Is ‘cool factor’ enough for the Apple Watch?

There is always something to talk about when it comes to technology. Sometimes fun things, sometimes things that are really just too important not to talk about.
JPCT 150713 Alan Stainer. Photo by Derek MartinJPCT 150713 Alan Stainer. Photo by Derek Martin
JPCT 150713 Alan Stainer. Photo by Derek Martin

So I am going a bit newsy on you today.

First off, if you haven’t already heard about 5 million Gmail accounts and passwords being leaked on a Russian website, then this is me telling you now. Now, 5 million sounds a lot, but according to Google only about two per cent of those list current passwords. That is still going to be a lot of compromised accounts.

Beware the honey pots. Whenever something like this happens, websites spring up all over the internet offering to tell you if your account is on that list. Whatever you do, don’t fall for the trap! In most cases their real intention is to get you to put your details in, so that they can then steal your information.

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The best course of action is to do two things. 1) Change your Gmail password. 2) Set up 2-Step verification for your Google account.

When you set up 2-Step verification, Google sends you a code (usually to a mobile phone) that you then input when you want to sign in to your Google account. You only have to do this once per device if you choose, but it does mean that even if someone does get hold of your password, they still cannot get into your account, because they do not have your phone.

Now, onto other news. Apple have announced the iPhone 6 and the Apple Watch. Both devices have been praised and criticised in equal measure. The main criticisms of the iPhone are along the lines of too little and too late. Compared with many of its contemporaries, the hardware is well behind the curve. Time will tell if it matters, as Apple are always keen to point out one of the things that makes Apple products great, is that the operating system has been designed and optimized specifically for the hardware. That is not something any Android vendor can claim.

In the case of the Apple Watch, we don’t have too many details yet. It is not the first smart watch on the market by any stretch of the imagination. The main question to my mind is, can Apple’s elite image and ‘cool factor’ make the smart watch something people will aspire to owning, or has the Moto 360 done that already? The Moto 360 is the third smart watch using Google’s new Android Wear operating system. It is also the first one with a round face and looks like a regular (rather posh) watch.

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