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[sevenlayermuddle]

OK, I confess, I bought one a couple of days ago.   The second least expensive 'sports' watch (obviously), but an Apple Watch nonetheless 

Wasn't really sure what I wanted it for.. mainly just as a  cute gadget, and maybe to see if it would inspire me to make any Apps that benefit from it, but I'd been struggling for a while to resist an overwhelming impulse to buy one.  And just a few days day on, no regrets at all - I am totally sold on it.

Apple's own maps App seems very well integrated so no excuses for getting lost when walking across town.   Another favourite mapping app of mine, ViewRanger, useful for off-road walking, also has a watch App, but not had a chance to try either map out in earnest yet.

Probably most useful App I found so far is one of my old favourite iOS/Android Apps, 'National Rail'.  Nice to be able to see live train departures on your wrist as you trot in the direction of the station.  And once I know with confidence which train I'll catch and whether it's late, Siri makes it all too easy to quickly send a text to better half to come collect me at the station,  all the time carrying on at full stride with the phone safely buried away in a pocket.

Even using it as a handsfree phone, which I'd been sceptical of, it already proved useful.  Out pottering around the garden last night, with phone indoors on charge, it started beeping me and tapping my wrist - better half phoning me this time, requesting I get the oven on for dinner.

And like everything from Apple, it is simply so well designed.  It is obviously a lot bigger and heavier than my usual (20 year old mechanical) watch, yet actually sits more comfortably on my wrist, I'm just not aware of its presence.  Not sure how they've achieved that?

 

[broadstairs]

I am intrigued as to how well it tells the time? That's a serious question as the main reason I changed from a digital watch back to analogue years ago, when digital were all the rage, was just because it is so much easier to look at an analogue watch and work out how much time I have to get somewhere. Also what is the battery life like?

Stuart

[sevenlayermuddle]

It has a choice of quite nice looking analogue clock faces, though most of the time it is just blank - to save battery.  Memories of early LED digital watches, and 'Kojak'? 

It is meant meant to show the clock (or current App) for a few seconds automatically when you raise your arm.  And it is pretty good at detecting that gesture, but there are times it can't and won't happen.  For example, sitting as I am at a desk right now my arm is already raised and resting on the keyboard, so the watch can't know I want to look at it.  You then have to either tap it to awaken it, or just flick your wrist, not ideal but I may get used to it.

Battery life seems good so far.  Even though the novelty hasn't worn off and I keep on playing with it, it seems to easily see me through a whole day.  The real test will come the first time I try it on a long day out with much use of maps and navigation, and train timetables.  I've not yet had  a chance for that.

The charger's a little bit naff, being lighter than the cable it is attached to, so it won't stay put.  That is probably my only real criticism so far.

[kitz]

My bro has one, not sure which model, all I know is that its silver with a black band and looks rather smart.
He's had his since June and says that he only charges overnight when he takes it off.

Have an interesting story about them.  My brothers' has a red dot somewhere at the top.
 
Anyhow we were in a consultant room with my dad when head-honcho stoma nurse person thingy,  who was also there happened to notice my brothers watch and went basaltic.
Im not kidding that she shoved my brother out of the room and had a right go at him for 'recording using a google watch' and spying.  Seriously she caused a right commotion and people waiting outside wondered wth was going on you could see the look on their faces.    No my brother wasn't recording.  Ive no idea what she meant by "I know what those google watches can do".   

He later got an apology, but it really upset dad who isnt in a position to understand all the medical stuff and therefore has signed to say that both me and my bro have permission to be there at all times and full access to his records.

[AArdvark]

Unbelievable, must have been on some Patient confidentiality awareness course or something.

Not good for your Dad or Brother (or you.)

I wonder if someone had recorded something and used it to cause some trouble which had comeback on the Nurse.
(Possibly not even to do with the situation you where in. i.e. Hospital )

Sounds like something 'personal' to the person to get that sort of reaction.

[sevenlayermuddle]

What a bizarre and unpleasant experience that must have been, at the hospital.

I don't think it is possible to use the watch as a voice recorder but even if it was, it would probably eat through the battery very quickly, being constantly powered up.  Far more sensible just to use the iPhone's voice memo, if a voice recorder is required?

Been out around town with mine all afternoon, used it to 'navigate' from the station across town to a favourite pub, then back again, keep an eye on train times, etc.  Battery still shows 77%.

One thing, I did find it a bit hard to see in direct sunlight, even though I'd ramped up to maximum brightness.   And switching between the two Apps (maps and National Rail) was actually quite fiddly, requiring me to stop and stand aside in doorways to avoid being a nuisance to other pedestrians.

