Changing the watch straps

I've been using the black leather straps that came with my Moto 360 for almost a year now, since I first unboxed it back in January.  Considering I wear it every day, that's probably not too bad, but they were starting to look a little worn.

Luckily, the same lovely person who bought me the watch, also bought me some new straps recently, so I thought I'd try and get them switched over.  And here's how I did it.

Firstly, the box...

Pretty unassuming, from a company call Rerii.  And inside there were the new straps, along with a number of spare pins, and a little tool...

In order to first take of the existing straps, you need to use the two-pronged end of the tool, and try to squeeze it up inside the watch, beside the current strap.  This can be quite fiddly, but what you're trying to do is first place the prongs against the edge of the pin, and then pull it in towards the centre of the strap.  

On the image below, I've circled the edge of the pin that you're aiming for, which has a couple of little ridges on which you can gain purchase.

Both ends of the pin push inwards, to allow the pin to slide out from the watch, which means you can come at this from either side.  

Once you've down this with both straps, you can either reuse the old pins, or use the new ones that come with your new straps - they should be exactly the same.  You can then push the pins back in, and in just a couple of minutes, your new straps should be securely fastened...

The metal ones are a bit heavier than the leather ones, but I really like it.  It's almost like having a branch new watch (if you ignore the slight surfaces scratches which are appearing on mine!).

This week's watchface - Metallic-4

Whilst I'm not a big fan of the name, I'm really enjoying this watchface at the moment, and have been for a couple of weeks now.  It's called the Metallic 4 (4 Colors- And 4 Dials) by bmg1001, and it looks like this...

As you can see from the preview, this is primarily an analogue watch, but with many additional features, including the digital time and the date displayed neatly at the top.  I've never seen a design quite like this, but I really like the symmetry of it.

The watchface has a number of different tap actions as well.  If you tap the digital date then it switches between 12 hour and 24 hour clocks - personally I prefer the 12 hour clock.

The top dial displays the weather, based on your WatchMaker settings (°C or °F, for example) and tapping the dial will refresh manually.

The right dial displays your watch's battery level as a percentage.  If you tap this dial it will toggle to the phone's battery level (which shows a "P" in the dial) and then tap again to get back to the watch's battery level.

The bottom dial displays the current day of the week.  If you tap this dial, it will toggle through the different colour options.  There's black, silver, red and blue - personally I prefer the silver one at the moment, also I've also been using black.

The left dial displays your current step count, as a percentage of your daily target.  If you tap this dial it will take you into the step count app, which for me is Google Fit, with a chart of recent days.

Overall I think this is a very stylish design, with plenty of functionality, but without overcrowding the screen with a complicated array of numbers.  I can see myself settling on this one for a while.

This week's watchface - Devon Tread

I've been a fan of the Devon Tread watches for a while now, but they don't even have a retailer in my country, let alone being able to afford one!  Luckily I own a Moto 360, so I can have any watch I want though, thanks to WatchMaker. 

If you don't know what I'm talking about, take a look at these...

As you can see, they are made up of belt which move to change the time display.  I think this is ingenious, and the website describes them as "The reinvention of the watch. The Devon Tread 1 features a system of interwoven Time Belts™" - so good they trademarked and patented it - "the Tread 1 is the must-have timepiece for the watch enthusiast with a passion for innovation and ingenuity".

There are a number of different versions of the Tread 1 and the Tread 2, and for me it's hard to choose a favourite, I just love the idea of this kind of mechanical watch.  

So it's been on my mind to create one (at least!) in WatchMaker for some time.  But I've definitely been beaten to it!  There are a number of them on FaceRepo already, which is a good thing.

My favourite at the moment is definitely the Devon Steampunk Tribute (Round) by eXntrc...

One of the things I really love about this version is that the numbers actually slide along the belt in a very realistic way, unlike some of the other watches where the number just change, but without any movement.  I'd definitely recommend downloading it!

And maybe I'll get round to creating a variant of my own some day soon...

