[954Stealth]

** I want to know this, o/t: What are your thoughts on "wearables" in general?

Alright time for the requisite Apple launch thread.

Today Tim Cook launched the Apple Watch as well as a new Macbook, a new HBO partnership and some other minor updates and reveals like a new health app.

Thoughts?

Who's getting an Apple Watch?

Apple has entered into a partnership with HBO, which will be streamed to Apple devices across the internet including the Apple TV. HBO Now.

Apple announced a new app called 'ResearchKit '.


Thoughts on the macbook?
1. Apple’s launched a new Retina MacBook that super thin and light – a replacement for the current MacBook Air line.
2. 12in Retina Display - 2304x1440 resolution
3. 3.1mm thin - 24% thinner than the 11in MacBook Air
4. 2lbs in weight
5. Full size keyboard - all new “butterfly” technology
6. USB-C ports, but no regular USB ports
7. Available in gold as well as silver
8. Force Touch Trackpad - force sensors rather than click mechanism that can detect a range of “force clicks”
9. New gestures based on how hard you click
10. “Taptic” feedback - the trackpad taps back
11. Apple promises “all-day” battery life of up to 10 hours, or nine hours when on Wi-Fi.


I don't like the Apple not lighting up lol, I'll stick with my current Macbook, thanks. I ldo like the thinness however and the new trackpad. I'm still not sold on Apple Watch or watch-based phone ancillaries so I'll wait on this too. I do like that HBO and Apple are now partners, with HBO Now, but do I really have to sign up for another streaming service?




"“All you need to get HBO Now is a broadband connection and an Apple device,” said Plepler. “There will be a brand-new HBO Now channel on Apple TV so you can enjoy it on the big screen or you can watch HBO NOW on your iPhones and iPads.”

http://www.apple.com/uk/watch/apple-watch-edition/

[954Stealth]

This isn't revamped, but the price dropped significantly;

[Billup]

I don't see the hype with Apple. I know they are very user friendly, but I've never had a problem with my PC desktop in the 8 years I've owned it.


Are there things that you Apple people really really like about Apple that makes it more sufficient for you than a PC? What made you go with Apple to begin with? Just curious. Don't start a PC v. Apple war.

[gtron]

@ apple ppl

[fecurtis]

Originally Posted by Billup

I don't see the hype with Apple. I know they are very user friendly, but I've never had a problem with my PC desktop in the 8 years I've owned it.


Are there things that you Apple people really really like about Apple that makes it more sufficient for you than a PC? What made you go with Apple to begin with? Just curious. Don't start a PC v. Apple war.

My PC's have historically crapped out within a few years.

The only time I was able to build a reliable PC was when I started building them myself.

That said, from a computing standpoint, I don't really find anything wrong with a PC, provided you build your own with high quality parts. But I get the appeal of Apple. If it weren't for the extensive work I do in Microsoft Office and writing macros, I'd of just said screw it and got a mac.

Since I can't build my own laptop, if I needed a personal laptop, I'd go the mac route. They just use better parts out of the box than most PC manufacturers.

I can't wait to see how pointless the Apple Watch is though. So far wearable computers just aren't worth the money nor do they look good.

EDIT: So far Apple Watch is as pointless as I thought it'd be.

[upstatedoc]

Bought my wife an apple pc last year because she loves her iphone so. I hate the damn thing, so counter intuitive.

[P1]

I'm a PC guy, and my wife uses a MacBook Pro. I hear her bitch about the MacBook Pro a lot more than I bitch about my PCs.

I do have to say that I like my iPhone a lot, and the AppleTV is brilliant.

[fecurtis]

Originally Posted by P1et

I'm a PC guy, and my wife uses a MacBook Pro. I hear her bitch about the MacBook Pro a lot more than I bitch about my PCs.

lol is she as proficient with computers as you?

[hongsc]

That Macbook is sexy but one port isn't enough with all the crap I have. Not sure about the iWatch. Maybe I'll pick one up. But I'm saving for a GMT II Master.

[UncleWede]

Not so long ago, in a galaxy not so far away, Macs didn't get hacked because their was honor among thieves. So like last week when I helped a friend set up a new Win8.1 machine, I had to do 90+ windows updates out of the box. Macs typically were about once a year you could maybe do an in-place iOS upgrade.

Nowadays even the Macs and Linux boxes get hacked, so they have been brought into the fold.

IF I were doing music or my own graphics, I would have to have a Mac. For browsing and email and spreadsheets gotta stay Micro$oft.

[fecurtis]

Originally Posted by hongsc

That Macbook is sexy but one port isn't enough with all the crap I have. Not sure about the iWatch. Maybe I'll pick one up. But I'm saving for a GMT II Master.

Watch Sport: $349 for the smaller screen; the larger screen will be $399.

The Apple Watch (mid-tier): $549 to $1049 for the smaller screen, while the larger screen will be $599 to $1099. The price depends on the type of band.

The Watch Edition (in 18-k gold): $10,000 in select stores only.

Apple has lost their fucking minds.

[ASBSECU E93]

Originally Posted by hongsc

That Macbook is sexy but one port isn't enough with all the crap I have. Not sure about the iWatch. Maybe I'll pick one up. But I'm saving for a GMT II Master.

The USB port alone is a huge breakthrough...and with wireless as the next frontier, portability is more important than cables...IMO.

[P1]

Originally Posted by fecurtis

lol is she as proficient with computers as you?

It's slow, hangs at times and causes errors left and right.

