Look out Apple and Samsung.

[Vanraw]

This is cool stuff.

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This is why I think the whole "device" market focused on one company is flawed. Now that Smart phones a re a reality, two things will happen.

1. Price points will continue to drop and thus the Profit Tit that Apple has been suckling...
2. The hungry little innovators are going to come up with stuff that blows away the next big idea the big guys have.

I can see Apple working on its "iwatch" see something like this and stop design and prototyping because they now have to enhance the concept of design, so they do not launch a dinosaur.

[Vanraw]

By the way its not Nokia they need to be freaked out about, but companies like Pebble Technology Corp who is releasing a watch this Sunday.

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According to technology market-research firm ABI Digital, 1.2 million smartwatches will be sold globally this year with sales of $370 million. ABI projects that smartwatch sales will increase 20-fold by 2015.

PS, anyone want to bet Apple sues these guys because the wrist band is black, or some other non-sense??

[Jakensama]

Yeah that would just look great with a suit.

[Slamz]

I'm pretty sure Apple patented the concept of putting things on your wrist last year.

[Grieve]

I can see Apple working on its "iwatch" see something like this and stop design and prototyping because they now have to enhance the concept of design, so they do not launch a dinosaur.

You're assuming that whatever Apple is designing isn't going to make THIS look like a dinosaur.

Remember, when the iPhone came out, everything else (and especially Blackberry) instantly looked prehistoric. Same for the iPad.

I wasn't that keen on the idea of an iWatch at first, but recently my wife and I started using Fitbit Ones to track exercise, and they are pretty cool. I already lost mine (100 bucks down the drain), so if the iWatch has similar stuff built in (and I think it will), I'll be more likely to get it.

As for the other fabled Apple product... I was reading the article below today, which is about a fingerprint-based remote that Apple has patented. You navigate menus on the TV using a "wand"-like remote - I wonder if that's what Steve Jobs was talking about when he said he'd come up with the simplest method possible to control your TV?

Anyway, what I really like about it, is the idea of a built-in fingerprint reader. That is an awesome idea I've never seen on a remote before. If you're single it probably doesn't seem a big deal, but there are six of us here, and the TV showing stuff that is tailored for whoever is holding the remote sounds great. I get Game of Thrones and the Walking Dead, my wife gets The Good Wife and Army Wives, and the kids get Disney shows. I can see using the Remote app on my iPhone the same way, to default the on-screen GUI to show you your stuff at the top.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/anthonykosne...-apple-tv/

[Grieve]

By the way its not Nokia they need to be freaked out about, but companies like Pebble Technology Corp who is releasing a watch this Sunday.

I like Pebble - I've been watching it since it started on Kickstarter. But I don't think there will be that many iOS takers, since by now everyone knows Apple is coming out with it's own watch. I think people (including me) will at least wait until there are more details of the iWatch to compare against. Pebble is monochrome and doesn't have any biometric sensors, which I expect the iWatch to have. Then again, it the iWatch really doesn't come out until late 2014 Pebble might do fine. Android users will probably get it.

[Vanraw]

You're assuming that whatever Apple is designing isn't going to make THIS look like a dinosaur.

The main point is that Apple came up with 2 innovated products based on mobility that was far beyond the competitions expectations. Those day's are over. I'm not saying that some sort of iWatch product will not be a good product. But I think they will likely be behind, because Apple is now becoming the dinosaur (moving slow).

[Slamz]

Wristwatch interfaces to smartphones seems like a dead-in-the-water concept.

Smartphones replaced wristwatches because it was just as easy to take out your phone as it was to look at your watch, and the phone did so much more.

Smartphones that you can, through new technology, wear on your wrist, makes a lot more sense. Instead of creating a redundant accessory, you've just made the smartphone easier to carry around.

[Jakensama]

The iwatch concept, aside from being a fashion disaster in waiting, is kind of silly because it assumes that smaller is better. The success of larger smartphones recently seems to indicate that there is a floor in the size of useful displays.

An iphone display is too small, what fucking use is a display on a watch going to have?

[Grieve]

The main point is that Apple came up with 2 innovated products based on mobility that was far beyond the competitions expectations. Those day's are over.

Based on what? Do you know for sure they are not going to release something way beyond anyone's expectations this year or next year?

