (alarms, etc.)

- Health stats tracking (HRV, sleep, steps, training readiness)

- Offline navigation when hiking in the mountains (its really nice to have a route available right there on your wrist)

- Workout tracking - the watch can receive accurate HR data from my strap during swimming or other activities.

- Scuba diving - the Descent is a diving computer tracking nitrogen loading and making sure I don't get decompression sickness. It also receives tank pressure information from the air tank and calculates consumption and air time left. It can send messages to other divers and show their air status as well.

- I can read notifications so my phone is permanently set to silent.

- On the new models (sadly my Descent doesn't support that yet) you can call for help through Garmin's satellite network if you get hurt away from coverage.

I don't think these features are gimmicks - they make my sports activities safer, help me communicate with folks in dangerous environments and prod me to do more sports.

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