QiLaunch - mobile app

A couple of days ago I posted an update about QiLaunch Wear, in which I mentioned that I'd signed up for a beta of the new mobile app they have coming out.  Well the beta link hasn't arrived yet, but more information has come out, including a demo video.

This new launcher app is currently available for Android smart devices only, and utilises the "Spread" module of Qi’s unique motion-based interface architecture platform.   The Spread module instantly reveals multiple levels of menus with just one touch.  Check out the video to see it in action...

You can get more information, and sign up for beta testing yourself if you're interested, on their website.  There's also a full press release with more details.

Once I've had a chance to play with the app, I'll report back.

QiLaunch Wear - update

I've posted before about the QiLaunch Wear which is currently in beta.  It's a navigation app, designed to make it quicker and easier to activate programs on your smart watch.

Around a week ago, they announced a new beta version with a few changes...

1. The icons have been made bigger, so they are easier to select
2. The anchor point has been moved to the 12 o'clock position, so both right and left-handers can use more easily
3. The sensitivity has been changed too

They also said another 2 changes would be out soon.  However, I received an update but none of these seemed to be in it.  Certainly the anchor point is still at the 3 o'clock position, which is the most obvious.  I'm looking forward to trying out the changes, when they arrive, and I'll update you when they do.

I've also signed up today for a further beta, this time for a phone app with the "Spread" module, with dynamic expanding radial menus.  Apparently I will be given pre-access before the rest of the world to this new mobile app, and receive other information as well, so that's good.  They say that they are simultaneously working on a watch version of the module, so more on that to come later.

Deus Ex Aria - update clarified

Earlier this week I posted another Deus Ex Aria update.  The company has decided to issue some clarifications over the information that had previously been given, so I thought I would pass them on.

The Smart Strap will be manufactured with the same silicone material (and indeed the same facilities) used for the stock Pebble Time strap.  Those of you who have a Pebble Time will already know what this is like, but for the rest of us, I'm assured it's very soft and ergonomic.  They want to make a strap that feels just as nice, looks as slick and unobtrusive, but with the Aria technology under the hood.

All Kickstarter backers (pledging $1 and above) will get a single use voucher code that will give them a 25% discount on Metal Pebble Time straps that will be made available through their online store.

The Aria clip is a Universal Bluetooth Controller, so it will work with all Bluetooth devices, its compatibility will be extended to most smart watches: Android Wear devices, Apple Watch, original Pebble, Pebble Time (Steel); but its functionality is not limited to smart watches.  The Aria clip can be used to control your iOS devices, Mac, PC, GoPro, and in principle any Bluetooth smart device.  Aria will support the new generations of smart watches too, as these will just be running updated versions of Android/iOS.

Here is a video from some time ago which demonstrates the clip in action:

Deus Ex Aria - update

I have some more information about the Deus Ex Aria, hot off the press!

The set of devices that are being made are... 

• A single silicone strap designed around the Pebble Time (and Pebble Time Steel) 
• A UNIVERSAL Bluetooth module that will initially support Android devices, but will later be extended to the original Pebble, Apple Watch and iOS smartphones after launch.

They have decided not to proceed with a steel version of the strap.  After talking to their designer and suppliers they've concluded that starting to work on a metal strap now would cause a major setback to the production line.  Instead they will focus their resources and efforts on making the above products as best as possible, and have them shipped to backers as soon as possible.  They would rather positively surprise backers, than over promise and continuously delay shipments.

However, because they love their backers, and to thank them for their support, they have decided to include a single-use voucher code with every Kickstarter shipment.   This voucher can be used on their online store, which should make a metal strap available soon after launch.

And finally... ARIA + ARDUINO = ARDUARIA!  Of course you can connect to your Arduino via Bluetooth, but what if you wanted to use your Pebble Strap with an Arduino?  They are working on a further feature just for you - the strap will come with a CAD adapter and Arduino project that will help you come up with your very own Maker Watch.  