[JasonCSU]

Regarding wearables, I'm not a big fan. Sure, from a health and exercise aspect they can be useful, but working in IT there are some things that concern me. Wearables are part of the "Internet of Things" where everything is online and generating data. The thing that most people don't seem to think or care about is what is being done with that data, and is it secure.

A Fitbit for example, tracks location, distance traveled, calories burned, heart rate, and probably more. That data is synced with cloud servers so you can view it to see your activity and trends over time. Now if you think you are the only one viewing that data, you would be wrong. It is very likely the data collected is being sold to other companies for their own research. For example, insurance companies would love to sift through all this health data and adjust rates for individuals accordingly (similar concept to the OBDII monitors some car insurance companies use to track driving habits). I'm not particularly interested in giving away all that personal information that wearables and other "IoC" devices track even if there is some benefit to me. Your data is incredibly valuable and people don't seem to understand that.

[fecurtis]

Originally Posted by JasonCSU

Regarding wearables, I'm not a big fan. Sure, from a health and exercise aspect they can be useful, but working in IT there are some things that concern me. Wearables are part of the "Internet of Things" where everything is online and generating data. The thing that most people don't seem to think or care about is what is being done with that data, and is it secure.

A Fitbit for example, tracks location, distance traveled, calories burned, heart rate, and probably more. That data is synced with cloud servers so you can view it to see your activity and trends over time. Now if you think you are the only one viewing that data, you would be wrong. It is very likely the data collected is being sold to other companies for their own research. For example, insurance companies would love to sift through all this health data and adjust rates for individuals accordingly (similar concept to the OBDII monitors some car insurance companies use to track driving habits). I'm not particularly interested in giving away all that personal information that wearables and other "IoC" devices track even if there is some benefit to me. Your data is incredibly valuable and people don't seem to understand that.

But you're missing the point, you can SHARE your heartbeat data with your friends!

[954Stealth]

Originally Posted by JasonCSU

Regarding wearables, I'm not a big fan. Sure, from a health and exercise aspect they can be useful, but working in IT there are some things that concern me. Wearables are part of the "Internet of Things" where everything is online and generating data. The thing that most people don't seem to think or care about is what is being done with that data, and is it secure.

A Fitbit for example, tracks location, distance traveled, calories burned, heart rate, and probably more. That data is synced with cloud servers so you can view it to see your activity and trends over time. Now if you think you are the only one viewing that data, you would be wrong. It is very likely the data collected is being sold to other companies for their own research. For example, insurance companies would love to sift through all this health data and adjust rates for individuals accordingly (similar concept to the OBDII monitors some car insurance companies use to track driving habits). I'm not particularly interested in giving away all that personal information that wearables and other "IoC" devices track even if there is some benefit to me. Your data is incredibly valuable and people don't seem to understand that.

Exactly. In this age, information is power and power = money.

[fecurtis]

Originally Posted by 954Stealth

Exactly. In this age, information is power and power = money.

I don't really think people really care if they're tracking someone's activities over time. People feel more so violated if someone goes through your actual correspondence with people.

You can't find dirt on anyone knowing where they go on runs.

[954Stealth]

Originally Posted by fecurtis

I don't really think people really care if they're tracking someone's activities over time. People feel more so violated if someone goes through your actual correspondence with people.

You can't find dirt on anyone knowing where they go on runs.

But they're not just for runs. They can monitor your entire day, even your sleep patterns. You can track people based on cell tower pings, updates to social media, etc. The information is being warehoused by large companies and used in conjunction with other data to build profiles of people and sold to companies for targeted advertisement.

[fecurtis]

Originally Posted by 954Stealth

But they're not just for runs. They can monitor your entire day, even your sleep patterns. You can track people based on cell tower pings, updates to social media, etc. The information is being warehoused by large companies and used in conjunction with other data to build profiles of people and sold to companies for targeted advertisement.

Like I said, you can't get any dirt on peoples' runs nor their sleep patterns. People only get nervous if it's a threat that could result in revealing skeletons in your closet.

Besides, your phone is capable of tracking people. Google Maps feeds traffic data by literally knowing where people are and how fast they're traveling. No one seems to care.

Companies use the data to focus marketing efforts more effectively towards their targeted demographic. That's not exactly a nefarious thing.

I'm sure most of us did research online prior to buying our respective BMW's. Did you get nervous when you suddenly noticed that you were seeing more ads for BMW's and seeing ads for local BMW dealers?

[954Stealth]

Originally Posted by fecurtis

Like I said, you can't get any dirt on peoples' runs nor their sleep patterns. People only get nervous if it's a threat that could result in revealing skeletons in your closet.

Besides, your phone is capable of tracking people. Google Maps feeds traffic data by literally knowing where people are and how fast they're traveling. No one seems to care.

and like I said, it's not just that it's the combination of it all. Metadata

[fecurtis]

Originally Posted by 954Stealth

and like I said, it's not just that it's the combination of it all

Oh don't get me wrong, I totally understand the amount of sheer data these places collect and know about you. I'm just saying, is it necessarily something people should be worried about?

For me personally, the only thing that irks me is when the government accesses metadata illegally.

[954Stealth]

Originally Posted by fecurtis

Oh don't get me wrong, I totally understand the amount of sheer data these places collect and know about you. I'm just saying, is it necessarily something people should be worried about?

For me personally, the only thing that irks me is when the government accesses metadata illegally.

I feel like, on the surface, it is benign. The question for me is: Where do we draw the line and how much penetration in to peoples' privacy will we allow?

If people are buying these monitoring devices, though, I suppose they are condoning the practice