Comment by Shenglong | Hacker News Reader

Comment by Shenglong | Hacker News Reader

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Who answers their phone in the rain with the face up? Isn't that a little ridiculous? I think every piece of technology has its limitations. I could argue that button phones are loud, and I can't text with them during class or meetings. If you answer your button phone while it's raining, the rain will likely also screw up your button-phone... probably with more permanent damage than touch-screens.

Also, a lot of touch screen phones (iPhone in particular) have been adapted for modern use. With my Klipsch Image S4i headphones (or with the natural iPhone 4 headphones), you can answer/hang up calls using the headphone controls. I've yet to figure out whether I can activate voice control for dialing, but that'd be even better.

When I need to dial on my iPhone in the winter, thin cabretta leather (damascus d302 for example) works wonders, at the same time keeping your hands dexterous and warm. I feel a lot of the problems you're describing are more functions of outdated technology, than poor design in general.

> Who answers their phone in the rain with the face up?

Or put to break this question into two parts:

1. Who would like to answer their phone when it rings, whatever the weather?

2. Could the phone sometimes be the "other" way up when you take it out of your pocket?

I think you're misunderstanding.

1. You already can, by using headphone controls. 2. Sure (if you don't feel it out), but how does a buttoned phone eliminate this problem? The issue is not mutually exclusive to touch-screen phones, and I'd argue it's worse on buttoned phones, since you risk the water seeping in between the button cracks.

"Who answers their phone in the rain with the face up?"

People who have never managed to figure out whether it's a single click, long click, double-click, or whatever else on the headphone button to answer the phone.

People who have never figured the above out because they have a couple different sets of headphones that have made different choices from the above options.

People who don't habitually wander around with headphones on.

People who have already taken it out of their pocket to see who's calling.

I honestly feel that as an intelligent human being, our first response to meeting an inconvinence problem should be to think of a solution, rather than complain. All the things I've mentioned are by no means difficult to think of, or implement. iPhone comes with buttoned headphones. Thin Leather gloves serve other purposes and are decently cheap. To me, this sounds like: "I've opted to close my eyes, and I can't see my monitor! Design flaw!" rather than just opening my eyes.

I never walk around wearing headphones. I simply don't understand people who think that every waking moment of their life needs a soundtrack.

They don't need to be playing music, you know? I got a cheap ($10) bluetooth headset and I walk around with it in my ear all the time just to answer calls.

Some of us don't want to walk around with a thingy stuck on our ears.

"Who answers their phone in the rain with the face up? "

Someone who lives in Seattle?

Lifetime Seattleite, never had a problem with the rain and capacitive touchscreens. I know I'm just one data point and all that but it's not a common complaint AFAIK.

> I've yet to figure out whether I can activate voice control for dialing, but that'd be even better.

Long hold on the headphone button.

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