Futurelawyer

Family Tech Guru - It's A Tough Job, But Somebody Has To Do It.

Fossil Gen 6 Wear Update 3.5 I am always bringing Diane's tech forward, and she is finally using the Fossil Watch I gave her as a gift last year. But, keeping it up to date requires my care and feeding, and I periodically have to make certain that her Samsung Galaxy Fold 4 and Fossil Watch are in sync and updated. So, this morning, I am updating the watch to Wear OS 3.5. Every time I check out her tech, I realize that I make updates and changes to my tech all the time, as an automatic reaction. But, the rest of the world, Diane included, don't notice things as quickly, so I am also connecting her watch to the house WiFi, which enables downloading updates, and other watch specific software, some of which really upgrades the user experience. Lesson here? If you are using modern tech devices, learn about them. Unless, of course, you have a house guru to guide you. I am taken. Sorry.

You Want The Best Smartwatch...What Do You Choose?

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Versus Google Pixel Watch. Two Smartwatches can be fairly considered to be the best... and they are both Android based. If you are in the Applesphere, you only have one choice, the Apple Watch; but, it has a small square face and doesn't compare, in my opinion. So, what's it to be? I have owned, and loved, every Samsung Galaxy Watch since the beginning, and I use my Galaxy Watch 6 every day. I still keep my Watch 5 as a backup. The Wear OS application is smooth, fast and does everything you can imagine a watch could do, plus some. But, the Pixel Watch has a lot going for it as well. Read this comparison, and choose for yourself. In my opinion, you can't go wrong with either choice.

And Even The Blind Shall See.

Chat GPT-4 V (with Vision) We haven't even gotten comfortable with Chat GPT-4 yet, and we have a whole new generative AI paradigm to learn. Adding Vision capability to the Chat GPT universe means that, when the tech matures, blind people will be able to have the world interpreted for them on the fly. Already, GPT-4V can take an image of an interface, and instantly create the computer code necessary to create it. Any image now has the interpretive benefit of the entire Chat GPT database behind it. I can envision (pardon the pun) a world in which vision impaired humans will be able to walk around with Smartglasses that orally interpret the world for the user, with depth that even the human eye and brain can't imitate. For those who want to focus on the flaws of early iterations, as this article does, and for the naysayers who want to talk about the risk of a world in which computers can think for us, I say the benefits far outweigh the risks, and, as time has proven, technological advances can't be stopped anyway. Let's learn to live with them, and enhance the ability of our human species to engage life, for as long as we are graced to live it.

How To Switch Galaxy Watch To New Phone Without Resetting It.

Pair Galaxy Watch To New Phone Without Resetting. In a recent post about my new Galaxy Watch 6, I complained about having to reset the watch to work with a different phone. I avoided this by keeping my Galaxy Watch 5, paired to my Galaxy Fold 3, and pairing the new Watch 6 to my S21 Ultra, my daily phone driver. Now, it appears you can switch phones in a simpler process, described in this article. No more resetting everything required. It still is a pain, but less than before. For me, while my trusty Watch 5 is still with me, I have no problem using both. Happy watch pairing.

Why You Need Two Active Smartwatches To Go With Your Two Smartphones.

Samsung Galaxy Fold 3. I love the fold phones; but they are bulky and heavy. I still have my Fold 3, but only use it as a backup to my trusty Samsung S21 Ultra. There are newer versions of both devices; but, these days, new phones and watches are pretty much incremental upgrades. I purchased a Galaxy Fold 4, which is better than the 3, and doesn't show the middle line as much; but, Diane loved it, and I gifted it to her. I still had the Fold 3, and carry it everywhere. If I need a mini table sized screen, I have it available. But, now that I have upgraded my Smartwatch Galaxy 5 to the Galaxy 6, I have another problem. If I want to use the Fold 3, I have to reset the Smartwatch, and go through the reinstall to have my watch sync to the phone. Solution? I mated the old Galaxy 5 Smartwatch to the Fold 3. Now, whichever phone I am carrying, I wear the matched watch. Oh, first world tech problems. 

Galaxy Watch 6 - Get The Classic.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6. I have been playing with my new Galaxy Watch 6 Classic for a day now, and it is lighter, slimmer, has a bigger screen and smaller bezel than the 5. While I can't yet comment on the reports of battery life, I have every notification possible turned on, and I think it will suit me fine. I keep the watch on a charger all night, and I don't think I will have a problem. The core functionality is so great that I would not mind lesser battery life. The health monitoring and measurement apps are off the charts great. It really is like having a Doctor on your wrist. I am not a big sleep analysis or exercise guy, so your results may vary. But, all in all, for $499, this device is a must have for a 21st century human. My watch is the one on the right, all in black. Surprise. 

 

Galaxy Tab S9 And Galaxy Watch 6 Classic.

Galaxy Tab S9. It is Christmas in August at FutureLawyer today. I got a surprise early delivery of the new Galaxy Tab s9 and the new Galaxy Watch 6 Classic today, and I will be spending the afternoon setting them up. I will report on them later. These are the state of the art in tablets and smartwatches, and aren't officially due until the 11th. I guess Samsung knew that Futurelawyer would be excited about them. 

Galaxy Watch 6 - FutureLawyer Gets A New Smartwatch.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6. On August 11, 2023, the new Samsung devices will become available, and the FutureLawyer has already ordered the new Galaxy Watch 6 Classic with a huge 47 mm screen, and, drum roll please, the return of the rotating bezel. The best thing about the first Galaxy smartwatches was the innovative rotating bezel that moved between apps and functions with a twist of the dial. After removing it in the last batch of watches, public outcry has brought it back, and I will be waiting not so patiently on August 11th for my delivery. The biggest improvements will come in the health oriented functions, and the bio sensors are the best in the business. Sleep tracking, on wrist hear rate that can detect AFib with medical grade accuracy, reliable blood pressure measurement, and more, make the Watch 6 the next step towards a Star Trek Tricorder. I probably won't like having my watch tell me when I need to exercise, or meditate or some other healthy alternative; but as I age I am more amenable to an early warning system for my heart and health. The new watch will be slimmer, lighter, and have disappearing bezels for the largest possible display. For all those who, ten years ago, told me Smartwatches would never catch on, I must now say "I told you so". Are you still paying thousands of dollars for a mechanical watch that only tells time and date? The new Watch 6 Classic with LTE phone capability is $499. 

The Very First SmartWatch - Sony Smartwatch

This is a photo of the very first smartwatch publicly available. I bought it at the Sony store in International Mall in Tampa, over ten years ago. I have owned many since; but the magic of the first one that day stays with me. It was a bear to sync with my phone, due to the newness of the tech. But, I still own it, and someday it might be worth something. What was your first smartwatch? Do you still own it? 

Samsung Smart Ring - Would You Wear One?

Samsung Galaxy Smart Ring Rumors. The last ten years have seen the maturation of the wearable computer market, and my readers know that I have been at the forefront of the wearable revolution since the beginning. The watch on my wrist now has the power of a computer, and its sensors rival medical devices for accuracy. But, smart rings have never taken off, although there have been some in the market. My beef with them is that they can send notifications through vibrations; but the user can't really get information from them that is usable. No screen, no text, no images, not for me. I am interested to see whether the rumored Samsung Smart rings come to fruition, and what they can offer the user. I get what I need from my Smartwatch, and unless these rings will be able to talk to my Bose Smart glasses, I can't see a use for them.