Technology catch-all thread

[Jenksismyhero]

Well by that logic, you also technically didn't need tablets either. You could have watched your TV shows on your phone. You could have read your books on your phone. You could have browsed the web on your phone. It just so happened that bigger screens fit those things better.

 

You can also read your notifications on your phone, but that requires you to take your phone out of your pocket, unlock your phone, and use your hands. It just so happens that a smart-watch gets rid of all of those needs. Thus, smart-watches are better for viewing your notifications along with an array of other hands-free activities that make it more convenient than looking at your phone.

 

And I'd much rather spend $200 on a watch that does more than read how many steps I took than spend $100 on a Fitbit.

 

Wearables are going to be a thing, I pretty much guarantee that. And the smart-watch is going to be the first wave of said wearables. It hasn't really taken off yet because the first watches to market (Pebble, Samsung Gear) have been very limited and somewhat terrible. Android Wear is the first real OS developed specifically for the smart-watch and it's a great foundation for developers to build upon.

 

Yes, you could do it on a 3-4" phone, but it was MUCH better doing it on a tablet. You're downgrading that experience on a smartwatch. Notifications and getting traffic updates don't need a bigger screen like watching entertainment or reading books.

 

To me this screams Kinect. "ZOMG guys! Look at all this fun stuff it can do! It'll change gaming!" Oh well, actually no it was a costly gimmick that was fun for about 30 minutes and from that point on just became a pain to use.

 

Wearables as in Google Glass, yeah, I can see THAT being a thing. Real time notifications, maps, email, texts, taking photos and video, etc., all without requiring ANY hands. Now that's an enhancement. Making me look at a 2" screen and use my hands basically the same way I use my phone BUT still limited in what I can see/do - makes little sense.

Edited August 8, 2014 by Jenksismybitch

[Y2HH]

What good is reading notifications if you can't reply? I don't guarantee they will be a thing, it's an outlier use case to me for only a subset of the population.

 

Most of these features are what I call show & tell features, and are limited/gimped at best. You'd need near perfect conditions for voice, and/or they require you to pull out your phone (which they already require you to carry) and use it anyway because the screen sizes are simply too small to do much of anything with. And from the looks of some of these, they're already reaching ridiculous "clock" like sizes where you're going to look like a complete idiot if you wear one.

 

It's just not enough of an inconvenience to pull out your phone in the first place.

 

What they COULD do, however, is tap into the fitness world...

 

First and foremost, it needs to tell the time/date. Then, if it kept a log of heart rate, distances walked, perhaps blood pressure, body temperature, etc., it could be worth something at the right price. But getting limited messages or a tiny map on your wrist isn't going to cut it.

[RockRaines]

Most of these features are what I call show & tell features, and are limited/gimped at best. You'd need near perfect conditions for voice, and/or they require you to pull out your phone (which they already require you to carry) and use it anyway because the screen sizes are simply too small to do much of anything with. And from the looks of some of these, they're already reaching ridiculous "clock" like sizes where you're going to look like a complete idiot if you wear one.

 

It's just not enough of an inconvenience to pull out your phone in the first place.

 

What they COULD do, however, is tap into the fitness world...

 

First and foremost, it needs to tell the time/date. Then, if it kept a log of heart rate, distances walked, perhaps blood pressure, body temperature, etc., it could be worth something at the right price. But getting limited messages or a tiny map on your wrist isn't going to cut it.

More people on the train trying to talk into a device or using speaker phone while holding a device. Great.

[iamshack]

Most of these features are what I call show & tell features, and are limited/gimped at best. You'd need near perfect conditions for voice, and/or they require you to pull out your phone (which they already require you to carry) and use it anyway because the screen sizes are simply too small to do much of anything with. And from the looks of some of these, they're already reaching ridiculous "clock" like sizes where you're going to look like a complete idiot if you wear one.

 

It's just not enough of an inconvenience to pull out your phone in the first place.

 

What they COULD do, however, is tap into the fitness world...

 

First and foremost, it needs to tell the time/date. Then, if it kept a log of heart rate, distances walked, perhaps blood pressure, body temperature, etc., it could be worth something at the right price. But getting limited messages or a tiny map on your wrist isn't going to cut it.

