Technology catch-all thread

[Jake]

The reloading of tabs occurs if the device is out of memory (not storage), but actual RAM. Because Apple cuts corners on only putting 1GB of memory in their phones (2GB exists in the iPad air2), whether it be for their battery power excuse or not, that's why browsers often reload tabs. The entire OS and every background task on iOS devices is running off of 1GB of memory...which while impressive...it's past time they up it to 2gb.

 

Yeah, I don't know why they insist on doing that. Excellent memory management doesn't mean you intentionally put insufficient hardware in the device.

[BigHurt3515]

Best free antivirus?

[LDF]

Best free antivirus?

 

avast

[LDF]

I don't see how they could see the software on your PC w/o you accessing the Internet with it. With that said, get yourself a VPN. They won't know what you're doing.

 

but with that, they will just need to analyze the vpn traffic and banned it.

[NorthSideSox72]

The reloading of tabs occurs if the device is out of memory (not storage), but actual RAM. Because Apple cuts corners on only putting 1GB of memory in their phones (2GB exists in the iPad air2), whether it be for their battery power excuse or not, that's why browsers often reload tabs. The entire OS and every background task on iOS devices is running off of 1GB of memory...which while impressive...it's past time they up it to 2gb.

 

Yeah, I don't know why they insist on doing that. Excellent memory management doesn't mean you intentionally put insufficient hardware in the device.

 

Whatever the reasoning is, it causes people's bills to be higher, not to mention wastes time. And I'm sure they know this. Which means they COULD choose to manage apps differently and/or memory differently, but don't. So, yeah, rip off.

 

[Y2HH]

Whatever the reasoning is, it causes people's bills to be higher, not to mention wastes time. And I'm sure they know this. Which means they COULD choose to manage apps differently and/or memory differently, but don't. So, yeah, rip off.

 

Apple doesn't care about "power" users, and never really have. They'll up the memory when enough of their regular customers are affected, but not until then. And while annoying to us (power users), the vast majority of their users 1) don't notice and 2) don't really care. I guarantee those teen girls you see with sparkly iPhones and customers such as my parents have never once questioned why that's happening.

 

I bet the 6s has 2 gigs, though, it seems about time seeing as they just upped the iPad Air 2 to 2 gigs.

Edited March 5, 2015 by Y2HH

[Balta1701]

An AT&T truck turned across a crosswalk this morning where we had a clear go signal and they had a red light/no turn on red signal, and nearly hit me & another pedestrian in the process. Somehow I thought this was a metaphor. Carry on.

[Jenksismyhero]

Prediction: Apple Watch = the next Google Glass, i.e., lots of talking/writing about it, but ultimately a bust.

[chw42]

Prediction: Apple Watch = the next Google Glass, i.e., lots of talking/writing about it, but ultimately a bust.

 

We already know what it is and how much it costs.

 

We still don't know how much Glass will really cost.

[Jenksismyhero]

We already know what it is and how much it costs.

 

We still don't know how much Glass will really cost.

 

Neither will catch on unless the cost is less than your smart phone and/or it can fully replace your smart phone. That's why the watch stuff is going to be limited to fitness tracking with notifications. Not to mention battery life sucks on these things with real screens.

 

Glass may catch on, eventually, if it can replace the size of your smart phone screen into your field of vision (along with the ability to make calls and voice recognition is good enough to write emails/texts).

 

Still, I don't think either are long for this world, especially as standard every day items we would use.

[Balta1701]

We already know what it is and how much it costs.

 

We still don't know how much Glass will really cost.

They abandoned the current version of Google Glass earlier this year.

[bmags]

The Apple watch may bust out as far as become the next ubiquitous device.

 

But I'm not sure that's so much Apples game under Cook. It may end up just being a profitable branch of the business, and comparable to...other watches. At the very least, you have to respect that Apple understood the market a bit better than their peers and put a lot more into having the watch look cool (to some), because that's ultimately a watch's main purpose in this day and age, look cool and avoid some of the tasks where looking at your cell phone would be deemed too rude.

[Y2HH]

Neither will catch on unless the cost is less than your smart phone and/or it can fully replace your smart phone. That's why the watch stuff is going to be limited to fitness tracking with notifications. Not to mention battery life sucks on these things with real screens.

 

Glass may catch on, eventually, if it can replace the size of your smart phone screen into your field of vision (along with the ability to make calls and voice recognition is good enough to write emails/texts).

 

Still, I don't think either are long for this world, especially as standard every day items we would use.

 

The watch market is a different kind of beast...