Here's a video which guides you through what can be done by connecting your Aria to an Arduino... 

Deus Ex Aria - update

Well things seem to be happening now the Kickstarter has been fully funded for the Deus Ex Aria, which I've posted about before.  The London based company is even hiring two new software developers, one for Pebble and one for Android, which is promising.

There's also a couple of new Youtube videos available.  The first tells more about the clip itself, whereas the second covers a calibration demo...

The demo certainly looks pretty cool - if it works that well for me then I'll be very happy with it!

So that's it for now, but I'll keep updating you when I find out more.

QiLaunch Wear - beta testing

A while ago I posted about navigating to and launching apps, which was talking about the Quantum Interface project called "QiLaunch", which is currently in beta.  At the time, I'd signed up for the beta, but not heard anything back.

Well now I'm on the beta, and I've played with the app!  It clearly has potential, but I struggled to use it on the round screen of my Moto 360, as there wasn't much room to maneuver.  

The version that I've played with has been code-named "Carousel".  This has a vertical scrolling list of the shortcuts, which gravitate towards your finger as you drag it towards the one that you want to launch.  They are working on some updates based on the beta feedback at the moment.

I've also just signed up for a second round of beta testing, this time for the "Spread" version.  The description I've been given is...

You will get first peak at an entirely different and new concept to use on your phone and tablet devices - a first in the world scrollable, expanding dynamic radial menu system

They've hinted at 8 planned modules in total, which sound like they'll all be combined together as options in a single app.  We'll see over the next few weeks and months.

Fibonacci Clock

I've developed a new watch face, which I'm pretty excited about, and just released on the Play store.

The inspiration came from a Kickstarter project called Fibonacci Clock.  The description goes something like this...

The Fibonacci Clock has been designed for curious and inventive people who like a time piece that keeps them on their toes. Beautiful and fun at the same time, the clock uses the famous Fibonacci sequence to display time in a brand new way. 

The Fibonacci sequence is a sequence of numbers created by the Italian mathematician Fibonacci in the 13th century. This is a sequence starting with 1 and 1, where each subsequent number is the sum of the previous two. For the clock I used the first 5 terms: 1, 1, 2, 3 and 5.

The screen of the clock is made up of five squares whose side lengths match the first five Fibonacci numbers: 1, 1, 2, 3 and 5. The hours are displayed using red and the minutes using green. When a square is used to display both the hours and minutes it turns blue. White squares are ignored. 

To tell time on the Fibonacci clock you need to do some math. To read the hour, simply add up the corresponding values of the red and blue squares. To read the minutes, do the same with the green and blue squares. The minutes are displayed in 5 minute increments (0 to 12) so you have to multiply your result by 5 to get the actual number.

The two smaller squares display additional information when the watch is in bright mode. The top one displays which minute within the 5 minute increment, and the bottom one displays the seconds.

For example, the time above is...

• 5 (blue) + 3 (red) = 8 o'clock.
• 5 (blue) + 2 (green) = 7.  7 * 5 = 35.  Therefore: 8:35.
• The top small square is pointing down, which indicates 3 minutes.  Therefore: 8:38.

Tapping on the watch face reveals a reminder of how to tell the time...

Often, there are multiple ways to display a single time. There are, for example, 16 different ways to display 6:30. In the first version of this watch face, the highest value squares are always picked first (6 = 5 + 1), but I hope to update the watch with a randomiser in future.

If you want to download this watch face, it's available on the Play store.

Wear update - June 2015 (1.1.1.1956917)

There have been a few announces about the latest Wear update, including the Android Developers blog and on Google+, but here's my experience.

I was notified about the update late last night, but you need 80% battery before it will install (which is a nice feature, my phone once ran out of battery during a particularly grueling Android update!) so I charged it overnight and installed the update this morning.

Everything went smoothly with the update, and then my apps all updated as well, no problems there.  So, the new features...

