Yeah. From what I recall, sending a call to voicemail has always been hands-free. In fact, prior to 2015 you didn't even need to be near a device to do it!

Yes, but letting it ring out and go to mail on its own isn't very satisfying. Sometimes you want people to know that it was you that sent them to the mailbox after only two rings. It says you busy, but not so busy that you cannot tap your phone.

I've done pretty much that exact thing with my watch. I had just done a workout so needed a shower, didn't take the watch off, got a phone call and answered it. I shouldn't have answered it because it was impossible to talk in the shower.

My thoughts as well... don't really think wearing my $400 dollar non-waterproof device in the shower is the best idea

I've worn mine in the shower every day for almost 6 months. Why bother to take it off?

To each his own, I suppose. I wouldn't wear a regular watch in the shower, so it's just habit to take it off. Apple also doesn't recommend exposing it to the shower / soap [1] but based on your experience it seems that might be to cover themselves just in case.

[1] https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT205000

Better question: Do you really want Apple monitoring what you do in the shower?

Siri: I noticed you spent an extra five minutes shaving yesterday and suspect your razor is a little dull. We sold that little factoid to Braun. Now every website in the world will be filled with their razor ads. Please do not disappoint. Braun is an important customer, unlike you.

In what world is Apple, one of the strongest protectors of individual privacy in SV, concerned with how long you shave?

A world where data tracking people's behaviour is useful to those wanting to sell them products. Is it really all that speculative to suggest that an apple algorithm (or google) might correlate persons who suddenly take a few extra minutes shaving with persons who in the next week will buy some shaving products?

Apple is a supporter of individual privacy, not group privacy. They have and use lots of behavioural data, anonymized and sorted, but data nevertheless.

> A world where data tracking people's behaviour is useful to those wanting to sell them products.

Like...Apple-branded shaving cream?

In all seriousness, this is not a situation Apple cares enough about to spend time parsing logs/activity streams.

Apple have made a point that a lot of their learning is done on the device itself - stuff like the keyboard and Google Now-esque "if you leave for home now it will take X hours" never leave the device as a conscious privacy decision even though it results in a slightly less intelligent product.

Hi Siri,

I noticed you sound exactly like GLaDOS from Portal; is it on purpose? Please don't kill me.

Your friend.

not really how apple operates

Not at the moment, but it's coming. Also, it's rarely the manufacturers themselves that are selling the data, but applications installed/given access.

Google already can guess where I park my car and can provide me with relevant traffic data for my commute both to and from work without me having to ask for it.

With highly accurate GPS, and information about the user, you could probably guess what user's home layout looks like, and what they do in each room.

Got a heartbeat monitor on your wearable? Sleep in the same location every night? Haven't had an elevated heart rate in your bedroom for a month? Unmarried (because that's public record)? Time for ads targeted at lonely singles.

> Google already can guess where I park my car and can provide me with relevant traffic data for my commute both to and from work without me having to ask for it.

iOS 9 does that kind of stuff as well but when it was announced Apple made a point to emphasize that they've implemented it all on-device to protect privacy.

Selling ads is just not in Apple's DNA. Even iAds was a kind of a flop.

Who has sex wearing a watch?