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I mean you realized these videos were the ones cited in this article on macrumors right? And by every indication, it's a gimmick and barely works. Heck in the last test, both the guy and kid slap the ground hard just to try to get it to activate and only one worked! Lol

Those are not tests, for actual falls. You know it yet you go blah blah blah blah.
 
Those are not tests, for actual falls. You know it yet you go blah blah blah blah.

Yeah keep moving the goal post. If slapping your wrist hard doesn't create enough g force to detect a fall then yeah 100% a gimmick. Apple knew they couldn't demonstrate this on stage. That's why all they did was show a cartoon picture. They aren't stupid.
 
It should automatically turn on when it detects you are in a city with lots of Bird or Lime scooterists. I’m convinced, based on three very scary near misses, that getting plowed into by some idiot who thinks 25MPH on the sidewalk is appropriate is the most likely reason I’m going to set off the fall sensor on my S4.
 
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Yeah keep moving the goal post. If slapping your wrist hard doesn't create enough g force to detect a fall then yeah 100% a gimmick. Apple knew they couldn't demonstrate this on stage. That's why all they did was show a cartoon picture. They aren't stupid.

Slapping your wrist hard is a fall?

Seems what you're looking for is a "hard slapped wrist" detector.
 

" Again, Apple’s health claims are not that the Watch will detect these falls, but simply that it could."

This is literally from the verge review lol. So again, if it's not reliable then it's a gimmick at best. And by every single review, including the verge review, they couldn't get it to work.....
 
Why is it not on by default? Too many false positives? Not good enough? Rant time!

My uncle died at 53 a couple years ago when he had a massive heart attack and fell hard onto his concrete driveway. He was wearing an Apple Watch Series 0. Nobody knew he collapsed outside. His wife and kids were inside the house. This feature may have saved his life at 53. I also knew a kid whose dad died falling off a ladder when I was a kid and nobody was around to tend to his injuries. Accidents happen. I think it should be in by default to save the most lives. Axiom of UI/UX design: DEFAULTS MATTER. In this case it’s life and death and many people hear that it has fall detection and won’t know to turn it on because they’re just some average person who doesn’t read tech sites.
 
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" Again, Apple’s health claims are not that the Watch will detect these falls, but simply that it could."

This is literally from the verge review lol. So again, if it's not reliable then it's a gimmick at best. And by every single review, including the verge review, they couldn't get it to work.....

The verge could not reproduce a fall, that's all they said.
A fall is 180G from .9m and 380g from 1m80 on concrete. Over 100G's on wood over concrete.
They're not doing it for good reason; they don't want to injure themselves.
Reproducing this or something less severe will damage even a healthy individual.

They're not testing and actual event UNLIKE APPLE whose claims must actually stand muster long term cause people will actually depend on their device.

They and the independent said Apple had a sampling of ACTUAL PEOPLE IN ASSISTED LIVING and with MOVEMENT DISORDERS (2500 which is a hell of a lot of people to monitor).
That's the whole point of the argument. They HAVE ACTUAL DATA of ACTUAL FALLS.

Unlike those bozos on YOUTUBE and YOU.

You are the epitome of desingenousness; you truly don't give a crap if you have a point, you'll pound it till it bleeds anyway.
 
I am going to go out here on a limb and state my obversations on this feature and AppleWatch Series 4. Generally most elderly people have poor eyesight/vision, not all however most. Even with the increased size of Series 4, an elderly persons hand and finger dexterity can be less than precise (not all however most). Given that WatchOS is simpler than most to navigate, it still has quite a bit to go to make it elderly friendly. Many elderly people do not understand new/er technology advances (there may be some exceptions to this). Fall detection is great for certain age groups (most can benefit), however given the above how quickly will an elderly person even dismiss false positives.

Granted that usually some tech enthusiast family member or an Apple Store employee will configure these devices, my understanding is that most elderly people end up confused or lost in mobile technology. I am having a hard time understanding who this feature and device is really for. People who are genuinely fit, don’t require a device to get them moving (which includes me), for those who need some digital encouragement great, however would that not be better suited for a larger device such as a phone or even something smaller like a FitBit at a fraction of the cost.

