A Look at 'Health' and 'HealthKit', Apple's New Health Initiative

[airbusking]

I have no interest in Apple's Health Initiative, don't want to even think about the issues that hacking your "iHealth / Healthbook" info can/will cause.

Just my opinion but this WWDC is uninspiring. Those that disagree, that is your opinion but I am getting concerned with Apple's (lack of) leadership and direction.

 

[apps1991]

the Health app has a good advertising/marketing compared to that of Google Health

 

[doelcm82]

How is this innovation?

No new innovations from Apple yet again.

You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

 

[Iconoclysm]

How is this innovation?

Apple did two things today:
1) Connected the devices they all ready make
2) Enable developers deeper access to the system

No new innovations from Apple yet again.

At least Tim has learned he is a bumbling idiot and let Craig to most of the talking. Now if only they had more then one guy who could give a presentation maybe I could stay focused.

(and don't call me a troll, I have been buying Apple for longer then most. Just look at the stock price after the announcement today...)

Maybe we will see something exciting at the iPhone/iPad announcements later this year.

I'm sorry but why do you think that's NOT innovation?

 

[Michael CM1]

The best part of this app is the Medical Card. You can put in emergency contacts and health info. If you have a lock code on your phone any medical professional can turn on your phone and swipe left to get to the emergency call screen and on the lower left corner there is a medical card text that will allow them access to your emergency contact and medical info. That is sweet especially to someone that has medical issues.

I can't wait for doctors to tie into this. Instead of filling out all those damn forms every time I go somewhere, I'm guessing this could securely send my info to their computer with verification by Touch ID. I had to fill out forms a couple of weeks ago and wanted to scream. I had been there before for the same exact ailment.

I can only hope someone big like the Mayo Clinic develops something like that which then smaller doctors can implement through iPads or on a Web-based system.

 

[roland.g]

Just look at the stock price after the announcement today...)

The stock price almost never does well following a keynote. Certainly not WWDC keynote. Maybe sometimes after hardware, but I don't think so. Steps are always incremental, and expectations are always bigger, and as a result the stock goes down.

 

[doelcm82]

Yes but that is IF and that is a BIG IF Apple EVER get around to releasing the Iphone 6 and the Iwatch.

I'm not going to predict whether Apple will release an iWatch. But Apple has released a new model phone every year since 2007.
So whether they will release an iPhone later this year is not a BIG IF.
It's a VERY VERY VERY tiny if.

 

[i.mac]

I felt like they didn't talk much about it. I figure they'll make a bigger deal about it when releasing the iPhone 6 + iWatch later in the year. It'll become far more important.

Samedung was listening. Why tell more at this point?

 

[addicted44]

How is this innovation?

Apple did two things today:
1) Connected the devices they all ready make
2) Enable developers deeper access to the system

No new innovations from Apple yet again.

At least Tim has learned he is a bumbling idiot and let Craig to most of the talking. Now if only they had more then one guy who could give a presentation maybe I could stay focused.

(and don't call me a troll, I have been buying Apple for longer then most. Just look at the stock price after the announcement today...)

Maybe we will see something exciting at the iPhone/iPad announcements later this year.

As a developer, this Developer conference keynote, was the most exciting one Apple has done in a LONG time.

If you don't see that, it's because you aren't a developer. Swift alone would have made this one of the best WWDCs (Swift is basically the answer to John Siracusa's biggest concern a decade ago) and even users will see the benefits when all the new apps are suddenly much snappier.

 

[Reason077]

Poor John Appleseed! He doesn't seem very healthy at all for a 31 year old, what with all those meds he's taking and the hypertension.

Get well soon, Johnny!

 

[jonbravo77]

I can't wait for doctors to tie into this. Instead of filling out all those damn forms every time I go somewhere, I'm guessing this could securely send my info to their computer with verification by Touch ID. I had to fill out forms a couple of weeks ago and wanted to scream. I had been there before for the same exact ailment.