Wifi

This was off by default.  You can access the settings on your watch by scrolling down on the screen, then swiping left till you get to them.  Scroll down until you find "Wi-Fi settings" and click on it.  You can add networks, but it will always open up Android Wear on your phone in order to enter the network security key.  This is a seamless process, and I quickly added my home network.  Obviously this will only work on devices that have the physical wifi hardware, but my Moto 360 does.  If you go into the phone app settings, there's also an extra option for "Cloud sync" now (assuming you've updated the app as well) which will now sync data between your watch and phone via the wifi - I found this was on by default.

Gestures

This was also off by default.  You can access the settings in the same way as above - this time you're looking for "Wrist gestures".  This is a simple ON/OFF toggle, so click to switch it on.  You'll then get a few tutorial notifications, guiding you through.  It's really simple though, you flick your wrist away quickly then turn your wrist slowly back towards you to scroll down through notifications, and you turn your wrist away slowly then flick your wrist quickly back towards you to scroll up.

There's more to the update as well, but these are my favourite new features.

Aria - change to Deus Ex Aria

A few weeks ago I posted about the upcoming Aria gesture control device for smart watches.  Well now, for trademark reasons, it's being re-branded as the Deus Ex Aria.

After a bit of a delay sorting this out, they're now planning to launch the Kickstarted campaign on Thursday 18th June!  In an attempt to make this the biggest launch possible, they're also organising a Thunderclap.

If you've not heard of Thunderclap before, it's a site that allows you to sign up to a campaign, link your Twitter/Facebook/Tumblr, and then at a pre-determined time, your account will be hijacked to tweet/post an update.  The idea is to get enough people all tweeting/posting at the same time that the hashtags become trending.

In this case, the campaign is scheduled for Thursday 18th June - 12pm BST, with the message...

Deus Ex Aria on Kickstarter. Add #gesturecontrol to your SmartWatch! #Kickstarter #Pebble #AndroidWear http://thndr.it/1G5v6rC

Will you be signing up?

My top 7 downloaded watch faces

It's been a while since I've added a new watch face to FaceRepo, where I post all of my free watch faces, but I do have a new one in the works!

For now, I thought I would post my top 7 downloaded watch faces...

1) Pong - downloaded 445 times (permalink)

The background is a black and white animated pong match which goes on indefinitely under the clock details - maybe one day someone will score?

2) J.A.R.V.I.S. Mod - downloaded 423 times (permalink)

I downloaded a watch called "J.A.R.V.I.S." by uptwolait and described as "Simple watch face with animated gif of J.A.R.V.I.S. booting in the background.". I loved it, but wanted to add additional details, including the wifi, weather and battery level.

3) Zooper Dark - downloaded 416 times (permalink)

I downloaded a watch called "Tribute Rod Kucheran" by Enzo and described as "Tribute of Amazing watch face made with zooper widget by Rod Kucheran". I preferred the darker ambient mode, so here it is.

4) Bar Mod - downloaded 369 times (permalink)

I downloaded a watch called "Bar" by cliffmaus and described as "See the time as a bar chart!". I loved it, but wanted to add additional details, including the date, weather and low battery indicators (they appear below 25%).

5) Academia Mathematical - downloaded 327 times (permalink)

This watch is inspired by the Academia Mathematical watch by DeWitt. The Academia Mathematical features a fascinating "dial" where the current hour and minute come to life from an apparently chaotic group of numbers. Both hours and minutes are indicated using the "jumping numbers" display principle through two vertically aligned apertures positioned in the top half of the smoked sapphire crystal. Four wheels, each with its own gilt Arabic numerals, are used to display the four-digit decimal time.

6) Nava Ora Unica - downloaded 320 times (permalink)

The Ora Unica, designed by Denis Guidone for the Milanese Nava Design of Italy, is an accessory that takes fun of the time, for design lovers that make the imagination and the irony their distinguishing feature. At first glance, you might be confused as to how to tell time on the Ora Unica, but it’s actually quite simple. Just look at the position of the inner end of the squiggle for the current hour, and the outer end for minutes. Simple, elegant, and truly unique.

