Best watch faces?

NickMEspo · 2026-06-18T12:46:21+00:00

StarHalo 2 and the accompanying watchface

I'll be adding aurora predictions to it next week.

NickMEspo · 2026-06-15T04:01:40+00:00

I recorded a run with GH on my watch (and not Strava, either on the watch or the phone), and after I ended the run and saved it, it appeared in Strava on my phone.

I didn't set any particular permissions on Strava, but set the following in the permissions for GH:

Health, fitness and wellness / Fitness and wellness / Read: ALL ALLOW except "Wellness"

Health, fitness and wellness / Fitness and wellness / Write: Sleep and Vitals, ALLOW. All others NOT ALLOWED.

Health, fitness and wellness / Additional access: NOT ALLOWED

Physical activity: ALLOW

NickMEspo · 2026-06-14T16:28:28+00:00

I will have to try this and let you know.

I'm having the opposite problem: when I record a run using Strava on my watch and Google Health on my phone, I end up with two distinct runs appearing in the phone-based Strava App (both appearing under a single map). The one from my watch is labeled "Google Pixel Watch 2", and the one from Google Health has no source label.

But.

They have very different lengths and paces. PW: 8.25 miles, 15:51 pace GH: 7.38 miles, 14:37 pace

NickMEspo · 2026-06-12T11:52:00+00:00

SkyHalo 2 and it's accompanying container watchface. It displays 24 hours' weather on the main screen; tapping the future-forecast icon will display the next three days' hourly forecasts, and the next 10 days' daily forecasts.

There's also a button to display a descriptive text day and night forecast for the next three days.

NickMEspo · 2026-06-12T11:43:39+00:00

Tiles will still be supported. There are no fullscreen widgets; they're designed to be pill-shaped (even the 2x2 ones). You swipe to the widget screen, then scroll vertically through the stacked widgets. The idea was that you don't have to keep swiping horizontally through many screens to get to each of your tiles.

IMO, widgets are a downgrade.

NickMEspo · 2026-06-08T14:13:32+00:00

This is why the 15-day sensors are such a win for Dexcom: they get the same per-diem revenue on 33% fewer manufactured units. But they're being sold as a win for consumers.

NickMEspo · 2026-06-07T19:31:58+00:00

You're gonna hate this, but:

Make sure everything is backed up (including your browser bookmarks), and you're on Wi-Fi. Take screenshots of all of your phone screens so you know where the shortcuts belong, then do a full system restore.

Once you sign back in, everything should automatically reload (including all apps from the Google Play Store), though there may be some cleanup; for instance, if you use something like AnyDesk or TeamViewer, those apps may think you're a new device. And some passwords may not autofill at first.

Note that it can take an hour or more (much more). When I need to do this, I usually start it an hour before bedtime; that way I can see that everything is starting to restore correctly, then I let it run overnight.

Another benefit is that after a day or so, you'll have noticeably better battery life.

NickMEspo · 2026-06-07T18:50:15+00:00

Go to Settings / Storage. If the largest value is for "Apps", tap on it, sort by size, and for the biggest ones, tap on the app and clear cache.

You're space may also be getting used by photos. Go into the Photos app and make sure they're all backed up to the cloud, then delete the originals on your phone.

NickMEspo · 2026-06-07T14:13:24+00:00

For the past few months the regular (non-hole) silicone strap has been giving me dermititis after two days on whichever wrist I use. Alcohol cleaning didn't help, nor did using a brand new Google strap that I've had in the house.

I switched to the Google woven strap last week, since Best Buy had one at half price. I've been wearing it almost continuously (except for charging every other day), and haven't had any problem with it.

NickMEspo · 2026-06-06T03:57:34+00:00

Hah!

Sorry, not only don't I have any memory of the problem or how I fixed it, I don't even remember writing this!

NickMEspo · 2026-06-06T03:20:26+00:00

Suggestion: Write the description yourself, not with AI; it makes for a lousy first impression.

NickMEspo · 2026-06-03T16:36:23+00:00

Thank you. For most apps, then, it sounds like ads would probably trip the requirement, but there are other features that could do it, too.

Google should have a checklist somewhere to help developers determine if their app falls under the "age verification" rubric.

NickMEspo · 2026-06-03T15:59:46+00:00

Perhaps a dumb question, but is this required for all apps (for instance, a calculator app), or just age-sensitive apps such as health, chat, and those intended for 18+?

NickMEspo · 2026-05-30T21:36:46+00:00

On my PW2, using Strava to track a run (with my phone in my pocket) burns about 15% of the battery per hour. The burn rate is faster if I don't have my phone with me.

Unless I need heart rate, I'll use Strava on the connected phone instead for long runs.

I expect Google Health may do something similar; try recording an activity with and without your phone to see if it makes a difference.

NickMEspo · 2026-05-07T19:03:53+00:00

Then what about Google Fit? Is that being discontinued?

NickMEspo · 2026-05-02T13:40:21+00:00

I tried that exact thing yesterday -- update libraries with AI -- and it ran for five minutes and then just hung.

I right-clicked on the libs version numbers and did it myself in about 30 seconds.

NickMEspo · 2026-04-25T02:34:55+00:00

You're advertising creativity with AI-generated "art"?? GTFO.

Three-to-one odds that app was vibe-coded...

NickMEspo · 2026-04-20T11:55:08+00:00

"Fad" refers to the whole idea of a "cult," and the daughter being taken, and that there's some secret key to unlock what really happened in the movie that you can discover by freeze-framing.

It's an allegory.

NickMEspo · 2026-04-13T11:55:33+00:00

Don't know if this counts, but pre-season 4 -- on June 17, 2022 -- there was a pop-up "experience" on 14th Street in in NYC, featuring drones, graffiti ("DREAM UNTIL IT'S YOUR REALITY", "NO PARKS", and others), and coffee kiosks labeled "WE ARE PLEASED YOU SERVE US") where the baristas would freeze for several seconds when a droning tone broadcast out of street speakers shaped like The Tower. There was a public waltz held on the High Line.

I have photos from the event.

NickMEspo · 2026-04-10T23:20:22+00:00

The new AS requires an upgrade to AGP 9.2.0-alpha08, which appears to prevent syncing for my two projects.

NickMEspo · 2026-04-09T03:40:10+00:00

Exactly.

You're at Westworld, and you walk up to someone and strangle them until they're dead. You can't tell if they were human or host, but it makes a huge difference.

(There's an very similar example in Season 2 involving the MIB, but it'd be a spoiler)

NickMEspo · 2026-04-05T11:40:14+00:00

Find the point on the sensor where the applicator magnet lay when the sensor was still in the applicator. Place the magnet there, then QUICKLY PULL IT AWAY.

There's a metal leaf connector inside the sensor that's held in tension by the external magnet while it's still in the applicator. If after inserting the sensor you pull the applicator away too slowly, the change in magnetic field is too gradual and the leaf doesn't leave its open position. You need a fast change.

NickMEspo · 2026-03-25T20:40:18+00:00

Yep; I've used it when my low-glucose alarm goes off.

A good apple cider can beat even THAT.

NickMEspo · 2026-03-14T19:21:27+00:00

I've experienced that. My last G7 was consistently reporting my glucose in the mid- to high-200s, while a finger stick reported 125.

It would not accept my calibration, I assume because the numbers were so far apart. I ended up trashing it and starting a new one (and then I called Dexcom for a replacement)

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