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Technology is magic

January 29, 2021

Last night IĀ gave my Dad an Apple Watch SE. At AUD$540, it's the most expensive gift I've ever given anyone. Dad is 71. He's fit and healthy. Most people don't believe he's in his 70's.

He's recently been going on 1-2hr walks and has been taking his iPhone 6s and using Run Keeper to track his walks. But his phone kept running out of battery so he stopped.

I sat with Dad for an hour last night as he unboxed, then set up the watch. It was not obvious at first how this would be useful for him, but as we went through the different watch faces (one that shows the temperature!), logging exercise activities, and answering calls, he got more and more excited.

The killer feature though was Apple Pay. When I showed him how he can use the watch to buy a coffee he was amazed!

Dad grew up well an truely in the pre-computer era. Seatbelts were an optional feature in cars when he learnt to drive. Decades later, he can leave his phone at home (which apparently will allow him to wear a few pairs of shorts that don't support his phone) and do everything from a 44mm screen on his wrist. Technology is magic!