For about a month now, I’ve been wearing the above on my wrist. While it looks like an Apple watch, it is actually the new 6th-gen iPod Nano strapped to a third-party wristband called the iWatchz Q. This came about partly thanks to the Apple iPod 1st-generation recall program, which started replacing 1st-gen nano’s that were send in with the latest 6th-gen nano instead due to (we can assume) supply shortages of the original 1st-gen product. Back in late December, I jumped on this and was send a nice new nano that I had no use for at all, so I started to think about things to do with it and found the iWatchz site. An idea was born and the band promptly ordered from the Apple store.

So, since the end of February, I’ve been wearing a fancy iPod watch on my wrist and charging it every couple of days. So, what’s my opinion? Well, here’s my one sentence review:

Kind of Pointless, but with so much Potential

Let’s be honest, in the end, the main reason you wear this watch is to let your geek flag fly free. You hope that people will notice it and comment on it, or recognise you for an Apple fan of the highest order. Practically, there isn’t much point in this watch. Apart from the fact that you need to press the button EVERY time you want to check the time, what else can it actually do that a normal watch can’t? Here’s what I’ve come up with:

• Photos: You can sync iPhoto and show photos on the screen
• Fitness: It can track your steps and your workouts (if you’re so inclined) from the watch itself and sync back to iTunes
• Radio, Music & Podcasts: You can listen to the radio, but note that you’ll need to have a headphone cord running up your wrist
• Time: You can set a stopwatch, set timers and even check the time!

So, not a bad list. Problem is, I can do ALL of these things (with the exception of radio maybe) with my iPhone. Plus, the iPhone has bluetooth, so I can use my wireless headphones if I don’t want a cord running up my arm. It’s nice to have it on your wrist, but is it really that arduous to reach into your pocket for your phone? So far in my last month, I’ve never though to use my watch for any of these items and have always used my iPhone instead.

Problem is, it just has so much potential. If Apple had included the ability to download apps to this thing and a way for it to sync wirelessly with your phone and network, it could be amazing. Imagine having your watch light up when a call comes into your phone, or automatically syncing your fitness data to the cloud when you get home. Imagine being able to select a contact on your watch to call and your phone dials it automatically and sends the audio to your bluetooth wireless headset without ever leaving your pocket. The possibilities are endless, but without a wireless connection and the ability to enhance the functionality, the watch feels a bit crippled.

For ages I’ve fantasized about using Apple devices to build my own Personal Area Network (PAN; look it up!). I can see so much potential in the Nano, but the lack of bluetooth just kills it. It’s such a shame, but at least Apple knows what to include in the next model.

So, I can hear you asking, am I going to keep wearing it? Well, for me the answer is YES, even though it’s pointless. Because even though it lacks bluetooth, I am an Apple fanboy and more than happy to let my geek flag fly while I wait for the next version of the nano to come out! :)

Everybody’s talking about the Apple keynote yesterday. If you want to find a discussion on the name of the new device (iPad, no “3”, no “HD”, just iPad), the quality of the new screen (stunning, just stunning, or so I hear), or even the fact that AT&T has finally convinced Apple to call their fast 3G network “4G” (crazy!), you can find it.

Something I haven’t seen much of though is discussion of the actual presentation itself. People always used to talk about Steve Jobs skills in presenting, but I’ve seen very little about this particular keynote. So, I’m going to take the opportunity to say it now:

Tim Cook is no Steve Jobs

Now, don’t get me wrong, I think Tim is a great CEO and was a good choice to replace Jobs. You only need to look at the timings in this announcement to realise that, with the “new iPad” arriving on our shores here in Australia at the SAME time as it is released in the USA, just 8 days after the announcement. Only a man in total control of his supply chain (and 98 billion dollars in the bank) could make that happen.

No, what I’m talking about above is the famed “reality distortion field”. Go back and watch the keynote video; several times in the video you can see Tim pause and try and remember his lines. Even worse, once or twice in the video he actually says something, realises he’s gotten it wrong, backtracks, says the correct line and then says the initial part again!

As a toastmaster I must admit that I found it difficult to watch and was somewhat relieved when he handed sections over to Eddy Cue, Phil Schiller and Randy Ubillos who just seemed so more relaxed than Tim did on stage.

Now, I know that nobody is going to replace Jobs in this area. As I mentioned above, Steve Job’s stage presence is so famous that they’ve coined a term (“reality distortion field”) to describe it. However, what I don’t understand is this insistence by Apple that the CEO must stand up and run so much of the presentation.

Back at the WWDC keynote in 2011, Steve Jobs was more than happy to share the stage with many of the senior executive team, including Phil Schiller, Scott Forstall and even Jony Ive (via video conference). It’s also interesting to note that he didn’t share the stage at that time with Tim Cook (even though he was COO) and in fact prior to the two most recent presentations, Tim was really only involved with the financial conference calls and some Q&A’s on stage. It’s clear who Steve thought should take the stage from him, and it wasn’t Tim.

So, consider this post my appeal to Tim Cook. Tim, you’re a great CEO, I think you’ll lead Apple to greatness in this “Post-PC world”, but quit the public speaking. While it’s great to hear from the CEO, don’t feel you need to be the spokesman for the company at the keynote. Feel free to step back from the public speaking, but keep managing that Supply Chain, getting me my iPad a week after it launches!

Your “reality distortion field” is never going to be as strong as Steve’s, but that’s okay, Phil & Scott are working it pretty well; just focus on being a great Apple CEO!