You know full well Apple is already developing this...Apple has been hiring all kinds of medical experts, and even an executive from a fashion house as well as an exec from Tag Heuer. They're creating a watch that will track all sorts of health-related data, as well as doing all these other things a "smart watch" would do.

[RockRaines]

You know full well Apple is already developing this...Apple has been hiring all kinds of medical experts, and even an executive from a fashion house as well as an exec from Tag Heuer. They're creating a watch that will track all sorts of health-related data, as well as doing all these other things a "smart watch" would do.

And most of that data will be sent to a third party. I cant wait to see the auto FB posts about peoples blood pressure.

[iamshack]

And most of that data will be sent to a third party. I cant wait to see the auto FB posts about peoples blood pressure.

Yeah, people already do it with their fuel bands...I'm pretty excited about it though...sounds like they are researching all kinds of crazy s***.

[StrangeSox]

yeah, about all of those devices and apps that track various health-related things...

 

http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered...firms-are-on-it

 

Another genre of smart device that is wide open to wireless hacking is the wearable — the watch or running shoe with sensors inside that are connected to the Internet.

 

But surprisingly, at Black Hat, hardly anyone is wearing one.

 

"No, I'm not wearing a fitness device," says Orla Cox. "I haven't actually used it since we, uh — since we did this study."

 

Cox is director of security response at Symantec. They just published a breathtaking audit of the top devices and self-tracking apps in the Apple Store and Google Play.

[RockRaines]

yeah, about all of those devices and apps that track various health-related things...

 

http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered...firms-are-on-it

As someone who is in technology and security, I try to share the least amount of info possible on public internet. People are going to regret putting tons of stuff out there some day. The amount of data collected about you by third parties is shocking.

[iamshack]

As someone who is in technology and security, I try to share the least amount of info possible on public internet. People are going to regret putting tons of stuff out there some day. The amount of data collected about you by third parties is shocking.

I mean basically all data is going to be stored electronically these days...if someone really wants my info, they will hack into my doctor's servers just the same, won't they?

[RockRaines]

I mean basically all data is going to be stored electronically these days...if someone really wants my info, they will hack into my doctor's servers just the same, won't they?

Your doctor probably keeps most of your information on paper.

 

And it's not what is being stored electronically from the traditional sense, there is information flying everywhere to destinations you arent even aware of. Every time you take a FB quiz your personal info is being sent to over 20 different destinations including overseas. The exponential growth of your data when it leaves your hands from things like FaceBook is insane. The more you integrate personal info with those types of sites the more of an open book your life is becoming.

[iamshack]

Your doctor probably keeps most of your information on paper.

 

And it's not what is being stored electronically from the traditional sense, there is information flying everywhere to destinations you arent even aware of. Every time you take a FB quiz your personal info is being sent to over 20 different destinations including overseas. The exponential growth of your data when it leaves your hands from things like FaceBook is insane. The more you integrate personal info with those types of sites the more of an open book your life is becoming.

Not for much longer.

 

But yeah, I get what you are saying.

[StrangeSox]

I mean basically all data is going to be stored electronically these days...if someone really wants my info, they will hack into my doctor's servers just the same, won't they?

 

Well, two things here. Your medical records at your doctor's office aren't going to have nearly the amount of data that some of these apps and devices track. Your doctor measures your blood pressure once or twice a year, not continuously. The other is that many of these devices and apps themselves have very poor security built into them, whereas you can be reasonably sure that electronic medical records are kept on a pretty secure system. Given enough time and resources, all security systems can be beaten, but my doctor isn't constantly spamming out medical information in clear text like some of these devices/apps are.

 

edit: from that symantec report:

 

For example in one app that tracks sexual activity,

 

lol why

Edited August 8, 2014 by StrangeSox

[Y2HH]

Well, two things here. Your medical records at your doctor's office aren't going to have nearly the amount of data that some of these apps and devices track. Your doctor measures your blood pressure once or twice a year, not continuously. The other is that many of these devices and apps themselves have very poor security built into them, whereas you can be reasonably sure that electronic medical records are kept on a pretty secure system. Given enough time and resources, all security systems can be beaten, but my doctor isn't constantly spamming out medical information in clear text like some of these devices/apps are.

