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posted 2014-01-05 06:01:59 +0200

Support for Wearable Computing Accessories

Of the things that I'd like to see with the development of SailfishOS - especially how Jolla has designed it such that at the setup screen that you can select what kinds of applications are present after setup - is the addition of a collection of APIs (and/or applications) which enable easy connectivity and management of various wearable computing accessories.

I see this support happening in two frames:

  • motion tracking
  • extended interfaces

Motion Tracking Devices

These devices include smartwatches (Pebble, Basis, Metawatch, etc.) and activity trackers (Fitbit, Polar Loop, etc.). The basic framework for this frame of reference would include:

  • Sending/receiving notification data from mobile to wearable
  • Storing motion, accelerometer, and status data from wearable to storage framework on the device that can be sent to a web service with nothing more than the device being authenticated to the service (this would obviously not as featured as a full app; leaving the door open for devs/companies to make a premium service option which may include a native app)
  • sending firmware updates to wearable

Extended Interfaces

This would include devices such as headsets, headphones, automobiles, keyboards, wireless projectors/monitors, etc. The basic framework for this frame would include:

  • managing the connection
  • giving basic "wand" capability to the mobile (wand: the mobile becomes a controller for the item its connected to)
  • enabling other applications to plug into these devices without the dev having to write all of the base functionality themselves; but leaving room for custom apps which might do a bit more, yet can be accessed/managed from a central interface

This kind of framework, something that would work like the Android Support package, would allow for SailfishOS to be marketed a bit easier to current wearable companies who'd see an option in SailfishOS devices, but probably have so far seen too much of a hurdle towards making something native that's of definitive value - against simply addressing compatibility by porting their current Android apps/services.

Allowing for this kind of centralized setup (account and device management inside of a sub-profile that's user manageable), allows for a focus of API compatibility on the side of SailfishOS, rather than application and service updates which take more time/resources.

Personally, I'd just like to see SailfishOS support the wearable device I own (a Polar Loop) but I realize that asking for supporting just one device is too short-term of thinking, and doesn't push the community forward. Asking for an entire framework that almost lives within itself, is where making SailfishOS and native apps/services on it most relevant.

Done well, its an evolution of the Accounts function on the N9 and the plugin-like abilities seen on FirefoxOS.

Support for Wearable Computing Accessories

Of the things that I'd like to see with the development of SailfishOS - especially how Jolla has designed it such that at the setup screen that you can select what kinds of applications are present after setup - is the addition of a collection of APIs (and/or applications) which enable easy connectivity and management of various wearable computing accessories.

I see this support happening in two frames:

  • motion tracking
  • extended interfaces

Motion Tracking Devices

These devices include smartwatches (Pebble, Basis, Metawatch, etc.) and activity trackers (Fitbit, Polar Loop, etc.). The basic framework for this frame of reference would include:

  • Sending/receiving notification data from mobile to wearable
  • Storing motion, accelerometer, and status data from wearable to storage framework on the device that can be sent to a web service with nothing more than the device being authenticated to the service (this would obviously not as featured as a full app; leaving the door open for devs/companies to make a premium service option which may include a native app)
  • sending firmware updates to wearable

Extended Interfaces

This would include devices such as headsets, headphones, automobiles, keyboards, wireless projectors/monitors, etc. The basic framework for this frame would include:

  • managing the connection
  • giving basic "wand" capability to the mobile (wand: the mobile becomes a controller for the item its connected to)
  • enabling other applications to plug into these devices without the dev having to write all of the base functionality themselves; but leaving room for custom apps which might do a bit more, yet can be accessed/managed from a central interface

This kind of framework, something that would work like the Android Support package, would allow for SailfishOS to be marketed a bit easier to current wearable companies who'd see an option in SailfishOS devices, but probably have so far seen too much of a hurdle towards making something native that's of definitive value - against simply addressing compatibility by porting their current Android apps/services.

Allowing for this kind of centralized setup (account and device management inside of a sub-profile that's user manageable), allows for a focus of API compatibility on the side of SailfishOS, rather than application and service updates which take more time/resources.

Personally, I'd just like to see SailfishOS support the wearable device I own (a Polar Loop) but I realize that asking for supporting just one device is too short-term of thinking, and doesn't push the community forward. Asking for an entire framework that almost lives within itself, is where making SailfishOS and native apps/services on it most relevant.

Done well, its an evolution of the Accounts function on the N9 and the plugin-like abilities seen on FirefoxOS.