Smart watch died, part 3 - 26 February 2025

Through the magic of Federal Express, I returned the exploded Pixel Watch to Google for replacement.  

My experience continued the Google strangeness.  I received an email with an "RMA" (Return Merchandise Authorization) code and instructions and a confirmation email from Fedex.  In the RMA instructions, I was directed to return only the watch, and not anything else.  There was also a QR code that Fedex was to use to print the RMA lable.  An hour or so later, I received an email that continued the chain on the original support ticket.  It told me to disregard the directions in the RMA emails, that I should print the attached RMA label, and that I should package up everything (explicitly including the watch, the band, and the charging "puck") and take it all to Fedex to be returned.

After some rumination, I decided to follow the second set of directions.  I printed the RMA label, boxed everything up with bubble wrap, and took it all to Fedex (watch, band, and charging puck).  Fedex was very efficient and I only spent about 90 seconds in the storefront.  My round-trip was 30+ minutes of driving, but the storefront portion was efficient.

The package now goes to Google where they will inspect it and decide, yet again, if I deserve a replacement unit.  I am supposed to get the replacement unit in about five business days - early March.

Smart watch died, part 2 - 24 February 2025

I thought everything was all set to get a replacement for my dead-and-exploded smart Pixel Watch.  

Yeah, not quite.  After supplying my address and the serial number, I received a confirmation email that I would get a return-shipment label for my dead-and-exploded watch.  Overnight, I received an email requesting a photo of the serial number (that I previously copied over).  If you are not familiar with the watch, the serial number is hidden under one of the attachment points for the watchband.  It is embossed on a curved surface in small letters, but I took a photo and sent it back in return email.  Because it is so hard to read, I also took a photo of the serial number on the side of the box (I still have the box).  Google Support keeps asking for the same information over and over.  SMH.

The folks are all nice, but their customer management system is - what is the technical term? oh, yeah - the Google CMS is hoarked.  

Smart watch died - 23 February 2025

It is said that all good things must pass, but this is not that story.  Almost exactly a year ago, I bought a Google Pixel Watch, a smart watch.  I tried it out for a while and, really, there is not much benefit.  Clocks are everywhere including one on the phone in your pocket, so the timekeeping function is not really useful.  Various notifications come up on your phone in your pocket, thus notifications on your wrist are just a minor benefit.  The step-counting feature is wildly inconsistent and the heartrate info is only mildly useful.  The sleep tracking is not particularly reliable, so the inconvenience and discomfort of wearing a watch to bed is not helpful for sleep.  And, finally, you have to constantly charge the darn thing - at least daily - and if you wear it to bed, you cannot charge overnight so you have to take it off during the day but then all the other advantages are shot while it sits on the charger for an hour or so.

In the end, the $200 cost is simply not justifiable.  The $40 smart watches are no better.  And who really needs a watch these days?

With all this in mind, I am sad to report that my Pixel Watch baked itself on the charger:  it swelled up and exploded itself.  It was not a violent explosion, there was no shrapnel, but the watch seal is broken and it is no longer waterproof or even water-resistant.  The guts are just hanging out.  I played 20 Questions with Pixel Watch support.  They have been very responsive, but they only want to ask 1-2 questions at a time, so our email exchange went back and forth over several days.  They now seem to have everything they need, finally I thought, and so they have passed the support case to the next level for a decision in yet another deferral.

I am expecting them to offer a refurbished Pixel Watch as a replacement.  I am happy to return the dead watch to them.  We shall see how this plays out.

Jeff Bezos buys Bond, James Bond - 22 February 2025

With all the other crap going down, this is an issue that we can all agree on.  After a couple years of tug-of-war, it was announced this week that Jeff Bezos had cut a deal with Broccoli et al to take full ownership of the James Bond franchise, probably via the Amazon Studios house.  Of course, we are all excited to hear about this after the enormous success of Amazon Studios with the Lord of the Rings franchise.

For those having trouble hearing in the back - this is satire.  My prediction:  James Bond is now a dead franchise.  Bezos and Amazon will milk it for a few years, then it will decay and fade into reruns of the original films. 

Canal tour in France - 5 February 2025

 We will be touring central-ish France on a canal boat in September 2025.  This is the approximate route from Joigny to Carbigny.  The route is basically:

• Joigny
• Laroche-Migennes
• Auxerre
• Vincelles
• Vermenton
• Chatel-Censoir
• Clamency
• Tannay
• Corbigny

And this is that Google Maps thinks:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/PJ15PVhd8ZhTVqzZ8

Visually, the map is

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