 

Personally, I have little interest in the smart watch category, but 300-500$ isn't very expensive for a watch, either, especially if it's made nicely, and this appears to be made very nicely.

 

The battery life on all of these watches are abysmal, even the ones that are far more limited than Apple's...but they're also doing a hell of a lot more than a standard watch does...but that being said, I don't need my watch to do much, it's jewelry.

[bmags]

The watch market is a different kind of beast...

 

Personally, I have little interest in the smart watch category, but 300-500$ isn't very expensive for a watch, either, especially if it's made nicely, and this appears to be made very nicely.

 

The battery life on all of these watches are abysmal, even the ones that are far more limited than Apple's...but they're also doing a hell of a lot more than a standard watch does...but that being said, I don't need my watch to do much, it's jewelry.

 

The battery life at least makes sense compared to manual watches, though, where you have to wind every morning. But winding is a little easier than charging for hours.

 

But totally agree on watch market. This isn't replacing a phone...it's replacing a watch.

[Y2HH]

The battery life at least makes sense compared to manual watches, though, where you have to wind every morning. But winding is a little easier than charging for hours.

 

But totally agree on watch market. This isn't replacing a phone...it's replacing a watch.

 

Depends on the watch, mine can be wound manually, but so long as you wear it every few days, it doesn't require manual winding. The only time I'll manually wind it is if I'm not going to wear it for a few days at a time because I'm working from home or something.

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

I don't understand why anyone would buy an Apple watch. It's just so frivolous, IMO.

[Jake]

I'm relatively optimistic about smartwatches, but it's a very immature market. They have to be priced and marketed like gadgets, not watches. At least, they won't do well to market to the kinds of people that have already purchased watches more expensive than the $300+ typical pricetag on new models of smartwatch. Instead, it's gotta be about the people who aren't afraid to drop that kind of money on a phone or tablet or fitness GPS, etc. They will be most appealing to the people who use their phones the most since their most natural use is mirroring notifications and making quick actions on them.

 

If they are to catch on, it's going to happen when they look a little better, have drastically improved battery life (I think 2 days is a minimum standard for when we can say they are relatively convenient), and are really easy to use.

 

It seems like Apple is indeed interested in getting customers of the non-smart watch market, which is a risky move IMO. In a lot of ways, a smartwatch is simply contrary to the tastes of high-end watch consumers. Things like ruggedness and traditional design mean a lot to them, and those things just don't mesh with smartwatches which are obviously very modern and will be beholden to things like periodic charging. Apple could do well to get the people who have the money and desire for social symbols that high-end watch buyers have, but don't happen to be into watches.

Edited March 9, 2015 by Jake

[bmags]

I'm relatively optimistic about smartwatches, but it's a very immature market. They have to be priced and marketed like gadgets, not watches. At least, they won't do well to market to the kinds of people that have already purchased watches more expensive than the $300+ typical pricetag on new models of smartwatch. Instead, it's gotta be about the people who aren't afraid to drop that kind of money on a phone or tablet or fitness GPS, etc. They will be most appealing to the people who use their phones the most since their most natural use is mirroring notifications and making quick actions on them.

 

If they are to catch on, it's going to happen when they look a little better, have drastically improved battery life (I think 2 days is a minimum standard for when we can say they are relatively convenient), and are really easy to use.

 

It seems like Apple is indeed interested in getting customers of the non-smart watch market, which is a risky move IMO. In a lot of ways, a smartwatch is simply contrary to the tastes of high-end watch consumers. Things like ruggedness and traditional design mean a lot to them, and those things just don't mesh with smartwatches which are obviously very modern and will be beholden to things like periodic charging. Apple could do well to get the people who have the money and desire for social symbols that high-end watch buyers have, but don't happen to be into watches.

 

I disagree with a lot of this.

 

I think the people that collect watches care a lot about status symbols. You basically have to see whether this hits the appropriates status.

 

Mid-level watches are not $300...they are $3000. I have to be honest, if you make a smart watch a gadget, it's going to be a fad. It's only if they hit the appropriate function/style aspect that it will be more.

 

Quite obviously watches have no purpose in today's world, yet they exist as one of the few fashion accessories for men. The interesting thing will be whether people who have a $10,000 JLC watch is going to view an Apple watch as something worth collecting. It depends how certain status symbols pick it up. They should obviously start sponsoring tennis events

[TaylorStSox]

I've been meaning to get a Samsung Gear S. The limited browser would be really useful for me.

 

Smart watches have a limited market, but they're a great idea for active people that don't want to carry anything.