7) Nava Ora Unica Black - downloaded 253 times (permalink)

The black version of the Ora Unica is also pretty popular!

I hope you enjoy these watch faces, especially as they are free!  Most of them are not protected either, so you can tweak them as you like.  If any of them are protected, let me know and I'll send you a non-protected version.

Navigating to and launching apps

Navigating on a smartwatch screen can be tricky, pokes and swipes can go awry, and finding the right app at the right time can be fiddly at best.

I recently found a nice little launcher app called Wear Mini Launcher.  It can be configured to your liking, but in essence it provides a nice little tray with smaller icons squeezed onto the screen, which means there's a lot less scrolling to find the one that you want.  Mine is configured to show 9 apps on the screen at once, as opposed to the 3 apps which the standard menu displays.

I've recently heard about a new launcher called QiLaunch Wear from a company called Quantum Interface.  It's currently in beta, but they claim it is a much faster and easier way to navigate.

You place your finger on the watch face and the apps appear on the screen and start scrolling through. Simply click on the app that you want, with no need to scroll yourself.  It analyses the motion of your finger to predict your intent, the interface reacts to changes of speed and direction.

For an idea of how this might look, check out this YouTube video...

I'm interested in trying this out, so I've signed up for the private beta.  If I get accepted, I'll try it out and post again with my opinion.

Aria - genius or gimmick?

Sorry, I've been quite quiet recently, working on a new project I'm rather excited about.  More on that in a future post though!

For now, I've just stumbled across Aria.  It's a small add-on that clips underneath your smartwatch band, on the underside of your wrist, and lets you control the device with finger gestures.  

It looks something like this...

It comes in a number of different colours, good for matching up with your watch band, and with a flexible link in the middle to try and match your wrist size.  It clips on to keep it in place, and is made with a silicone material to ensure a good and comfortable grip.

It connects to your smart watch via bluetooth, allowing you to access any feature you'd usually access through the touch screen, but using finger gestures that are then configured by the companion app.  

Here's an idea of how it works...

It all sounds rather interesting.  There are certainly times when I want to activate my watch and my fingers are greasy, such as when I'm cooking or eating, and this would certainly be useful.  But is it useful enough to deal with the extra size/weight of the device clipped to the watch strap, and another device to charge at night as well!

Apparently both a Moto 360 and a Pebble version of the device will be appearing on Kickstarter in the next few weeks, if you're interested enough to take a punt on these becoming a reality.

Nadir series coming soon - with companion app!

I'm currently working on a new series of watch faces, which I'm naming "Nadir".  This is my favourite series so far, and better yet, there's going to be a companion app!

"Nadir" means the lowest point or level, and that is really what I'm aiming for with this series of watch face.  They are stripped back and minimalist, with a black background by default...

Classic

Combi

Graphe

However, you can use the companion app to change the background colour, choosing any colour you want.  It's not finished yet, but here's an early screenshot, showing the simplicity of the app...

You simply move the sliders, which updates the preview pane, and then when you're happy with the colour, click "Send to watch" to update the watch background.  There's also an exit button (the "X") and an about button (the "?"), the later of which gives you a similar brief description of "Nadir" and also a button which will take you to my apps on the Play store.

This app will work specifically for this new "Nadir" series of watch faces, but I plan to create companion apps for some of my other series' in the future. 

Gallifrey series coming soon!

Sorry I've been quiet for a while, it's been almost 2 weeks since my last post, which was announcing my first app on the Play store.  Since then, I've launched a number of new watch faces, which can be found on the Play store.

I'm currently working on a series of watch faces with use the Galligrey numerals...

As you can see, this uses a series of circles and lines to represent each number.  Whilst this pattern can continue up to 59, I think it would get harder and harder to read, so the idea is to use this to display the hours only, and then find other ways to display the minutes and AM/PM.

