from the article:

> Initially, we experimented by building this as an app on Pebble, since it has a mic and I’m always wearing one. But, I realized quickly that this was suboptimal - it required me to use my other hand to press the button to start recording (lift-to-wake gestures and wake-words are too unreliable). This was tough to use while bicycling or carrying stuff.

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Daneel_ 21 hours ago | parent | next [-]

I’ve never had that issue with my Apple Watch. Granted, apple are a world-class developer (arguably), so their stuff might be more reliable, but I use raise-to-speak and hey siri with my watch all the time.

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koinedad 20 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Raise to speak is the most unreliable feature for me, I’ve tried it several times and it’s like 30% success rate

	▲	Daneel_ 20 hours ago \| parent [-]
		I have an ultra 2, and I typically hold it about 5-10cm from my mouth when I try to use raise-to-speak. Maybe that approach will help you?

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apparent 20 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

This is probably also part of the reason that the AW battery lasts so much less time. It's always on the lookout for these events, and over time that ends up having a non-trivial impact on battery. For Pebble users, that would significantly compromise one of the main selling points of the Pebble.

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layer8 20 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

But you have to instruct Siri to record/transcribe/save what you want to say; this does it automatically. It removes friction if you just want to record short notes.

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Daneel_ 20 hours ago | parent [-]

I almost never want to take a note though, I usually want to perform an action.

Recording a note isn’t high friction in my opinion though: “Hey siri make a note XYZ”. Admittedly I don’t create or use notes like this, but I use reminders a lot and I’ve never felt like there was friction: “hey siri remind me to call Dave when I get home”

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ryanjshaw 20 hours ago | parent [-]

I do this too, the biggest issue I have is when the shitty voice to text doesn’t get it right, and I look at my shopping list the next day wondering wtf an “ear pig” is.

	▲	mikestew 20 hours ago \| parent [-]
		There are a lot of egg freckles on my shopping list, too. https://newtonglossary.com/terms/egg-freckles

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ryanjshaw 20 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I use it all the time too, but recording a voice memo doesn’t seem possible without touch (you need to tap to actually record)?

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sneak 20 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Siri sends your contacts list to Apple with every request. That makes it a nonstarter for me.

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eloisant 20 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Pixel Watch have "raise to talk" to trigger Gemini, so you don't need your other hand.

Other watches detect gestures like pinching fingers on the hand wearing the watch.

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alternatex 20 hours ago | parent [-]

Pixel watch is an order of magnitude more powerful and expensive than a Pebble though. Raise to wake is not as simple as it may seem considering most big brand smart watches didn't have a decently working implementation of it until only recently. It seems like the author wanted to keep it within the Pebble realm.

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eloisant 19 hours ago | parent [-]

Add $75 (the price of this ring) to the Pebble time and you're almost at the price of a Pixel Watch 4. And you can get a PW3 for cheaper.

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ncr100 17 hours ago | parent | next [-]

The pixel watch can be a nightmare. I've had the version 1 and the version 2 for years and I gave up because of the bugs. Random crashing, randomly dialing 911, just weird stuff that should not happen.

And then there's the support which is zero support. Completely frustrating to post a message and then get some volunteer support Tech, hahaha, saying expect improvements! And it's a volunteer saying that. And they have no authority. And There is no support, it all falls through. Random crashing on both versions of the watch. The first version screen was flickering like an old school television trying to tune in a distant UHF broadcast. Display drivers anyone?

So, pixel watches are in the drawer and I've got a Garmin watch on right now. Garmin is clunky but at least it's reliably clunky.

So it feels like a mis comparison, to me who's had the pixel watches.

I used to own the pebble, a couple versions of it, when they were first announced for several years again. And I found them to be very reliable and lightweight and usable.

I wanted a smartwatch that could talk to Google's home ecosystem and so I traded out of Pebble. And it's just been kind of mediocre misery.

Plus I don't know what Google is doing but recharging the pixel watch every 18 hours, or 36 if you're super lucky and your apps on the pixel watch behave themselves correctly, makes me feel like a slave to Google's naive product manager aspirations.

Like, "it can do everything, and we make money off of you because you are the product!" While at the same time making me miserable.

:-P

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alternatex 18 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Economics don't work like that though. Google has the benefits of economies of scale and stable manufacturing partnerships, not to mention probably a lot more of the watch parts are designed in-house. I'd be surprised if Pebble could achieve anything close to the Pixel hardware for even twice the price.

It seems like Pebble is focusing on a niche market and this new product seems completely in line with that. There are plenty of other companies targeting the common folk who have no desire to optimize their life like this.

	▲	ncr100 16 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Niche market seems like an exaggeration, because they're competing against literal monopolies. Pebble serves those people who want to watch or a ring that doesn't require being a slave to a wall wart, who want the watch to last for a long time. Take a look at Garmin, they do that too and they are a successful company. They are much older than Google and they still have a hard time keeping up with Google and it's billions of dollars of of mystery money advertising revenue. The pixel hardware is a battery draining nightmare, in my personal experience having pixel watches for years and being a long-term pixel phone user. Even today the pixel phone that I have, after having I think five of these things, drains battery probably 20 to 40% faster than .. the competitor that I would next buy if I weren't feeling like I wanted some of the features that Google has bundled in with their phone and home and other like mnvo and messaging products. So, it seems like a mis comparison there, in my opinion. I don't want a smartwatch that lasts 25 hours and then has to be recharged. Or a smartwatch where the screen turns into a UHF channel just going out of tune and there's no tech support on Earth literally that is willing to help me. Volunteers on Google's support forums are lying to themselves that they have any power or sway with Google. It's a waste of time in my experience.