And to say they only came up with those two things is pretty narrow sighted. What about the MacBook Air, that every PC manufacturer is now copying? What about the iPod, that no-one has been able to compete with even 10 years later? What about Apple Stores, that Microsoft and Samsung are now copying? Etc, etc.

I'm not saying that some sort of iWatch product will not be a good product. But I think they will likely be behind, because Apple is now becoming the dinosaur (moving slow).

Again, based on what? They don't release stuff until it's ready (maps excepted), and they have a ridiculous level of secrecy. You don't know what they are working on. Seven years between iPod and iPhone. Three years between iPhone and iPad. It's only been 3 years since the iPad - bit soon to say they have run out of ideas.

The iwatch concept, aside from being a fashion disaster in waiting, is kind of silly because it assumes that smaller is better. The success of larger smartphones recently seems to indicate that there is a floor in the size of useful displays.

An iphone display is too small, what fucking use is a display on a watch going to have?

This is the great irony to me. Ever since those massive Motorola "mobile" phones in the 80s, evolving technology has been used to continuously make cellphones smaller and lighter. The ironic part is thatApple made the first cellphone with a decent webbrowser, the power and screen to watch quality video, and an app store that spawned zillions of games. And now those three things have suddenly reversed the trend so that people now want bigger screens to web-browse, game, and watch movies on. While Apple keeps focusing on thinner and lighter.

I still think the "phablet" craze is overblown. I use my iPad mini for stuff I need a bigger screen for. I don't want to carry around a phone I can barely hold in one hand.

As for the watch, the idea is that it saves you from having to take the phone out of your pocket when you don't need to. Check messages, see if you have e-mails, plus biometric sensors to monitor activity, heartbeat, etc. It's not for playing games or watching movies on.

And as for the fashion disaster, Apple did just hire Yves St Laurent CEO Paul Deneve...

[Jakensama]

This is the great irony to me. Ever since those massive Motorola "mobile" phones in the 80s, evolving technology has been used to continuously make cellphones smaller and lighter.

There is a point of diminishing returns, which is why you haven't seen phones shrinking even more significantly.

While Apple keeps focusing on thinner and lighter.

The iphone 5S has an increased display size and is going to have an option for even bigger ones, looks like Apple has learned from their superior competition.

I still think the "phablet" craze is overblown. I use my iPad mini for stuff I need a bigger screen for. I don't want to carry around a phone I can barely hold in one hand.

I think the note II is a bit too big as well (many people love it though), but my Nexus is bigger than the iphone and is not remotely hard to hold in one hand (unless apple fanbois have really small hands) - and the success of the SII-IV has shown that larger phones are fairly popular.

As for the watch, the idea is that it saves you from having to take the phone out of your pocket when you don't need to. Check messages, see if you have e-mails, plus biometric sensors to monitor activity, heartbeat, etc. It's not for playing games or watching movies on.

The cost benefit analysis of that crap does not seem very useful. Why would I give a shit about my heartbeat unless I am a long distance runner? Having to buy and wear a tacky piece of electronics on my wrist to save me the 2 seconds it takes to glance at my phone and see if the new message indicator light is blinking light does not seem very appealing to me. Hell, I quit wearing a watch (unless it is a suit accessory) years ago because it was redundant when I was carrying around a phone all the time.

And as for the fashion disaster, Apple did just hire Yves St Laurent CEO Paul Deneve...

Putting lipstick on a pig does not change the fact that it is a pig. It's going to be awesome to watch either this thing crash and burn or all the Apple fanbois looking even sillier as they are talking to their ugly overpriced watch and getting lost from shitty directions.

[Grieve]

The iphone 5S has an increased display size and is going to have an option for even bigger ones, looks like Apple has learned from their superior competition.

Dunno where you got that idea. The 5S will be exactly the same display size as the 5. The 5 was bigger than the previous iPhones - is that what you meant? The 5 had a 4" screen, compared to the 3.5" screen in all the others. But it was still thinner and lighter than the 4S.

As for the "superior competition", it constantly makes me laugh to see bigger screen sizes referred to as "innovation". Seriously? I can see shrinking something, while making it have the same or better abilities, as innovation. I can see improving the resolution on a screen as innovation (e.g retina). But can you really call slapping a bigger screen on something "innovation"?

