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

MacRumors · Dec 19, 2011, 08:05 AM

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.

Quote:

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.

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

soco · Dec 19, 2011, 08:06 AM

I just got chills...

"Siri, bring my messages to my watch."

Win.

ILikeTurtles · Dec 19, 2011, 08:09 AM

Stupid and horrifying unfashionable!

KnightWRX · Dec 19, 2011, 08:11 AM

"Do you wear your iPod Nano on a watchband ?"

Hell no. (the fact the LCD is completely broken doesn't quite help either).

Skika · Dec 19, 2011, 08:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ILikeTurtles

Stupid and horrifying unfashionable!

Says "ILikeTurtles".

Frosticus · 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skika

Says "ILikeTurtles".

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

XiXora · Dec 19, 2011, 08:19 AM

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

deconstruct60 · Dec 19, 2011, 08:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MacRumors

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.

But Sony already did this....

http://www.fastcompany.com/1691729/s...-shouldve-made

Sure the concept could use some refinements.

A Dick Tracy watch ..... cool .

DavidLeblond · Dec 19, 2011, 08:23 AM

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.

alent1234 · Dec 19, 2011, 08:24 AM

in 2011 what exactly is the point of a wristwatch except for jewelry purposes?

Frosticus · Dec 19, 2011, 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alent1234

in 2011 what exactly is the point of a wristwatch except for jewelry purposes?

erm... telling the time...?

Andronicus · Dec 19, 2011, 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alent1234

in 2011 what exactly is the point of a wristwatch except for jewelry purposes?

Real men wear watches.

cshearer · Dec 19, 2011, 08:27 AM

Can it control the rocket-propelled grenade attachments in my Mercedes?

roocka · Dec 19, 2011, 08:28 AM

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 · Dec 19, 2011, 08:28 AM

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.

Aeolius · Dec 19, 2011, 08:29 AM

Pass. I don't care for wrist watches. That being said, anyone else remember the Squidget?

nickgri · Dec 19, 2011, 08:30 AM

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.

alent1234 · Dec 19, 2011, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frosticus

erm... telling the time...?

i stopped using a watch to check time back when i had a Moto StarTac

ECUpirate44 · Dec 19, 2011, 08:31 AM

Siri Siri everywhere.

APlotdevice · Dec 19, 2011, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cshearer

Can it control the rocket-propelled grenade attachments in my Mercedes?

Yes, but you'll have to jailbreak it first.

Small White Car · Dec 19, 2011, 08:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alent1234

in 2011 what exactly is the point of a wristwatch except for jewelry purposes?

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.

cshearer · Dec 19, 2011, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by APlotdevice

Yes, but you'll have to jailbreak it first.

Where's Q when you need him?

Aeolius · Dec 19, 2011, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cshearer

Can it control the rocket-propelled grenade attachments in my Mercedes?

nylonsteel · Dec 19, 2011, 08:39 AM

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"

WLS · Dec 19, 2011, 08:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andronicus

Real men wear watches.

true dat - and real geeks wear ipod watches!

Dec 19, 2011, 08:06 AM	#2
soco macrumors Demi-God Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Kew Gardens, New York	I just got chills... "Siri, bring my messages to my watch." Win. __________________ Slate Verizon iPhone 5 (Week 37) • MacBook Pro (2011) Canon EOS Rebel T3 • Kit 18-55mm Lens Contribute to MacRumors: Become a Demi-God! ...Mr. Pink lives forever...
	12

Dec 19, 2011, 08:09 AM	#3
ILikeTurtles macrumors 6502 Join Date: Feb 2010	Stupid and horrifying unfashionable!
	-30

Dec 19, 2011, 08:11 AM	#4
KnightWRX macrumors Pentium Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Quebec, Canada	"Do you wear your iPod Nano on a watchband ?" Hell no. (the fact the LCD is completely broken doesn't quite help either). __________________ "What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others." -- Pericles
	-13

Dec 19, 2011, 08:23 AM	#9
DavidLeblond macrumors 68020 Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: 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. __________________ www.davidleblond.com Try my new iPhone game, Claustrophobia!
	5

Dec 19, 2011, 08:24 AM	#10
alent1234 macrumors 601 Join Date: Jun 2009	in 2011 what exactly is the point of a wristwatch except for jewelry purposes?
	-6

Dec 19, 2011, 08:19 AM	#7
XiXora macrumors newbie Join Date: Jun 2009	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
	2

Dec 19, 2011, 08:27 AM	#13
cshearer macrumors regular Join Date: Aug 2011	Can it control the rocket-propelled grenade attachments in my Mercedes?
	4

Dec 19, 2011, 08:28 AM	#14
roocka macrumors regular Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: 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. __________________ i-Pod Touch i-Phone 3GS i-Mac Macbook Pro
	0

Dec 19, 2011, 08:28 AM	#15
mcrain macrumors 68000 Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: 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. __________________ ^^ I'm smarter than you're. The Internet: where men are men, women are men, and children are the FBI.
	-2

Dec 19, 2011, 08:29 AM	#16
Aeolius macrumors 6502a Join Date: Jul 2002	Pass. I don't care for wrist watches. That being said, anyone else remember the Squidget?
	-6

Dec 19, 2011, 08:30 AM	#17
nickgri macrumors member Join Date: May 2011	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.
	0

Dec 19, 2011, 08:31 AM	#19
ECUpirate44 macrumors 603 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: NC	Siri Siri everywhere. __________________ 2012 RMBP 2.3/8/256. 16Gb iPhone 5 Black & Slate.
	0

Dec 19, 2011, 08:39 AM	#24
nylonsteel macrumors 6502a Join Date: Nov 2010	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" __________________ Macintosh XL LISA & Macintosh SE circa 1988 - Wandering the corporate PC wilderness since then
	0

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