Welcome to the Future: Wearables Part 2 - Android Wear

Our ability to tell time has come a long way

I too have been using one of these new wearable computers. RD went through his thoughts on the Microsoft Band seeing as he is a Windows Phone user. I, being primarily an Android user, went with a Samsung Gear Live which runs the Android Wear platform. I have been using it since July of 2014. After a little over a year, I can say that I will be sticking with it.

When I first saw Android Wear announced, I was curious. I did not think that I would end up using one of the first generation watches. I did not immediately plan to buy one as soon as one was available. Unlike RD, I was not going to the store hoping they had one in stock. I could have cared less if they were out of stock. How I came to purchase one was that I had traded in my old MacBook Air for some Amazon credit. After adding my Chromebook to the cart, I had about the same amount left over as the cost of the Gear Live. Amazon happened to have it in stock, so I thought I’d give it a try.

Before I go any further, I think that it might be notable to explain that, to this day, I am not convinced of the utility that a smartwatch provides to the average consumer. I once kept my phone in my left pocket. My watch goes on my left hand. It is not effectively more convenient for me to look at my wrist and get vibrations on my wrist as opposed to the same in my pocket. If I still used a pocketable smartphone, I would not have even tried an Android Wear watch.

At the time that I decided that my use case was such that I might benefit from Android Wear, I had a seven inch tablet, the Nexus 7, as my carry around communication device. At one point I had both an iPhone and a full sized iPad and had become frustrated by the complexity and needlessness of two touch screen devices and realized that I could do everything just fine with one smallish Android tablet. The only issue with this was that I often missed notifications. The tablet stayed in my bag or on a table somewhere in the house. I saw this watch as the solution to that issue.

Android Wear works great for getting me the notifications that I had been missing and freeing me from feeling that I need to be close enough to my tablet to hear the audible notifications. But Android Wear has other benefits too. I can read and reply to messages without having the device in my hand. The car connects to my tablet via bluetooth when I start it up and I can play music without digging it out of my bag. I like being able to set timers when I am cooking without touching a screen with my food saturated hands. Having my alarm on my wrist means that it targets no one but me to wake up at the early hours that otherwise bother family members who prefer to keep sleeping. These are all nice extras beyond my original purpose for the device. The fitness tracking features are nice too, but might be better with GPS baked into the watch since I do not want to take my tablet for a run with me.

In summary, Android Wear is a nice accessory for me. I still do not know how useful it is in general and question how far the niche customer base for wearables can drive market demand enough to keep them in production. I think that most people have long since left a watch out of their accessory arsenal and prefer to keep it that way. If wearables are to thrive, I believe a little more creativity and innovation, or at least evolution, will be required. We shall see what the future brings in this space.

Kirk Aug

Kirk is the first colonist in our Idea Farm. Let him know what technology, philosophy, and people will create the new society. Follow Kirk on twitter @kirkaug.

Welcome to the Future: Wearables Part 1

This watch must be smart. It knows how to tell time with Roman Numerals

Let me tell you about my watch.

In January of 2015 I purchased a Microsoft Band. I had been going to the local Microsoft store every Sunday afternoon to inquire if they had any Bands in stock. One day I got lucky, someone had returned a gift and there was a medium Band ready for my wrist.

Why would I want a Microsoft Band you ask (or you ask what is a Microsoft Band)? Well I am one of the few people on this planet with a Windows phone. I was with Blackberry for many years and I felt that Microsoft would fill my business needs when Blackberry became obsolete. I may have been wrong, but I do love Microsoft's mobile platform. The Band was a great device, with Cortana integration for Windows phone. That is the only additional benefit with a Band and a Windows Phone. All other features are available to any one with an Andriod or IPhone. Even if I did not have the Windows Phone, there was an excellent chance I would have purchased the Band just on the features alone.

I had been eyeing a Pebble smartwatch for some time but could never take the plunge (I know there is no Pebble app for the Windows Phone, but there are always ways around that problem). The price did not reflect everything I was looking for in a wrist wearable. I wanted my texts, e-mails, notifications, and some fitness tracking. I also felt that the Pebble looked kind of cheap. Do not get me wrong, it is a grand piece of technology, the aesthetics were just off. I was not looking for a computer on my wrist, I was never going to take phone calls from my wrist, and I was not about to use a watch as a camera. My choice of phone and time were conspiring against my simple wishes.

In late October of 2014 Microsoft unveiled the Band, with little fanfare. It was exciting for me, because I knew this wearable would be compatible with my very personal choice of phone os. The Band had all the features I wanted. E-mail / text / notifications sent to my wrist, steps counted, sleep tracking, calories burned, alarms, calendar, and the ability to display the time of day. There were a few features I could have cared less for, like GPS (I have a phone with that function and the Band needs the phone close by), and a fairly useless keyboard for text responses. The Band was also $199.00, better than most smartwatches with similar features. There was a few things I would have liked to see. The Band being waterproof  and native music controls would have been nice. During my time with the Band I have relied more on apps like the Starbucks card and Pimp My Band (best third party app out there), and I have found myself caring less for things like sleep tracking. The positives way outweighed the negative, I was sold.

The features of the Microsoft Band (except for maybe GPS) should be with every smartwatch. I think these are the only features smartwatches need. The other area the Band excels is the size and placement of the screen. The current crop of smartwatches use a large square (or circular) screen. This makes most of the watches only able to be worn on a large (usually a mans) wrist. The Band made the screen a rectangle, and the placement is recommended to be on the bottom of your wrist. This is the way all smartwatches should work. I use the device to see my notifications. When I am cycling, or driving my car, the natural reaction I have to read my Band is to quickly look at the bottom of my wrist. It is simple, and makes the messages much easier to read. Super fancy pen and watch company Mont Blanc knows this is best way to make a smartwatch. This is where Microsoft got something right, all smartwatches should copy this design aesthetic.

The Microsoft Band is a forward thinking device. The push of basic information from your phone is what will make the smartwatch market take off. The Apple Watch seemed to miss the boat on so many things people want, plus it was laughable overpriced. The Android wear devices seem to be caught in a keeping up with a moronic Apple cycle.  The Band may not look great (I refer to it as my prison bracelet), but it's functionality more than makes up for the weird looks. Microsoft deserves to be a market leader for understanding what people want in the world of wearables, and making the price reasonable. 

Just please make the next one waterproof. I am going to forget it is on my wrist sooner or later. Thank goodness I have the warranty.

RD Kulik

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing. He knows his technology choices are part of the minority. Give the other side by writing for SeedSing.