Items tagged with Apple Watch
Apple is working hard to expand its push into the health industry that started with the Apple Watch. The key to the health push is the Apple Health app and Health OS. The smartphone maker is reportedly building a system to aggregate data from connected devices such as watches, scales, fitness equipment, mattresses, and more. That data will be rolled into traditional health records such as lab results, conditions, medications, procedures, and more. The goal is to unlock a new and more comprehensive view of a person's health. All of that data has been available for a while, but it has never been aggregated into one place. Apple, and others, think that bringing all that health-related data into...
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Things on the smartwatch front have been relatively quiet for the past few months, but Best Buy is looking to generate some buzz this week with a rather hot deal on the current generation Apple Watch Series 5. The Apple Watch has gone from being mocked as an unnecessary accessory for the iPhone to becoming the best-selling device in its class, and now Best Buy is lopping $100 off the MSRP of the smartwatches. We should note that the $100 discount applies to all models of the Apple Watch Series 5, from the “lowly” aluminum-bodied models with a sport band, to the LTE-equipped stainless-steel models with the Milanese Loop band. If you’re looking at the low-end, you can...
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Each time a new version of watchOS for the Apple Watch turns up, people get excited about the upcoming new features. Further details have surfaced for the Apple wearable that come from hints in leaked iOS 14 code. The leaked code gives information on new watch faces, sleep tracking, and parental control features for the Apple Watch that are expected to land later this fall. One of the fundamental changes for the wearable comes in watch faces. WatchOS 7 has three key differences in the watch face arena, with the most interesting being shareable watch faces. This will allow users to share their custom watch faces with other users. Each watch face is treated like an individual file in watchOS 7....
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Do you have any fitness-related New Year resolutions? Apple’s latest series of partnerships may be what you need to get moving. Apple recently introduced its “Apple Watch Connected” program which will help users earn rewards for working out at select gyms. The Apple Watch Connected program is an expansion of its GymKit technology. GymKit technology was originally introduced in 2017 and allowed Apple Watch wearers to sync their devices with gym equipment. Apple hoped that this technology would allow users to better track their gym workouts. Fitness trackers tend to do well when the user is moving across distances, but struggle when the user is working out on a stationary...
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Many argue that Apple has their finger on the pulse of technology trends. This claim may be more literal than originally anticipated. A cardiologist is currently suing Apple for stealing his Atrial fibrillation (AFib) detection technology and using it in Apple Watches. Dr. Joseph Wiesel is a cardiologist and clinical assistant professor at New York University’s School of Medicine. In 2006, Dr. Wiesel filed a patent with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for a method and apparatus for detecting atrial fibrillation or irregular heartbeats. The patent states that the heartbeat is detected either through an inflatable cuff or “light transmitted through a body appendage, such...
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The Black Friday deals have been coming hot and heavy over the last week or so. One of the deals that got a lot of people excited over at Walmart was for the Apple Watch Series 3 at a very low price of $159. As most stores are apt to do, the stock was apparently very limited, and reports indicate that Walmart sold out in just three minutes. There were lots of people who had placed an order while the Apple Watch still showed in stock during the sale. The problem is that a lot of the people who placed their order while the smartwatch was showing in stock and received a confirmed order reply woke up Thanksgiving Day to an email from Walmart that said the wearable was out of stock and their order...
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With the holiday shopping season here, it's time to find the best deals out there to save money on items you might want or need. If someone on your shopping list wants an Apple wearable, Amazon has some deals on the Apple Watch Series 4 offering the best prices we have ever seen. Amazon is offering the Apple Watch Series 4 40mm GPS watch in space gray with the black sport loop for $299, which is a $100 discount off the regular $399 price. That is a significant discount on the the best-selling smartwatch on the market. Those wanting the larger 44mm GPS Apple Watch Series 4 in Space Gray Aluminum with the black sport band can get it with a $100 discount making the price $329. The best deal...
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Last month, Apple announced the Apple Watch Series 5, which as its name implies if the fifth-generation of its best-selling smartwatch family. The Series 5 represents a minor update over the previous generation, with the biggest change being the inclusion of a new LTPO display that allows the display to be on at all times without negatively affecting battery life. With that in mind, Apple and its retail partners are looking to reduce inventory of the older Series 4 to make room for the Series 5 (the Series 3 remains in the lineup at a discounted price). Amazon is offering some pretty nice discounts on the Series 4, with biggest discount going to the 44mm GPS + Cellular model (aluminum)....
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Apple today announced the new Apple Watch Series 5, which looks very much like its predecessors -- especially the Series 4. However, the big change with the Series 5 is the addition of an always-on display (finally), which is made possible with Low-Temperature Polycrystalline Oxid (LTPO) technology. So instead of having to raise your wrist to provoke the Apple Watch to turn on, you can always see the time and all of your complications no matter what you're doing. Apple says that even though the display is now always visible, the battery life remains at 18 hours. It also features a built-in compass (alongside a new compass app). Apple Watch Series 5 starts at $399, while the LTE models will be...