[Jenksismyhero]

Well put:

 

http://theconcourse.deadspin.com/the-regul...dium=socialflow

 

edit: also, the best watch I ever had was that super mario bros 3 watch. Best thing ever for an 8 year old. Anyone spending more than about $100 bucks on a watch needs to reevaluate their life.

Edited March 9, 2015 by Jenksismybitch

[TaylorStSox]

Well put:

 

http://theconcourse.deadspin.com/the-regul...dium=socialflow

 

edit: also, the best watch I ever had was that super mario bros 3 watch. Best thing ever for an 8 year old. Anyone spending more than about $100 bucks on a watch needs to reevaluate their life.

It's not aimed at being a permanent replacement for your phone. It's a companion device for people on the go. For me, it's much more ideal to look at my wrist than pull my phone out of my pocket. It's similar to the tablet. Tablets aren't meant to replace you desktop. They're companion devices.

[Y2HH]

I disagree with a lot of this.

 

I think the people that collect watches care a lot about status symbols. You basically have to see whether this hits the appropriates status.

 

Mid-level watches are not $300...they are $3000. I have to be honest, if you make a smart watch a gadget, it's going to be a fad. It's only if they hit the appropriate function/style aspect that it will be more.

 

Quite obviously watches have no purpose in today's world, yet they exist as one of the few fashion accessories for men. The interesting thing will be whether people who have a $10,000 JLC watch is going to view an Apple watch as something worth collecting. It depends how certain status symbols pick it up. They should obviously start sponsoring tennis events

 

Exactly this.

[Jenksismyhero]

It's not aimed at being a permanent replacement for your phone. It's a companion device for people on the go. For me, it's much more ideal to look at my wrist than pull my phone out of my pocket. It's similar to the tablet. Tablets aren't meant to replace you desktop. They're companion devices.

 

It's not a companion device, it's an accessory that costs $350 and requires a charge every night. Fitness trackers are popular because phones can't obtain that data accurately. And they're cheap. That is a true companion device, not just an add-on to an existing piece of technology.

 

That's why i'm saying, if smart watches are going to catch on, it has to eventually become the replacement of the smart phone, not just an accessory. Otherwise it's an incredibly niche market that's being served, namely people who want to look cool and don't really require functionality. Your smart phone is still right there, 2 feet away. It does the job that the smart watch offers about 1000 times better. I suppose if you want to wear this thing as a fashion accessory, fine, but stop marketing it as this great fashion piece with all this amazing tech behind it. Just market it as a watch with a screen.

 

And tablets aren't companion devices, nor were they meant to replace your desktop. They replaced laptops and they've done a pretty good job of it. That's why they are a big hit. They've taken an existing piece of tech and made it better (more mobile, much cheaper, a go to piece of entertainment tech).

[TaylorStSox]

It's not a companion device, it's an accessory that costs $350 and requires a charge every night. Fitness trackers are popular because phones can't obtain that data accurately. And they're cheap. That is a true companion device, not just an add-on to an existing piece of technology.

 

That's why i'm saying, if smart watches are going to catch on, it has to eventually become the replacement of the smart phone, not just an accessory. Otherwise it's an incredibly niche market that's being served, namely people who want to look cool and don't really require functionality. Your smart phone is still right there, 2 feet away. It does the job that the smart watch offers about 1000 times better. I suppose if you want to wear this thing as a fashion accessory, fine, but stop marketing it as this great fashion piece with all this amazing tech behind it. Just market it as a watch with a screen.

 

And tablets aren't companion devices, nor were they meant to replace your desktop. They replaced laptops and they've done a pretty good job of it. That's why they are a big hit. They've taken an existing piece of tech and made it better (more mobile, much cheaper, a go to piece of entertainment tech).

 

Actually, the iPad never was designed to replace the laptop, which is why they're underpowered and have little, to no, connectivity features. Apple didn't want to compete with their own products. The iPad was designed to be a companion device.

 

Stand alone phone/smart watches do exist. The Samsung Gear S has its own sim card and does everything a phone can do. Apple is purposely limiting the watch so it doesn't compete with their line of phones.

 

These devices obviously don't fit your lifestyle. That seems pretty clear. I can think of a number of reasons they fit mine.

 

[Balta1701]

IMO, Apple isn't designing this to be a front line product or to replace anything. A segment of their market wants this type of functionality and a number of companies can provide it. If Apple provides that product and people are already part of their market, those people will stay with Apple's products. If Apple doesn't provide this product and people want it badly enough, that could be motivation to leave the Apple setup, and that doesn't just cost them the watch purchase, it costs them phones, laptops, and apple store purchases.

 

Even if they lose money on the product directly, keeping people in their realm is a win.