I’ve used Billings for invoicing and time tracking since shortly after I first started freelancing years ago. I recently (finally) upgraded to Billings Pro, and I’ve been testing out the most recent update to the apps for Mac and iOS. The latest version brings Apple Watch support, mobile estimates, and seamless integration of all of the Billings Pro features across all my devices.
Posts tagged with "apple watch"
Billings Pro Adds Mobile Estimates and Apple Watch Features
Unlocking Doors with Apple Watch→
Here’s another example of how watchOS 2 will, potentially, improve the experience of using apps on Apple Watch. August announced an Apple Watch version of their app to unlock smart locks with a tap. Because of WatchKit 1.0, it wouldn’t be uncommon for the August app to take several seconds to launch, be slow, or occasionally crash. Exactly not the kind of experience you’d want when standing in front of a locked door that you want to open with the convenience of a smart device (just use your keys at that point).
The couple of watchOS 2 apps I’m using so far are already considerably faster and more reliable than their WatchKit 1.0 counterparts. While not completely native to the Watch, watchOS 2 apps will benefit from speed improvements besides access to sensors, and that should help companies such as August when it comes to everyday performance and enjoyment.
Run 5k for watchOS 2→
Aleksandar Vacić of Radiant Tap has written about the process behind the iOS 9/watchOS 2 update for his app, Run 5k:
Run 5k for watchOS 2 will tap your arm when you need to change pace during the training run thus not interrupting your music, ever. And at the end, you will see your results right on the watch app.
When you get home, you take the Watch off, place it anywhere close to your iPhone and while you shower all the data will be synced over. You can check your results in either Run 5k or in Apple’s own Activity app. Or in any other 3rd party app that’s leveraging Apple Health platform.
It’s not just that they’ll be faster. watchOS 2 apps will have a deeper access to Apple Watch hardware that will start making them more independent from the iPhone and personal – truly, as this is the kind of data that not even an iPhone can simulate on its own. I have a feeling this will be a massive change for fitness and health apps on the Watch this Fall.
‘Apps at a Tap’: Apple Posts Three New Apple Watch Ads Focusing on Travel, Fitness and Music Apps
Apple tonight debuted three new ads for the Apple Watch, each featuring the new tagline of ‘Apps at a tap’. Unlike Apple’s most recent Apple Watch ads from earlier this month which showed the Apple Watch in use by people in real world situations, today’s ads (which are brief 15 second clips) simply feature quick demos of various Apple Watch apps.
The three ads each have a different theme, with one focused on travel apps, another on fitness apps and a third on music apps. Some of the apps featured include Uber, Expedia, WaterMinder, Shazam and StubHub.
You can view the new ads below the break or on YouTube: Travel Apps, Fitness Apps, Music Apps.
Apple Posts Four New Apple Watch Commercials
Apple has posted four new commercials for the Apple Watch today, showcasing the device’s capabilities for private communication and fitness, as well as a variety of third-party apps for international users. The new commercials follow the same stylistic choices and presentation of the first Apple Watch ads that debuted in April.
In the first two ads, called Closer and Goals, the company demonstrates how it’s possible to stay in touch with others and achieve a healthier, more active lifestyle using Apple Watch. In Closer, Apple Watch use cases include Digital Touch, making phone calls, using the Watch as a remote for music, and even playing games. Rather than showing the Watch as a gadget that absorbs a user’s time and attention, the message is that Apple Watch can bring people closer to each other in new ways.
In Goals, on the other hand, the company shows how the fitness tracking capabilities of Apple Watch can extend beyond workouts. From brisk walks to yoga and even filling the last three minutes of the activity rings with jumping jacks in the bedroom, achieving goals with Apple Watch includes workouts, but it can be more than that. Also in this case, Apple puts the focus on some of the fitness-oriented third-party Watch apps that have been released so far.
Lastly, in the Beijing and Berlin commercials Apple Watch is presented as a travel companion and a useful extension to the iPhone. While Apple has previously marketed the iPhone as a handy device for traveling thanks to its camera, built-in maps, and rich app ecosystem, the Watch is shown as having more or less the same role but in a more discreet and contextual fashion. These two ads are more focused on the story of Apple Watch as an everyday companion, and traveling to another city or country enables the company to easily condense features and apps in 30 seconds.
