Tips and tricks for Apple Watch owners

[TheForce]

Thanks for the link and info. Doing well with my Qardio BP monitor. I thought the device was not detecting my afib but I now realize that it has to be coincidental with the moment I am taking the BP. Looking through the data I see it did detect it once and logged it in the chart a week ago. This Qardio also sends my chart data to my cardiologist. But he will need to install and register the app to see the data. I once thought it sent it as a universal Excel spreadsheet but haven't been able to figure out how to do that yet.

I suppose I will do the watch update today then as it seems there aren't any other issues.

 

[stimpson]

Unfortunately #1 is not a bug. Apple has reworded the webpage on the heart rate monitor.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204666

#2 is not a problem for me. If my home screen is locked, text messages always go to my watch first.

Same here.

 

[TheForce]

I ordered one of these from a store in Singapore and it took several weeks to get here. Now my wife doesn't want it. She prefers her Milanese band and wants the Rose Gold one.

I'm looking for a new home for it rather than just sitting on the shelf here. It will only fit the 38mm size Apple sport or Apple SS watch. While it has the proper connectors special to Apple watches, it does not use the Apple finger sizing buttons to remove links. You will need a special punch and watch vice to extract the pins to remove the links, or just take it to a Jewelers and let them do it.

I did test it on my wife's 38mm Sport. The SS is very high quality. The clasp opens with pressing two side buttons.

Anyone with a 38mm interested?

 

[tigerfan33]

InvisibleShield HD, HD Clarity + Premium Screen Protection for Apple Watch - 42mm (A42HWS-F00)
Zagg, Inc.

List Price: $14.99
Price: $14.95


I put this protective shield on my sport today. Easy to put on the watch (5 minutes) and used for a full day today. Can't tell it is on. Turns your sport to sapphire ......almost

 

[TheForce]

Are those screen protectors molded to wrap over the curved edge of the watch glass surface? I've seen these screen protectors for phones and now the watch but never considered using one. Even got one for free for my wife's iphone but never put it on.

 

[tigerfan33]

Are those screen protectors molded to wrap over the curved edge of the watch glass surface? I've seen these screen protectors for phones and now the watch but never considered using one. Even got one for free for my wife's iphone but never put it on.

Yes. It wraps around the curve edge. That's why I bought this one. Others I saw only covered the flat display leaving small openings on the very edge for possible damage.

 

[TheForce]

I finally did the update and the response appears a bit more snappy. A couple of my apps have some minor changes too.

 

[TheForce]

Apple WWDC announcement of new updates for Apple Watch:

1. Added Facetime Audio for now, to the watch so you can answer a Facetime caller from your watch like phone calls. I don't think we will see Facetime video until a new watch v2 sports a video camera. But maybe we'll have receive video before too long.

2. A new alarm clock will be able to work like a night time display and stay on while on charge while you sleep. I guess we'll need to set the alarm for sound then and not tap on the wrist only.

3. Some new features on photos with albums will offer custom backgrounds that display when you hold up your wrist to check the time. Also, more creativity on arranging the icons for quicker access on the watch face.

I heard this on the news so the details may not be accurate but take the above as a general idea.

 

[TheForce]

More details:

Additional watchOS 2 features include:

-- Nightstand Mode that transforms Apple Watch into a bedside alarm clock, with the Digital Crown and side button serving as snooze and off buttons for the alarm;

-- the ability to use merchant rewards and store-issued credit and debit cards with Apple Pay(TM), which can be added to Wallet;

-- support for Transit in Maps*, so you can view detailed transportation maps and schedules, including walking directions to the nearest stations with entrances and exits precisely mapped;

-- workouts from third-party fitness apps contributing to your all-day Move and Exercise goals;

-- using Siri(R) to start specific workouts, launch Glances and reply to email; and

-- Activation Lock, which lets users secure their Apple Watch with their Apple ID, preventing another user from wiping or activating the device if it is lost or stolen.

Availability

watchOS 2 will be available this fall as a free update to Apple Watch. Apple Watch requires iPhone(R) 5, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5s, iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus running iOS 8.2 or later. The iOS 9 SDK beta including WatchKit for watchOS 2 is available immediately for iOS Developer Program members at developer.apple.com/watchkit. Features are subject to change. Some features may not be available in all regions or all languages.

