Comment by yeukhon | Hacker News Reader

Comment by yeukhon | Hacker News Reader

The commerical, PoC is great. But its idea has the same flaw as Facebook Paper (https://www.facebook.com/paper).

I can check the weather, get alert and listen to my music from my smartphone. I can enjoy some home automation with Canary (http://canary.is/). If I have free time I can design my own app and integrate a speech recognition to open the door (I am sure there are companies selling this too).

What unique "innovations" - conveniences will Google wearable (which at this stage seems to be just a watch) offer?

I say it has the same flaw as Facebook Paper because Paper 's success is based on rich, beautiful, poetic content. If your circle is casual writer, Paper will look lame to you. I love Google Glass because I can take pictures and record the world from a first-person view attached to my head. I don't plan on making a phone call directly from Google Glass yet - that's kind of weird.

So what else can Google watch do? I just can't see it.

The ability to better monitor your health and fitness.

You see, I can still get away with it with other accessory. I will give Google credit and say this is useful, but other than that, I really don't see it.

You know what is unique? What I want to see?

Iron Man computer screen + Iron Man interactive airtouch computer system.... That's what we are lacking. I want to be able to swipe through contents, web pages from thin air with gesture. We can do some of that already. Push it forward!

edit:

I will say this is useful as assistive technology. People who are visually impaired or motion disable can benefit from it. Just put it on wrist and good to go. But other than that, I just don't see it.

That's an argument against all smartwatches, not just Google. Nevertheless, I think you're wrong. I have a Pebble and it has changed my life. I will never leave the house without a wearable on my arm again.

In what ways has it changed your life?

* My phone is on permanent silent mode.

* I never miss a call.

* When biking I know if I need to stay and bring out the phone just by glancing my wrist.

* It's very convenient to be able to read texts and emails on your wrist (this is even better than you imagine).

* Great for meeting notifications.

* If I leave the phone on my desk I still see when people call (several times I've catched calls by running to my desk from the other side of the office if I see that it's an important call).

* When using RunKeeper I can see all the stats (speed, distance etc) immediately and also control the music without touching the phone.

* I can use Sleep Cycle without putting the phone on my bed.

* Silent alarm which does not wake up my spouse.

* I can easily access my grocery list (through Evernote) and have it available right in front of me until I'm done shopping.

* I can play Flappy Bird on it.

When do you charge it? (Sounds like you wear it 24/7.)

Only need to charge it once a week but I do it at my desk via USB.

A lighter wallet and another thing needing charge.

No one is wrong here. Please don't call people wrong because it doesn't agree with your experience. Saying nevertheless is the same as saying doesn't matter how I put it.

Secondly, smartphones don't have the same flaw as Google wearable. Unless you use bluetooth, you can't say phoning someone on a wearable is easier than phoning someone on a mobile phone. Smartphone comes with a large screen and is good for content reading and gaming. Wearable can't go big. How do you text someone? Can you read your email from your watch?

> No one is wrong here. Please don't call people wrong because it doesn't agree with your experience.

I said that I think you're wrong. You claim it has the same flaws as Facebook Paper, which I think is incorrect.

> Secondly, smartphones don't have the same flaw as Google wearable.

I was talking about smartwatches in general (Galaxy Gear, Pebble, Sony SmartWatch etc).

> you can't say phoning someone on a wearable is easier than phoning someone on a mobile phone.

I don't say that.

> Can you read your email from your watch?

Yes and that's with a screen that is even smaller than the competitors'.

> So what else can Google watch do?

That's the key question for me. I don't look at my watch and think "man, that experience sucks" like I did with the pre-iPhone cell phones.

In a way, it feels like Google is extending Android into wearables for the same reason they are doing Google Glass: because they can, not because it solves some frustration.

I think that's why Apple is looking into health-related functionality (if the rumors are to believed). They are solving/improving the fitbit experience, not solving/improving the telling-piece/communication experience.

I really like the idea of being able to check the time (don't currently wear a watch) and text messages without having to pull out my phone. Not sure if that's worth $100+ though..

Can you check all that stuff by just flicking your wrist?

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