 

That's why sticking with Apple / Google / Microsoft is probably the best choice you have -- at least they have the money to implement and/or fix security when necessary.

 

There isn't much you can do about this IF you use technology these days -- unplugging is the ONLY privacy option we really have -- and for many of us, that's just not reality considering our jobs.

 

So ... I'd recommend people stick with big companies who may mine your data, but they don't want it leaking to anyone. People often ask me about Google, and yes, Google knows a LOT about us, but it's in Google's interest that ONLY Google know these things about you. Google doesn't sell your information to others, because if they did that Google would no longer be necessary, and the company that bought it from them could bypass Google completely to reach you. This would kill their core business, so it's of their interest to keep your information secret and secure for themselves.

[RockRaines]

Well, two things here. Your medical records at your doctor's office aren't going to have nearly the amount of data that some of these apps and devices track. Your doctor measures your blood pressure once or twice a year, not continuously. The other is that many of these devices and apps themselves have very poor security built into them, whereas you can be reasonably sure that electronic medical records are kept on a pretty secure system. Given enough time and resources, all security systems can be beaten, but my doctor isn't constantly spamming out medical information in clear text like some of these devices/apps are.

 

edit: from that symantec report:

 

 

 

lol why

Due to HIPPA many of the documents stored onsite arent accessible to the internet anyway. If they are, its behind several proxies that would be very hard to "hack."

 

But it also depends if you think your medical records are more important than something like your Drivers License number, which is much easier to get.

[iamshack]

Well, two things here. Your medical records at your doctor's office aren't going to have nearly the amount of data that some of these apps and devices track. Your doctor measures your blood pressure once or twice a year, not continuously. The other is that many of these devices and apps themselves have very poor security built into them, whereas you can be reasonably sure that electronic medical records are kept on a pretty secure system. Given enough time and resources, all security systems can be beaten, but my doctor isn't constantly spamming out medical information in clear text like some of these devices/apps are.

Yeah, good points.

 

[Y2HH]

Due to HIPPA many of the documents stored onsite arent accessible to the internet anyway. If they are, its behind several proxies that would be very hard to "hack."

 

But it also depends if you think your medical records are more important than something like your Drivers License number, which is much easier to get.

 

They also have to be encrypted while stored and transmitted, so even if they were intercepted they'd be largely useless.

[StrangeSox]

Google's tracking apps are...questionable right now. Google Now sent me an "Activity" summary that said I was walking for a total of 10 hours in June and 12 hours in July. In both of those months, I used google's own "My Tracks" app to track about 100 miles of hiking. Something doesn't add up there.

[Y2HH]

Google's tracking apps are...questionable right now. Google Now sent me an "Activity" summary that said I was walking for a total of 10 hours in June and 12 hours in July. In both of those months, I used google's own "My Tracks" app to track about 100 miles of hiking. Something doesn't add up there.

 

Depending on your device, these apps can only take snapshots, as they're not always running in the background.

 

For example, on iOS, you don't have to allow apps to run in the background, so unless you're actively using it, it can't track you, and even if it does run in the background, it will only take snapshots once in a while or it would burn your battery down in an hour, and these apps aren't very accurate, as GPS is a battery killer, so most use cell tower triangulation instead, which isn't all that accurate.

[StrangeSox]

Due to HIPPA many of the documents stored onsite arent accessible to the internet anyway. If they are, its behind several proxies that would be very hard to "hack."

 

But it also depends if you think your medical records are more important than something like your Drivers License number, which is much easier to get.

Yeah, HIPPA disclosure is why you can be reasonably sure with respect to their security. Any security can be beaten given enough time and resources, but if you put up enough deterrents people will look for easier targets.

 

[StrangeSox]

Depending on your device, these apps can only take snapshots, as they're not always running in the background.