The cost benefit analysis of that crap does not seem very useful. Why would I give a shit about my heartbeat unless I am a long distance runner? Having to buy and wear a tacky piece of electronics on my wrist to save me the 2 seconds it takes to glance at my phone and see if the new message indicator light is blinking light does not seem very appealing to me. Hell, I quit wearing a watch (unless it is a suit accessory) years ago because it was redundant when I was carrying around a phone all the time.

I haven't worn a watch for years either.

But using the FitBit made me realize the benefit of biometrics, or more importantly, connected biometrics. The FitBit tracks how many steps you've made each day, how many floors you've climbed, how long you slept, etc. I couldn't really care about any of that just to look at it, but it puts it all online, and you can link to other people's and view leaderboards, etc. I'm pretty competitive (and I'm guessing since this a gaming board so is everyone else), and making sure I stayed ahead of my wife gave me a great incentive to exercise more. Until I lost it...

Putting lipstick on a pig does not change the fact that it is a pig. It's going to be awesome to watch either this thing crash and burn or all the Apple fanbois looking even sillier as they are talking to their ugly overpriced watch and getting lost from shitty directions.

You saw Maul's quotes - even without the iWatch, there are expected to be millions of these smart watches sold for Android, Nokia, etc. So there will be plenty of people looking stupid, Apple fans or not.

[Jakensama]

Dunno where you got that idea. The 5S will be exactly the same display size as the 5. The 5 was bigger than the previous iPhones - is that what you meant? The 5 had a 4" screen, compared to the 3.5" screen in all the others. But it was still thinner and lighter than the 4S.

Sorry, thought 5 was 3.5 - but they are not going smaller screens anymore - bigger is better as far as that is concerned in many people's eyes (up to a threshold), hence them having larger offerings now. Great, go thinner and lighter, that has nothing to do with my complaint against a watch - which is that the screen is uselessly tiny.

As for the "superior competition", it constantly makes me laugh to see bigger screen sizes referred to as "innovation". Seriously?

Don't know if its serious, I never referred to it as "innovation." Little any of these companies do is "innovation", most of it is "marketing."

I can see shrinking something, while making it have the same or better abilities, as innovation. I can see improving the resolution on a screen as innovation (e.g retina).

Or in the case of the ipad mini, having worse resolution than the competition for more money - how innovative!

But using the FitBit made me realize the benefit of biometrics, or more importantly, connected biometrics. The FitBit tracks how many steps you've made each day, how many floors you've climbed, how long you slept, etc. I couldn't really care about any of that just to look at it, but it puts it all online, and you can link to other people's and view leaderboards, etc. I'm pretty competitive (and I'm guessing since this a gaming board so is everyone else), and making sure I stayed ahead of my wife gave me a great incentive to exercise more. Until I lost it...

I highly doubt enough fatass Americans are going to be enthusiastic enough about competitive walking or sleeping to throw down money on some gimmicky thing like this.

If it is more convenient to use your phone as a timepiece rather than to bother with a watch like it is these days, I am unsure why exactly I should get excited about moving features from my phone onto some other thing I have to wear.

You saw Maul's quotes - even without the iWatch, there are expected to be millions of these smart watches sold for Android, Nokia, etc. So there will be plenty of people looking stupid, Apple fans or not.

Assuming they sell, I have an extraordinarily hard time seeing this catch on. But then again, people wear jean shorts and white socks and Ed Hardy t-shirts, so never underestimate the lack of taste of the general population, I suppose.

[strife]

But using the FitBit made me realize the benefit of biometrics, or more importantly, connected biometrics. The FitBit tracks how many steps you've made each day, how many floors you've climbed, how long you slept, etc. I couldn't really care about any of that just to look at it, but it puts it all online, and you can link to other people's and view leaderboards, etc. I'm pretty competitive (and I'm guessing since this a gaming board so is everyone else), and making sure I stayed ahead of my wife gave me a great incentive to exercise more. Until I lost it...

I highly doubt enough fatass Americans are going to be enthusiastic enough about competitive walking or sleeping to throw down money on some gimmicky thing like this.

I think you'd be surprised... fat ass americans like to be able to see how many steps they took in their normal day and pretend that was excersize.

