Читать книгу Apple Watch For Dummies - Marc Saltzman - Страница 55

You can tap Apple Watch’s screen, and guess what? It can tap you too.

Like videogame controllers that vibrate when your soldier gets shot or some smartphones and tablets that buzz slightly when you tap a letter on the virtual keyboard, Apple Watch employs haptic technology to apply light force to your skin to alert you to relevant information. Apple’s Taptic Engine is a linear actuator inside the watch that produces discreet haptic feedback.

Consider this slight vibration to be a third sense (touch), along with sight and sound, to give you information. The physical sensation of a tap tells you something, such as a warning that an important meeting is about to start, without your even having to look at your wrist. This feature can also be a silent alarm clock to wake you up in the morning instead of bothering your significant other. Or it can transmit the feeling of your loved one’s heartbeat even though they may be miles way.

What’s more, Apple Watch can tap different patterns based on who’s reaching out to you (such as two taps for your spouse and three taps for your boss). Or perhaps the haptic pattern tells you what the information is: one tap for the time on the hour, four taps for a calendar appointment, and so on. Neat, huh?

In the near future, Apple Watch’s haptic feedback may let you know about important health information, perhaps working in conjunction with sensors. Imagine if someone living with diabetes could get a haptic tap to tell them it’s time to use insulin, based on their body’s blood-sugar levels.