I'm looking forward to this series going public, and I hope you are too!

My first app!

The latest version of WatchMaker let's you convert your .watch file into a proper Android Installation Package (.apk) that can be uploaded to the Google Play app store.  It takes some developer skills and a copy of Android Studio (free to download), but I managed it in an evening.

So I've decided to release my next watch face there instead, to see how popular it is.  My first app!

Blue Bubbles for WatchMaker

This is a watch face which will only with WatchMaker (http://goo.gl/FMxUfY). It is circular, designed and tested on a Moto 360.

The background is blue with a bubble affect. The time is displayed in 24 hour digital format, with the hour of the day in the middle, pointing the correct way for the analog hour, and the minute of the hour displayed at the back.

I hope you like it!

Add your own Wear notifications with IFTTT

There are now a range of apps available from IFTTT - IF This Then That.  In my opinion the original one is also the most useful, and that's IF (originally IFTTT).  This app lets you create powerful connections with one simple statement - if this then that.

Essentially you can link other applications, such as Facebook, Gmail, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc. These are referred to as "channels".  There are also some generic channels that you can add, including date/time, phone (including SMS, calls, wifi, location, etc) and smart watch.

Once you've activated the channels which you are interested in and linked the related accounts, you can then start building "recipes".  These are rules that follow the "if this then that" pattern.

The "if this" part of the rule can be thought of as the trigger.  When this event occurs, the recipe will be run.  As far as your smart watch goes, there is only one trigger available - "Tap a button".  Once the recipe has been run, the "then that" part, which can be thought of as the action, will be completed.  For your smart watch, the only action is "Send a notification".  For now, let's focus on the later of these.

You can browse for and create new recipes either online, or in the app.  But let's take a look at the website.  You'll need to start by creating an account of course, or logging into the one you already have, and then clicking the Create a Recipe button...

Then you can click on the "this" link to select a trigger from one of the channels...

Only channels with triggers are displayed initially, and you can search for the one you're after, or select it from the list.  I think it would be better if it only showed you the channels that you've activated, but currently it shows all of them.  For the purposes of this demonstration, I'm going to select "Feed"...

Now I have chosen a channel, I get to choose which trigger from the ones available.  For me, I want to be notified about all new feed items, so I'm going to choose the one on the left.  However, you may want to apply some particular keywords, if there's something you're particularly interested in.

So the next step for this trigger is to enter the feed URL that you're interested in, and obviously I'm particularly interested in this blog (obviously!).  Then click "Create Trigger" to move on to the next part...

Now click "that" to select the channel for your action - I've searched for "android" to make it easier to find...

And click "Android Wear" to get a list of available actions, which as I've already said, there's only one...

So click "Send a notification" to move on...

You now get the option to specify how you want the notification to appear, both the text and the image.  You can use tags in order to pull in information from the feed item itself, or add your own hardcoded text.  Click "Create Action" when you're happy...

The final step is to add a "Recipe Title", and then you can finish off by clicking "Create Recipe".  Shortly this will sync to your phone as well, and then you should find that next time this blog is updated with a new post, your watch will light up to tell you!  

You can also view this recipe on the website, already created for you, and ready to add to your collection... Wear360 blog notifications on watch.

There's great flexibility here, with the ability to combine so many different channels and point them all at your watch.  Many apps on your phone will notify you already (such as Facebook, Twitter, Instragram, etc), but for everything else, there's  IF!

The biggest limitation at the moment is that you can only have one account linked per channel.  This means that if you've got multiple Gmail accounts, or multiple Twitter accounts (for example), then you have to choose which one you wish to use, you can't link them all.  Luckily this is something that IFTTT are working on for a future version...

Browse recipes with smart watch "tap a button" as the trigger
Browse recipes with smart watch "send a notification" as the action

New favourite app - Authenticator Plus

It's official, I have a new favourite app!

