New Apple Watch is a dive computer

[vondo]

Codecs have advanced enough that a typical streaming radio site uses a 64 kbps rate (yes, 64 kilobits per second). So you could do it on a fairly low bandwidth connection. Not that it wouldn't be technically challenging.


I don't think that is quite true. They won't allow Firefox and Chrome to use their own browser engines, and for a while was reserving access to the best Javascript implementation for Safari. They haven't made it impossible, but they haven't made it easy. And they have absolutely prevented compatibility with iMessage, FaceTime, etc. Now third-party apps without a direct Apple competitor they have been pretty laissez faire, it is true.

iMessage and FaceTime are protocols and use Apple’s servers. But they allow WhatsApp and Skype even though those are direct competitors to FaceTime and iMessage.

It certainly is true they have a problematic record with interoperability between their apps, whether it’s opening up their protocols or using industry standards.

I’ll have to lookup their not letting certain apps use their library.

 

[vondo]

BTW, looking at the oceanic video above and how you start the app or set it to auto-start on submersion…. It looks to me like it’s set to allow other apps where oceanic is a choice.

Now Will other apps have to advertise themselves as dive computer apps or can you launch Instagram on submersion? Probably the former. And will apps allowed to use the dive computer profile have to undergo some scrutiny and maybe have an insurance company behind them? Perhaps.

 

[vondo]

I’ll have to lookup their not letting certain apps use their library.

It’s what you said and I missed. They don’t allow any web rendering on iOS except their own. Other browsers have to use Apple’s rendering code.

 

[doctormike]

BTW, looking at the oceanic video above and how you start the app or set it to auto-start on submersion…. It looks to me like it’s set to allow other apps where oceanic is a choice.

Now Will other apps have to advertise themselves as dive computer apps or can you launch Instagram on submersion? Probably the former.

I really hope that you can use other apps when underwater. Just spitballing I thought of a number of ideas, and I'm sure that over the next year the really smart people will come up with even more.

One that just occurred to me is communication. Divers sign language is often inconsistent between different areas of the world or between different people with different training. Basic simple stuff like thumbing a dive is fairly universal, but imagine an app with a few hundred phrases that you could preload, customize and scroll through, to display for your buddy.

I don't think that in 2007 most people - even tech savvy people - could have anticipated all of the applications that would someday be used on an iPhone. I hope that this follows in that tradition.

 

[Taako]

I really hope that you can use other apps when underwater.

Again, the ambient pressure sensor is available to any developer:
Apple Developer Documentation
Any developer can make a dive app, Buhlmann is open source and fairly easy to implement, there are a few dozen implementations already on github.

There will be plenty of free and moderately priced apps to choose from, Oceanic was just a launch partner since they needed something to show off and didnt wanna risk leaking the product all voer so they partnered with one company to keep it undercover

 

[doctormike]

Again, the ambient pressure sensor is available to any developer:
Apple Developer Documentation
Any developer can make a dive app, Buhlmann is open source and fairly easy to implement, there are a few dozen implementations already on github.

There will be plenty of free and moderately priced apps to choose from, Oceanic was just a launch partner since they needed something to show off and didnt wanna risk leaking the product all voer so they partnered with one company to keep it undercover

Right, I mean I was hoping that there wasn't some lockout to prevent people from running other apps while underwater as some sort of safety thing. I don't know if that's the case, but it was a concern raised in this thread.

 

[Taako]

Right, I mean I was hoping that there wasn't some lockout to prevent people from running other apps while underwater as some sort of safety thing. I don't know if that's the case, but it was a concern raised in this thread.

gotcha, tbh i wouldnt be surprised if there was such a lockout because it would help prevent other apps from possibly bogging down the OS during a safety-critical time.

 

[Tournesol2000]

Not at all - I have an iPhone and have no issue with this iWatch, but also have zero interest in an all-in-one watch of any kind.

I was only questioning what is disruptive about it as some were claiming, but without explaining what, exactly, is disruptive about it…

In my opinion, what is disruptive is how Apple are changing how we use technology and experiences and how we have a huge thread on it. Garmin did it with their dive watch that can be used for hiking etc with GPS, but Apple offering everything it does in a watch is definitely going to change how companies approach their future development. It’s been stated by many others on this thread so I will not go over everything.
If you don’t like Apple, that’s fine. I don’t care.
If you don’t like the watch, that’s fine. Don’t care
If you don’t think it’s disruptive, that’s fine. I don’t care.
I gave my thought on the matter and that’s fine too, and if you don’t agree or care, that’s also fine.

 

[Joneill]

In my opinion, what is disruptive is how Apple are changing how we use technology and experiences and how we have a huge thread on it. Garmin did it with their dive watch that can be used for hiking etc with GPS, but Apple offering everything it does in a watch is definitely going to change how companies approach their future development. It’s been stated by many others on this thread so I will not go over everything.
If you don’t like Apple, that’s fine. I don’t care.
If you don’t like the watch, that’s fine. Don’t care
If you don’t think it’s disruptive, that’s fine. I don’t care.
I gave my thought on the matter and that’s fine too, and if you don’t agree or care, that’s also fine.

Not sure why you were responding to me as my quoted response was not a response to you?

Also, maybe you should have read a bit more on what I wrote as I never said I did not like any of this - I just questioned what was disruptive about it as some were claiming… and I maintain that: the original iPhone was certainly disruptive technology, but adding DC functionality to the iWatch is not disruptive - It’s a nice evolution of features and added utility for a niche market of folks that use an all-in-one smart watch and want it to be their DC as well.

 

[Belzelbub]

I just questioned what was disruptive about it as some were claiming… and I maintain that: the original iPhone was certainly disruptive technology, but adding DC functionality to the iWatch is not disruptive - It’s a nice evolution of features and added utility for a niche market of folks that use an all-in-one smart watch and want it to be their DC as well.

The only thing “disruptive” I see is the subscription model for dive computer functionality. Not sure how that will be received, but I do think it might be a good idea for the vacation diver. No need to rent a computer.

The 40M depth limit is also different as it is a software not hardware limitation.

Apart from that, it’s all been done. Garmin and Atmos both have Smart watches that also function as dive computers. My Garmin is far more capable as a dive computer. Not sure about Atmos, but Garmin also has a store to download faces, apps, widgets, etc.