*Transit information in Maps will be available in select major cities this fall, including Baltimore, Berlin, Chicago, London, Mexico City, New York City, Philadelphia, the San Francisco Bay Area, Toronto and Washington D.C., as well as over 300 cities in China, including Beijing, Chengdu and Shanghai.

 

[TheForce]

wOS2:
More apps will run natively on the watch now.
Custom watch faces that can be built with your photos as a background.
Music that plays from your watch speaker
Time travel. Rotate the crown and see events into the future or review what happened in the past. The watch display can even predict at what time your watch battery will need recharging.
wOS2 will support video playback as well as 3D graphics
More cross app data sharing for auto records update.
New Friends circle so you can add them right from the watch and build classes of friends for nested friends allowing more than 12.
email response from the watch, including audio video embedding and emojicons
ability to remote control your home security and HVAC direct from your watch.
use BT earphones from your watch, don't need iphone nearby.

 

[tigerfan33]

I can see wOS 2 really helping music and radio apps. The way I believe Pandora and other streaming apps will work is to connect Bluetooth headphones to watch as long as your connect to wifi without iPhone.
Podcast apps like overcast should work the same too. I would like Apple to develop their podcast app so we could download directly to watch like we do our music.

 

[stimpson]

wOS2:
More apps will run natively on the watch now.
Custom watch faces that can be built with your photos as a background.
Music that plays from your watch speaker
Time travel. Rotate the crown and see events into the future or review what happened in the past. The watch display can even predict at what time your watch battery will need recharging.
wOS2 will support video playback as well as 3D graphics
More cross app data sharing for auto records update.
New Friends circle so you can add them right from the watch and build classes of friends for nested friends allowing more than 12.
email response from the watch, including audio video embedding and emojicons
ability to remote control your home security and HVAC direct from your watch.
use BT earphones from your watch, don't need iphone nearby.

You can use BT headphones with current firmware.

http://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-use-your-apple-watch-as-an-ipod-without-iphone/

 

[tigerfan33]

You can use BT headphones with current firmware.

http://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-use-your-apple-watch-as-an-ipod-without-iphone/

True. But the new firmware should allow for bt to be used with 3rd party watch apps without phone while connected with wifi and not bt to the phone. The version now needs phone to be bt range for bt headset use.

 

[stimpson]

True. But the new firmware should allow for bt to be used with 3rd party watch apps without phone while connected with wifi and not bt to the phone. The version now needs phone to be bt range for bt headset use.

I use mine on walks around my subdivision and my phone stays home.

 

[tigerfan33]

I use mine on walks around my subdivision and my phone stays home.

With third party apps like Pandora?

 

[stimpson]

With third party apps like Pandora?

No. Music transferred to the watch.

 

[TheForce]

Apple watch UI kit hacked story:

http://9to5mac.com/2015/06/12/watch-os-native-hack-apps/

 

[mike123abc]

Since I have had my watch, I have really come to appreciate the learning curve with the watch. This is really one of the most complicated devices to get right. You have to use the phone a lot to customize. You also have to look at each app to figure out exactly what it can provide with the app.

 

[TheForce]

Two weeks and you will be ready to offer tech support. It's just different. Now, I have mine set and can really appreciate how versatile it is over my older Sony Smartwatch.

The key thing is to know the basic functions of the screen and buttons. quick glance at the apps, swipe up. To see your text, emails and alerts, swipe down from the top. To use Apple pay, double push the long side button. To customize settings push hard down on the screen. To get to the home screen of all your apps, push the rotating crown button once. There are more but these are the basics. You'll want to use a custom watch face to put your most popular app buttons on the watch time piece. I have date, Temperature, Battery meter, and exercise app icon. Touching any of these brings up the extended views like temperature brings up the full weather app including radar tracking map. Sure beats going to the home screen for the popular stuff.

Some interesting not too well known things you can customize are the monogram. I have mine with the Apple logo and my initials on the watch face. You could put your fraternity logo in there or some other graphic. Downside is it's not very big.

 

[Foxbat]

Speaking of WatchOS 2, I doubt Apple will allow this App to get into the ?Watch App Store: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/06/23/aaple_watch_os7/