 

For example, on iOS, you don't have to allow apps to run in the background, so unless you're actively using it, it can't track you, and even if it does run in the background, it will only take snapshots once in a while or it would burn your battery down in an hour, and these apps aren't very accurate, as GPS is a battery killer, so most use cell tower triangulation instead, which isn't all that accurate.

 

The My Tracks data is solid. I start a new "track" and then GPS is running the whole time, and the end-of-hike data and elevation profiles will match pretty to published trail maps/guides. In airplane mode and with the GPS on, my HTC One will last at least 8 hours.

 

It's google now's proxy measurement that's screwy. According to google, it's based on accelerometer data, but obviously something is flawed with the way they're estimating walking time.

 

edit: the MyTracks elevation tracking/plotted profile is good, but the calculated elevation gain is way, way off. No, I did not do 16,000 ft of elevation gain in a 5 mile hike.

Edited August 8, 2014 by StrangeSox

[RockRaines]

Yeah, HIPPA disclosure is why you can be reasonably sure with respect to their security. Any security can be beaten given enough time and resources, but if you put up enough deterrents people will look for easier targets.

Time is the issue, which is why you make access very short lived.

[chw42]

Yes, you could do it on a 3-4" phone, but it was MUCH better doing it on a tablet. You're downgrading that experience on a smartwatch. Notifications and getting traffic updates don't need a bigger screen like watching entertainment or reading books.

 

To me this screams Kinect. "ZOMG guys! Look at all this fun stuff it can do! It'll change gaming!" Oh well, actually no it was a costly gimmick that was fun for about 30 minutes and from that point on just became a pain to use.

 

Wearables as in Google Glass, yeah, I can see THAT being a thing. Real time notifications, maps, email, texts, taking photos and video, etc., all without requiring ANY hands. Now that's an enhancement. Making me look at a 2" screen and use my hands basically the same way I use my phone BUT still limited in what I can see/do - makes little sense.

 

Kinect's voice commands are actually useful, if somewhat flawed. I'd rather yell Watch ESPN twice at my TV than try to find my remote and change the channel.

 

Google Glass is going to be better than smart-watches, but that doesn't mean smart-watches are going to be useless. If you see a use for Google Glass, you're more or less advocating for smart-watches, because they'll do the same thing, just different form factor.

[chw42]

What good is reading notifications if you can't reply? I don't guarantee they will be a thing, it's an outlier use case to me for only a subset of the population.

 

You can.

 

Google's voice recognition is actually very good, as long as you're not at a concert or something.

[chw42]

Most of these features are what I call show & tell features, and are limited/gimped at best. You'd need near perfect conditions for voice, and/or they require you to pull out your phone (which they already require you to carry) and use it anyway because the screen sizes are simply too small to do much of anything with. And from the looks of some of these, they're already reaching ridiculous "clock" like sizes where you're going to look like a complete idiot if you wear one.

 

It's just not enough of an inconvenience to pull out your phone in the first place.

 

What they COULD do, however, is tap into the fitness world...

 

First and foremost, it needs to tell the time/date. Then, if it kept a log of heart rate, distances walked, perhaps blood pressure, body temperature, etc., it could be worth something at the right price. But getting limited messages or a tiny map on your wrist isn't going to cut it.

 

I play music in my car a lot and my phone picks up the "Google Now" hotword just fine as long as it's not ear-screeching loud.

Edited August 8, 2014 by chw42

[Y2HH]

You can.

 

Google's voice recognition is actually very good, as long as you're not at a concert or something.

 

That's a bit of an overstatement. Google's voice recognition is good, but only when you're in decent conditions. The issue with voice commands is that they're largely invasive. I don't need to be listening to you rambling into your wrist on an elevator, or at a restaurant, etc.

 

So, yea, while you can respond, you can only do so in a limited and often annoying fashion.

 

You know what else you could do? Pull out your phone and respond since you have to have it with you anyway, and if your watch is working because you're in a place where you can use voice, you're phone won't be an inconvenience either...which also can be used hands free with voice.

 

These are redundant applications. Everyone I know with a Pebble uses it to tell time now...when they first got it they were using it for basically everything it could do. Now they realize their phone is just easier.

Edited August 8, 2014 by Y2HH