If you are an elderly person the technology has to seamlessly integrate into your lifestyle with zero or minimal learning curve, most will not even use half the power of what Series 4 will offer let along prior models. If it was a simple device with a single button that has this algorithm built into it that would be great. Press button for help, press twice to cancel, has a red light that falshes when activated for help and can detect Falls and provide a voice prompt.

It is not great to age, your vision, hearing, dexterity, balance, etc take a severe hit. Cognition may also be affected, though that is not always the case. Usually the elderly do not have time to invest in complex technology, most will try if their cannot figure it out, their tend to forget and not try again.

Though Apples marketing tells us that every elderly person is some Apple tech enthusiasts and raves about the AppleWatch, in reality most don’t receive enough of a pension or social security and struggle on a daily basis to obtain food, housing, clothing, medical, dental, etc. I am sure the AppleWatch is not on their priority of things in their remaining years.

I am curious to hear people’s thoughts on this.
[doublepost=1537754463][/doublepost]

I concur, the G-force and length of fall would not trigger Fall Detection if the algorithm is good. Besides you can always turn it off when boarding these rides if it is of a concern.
[doublepost=1537754543][/doublepost]

I believe ECG is also not available until later this year. All this fuss over a larger screen with more complications. I have had some hard falls in my time, never required the assistance of feature or emergency such as this. Even light to moderate activity will strengthen the body to recover quickly. Which I guess is good for any wearable device to encourage a healthier lifestyle, however if you were already healthy prior to Series 0 introduction or even the FitBit, it may just offer an expensive encouragement at most.

thanks so much for this great post.
you tackle alot of good issues in it.

yr comments on mobility and other issues that the eldery deal with are accurate.

for me, Apple's development of this feature is just the beginning and look forward to more from Apple.
Apple has ALWAYS been in the forefront of quietly incorporating assistive features into its operating systems.

for me, however, this fall detection capability certainly isn't just for older persons.
it is for anybody who is engaged in activities such as hiking and cycling and skiing etc.
in other words activities that pose a higher chance of falls and higher benefit to getting help.

I look forward to trying it out!
 
The verge could not reproduce a fall, that's all they said.
.

Yeah no one can reliably reproduce a fall. Oh except Apple "reports". And trust me, I can fall just like some person in assisted living. It's not some skill you learn with age lol

If it's not reliable then again, it's a gimmick.
 
Strange that even Apple is now deciding a 'convenient feature', what age group would this be for. (by default). They really don't think no one between 50 and 60 can get hurt by a fall ?

So only people 65 or older can fall down and need this.... condiscending at best ... insulting

lol.. Apple thinks so. otherwise it would have been on...

A feature that 'helps" everyone" is reduced by the age group ? Its not the first time Apple have done a good feature

If you fall you know that its happening,, no need be reminded by a watch.
 
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Coming next:
- Escape from home detection.
- Escape from taking the blue pill detection.
- Escape from updating iOS/WatchOS detection.
- Escape from the Watch detection.
- Escape from Google and Apple detection (in a joint effort between Google, Apple, and Governments across the World).
 
Coming next:
- Escape from home detection.
- Escape from taking the blue pill detection.
- Escape from updating iOS/WatchOS detection.
- Escape from the Watch detection.
- Escape from Google and Apple detection (in a joint effort between Google, Apple, and Governments across the World).

I'll add 'Escape from reality" everyone would love that one
 
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I am going to go out here on a limb and state my obversations on this feature and AppleWatch Series 4. Generally most elderly people have poor eyesight/vision, not all however most. Even with the increased size of Series 4, an elderly persons hand and finger dexterity can be less than precise (not all however most). Given that WatchOS is simpler than most to navigate, it still has quite a bit to go to make it elderly friendly. Many elderly people do not understand new/er technology advances (there may be some exceptions to this). Fall detection is great for certain age groups (most can benefit), however given the above how quickly will an elderly person even dismiss false positives.

Granted that usually some tech enthusiast family member or an Apple Store employee will configure these devices, my understanding is that most elderly people end up confused or lost in mobile technology. I am having a hard time understanding who this feature and device is really for. People who are genuinely fit, don’t require a device to get them moving (which includes me), for those who need some digital encouragement great, however would that not be better suited for a larger device such as a phone or even something smaller like a FitBit at a fraction of the cost.

