Forbes Magazine recently published a rather interesting article, in which creative branding expert Will Burns brainstormed some “unexpected” functions for the Apple Watch. We’re not sure how new or unexpected all of these ideas are. Some ideas, such as a device for transforming the live sports experience, have been batted around for smartphones for quite a while.
Still, there are a couple of ideas that we wanted to pass along:
Health Insurance Rate Monitor
This one’s a little big-brotherish. The idea is that customers sign up for health insurance programs in which they guarantee to undertake a certain amount of exercise in exchange for a personal discounted premium rate. And so the dutiful assistant attached to your wrist keeps track of all your diligent exercise, and voila, down goes your rates. Forbes even speculates that health insurance providers could subsidize the cost of the Apple Watch.
We’re not sure what would stop someone from handing their Apple Watch over to their super-fit friend and letting them exercise in it, however. Perhaps their healthy heartbeat will give the ruse away.
The Business-Meeting Nudge
We love this one. It takes advantage of the Apple Watch’s tap mechanism to give a non-audible nudge to someone in a business meeting who, say, is talking too long, or perhaps going into areas where they shouldn’t be. If everyone on the team is wearing the Apple Watch, you can send them a subtle signal to shut the hell up. Or you could agree on some codes beforehand — one tap means go for Plan A, and two taps for Plan B. This is pretty smart, and we are certain people will be using their Apple Watch in this way.
The Final Heartbeat
This one’s a little morbid. Give a dying friend or relative an Apple Watch so that their heartbeat can be distributed to loved ones everywhere. The terminally ill person would have the comfort of knowing who is feeling or hearing their heartbeat at any given moment. And of course everyone could “be there” when the heartbeat stops. Pretty depressing, to be sure, but no question this could transform the death experience for all the friends and loved ones, if not for the poor soul who’s actually leaving this mortal coil.
Apple would love this. The Final App.
If you’d like to read the in-depth coverage head on over to Forbes.