I can only hope someone big like the Mayo Clinic develops something like that which then smaller doctors can implement through iPads or on a Web-based system.

They did talk in the keynote that the Mayo Clinic is working on integrating with this app. Which is fantastic for me since I am a Mayo Clinic patient.

 

[Cigsm]

If you've been buying apple as long as you say you have, you'd know that the stock drips the day of every announcement. Happens every time without fail. Then bounces back within the week and goes up even higher.

How is this innovation?



Apple did two things today:

1) Connected the devices they all ready make

2) Enable developers deeper access to the system



No new innovations from Apple yet again.



At least Tim has learned he is a bumbling idiot and let Craig to most of the talking. Now if only they had more then one guy who could give a presentation maybe I could stay focused.



(and don't call me a troll, I have been buying Apple for longer then most. Just look at the stock price after the announcement today...)



Maybe we will see something exciting at the iPhone/iPad announcements later this year.

 

[wilhoitm]

I have no interest in Apple's Health Initiative, don't want to even think about the issues that hacking your "iHealth / Healthbook" info can/will cause.

Just my opinion but this WWDC is uninspiring. Those that disagree, that is your opinion but I am getting concerned with Apple's (lack of) leadership and direction.

I think it is obvious that you are not a Developer! Am I right?

 

[wigby]

I don't understand your last paragraph there.

I see it being useful of course. I am not struggling over space since I am not a heavy phone user, but IMO I should be able to delete what I wish from MY phone. Others feel the same about that kind of stuff. I have very few apps installed. Newsstand is one I would like to be rid of to keep it cleaner and less cluttered. Again just the way I would want to use my phone is all.

So you want to be able to delete any app just on principal? If you're so principled, why don't you just use an Android device instead? We all know what we're buying into with Apple products.

 

[jrswizzle]

Anyone else think this looks A LOT better than the fake mockups?

Talk about tripping on colors.

I don't know that these were "fake"....

More i think there were internally tests or preliminary ideas before refinement and the current iteration.

They likely started with Passbook and moved on from there.

 

[435713]

So you want to be able to delete any app just on principal? If you're so principled, why don't you just use an Android device instead? We all know what we're buying into with Apple products.

Where exactly did you read "Principled" anywhere in my post. I quite simply said I would like to be able to delete any app on MY phone I purchase. Don't see how it is a big deal. Random vitriol from you..... weird but okay.

 

[RedWeasel]

You can still eat bread, such as rye. If you're going to eat it, at least pick one that's going to be beneficial to you.

There is no grain that is beneficial to humans. There are just some which are less damaging than others.

 

[Northgrove]

How is this innovation?

Apple did two things today:
1) Connected the devices they all ready make
2) Enable developers deeper access to the system

No new innovations from Apple yet again.

As a developer, I was at least impressed after watching this conference for developers.

I've never been as eager to start building stuff for this platform as now. Wow.

I love how they attacked Android at its home arena -- customizability. The best part is that they get none of the Android baggage with that in terms of old operating systems on their devices, so that you can actually do these things almost right from the start too. The pretty phones will also stay around. So it's cool that Apple aren't doing this at the cost of switching to Samsung's favorite material: plastic.

Seriously, my point isn't to troll. It's that the iOS platform is soon about to get much more complete with none of that crap, so that a user doesn't necessarily have to choose anymore. "Oh, should I pick something that looks nice or should I pick the one that lets me customize the OS with apps?" No more.

I don't even care if that needed "innovations" to happen or not. The point is that iOS is becoming a no-compromises platform and that will be more important than innovations at least for as long as it isn't one.

I wonder how Xamarin feels today after the Swift announcement though. Sure, they support other platforms too, but that toolset was a lot about lowering the Objective-C barrier.

 

[barryl85]

Funny when samsung copies apple the front page is filled with sheep, apple clearly taking a leaf out of samsungs book here and its no where to be seen.