If you are an elderly person the technology has to seamlessly integrate into your lifestyle with zero or minimal learning curve, most will not even use half the power of what Series 4 will offer let along prior models. If it was a simple device with a single button that has this algorithm built into it that would be great. Press button for help, press twice to cancel, has a red light that falshes when activated for help and can detect Falls and provide a voice prompt.

It is not great to age, your vision, hearing, dexterity, balance, etc take a severe hit. Cognition may also be affected, though that is not always the case. Usually the elderly do not have time to invest in complex technology, most will try if their cannot figure it out, their tend to forget and not try again.

Though Apples marketing tells us that every elderly person is some Apple tech enthusiasts and raves about the AppleWatch, in reality most don’t receive enough of a pension or social security and struggle on a daily basis to obtain food, housing, clothing, medical, dental, etc. I am sure the AppleWatch is not on their priority of things in their remaining years.

I am curious to hear people’s thoughts on this.
[doublepost=1537754463][/doublepost]

I concur, the G-force and length of fall would not trigger Fall Detection if the algorithm is good. Besides you can always turn it off when boarding these rides if it is of a concern.
[doublepost=1537754543][/doublepost]

I believe ECG is also not available until later this year. All this fuss over a larger screen with more complications. I have had some hard falls in my time, never required the assistance of feature or emergency such as this. Even light to moderate activity will strengthen the body to recover quickly. Which I guess is good for any wearable device to encourage a healthier lifestyle, however if you were already healthy prior to Series 0 introduction or even the FitBit, it may just offer an expensive encouragement at most.
Even if you are fit and healthy you might still want to track your activity. Being able to visualise your achievements can provide a lot of encouragement to do more activity. Excersize is a lot about being motivated. Yes you can get a Fitbit but they are extremely limited I’d rather spend more and get a smart watch which allows me to do so much more. My husband had the same thoughts as you a few years ago and bought a Fitbit even though I told him to get a smartwatch. He said he didn’t need one. The following year he said he wished he’d got a smart watch and then bought one.

Falls are more frequent in the elderly but accidents can happen to anyone at anytime. A young person can fall off a ladder.
 
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Yeah no one can reliably reproduce a fall. Oh except Apple "reports". And trust me, I can fall just like some person in assisted living. It's not some skill you learn with age lol

If it's not reliable then again, it's a gimmick.

Yes... And your gold standard for characterizing a fall, is falling on thick couch cushions laid out on the floor and "slapping your wrist hard."

Please, contact Apple and let their scientists/engineers/health professionals know they're going about this wrong and put them on the right track.
 
Yes... And your gold standard for characterizing a fall, is falling on thick couch cushions laid out on the floor and "slapping your wrist hard."

Please, contact Apple and let their scientists/engineers/health professionals know they're going about this wrong and put them on the right track.

I mean if not a single person in the real world can duplicate it then yeah maybe they should hire me lol.

Don't get me wrong, it's an amazing feature if it works reliably but if not then it's a gimmick. Kind of like the raise to speak feature. It's no where near reliable and people actually turn it off.....
 
Cant recall ever seeing anyone over 65 with an Apple Watch...

Well, you see, that's the brilliance of this feature ... for Apple. Now tons of Apple Watches will be sold as "babysitters" to children of aging parents.

My mom fell at the care home the other day, and this feature may have alerted me directly, and sooner than the staff at the home were alerted.
 
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I absolutely love this feature and its switched on for me even though I’m 30.

In the past two years I have had a hard fall. I was training with a soccer ball in my back garden on my own. I tried to turn too quickly at pace on a wet surface wearing sneakers and I slipped and heavily bruised my ribs on a rock.

I’m pretty confident that these types of falls are what Apple have tested.

Let these idiots keep on trying until they make a real impact.
 
Does it though? It's a heavily advertised feature. Being disabled by default doesn't appear to be obvious or clear.

But most importantly, people of any age can fall and take advantage of this. If the algorithm is good enough and hard enough to fake, I don't see the disadvantage for always being on.

This is a emergency life saving feature, it won’t feel useful for people who fall down without the need of emergency call. Whereas, it will turn out to be annoying for youngster that do not need this feature. If they think they need it, turn it on themselves, easy as that.
 
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