And next time, I'd set up the destination on the iPhone first.   Took several attempts using voice recognition before it could be persuaded of my actual destination since I couldn't remember the actual name of the pub.

Still enjoying, though.

[kitz]

It was a rather surreal experience because I didn't even realise at first what she meant and it took a while to sink in what she was on about...  after all what is a google watch anyhow?
You are correct they don't record. My bro said the red dot is simply something to do with it being synced to his phone messages.

I wonder if someone had recorded something and used it to cause some trouble which had comeback on the Nurse.

She was a bit of a know it all moo anyhow. 
We'd been struggling very badly to care for the wound dehiscence & fistula which had become a practically 24/7 job to stop leakage.  Although I'd been trying to help during the day and evenings it was a time consuming and exhausting job.   Especially mum who was having to do it through the night too and cope with a huge amount of washing....  and why I'd ended up calling out dads GP who came out and straight away could see that something was very wrong.  Even dads GP had said it was unmanageable at home and why at my request he arranged the next day appt with the consultant.

She was saying it it was 'easy' and manageable.   
That is until she had to do it herself that day at the hospital.  It took her over 2 hours to put the dressing on...  and then as soon as dad moved it burst open and flooded the hospital bed.   Suddenly she realised the nightmare we'd been going through and why we were totally exhausted.   

She probably wasn't too chuffed because I'd had to go over their heads to contradict 'manageable'... so my bro took the brunt of it with his 'google watch'.
Me and my bro howled when her attempts failed.   We would not have laughed so long and hard to the point of tears, if she hadnt have had that outburst with my bro.

/// 

Sorry 7LM a bit off topic..  but moral of the tale.  Yep Apple watches have a red light and no it doesn't mean they are recording a conversation.
I hope you enjoy playing with your new toy as they do look very sexi and I can see they do have some useful features. 

I dont think it would be for me though - not because its Apple, but any smart watch.  I walk bleary eyed to the shower every morning with my watch still on and sometimes forget to charge my phone nvm a watch

[Weaver]

My thoughts are with you, and best wishes to your dad and the rest of your family.

[sevenlayermuddle]

The red dot may actually just be the 'out of range' indicator, a small red icon? It appears when the watch loses Bluetooth/WiFi contact with the phone.   

Which may even suggest your brother was in fact being a very good citizen, switching his phone off altogether in the hospital!

[kitz]

I'll double check with him, but Im pretty certain he said it was something to do with messages on his phone.   
I dont think his phone was off - just on silent.   In fact recalling that day it definitely wasn't off because he did take one call.

He'd nipped out of work to meet us as the hospital, but as one of the bosses still had to be available. 
Is there some way you can set it up to act as like a pager or screen calls from your iphone?   

[kitz]

@ weaver - thankyou

[Dray]

https://support.apple.com/kb/PH20765?locale=en_US

The red dot is a notification indicator

The red box with a line through it is the disconnected indicator

[AArdvark]

kitz,

I 'withdraw my comments'  .... from the sound of it she was just an officious #!#$$%^ who did not like being challenged.  
(How do such people end up in 'People facing' jobs ? )

[kitz]

The red dot is a notification indicator

Thanks - that makes sense with what my bro said.

I 'withdraw my comments'  .... from the sound of it she was just an officious #!#$$%^ who did not like being challenged.  

No dont withdraw comment.  It was probably both.
My bro and I already had the conversation over her reaction being so OTT.  She really did fly at my brother raised voice and all,  it upset dad.
Why fly off the handle so easily?  Even if my bro had been recording the conversation what had she got to hide and who was she trying to protect. 
The appt was arranged by the GP with the consultant and not her.. she'd been been called down to attend to see if she could patch him up.  She was all mouth -yeah this is easy, we can do this, this will work, Ive been doing this for 30yrs blah blah.   3hrs later it was a different story.  If she with her 30yrs experience and all the equipment she immediately had to hand couldn't do it then just showed up what a hard time we'd been having.
 
Anyways...  we got a result and now he has dressings especially designed for abdominal deshis that has a proper drainage point for fistula discharge,  rather than faffing around with sticky plasters and make-do stoma bags that didn't fit the wound and wouldnt stick because there was too much discharge. 

[AArdvark]

dressings especially designed for abdominal deshis

Hmmm. So annoying it took so long to get to this point. Where were the 'correct' dressings previously. ?
It is one thing that does annoy with the NHS, all the care in the world is available as good as anywhere in the world BUT you often have to search for the right person to ask to get it.