Apple Watch Ultra — what dive software is in the works?

[scubaozy]

@kimh I think you are looking from a narrow, end consumers pov. I never rented any DC but I rented them out when I worked as a dive instructor. One of the main customers of entry level DC are dive shops, each shop will have at least 20 pieces available for students and rental. By introducing an apple dive computer sw, oceanic is damaging their own business because dive shops will not have income from rental nor from sales of these units. Dive shops do not only buy DC, they buy a lot of other equipment as well, so, eventually other sales might be at risk as well.
I develop sw for complex systems for a very long time, I can tell you from my past and current experience that it is common practice to harden your own api's with a partner when you enter new business areas. The partner will bring in business logic and know how and test capabilities and both parties will benefit. Often there is not a contract at all. In my view, apple is testing the waters from legal point of view and allowing Oceanic to take the steer. Ocanic is kicking the tires of a new business model and they are trying to do this in least self damaging way.
If you do not control your hw, you are at the mercy of a single provider which you do not control. Unless there are several platforms with depth sensors and decent public apis, all dc manufacturers will have to be very conservative to jump on the apple train.
This leaves independent developers as only short to medium term hope to get an alternative sw. But the question then is, how is the legal aspects will be addressed? Can an independent developer deal with that?

 

[kimh]

By introducing an apple dive computer sw, oceanic is damaging their own business…

I'm pretty sure Oceanic understands their spreadsheets better than you or I do. They could be wrong, but they didn't miss something as simple as what you've described.

it is common practice to harden your own api's with a partner when you enter new business areas.

Apple has no need to "harden" their APIs. They already have complete, real-time control over what software is allowed on iOS. (or- maybe you meant "festigen" in the software sense of "refine")

This leaves independent developers as only short to medium term hope to get an alternative sw.

I think that's Apple's assumption. As for legal issues- I was amazed that Apple did a DC at all. Apparently, the legal issues aren't as prohibitive as I thought. And existing DC hardware manufacturers are not all larger companies either. Time will tell.

Oceanic may have decided that it's only a matter of time before dedicated DC hardware gives way to software, in the rec diving space. With the explosion of wearable tech & health tracking, hardware rec DCs may go the way of the Walkman.

“One of [Steve Jobs'] business rules was to never be afraid of cannibalizing yourself. If you don't cannibalize yourself, someone else will."

A quote from Steve Jobs

One of Job's business rules was to never be afraid of cannibalizing yourself. If you don't cannibalize yourself, someone else will, he said. So even t...

www.goodreads.com

 

[scubaozy]

I'm pretty sure Oceanic understands their spreadsheets better than you or I do. They could be wrong, but they didn't miss something as simple as what you've described.

No company in the history of humanity made any mistake and went bankrupt? Time will tell, as you say.

Apple has no need to "harden" their APIs. They already have complete, real-time control over what software is allowed on iOS.

Hmm, I did not use the term hardening with security in mind, rather have it tested for quality and usability and production level robustness.

think that's Apple's assumption. As for legal issues- I was amazed that Apple did a DC at all. Apparently, the legal issues aren't as prohibitive as I thought. Time will tell.

From apples perspective if their legal team can cover all the loopholes, its a good move.

“One of [Steve Jobs'] business rules was to never be afraid of cannibalizing yourself. If you don't cannibalize yourself, someone else will."

I do not know much about him but I would not get financial advice from someone who is refusing getting cancer treatment and choosing death.

 

[kimh]

Hmm, I did not use the term hardening with security in mind, rather have it tested for quality and usability and production level robustness.

That was my guess, afterward. I'm thinking that you may have started with the German verb "festigen." In any case… "harden" is not a good English choice to express "tested for quality and usability and production level robustness." "Harden" generally has more of a security connotation.

I do not know much about him but I would not get financial advice from someone who is refusing getting cancer treatment and choosing death.

I certainly wouldn't have taken healthcare advice from Steve Jobs. But his technology judgment has- how shall I say- stood the test of time.

 

[Rick Brant]

One issue might simply be testing of dive apps that are submitted for review. I have released a few apps and each of them was completely tested by the App Store team. In one case I had to supply supporting data to allow a tester to appear like a regular user in the field. They can test on a simulator of course, but I believe my past submissions were also tested on actual hardware. That would obviously pose somewhat of a challenge. Even if Apple has a pressure chamber for testing, being able to know what is right and what is wrong in the test process is pretty specialized.

 

[JoshuaHeard]

For the app developers in this thread, I came across this article about Apple stealing ideas from apps they want to incorporate into their OS. While I'm waiting for the entitlement, I'm going to protect the IP of my app.

When Apple Comes Calling, ‘It’s the Kiss of Death’ (Archive)

 

[kimh]

For the app developers in this thread, I came across this article about Apple stealing ideas from apps they want to incorporate into their OS. While I'm waiting for the entitlement, I'm going to protect the IP of my app.

There's a lot of precedents for this, and it's not just Apple doing it. Back in the 00's, Apple developers started calling it "getting Sherlocked" (see below, for another example including Google). Of course, things being equal, it doesn't hurt to protect IP. I'd say that the bigger risk comes *after* release, if an app/feature really gets traction.

Getting Sherlocked

Many years ago a company called Karelia developed a cool desktop app for the Mac called Watson. Wikipedia describes the story of Karelia quite well: The Karelia logo was inspired by events that oc…

bijansabet.com

 

[kimh]

re: "what dive software is in the works?"

Apple announced watchOS 10 yesterday. Among its features are new Apple Watch APIs. Developers will get access to more data categories from the watch. So far, none appear to be specifically diving-related. But expanded access to sensor data is a positive in any case.

Apple:
"Reimagine your apps and make them even more dynamic…"

 

[kimh]

This guy is a good source for nerdy, fitness-related Apple Watch info. Also, a diver.

 

[JoshuaHeard]

Six months ago, I filled out Apple's web form to "express interest in the Submerged Depth and Pressure API". I received no response, so last week I reached out to Apple developer support. The support person said she would contact the "internal team" responsible for entitlement requests.

Their response was:

The full Submerged Depth and Pressure API is not currently available as an entitlement just yet.

Just so you know, the form you filled out is, as its title, "Express interest in the Submerged Depth and Pressure API," suggests, for developers to express their interests in this entitlement. That form is not an entitlement request form. Our teams will reach out when they have more information to share; however, we do not have an ETA when the API will be available for developers to request.

I will post any updates.