Smart Watches: 5 Tech Things
Last Updated on October 18, 2019 8:58 pm by Jeffrey Powers
Watches – they’ve been on our wrist, in our pocket, and on our walls – only to be put on chains and worn around our necks – for ages.
Believe it or not, computer wearable watches have been around since the 70’s. From the Pulsar watch by the Hamilton Watch Company, to the Ruputer from the 90’s, and even that Nintendo Game Watch you might have worn on your wrist.
Then came the smartwatch we know of today. They get better every day. In some cases, you can leave your phone at home and get your queues from your watch.
Just like Dick Tracy did.
But just like those smart phones, many different models and styles came out. And then the fakes.
Like other fakes I talked about on an episode of Geekazine called “The Fake of Wish.com”.
According to Statistica, smartwatches are a 26 billion dollar industry. It’s been steadily growing year-by-year, and next year is no different.
Most people want that coveted Apple Watch. Me, I am a big fan of this Fossil Gen 5 Carlyle. See, I don’t care too much for “Square” watches. I like design, and a little Feng Shui.
With so many different watches out there, you might be wondering which one you want to get for you, your spouse, your kids, you dog, maybe me…
… after all, the holidays are coming up soon, and you haven’t gotten me anything, yet…
So let’s look at 5 things you should look at when getting that watch that will RULE YOUR WORLD!!
Style, Size, and Appearance
Like I said before, I am not a big fan of the square watch. I like them round.. and big… 34, 42, 46.. My wrist don’t no plastic…
…Wait… sorry…
The right shape and size that fits your wrist is what you want. Like for instance, this watch feels like the old “Timex Iron Man” watch I used to wear growing up.
And with the Fossil, I can change out the bands fairly easy – Right now, I’m wearing the leather strap, but I also have the metal clasp strap.
Another thing to think about is the buttons and dials. This one has 3 buttons, one with a turnable button. The Samsung Active 2 has a Active Strip dial on the face. The Apple Watch is a single button/dial for integration.
So something with a good fit, with buttons that don’t dig into your skin, and a big enough screen to read text, that’s what I look for in a watch.
How it Connects to Your Phone
Some might think that if you have an Apple Watch, you have to pair it with an iPhone, or a WearOS watch with an Android. That is not the case.
The Fossil is connected to BOTH my latest iPhone, and Android phones. While I don’t have an Apple Watch, I know there is a TRICK that you can do to pair the two.
It’s too bad Apple doesn’t have a Google App to do that. But that’s Apple for you! (graphic)
When you get a watch, keep in mind of who’s controlling your data. For example, Apple Watch will be Apple. Anything with WearOS, like this Fossil watch, will be Google.
Element Resistance
You want a watch that survives the elements. It will get scuffed. It will get wet. It will get dropped.
A device that can survive that will be at the top of anyone’s list.
And when it does break, how can it get fixed? We had a Fitbit that died 1 year to the day I bought it. Fitbit sent a replacement without issue.
How Smart do You Want It?
Hybrid watches allow you to have a nice looking watch, and some connectivity to your phone. Something as simple as seeing text messages and getting heart rates, to something that could show you tweets, messages, and more.
On the video, I add another category – Fix-ability.
Battery
The biggest factor is how long the watch will last. Especially when you get past a 24 hour point. After all, we want a watch that will at least tell time. That is the one thing I have a problem with this Fossil – the battery dies out quick after it enters into low-power mode.
Did I miss anything you want to know about smart watches? Let me know by commenting on YouTube, or wherever you are watching this video from. Remember to subscribe, like, and hit the bell notification for future videos. Follow the 5 tech things playlist as well to check out old episodes, and see how the show has changed.
Next time, I’ll be looking at Thanksgiving Tech.
At CommvaultGO in Denver, CO
This episode was filmed on location at Commvault GO, a conference for Commvault – a Data Center backup and recovery solution. There, we learned about an acquisition, and a new product.
Commvault acquired Hedvig, a storage company for business. This allows for a storage solution for Commvault users.
Metallic is a new portfolio of SaaS for backup and recovery in the cloud. I cannot wait to check this new solution out. But that’s for another post…
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