![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasn't been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but I've had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. There's so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesn't exist, you can build it yourself," Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“When I came into high school, I was ready to be a follower. But DECA was a game changer for me. It helped me overcome my fear of public speaking, and it's played such a major role in who I've become today. To be able to successfully lead a chapter of 150 students, an officer team and be one of the upperclassmen I once really admired is something I'm [really] proud of,” Anvitha Tummala ('21) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-25-at-9.50.05-AM-900x594.png)
![“I think getting up in the morning and having a sense of purpose [is exciting]. I think without a certain amount of drive, life is kind of obsolete and mundane, and I think having that every single day is what makes each day unique and kind of makes life exciting,” Neymika Jain (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Screen-Shot-2017-06-03-at-4.54.16-PM.png)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you aren't going to get those championships if you aren't fast,” Angel Cervantes (12) said. “I want to do well in school on my tests and in track and win championships for my team. I live by that, [and] I can do that anywhere: in the classroom or on the field.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DSC5146-900x601.jpg)
![“[Volleyball has] taught me how to fall correctly, and another thing it taught is that you don’t have to be the best at something to be good at it. If you just hit the ball in a smart way, then it still scores points and you’re good at it. You could be a background player and still make a much bigger impact on the team than you would think,” Anya Gert (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AnnaGert_JinTuan_HoHPhotoEdited-600x900.jpeg)
![“I'm not nearly there yet, but [my confidence has] definitely been getting better since I was pretty shy and timid coming into Harker my freshman year. I know that there's a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyone's so driven and that has really pushed me to kind of try to find my own place in high school and be more confident,” Alyssa Huang (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AlyssaHuang_EmilyChen_HoHPhoto-900x749.jpeg)
Entering the smart watch market: Apple releases its first wearable technology
Photo courtesy of Apple
Apple reveals its new line of products, including several customizable versions of Apple Watch. The product was Apple’s first foray into the field of wearable technology.
Cupertino-based tech giant Apple revealed the latest of its flagship projects to the public during a highly anticipated event today, a smartwatch known as Apple Watch.
Apart from the smartwatch, Apple’s first product in the field of wearable technology, the company also released an iPhone 6 with a screen measuring 4.7 inches, and an iPhone 6 Plus measuring 5.5 inches.
Apple CEO Tim Cook introduced the watch by emphasizing how it is a novel device that will redefine wearable technology.
“We love to make new products that improve people’s lives. We love to make things that allow our users to make things that they could never have imagined,” Cook said in the streamed video of the event. “We think it will redefine what people expect from its category. [Apple Watch is] the next chapter in Apple’s story.”
The smartwatch’s interface is completely redesigned, as traditional iPhone gestures are not feasible on the smaller screen. Instead, the interface highly depends on Digital Crown, the innovative side dial on the watch.
Samsung user Jay Parajpe (10) had mixed feelings on the watch, due to the previous releases of wearable technology from Apple’s competitors.
“With the watch, honestly I was a bit underwhelmed because we’ve seen quite a bit of smartwatches. And this smartwatch in specific there wasn’t really anything in special about it,” he said. “I think they should have gone into more detail at the announcement about […] the software they would allow, like more open source software.”
The watch is fully customizable, with options to choose larger (42mm) and smaller (38mm) versions, and six different straps, including ones for sports. There are several personalization options, including switching between digital time and analog clocks. The actual screen is built using scratchproof sapphire crystal laminated onto a flexible Retina panel.
Apple senior vice president of design Jonathan Ive commented in a video that the watch was designed to be both beautiful and useful.
“Creating beautiful objects that are as simple and pure as they are functional, well, that’s always been our goal at Apple,” Ive said. “We designed Apple Watch as a whole range of products enabling millions of unique designs.”
“I think we are now at a compelling beginning actually designing technology to be worn, to be truly personal,” Ive added.
The device is built in with a heart rate sensor, gyroscope, and accelerometer, and comes with brand new Fitness and Workout apps. It also is connected to voice input using Siri, and charges wirelessly using induction, without any alignment needed.
Apple is not the first company to enter the wearable technology field, nor the first to make smartwatches. Pebble released smartwatches in 2013 via Kickstarter, and Samsung, Sony, and Asus followed suit at the IFA technology show in Berlin.
Google has also been working on Android Wear, a smartwatch built to organize health information and communicate with Android phones.
Unlike other smartwatches such as Android Wear, Apple Watch can also send text messages using emoticons and premade responses based on analyzing previous messages.
Some people didn’t follow the event’s new releases, preferring to stick with devices from other companies.
“I paid zero attention to the Apple release,” said Computer Science Department Chair Eric Nelson. “I don’t have an iPhone so I wouldn’t know about it.”
Other students believed that the device would sell, solely for the brand name that Apple carries.
“Honestly, just because it is Apple, it will sell even if it is ridiculously expensive, but I think what I might end up getting [is the] Samsung watch because it is cheaper, and I feel like in general a lot of Apple products are missing a lot of things that Samsung products do,” Debarati Chatterjee (9) said. “They have such a gigantic base for all their products so a lot of other people will end up buying it.”
The device will be released early next year, at a starting price of $349, and a replay of the event can be found on Apple’s official website, at www.apple.com/live. Only time will tell what impact the smartwatch will have and what role the concept of wearable technology will play in Apple’s releases in the spring of next year.
Vineet Kosaraju (12) is the STEM Editor for both Harker Aquila and Winged Post. He is a senior and has been part of the journalism program for the past...