I think it's universally accepted that Two Factor Authentication (2FA) is a good idea.  In short, many sites allow you to add an extra later of authentication.  Typically this works by having a code that needs to be entered whilst logging into a new device, which is tied physically to the user in some way...

• SMS message to register mobile number
• One Time Password (OTP) created by an authenticator app
• One Time Password (OTP) created by a Yubikey

It is also common to have two factor authentication using additional information, such as a pin number or security question.  However, this is still something that can be guessed more easily, so I personally don't count these as proper two factor authentication.  And there's also biometrics, but we've all seen Minority Report!

With each of the options in the list above, you have to register your device in some way.  Once registered, you log in by entering your username and password as before, but then you are taken to a second screen.  This second screen insists that you enter a code, which only you can generate/retrieve using your registered device, thus proving that it is you who are logging in.  You usually get the option to make this a trusted device, which means you won't be asked for the two factor code on this device for a while, usually 30 days.

Initially I setup my main accounts (especially Google!) to use SMS authentication.  This is easy to setup, as all they need is your mobile number.  However, there can sometimes be a delay in the site sending your message, or it being delivered, especially if you're in an area with poor reception.  So I had to investigate other options.

I have a Yubikey and it is pretty cool, you plug it into a USB port and when required you put the cursor in the code field and click the button on the device - it is registered like a keyboard so it can generate and spit out a code directly into the field.  It even clicks enter for you, submitting the form - very cool!  Unfortunately, not many sites support them, and you then have to make sure that you have the Yubikey on you all the time.

The best option I've found is to use an authenticator app.  This is on your phone, and who doesn't have their phone on them all the time anyway?  There are a few options, but here are a couple of examples...

Google Authenticator                    Authenticator Plus

Originally I loved Google Authenticator, but now I prefer Authenticator Plus, and here's why...

1. It uses the Material Design - this is a Google thing, so I'm sure they'll catch up soon.
2. It shows the icons appropriate for the account, making them more easily distinguishable at a glance.
3. It can backup and restore the linked accounts from the cloud - mine is saved to Dropbox, which is also one of my linked accounts).
4. You can also see the codes on your smartwatch - no need to get your phone out of your pocket!

I find this so convenient, I love it.  I'm a big user of Dropbox, which means I'm often finding I want to grab a file on a public computer, and this means I often need to grab a new code.  The voice command is "Start Authenticator" and then you immediately have your first linked account on the screen, with the current code.  Swipe up and down to move between the linked accounts, simple as that.

If you don't have two factor authentication in your digital life, get it!  And if you don't have Authenticator Plus on your phone and watch to manage your linked accounts, get it!

WatchMaker - splitting seconds

WatchMaker (free and premium) gives you loads of tags, as I've previously discussed.  However, when I came to make my latest project, I found a couple of omissions.

The project that I'm currently working on a watch face based on The Clock by Gislain Bernoit...

This is a 56x66cm masterpiece that weighs almost 6.5kg, it's made up of 1,916 individual hand-soldered components, which took the artist hundreds of hours over 3 years to create.  It's truly one of a kind.

Having a circular screened Moto 360 watch, I decided to capture the middle part of the clock, in my homage to this amazing piece.  And given the spacing on the digital displays I found this meant displaying each digit individually.  So I needed 6 different text elements, and this is how they work...

1. Hours in day (0-23) tens - there's a tag for this: {dh23tt}
2. Hours in day (0-23) ones - there's a tag for this too: {dh23to}
3. Minutes in hour (tens) - {dmt}
4. Minutes in hour (ones) - {dmo}
5. Seconds in minute (tens) - string.sub("{dsz}",1,1)
6. Seconds in minute (ones) - string.sub("{dsz}",2,2)

As you can see, there were tags specifically for the hours and minutes that were already split, but there wasn't for seconds.  To get around this we can use "Seconds in minute (with leading zero)" {dsz} and then use the LUA string.sub command to split the two characters.

This is what I've come up with so far...

I'll be uploading it to FaceRepo once it's finished.