[Vanraw]

I think wearable interfaces like watches or glasses and such that interface with the power of your smartphone / tablet will be a pretty strong market success. Think about all the people that walk around with a mic / ear phone in their ear, even when they are not on a call. And now there is a trend to the old style big headphones (mostly because of ear damage dangers) that are being considered fashionable.

Walk into a crowd and ask "Does anyone have the time?" and watch 50% of the people dig into their pockets for their phone (25% are already looking at it, and the other 25% think youg people and these stupid smart phones are idiots".

How many people now answer text and tweets with voice recognition? I could see people wearing watches, and getting a text, reading it, and responding by raising their hand to their mouth whispering a responses. Or getting stock or news updates. Or even raising your hand to your ear to answer a call through your watch.

Dick Tracey here we come.

[Jakensama]

I think wearable interfaces like watches or glasses and such that interface with the power of your smartphone / tablet will be a pretty strong market success. Think about all the people that walk around with a mic / ear phone in their ear, even when they are not on a call. And now there is a trend to the old style big headphones (mostly because of ear damage dangers) that are being considered fashionable.

The big headphones are generally because some peoples ears don't work well with holding in earbuds and because they give better fidelity than earbuds. They are also an example of why smaller is not always trendier.

How many people now answer text and tweets with voice recognition?

Few, I think. I know zero people who do it, but I am sure some do. If people wanted to communicate verbally, they would pick up the phone and call someone - but no one uses there phone for that anymore. Primarily because you can type and read (or I can at least) faster than I can talk and listen.

I could see people wearing watches, and getting a text, reading it, and responding by raising their hand to their mouth whispering a responses. Or getting stock or news updates. Or even raising your hand to your ear to answer a call through your watch.

I don't see the added nanoseconds of convenience (or inconvenience as long as we have shitty siri-esque voice interfaces) as enough of a selling point to see an ugly additional device.

[Vanraw]

Wow Jake, you talking like a blue hair now.... "This is how I always did it, and no young whiper snapper is going to make me change"

I think the majority of my friends use the voice reco for responding to text messages. Mostly because its easier then typing on the screen. Read it, Push the mic button speak and send. Also becoming more common with hands free driving where the car audio system responds with voice reco.

Don't know why, but allot of people will text over making a phone call.

[Slamz]

It still comes down to a question of whether you want to wear something additional on your wrist when you already have something in your pocket that does that function.

If the answer was "yes", I think everyone would still wear watches. I mean it IS more convenient. I think people just can't justify the redundancy.

[Zirak]

Personally I still wear a watch because it is easier to lift my wrist and look at it then to dig out my phone, look at it, and then put it away again.

I also almost exclusively tap type text messages on my phone rather than use the voice recorder because it is less intrusive into the lives of the people around me.

[strife]

If the watch can replace my smart phone, then maybe I would think about it... but it really comes down to which is more annoying, carrying around a phone in my pocket, or wearing something on my wrist. The Pebble is annoying because it still requires a smartphone as well, and I personally want to have to carry less shit around every day as it is... and living in Houston where it's HOT, having something on my wrist that causes me to sweat isn't happening. I think the major downfall in the pebble is it's reliance on a smart phone... but I also think that's how it can keep it's price point in the $150ish range... I'm not sure if the iWatch is going to be a standalone or a smart phone required peripheral.

As for text messaging, I think Zirak hits it on the head... not only is texting less intrusive into the lives of others, but you can text and keep your business to yourself, as opposed to talking where everyone can hear you.

I think texting is so popular because A) it removes the human interaction between you and the receiver and B) it's private and nobody other than you and the receiver know what you're talking about. I think this is why it's so popular with kids as they can text around their parents and their parents don't know what they're talking about.

[Vanraw]

One thing for sure is it will be interesting to see how the user interface changes in the next 5 to 10 years. The biggest problem with a watch like device, is screen size.I view a watch like device that interfaces with a more powerful device as a baby step. The computing power will evolve so that the device simply interfaces with the network cloud.that is where all the heavy computing like voice recognition is being done today.

I predict.the next major.step will be the flexible epaper like in minority report. Something the size of a pen you pull out to become the size of a tablet. In the future the device you carry will have only 3 main functions. Input. Display. Wireless connectivity.