 

[Northgrove]

Seems like apple copies Samsung

Where are all the Samsung haters now?!

Seems like this comment copies a troll template.

Wait, I'll go check see which Samsung laptop allows me to take over applications and their states from their Galaxy phones... Oh and what counterpart does Samsung have to the Xcode toolkit? Can I send an SMS from a Samsung Chromebook?

These companies are still miles apart. Sure, in some respects they cross roads but anything else would be surprising since they work in the same business...

 

[Thunderhawks]

Settings>General>Hypochondriac Mode

 

[nikaru]

I dont see how this is going to work.

First, it pulls data from third-party hardware and software, so the data is compromised. Apple has no control over the accuracy of the data.

Second, it lacks funcionality. I want more data in order to get more comprehensive results regarding my health conditions, so I must wear 3 bands, 2 belts and 7 bandages with sensors sticked to my body in order to get all the information I want. Again, from third party vendors whose accuraccy isnt certain.

There is no single device out there that can collect all the date we may need so its pointless for the major part of the consumers. Apple had to present the iWatch with all the sensors we hear so many speculations recently and say, this is the companian app. Also, the monitoring must be constant and all the time in order to obtain valuable information.

I think Health is work in progress and will be the less used app after the compass for 99% of the iPhone users when iOS 8 kicks out. iWatch is a must in order to push this initiative into something more that one more app for some mintor porcentage of the users.

 

[MH01]

You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

what do you think it means?

----------

Settings>General>Hypochondriac Mode

ha ha ha ha so true, this is a Hypochondriac's dream come true!

 

[Michael CM1]

As a developer, I was at least impressed after watching this conference for developers.

I've never been as eager to start building stuff for this platform as now. Wow.

I love how they attacked Android at its home arena -- customizability. The best part is that they get none of the Android baggage with that in terms of old operating systems on their devices, so that you can actually do these things almost right from the start too. The pretty phones will also stay around. So it's cool that Apple aren't doing this at the cost of switching to Samsung's favorite material: plastic.

Seriously, my point isn't to troll. It's that the iOS platform is soon about to get much more complete with none of that crap, so that a user doesn't necessarily have to choose anymore. "Oh, should I pick something that looks nice or should I pick the one that lets me customize the OS with apps?" No more.

I don't even care if that needed "innovations" to happen or not. The point is that iOS is becoming a no-compromises platform and that will be more important than innovations at least for as long as it isn't one.

I wonder how Xamarin feels today after the Swift announcement though. Sure, they support other platforms too, but that toolset was a lot about lowering the Objective-C barrier.

How does Swift look as far as difficulty? I've taken some programming classes in the past and was kind of mediocre at it. I think part of the issue is so much work to do anything beyond displaying text. But with the demo with the balloon, it seemed like you could kind of use some image you created in Photoshop and easily manipulate it with a little math.

I'm taking classes for a geology degree, so it might be fun to create a geology or astronomy app. Mostly quiz stuff and maybe some images. But it looks like the learning curve wouldn't be quite so steep. I looked at Xcode a while back and was a little since I didn't recall much of C. But if you can do the whole thing in Swift, I could try it. Hell, it's not like the Flappy Bird guy exactly developed something grand. Make bird go up or down on top of old SNES Mario backdrops. Insert iAd. Whine about how addictive it is while cashing checks.

 

[mejsric]

How is this innovation?

Apple did two things today:
1) Connected the devices they all ready make
2) Enable developers deeper access to the system

No new innovations from Apple yet again.

At least Tim has learned he is a bumbling idiot and let Craig to most of the talking. Now if only they had more then one guy who could give a presentation maybe I could stay focused.

(and don't call me a troll, I have been buying Apple for longer then most. Just look at the stock price after the announcement today...)

Maybe we will see something exciting at the iPhone/iPad announcements later this year.

You'v been shouting Apple is Doomed for 2 years and you are still here! LOL!

see you next year!