AirNinja and the Apple Watch

It's a curious product for Apple - it's an add-on feature for an iPhone and Apple avoid all talk of the product's thickness. Does this portly product embarrass Apple into not believing their own bullshit?

Is the Apple Watch a product or a feature?

Apple have well and truly put away the playbook created by Steve Jobs who wanted products not features, and would drop features in order to get a form factor he wanted.

Or have they?

It's a well known fact that to make money, you have to make products for the rich, or, make products that are so compelling those with less money do all they can to purchase it. "Something is worth what people will pay" to paraphrase a well known someone.

The Apple Watch is unashamedly for the rich. I mean, come on, even the cheapest one is $350 and you need to already have an iPhone. So the person who has scrimped and saved to buy into the iPhone is unlikely to mindlessly purchase a $350 optional feature.

The Apple Watch is an expensive and optional feature of iPhone. It's not the watch 'for the rest of us' but then who under the age of 40 bothers to wear watches today?

The Apple Watch is an expensive and optional feature of iPhone and for old people. Old people, generally, have money. But over 40s tend to be immune to marketing hype.

The Apple Watch is an expensive and optional feature of iPhone and for old people who are immune to hype.

The Apple Watch is not very zen either, is it. I mean it just sounds plain irritating to me to have a second Apple device strapped to my body notifying me of mediocre things in other people's lives. Even checking the time - clock watching - is admission that you have broken your concentration.

The Apple Watch is an expensive and optional feature of iPhone for old people who are immune to hype and have nothing better to do than check the time.

Plainly, the Apple Watch is not for me. Primarily because I am by my own admission not in the market for a new wrist device nor in the market for another piece of technology that needs to be religiously charged daily.

But then what do I know? I don't understand society's sheeplike fixation on status symbols, I know my psychology, I shun phone contracts in favour of owning the phone and choosing the carrier that gives me the best deal contract-less on PAYG. Maybe people on iPhone contracts will be upsold on the Apple Watch and succumb to peer pressure and celebrity endorsement?

No, currently the Apple Watch does not interest this airninja because it is a duplication of existing functionality I have on me already all day. It's plainly a gratuitous product for the rich and the stupid lazy in its current iteration.

I just don't need a wristwatch whether it be smart or dumb when I already have a highly capable and more powerful and versatile device in my pocket.

And if I was rich? If I was rich would I be fucking blogging about the Apple Watch?!

Don't listen to me. Do your own research, make up your own mind. No two airninjas are exactly the same.

Mad For Flexible Foam Tripods

They are bendy and grip tighter than Gorillapods and that class of beaded leg derivatives. They are pretty tough (with a couple of exceptions - will post about that another time). They are highly versatile. Total airninja.







Best bit is, they are pretty cheap and can be had for a tenner or less if you look around. You can even buy in bulk from Alibaba.

Great for firmly attaching lightweight cameras to things - who needs a quick release?!

Firmly holds this type of Aputure LED lighting and has its own ball head for fine positioning.

All the models listed (Kitvision, Camlink, SilverCrest, Mudder) are around 27cm tall so not regular boring trialpods, but easy to stow and light as a feather. There's even some around rebranded as Polaroid.

In the right context on the right jobs they are just awesome so far.