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Apple's Work on Wearable Computer Concepts Includes Wrist-Wrapping iPod with Siri

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macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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ipod_nano_wristwatch.jpg



The New York Times reports on Apple's and Google's efforts to develop wearable computers with the aim of augmenting their existing mobile product lines. In addition to peripheral devices that could communicate with a user's iPhone or iPod, Apple is said to also being looking at ways to make the device's themselves wearable, moving beyond the current iPod nano's wristwatch-like functionality when paired with third-party wristbands.
Apple has also experimented with prototype products that could relay information back to the iPhone. These conceptual products could also display information on other Apple devices, like an iPod, which Apple is already encouraging us to wear on our wrists by selling Nanos with watch faces.

A person with knowledge of the company's plans told me that a "very small group of Apple employees" had been conceptualizing and even prototyping some wearable devices.

One idea being discussed is a curved-glass iPod that would wrap around the wrist; people could communicate with the device using Siri, the company's artificial intelligence software.
Click to expand...
Last year, Apple hired wearable computing expert Richard DeVaul to work on prototyping concepts in a secret lab under the direction of Jony Ive. DeVaul spent only 18 months at Apple, however, before moving on to Google where he is presumably working on similar projects.

Article Link: Apple's Work on Wearable Computer Concepts Includes Wrist-Wrapping iPod with Siri
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2011/12/19/apples-work-on-wearable-computer-concepts-includes-wrist-wrapping-ipod-with-siri/
Frosticus

Frosticus

macrumors 6502a
Oct 4, 2010
528
2
Bristol, UK
Skika said:
Says "ILikeTurtles".
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Lol. You torched his a$$.

In other news, I think this would be cool...

I remember back in the day you could (and I'd imagine you still can) get Bluetooth enabled watches that would allow you to read incoming texts to your phone etc. This is obviously a similar concept but taken way further. It would be cool to be able to (fashionably) control music playback, check notifications, reminders, calendar etc without needing to get my phone out... even use Siri or make calls a-la Dick Tracy :p
 
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XiXora

XiXora

macrumors member
Jun 13, 2009
30
2
London
Personally, I'd love a smaller thinner nano with a curved glass OLED screen if it could be always on in a "low power" mode.

It'd be nice to be connected to a phone with BT4's low power mode to get notifications and perhaps control basic things like the device's prev, play, and next buttons.

The real shame is that I do not wear watches these days ;)
 
DavidLeblond

DavidLeblond

macrumors 68020
Jan 6, 2004
2,322
599
Raleigh, NC
It would only be useful if it had 3G. "Hey Siri, what time is it in London?... oh wait, there's no Wifi here...."

EDIT: Missed the fact that the watch would talk to the iPhone. That would work then.
 
R

roocka

macrumors regular
Sep 11, 2007
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Indianapolis
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

I wonder if he worked with liquidmetal? That was also a very small team under the direction of Jony in prototyping.
 
mcrain

mcrain

macrumors 68000
Feb 8, 2002
1,773
12
Illinois
I would give my left kidney for a wearable, water and shock proof ipod that had siri and bluetooth. I would consider giving both kidneys for that plus a set of waterproof, shockproof headphones that were lightweight and would actually stay in your ears regardless of how much you exerted yourself.

Apple, you redefined how to listen to music while working out, but you could take over the athlete market with something wearable, wireless, siri (light) compatible (it would be sweet if it understood you underwater), and that actually was an ergonomic home run.
 
A

Aeolius

macrumors 6502a
Jul 25, 2002
932
70
Pass. I don't care for wrist watches. That being said, anyone else remember the Squidget?

1126_squidget_numbers_700.jpg
 
N

nickgri

macrumors member
May 9, 2011
95
0
Great start

Just the beginning of what can be-it would be nice to not have to carry around the phone in your pocket all the time and have that extra appendage.
How about making some with a round design with a detachable earpiece. A pico projector that shoots a keyboard and screen on any surface would be awesome.
Laser level and tape measure built in? Notes from Siri etc. of course. Alarm with vibration. Can't wait to see what comes out.
 
Small White Car

Small White Car

macrumors G4
Aug 29, 2006
10,966
1,463
Washington DC
alent1234 said:
in 2011 what exactly is the point of a wristwatch except for jewelry purposes?
Click to expand...

Given that many women's clothes don't have pockets, most of them have settled on having their phones in their purses. A wristwatch that connects to and controls your phone will eventually be a big hit with women, I think.

Given that, these manufacturers are going about this all wrong. They're designing things that look like something a pre-teen boy would love. Once someone makes this and puts it in actually good jewelry, that person will make a killing.
 
nylonsteel

nylonsteel

macrumors 68000
Nov 5, 2010
1,550
490
re original article

so what is the story behind devauls departure?
did he leave or did aapl show him the door
now goog has knowlege of aapl design workings from devaul
he's got a cheesy title now at goog "rapid evaluator"
 
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