As I wrote when the first Apple Watch commercials were released:
Notably, the ads never dwell on each example too long, using multiple mini-stories to convey the glanceable, spontaneous, and brief nature of Watch interactions. With simple and elegant ads Apple is saying that the Watch is a device to get out of technology obsession and let apps come to us (and vice versa) only when necessary.
You can watch the ads below or on Apple’s YouTube channel.
Apple Watch Workouts and Water→
Craig Hockenberry has published an in-depth report on the capabilities of Apple Watch while swimming in the Pacific ocean:
After the watch shipped, I discovered that I wasn’t the only person interested in the watch’s ability to be used during swim workouts. Ray Maker at the DC Rainmaker blog did a series of tests, including diving off a 10 meter (33 foot) platform and 40 meter (130 foot) pressure test. The Apple Watch passed these tests with flying colors, and along with the research below, I was convinced I wouldn’t have any problems. So far, that analysis has proven correct.
I suspect that the watch’s water resistance has been undersold by Apple just like battery life: it’s better to under-promise and over-deliver. Still, it’s a personal decision on whether you want to ignore Apple’s recommendation. You’re not likely to get much sympathy at any subsequent trips to the Genius Bar.
Now that we know the Apple Watch can go in the water, how does it work while submerged?
There’s a lot of interesting data in this post and some good ideas for how controlling workouts on the Watch could be improved in future versions of watchOS. It definitely seems like Apple hasn’t added proper support for swim workouts because they don’t want to advertise the device as being completely waterproof yet.
See also: Dr. Drang on stress corrosion cracking and Apple Watch.
Ben Bajarin’s Week Without Apple Watch→
An interesting experiment by Ben Bajarin:
When I told people about my experiment, many were curious if I used my phone less as a result. For a few weeks prior to this experiment, I had been using an app called Moment, which tracks your iPhone usage each day and how many times you pick the phone up, turn the screen on and look at it. While I didn’t see my iPhone usage in terms of hours per day decline during the week without the Apple Watch, I did see a significant drop in the number of times I looked at it. The average number of times I picked up and looked at my phone my last week with the Apple Watch was 74. This last week without the Apple Watch my average number of daily pickups was 102. I charted it to see the difference.
I went through a similar realization last week. I was supposed to pick up an Italian Apple Watch review unit (the one I’ll be testing for the next few weeks), so I gave my Apple Watch to my girlfriend, reinstalled iOS 8, and didn’t configure my Apple Watch Sport on the new system. For three days, I went without an Apple Watch, and I didn’t think I’d miss the simple ability to quickly look up messages, songs, and the time as much as I did. I haven’t worn a watch in a decade, and I’m surprised by how much I’ve come to expect daily updates to follow me around and tap me only when necessary.
Apple Watch and the Killer App Crisis→
Smart take by Ken Segall on Apple Watch:
Well, here’s the stark reality: The Apple Watch has no killer app. And it will never have a killer app.
But anyone who hinges the success of the device on the idea of a killer app is living far, far in the past.
If you need any proof, just look at the iPhone. We can all agree it started one of the biggest technology revolutions of our time. So … what’s the killer app?
This is exactly how I look at the iPad, too. I have a feeling Apple Watch will follow the same path – especially after watchOS 2.
Apple Watch Launching in Seven More Countries on June 26, Retail Store Sales Begin in Two Weeks
Apple announced today that the Apple Watch will go on sale in another seven countries beginning Friday, June 26. Those countries are Italy, Mexico, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland and Taiwan. They join Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, the UK and the US, where the Apple Watch first began shipping to customers on April 24.
10 Corso Como in Milan, BOONTHESHOP Cheongdam in Seoul and Malmaison by The Hour Glass in Singapore will have a curated selection of Apple Watch available at launch.
To customers in the original launch countries, Jeff Williams, Apple’s senior vice president of Operations, says they will begin selling ‘some models’ of the Apple Watch in their retail stores in two weeks time. Williams also notes that all Apple Watch orders placed in May will be shipped to customers within the next two weeks, “with the sole exception of Apple Watch 42 mm Space Black Stainless Steel with Space Black Link Bracelet”.
“The response to Apple Watch has surpassed our expectations in every way, and we are thrilled to bring it to more customers around the world,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s senior vice president of Operations. “We’re also making great progress with the backlog of Apple Watch orders, and we thank our customers for their patience. All orders placed through May, with the sole exception of Apple Watch 42 mm Space Black Stainless Steel with Space Black Link Bracelet, will ship to customers within two weeks. At that time, we’ll also begin selling some models in our Apple Retail Stores.”