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Some Apple patent applications have turned up that show what the folks in Cupertino are working that could be incorporated into future Apple Watch bands. One of the patents outlines a method that Apple is working on that would eliminate the need to enter a passcode on the Apple Watch or a paired iPhone to unlock the wearable. The patent talks about skin texture cracks generally being warmer than surrounding skin and hair being cooler than the surrounding skin. The watchband could use an IR thermal image sensor as a wrist biometric sensor. Another patent sounds like something out of Back to the Future, and describes an Apple Watch band that can tighten itself. A self-tightening band could be important...
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Owners of the Apple Watch Series 2 and Apple Watch Series 3 thankfully now have a new screen replacement program in place that afford repairs of cracked screens at no cost for some watch owners. Apple has determined that "under very rare circumstances" a crack may form along the rounded edges of the screen of aluminum models of the Apple Watch Series 2 and 3. The cracks will begin on one side and often will continue all the way around the screen, according to Apple. Apple says that it or an Apple Authorized Service Provider will replace the screen on eligible Apple Watch units that have this specific type of crack at no cost for owners. Only specific watches are covered in the repair program;...
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Apple has announced that it has disabled the Apple Watch Walkie Talkie app due to a recently discovered security and privacy vulnerability in the app. Apple didn't give any specifics on the vulnerability, only stating that the flaw could allow a person to listen on another customer's conversation without consent. Apple has apologized to users for removing the app, but it is working on a fix. Once a fix is made to address the vulnerability, Apple is expected to relaunch the Walkie Talkie app. Apple did issue a statement on the vulnerability, saying that it disabled the function "as we quickly fix the issue." Apple goes on to say that it will restore functionality as soon as possible. The...
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The current Apple Watch Series 4 launched to much fanfare in part because of ECG functionality that can detect an abnormal heartbeat in a person. That feature rolled out widely last December thanks to watchOS 5.1.2, and the Apple Watch reportedly grabbed half of the smartwatch market in Q4 2018. A new rumor has now surfaced that claims the Apple Watch Series 5 expected to launch this year will continue to us an OLED screen, this time supplied by Japan Display. The rumor is attributed to two sources familiar with Apple's plans, but not authorized to speak to the public. Japan Display being attached to the rumor is a good thing for the company as it's profits have been hit hard as Apple has...
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It’s not often that we’re witness to vaporware products from Apple, but AirPower definitely fit that category. The wireless accessory – which was supposed to charge an iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch simultaneously -- was first announced alongside the iPhone X way back in September 2017, and was supposed to launch in 2018. However, 2018 came and went with no sign of the device. Today, Apple confirmed what many thought was coming anyway: AirPower has been canceled. The Cupertino, California-based company made the announcement in a statement to TechCrunch, which reads: After much effort, we’ve concluded AirPower will not achieve our high standards and we have...
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Back in mid-February, we received some sales figures from NPD Group that showed the Apple Watch was the "clear market leader" in smartwatch shipments ahead of second place Samsung and third place Fitbit. Apple's position at the top came despite the fact that prices increased across the board for the Apple Watch Series 4. New figures have come in from Strategy Analytics, and it's more of the same. According to the research firm, global smartwatch sales increased by 56 percent during Q4 2018 compared to the same period in 2017. Mirroring NPD Group's numbers, Strategy Analytics showed that Apple secured 51 percent of the smartwatch market, putting it firmly in first place. Breaking down...
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Ah, the sweet rejuvenation of a good night's sleep is like nothing else. The trick is actually getting a solid eight hours of rest. It is an important part of health and well being, and unfortunately, sleep tracking is not a native feature of Apple's smartwatch. That is going to change, though, with Apple said to be testing a built-in sleep monitor. There are third-party apps that offer this functionality on the Apple Watch, though there are shortcomings with some of them. Sleep tracking is also a competitive advantage that Fitbit holds over Apple, as the company's fitness bands can automatically detect sleep stages—light sleep, deep sleep, and that all-important REM sleep. How long that...
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The smartwatch market is booming according to research firm The NPD Group. When they first hit the market, smartwatches were seen as an unnecessary (and expensive) accessory for a smartphone, but as companies have pivoted towards more fitness- and health-centric features, that market has expanded at a rapid clip. In fact, The NPD Group says that for a twelve-month period ending in November 2018, U.S. smartwatch [dollar] sales exploded 51 percent year-over-year to $5 billion, and unit sales of the devices increased by 61 percent. Although individual numbers weren't broken down by manufacturers, The NPD Group says that the Apple Watch was the "clear market leader" during the 12-month period. Interestingly,...
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Google has been making moves in recent weeks to beef up its Wear OS and the hardware that runs the operating system for wearable devices. In mid-January, the company spent $40 million to acquire key Fossil smartwatch intellectual property and members of the company's research and development team. Now, it appears that Google is looking for a Vice President of Hardwire Engineering for Wearables, which is a new position. The job listing was posted to the Google Careers website, and shows that Google is finally starting to take the wearables market seriously. The company launched Android Wear back in 2014, and rebranded it as Wear OS in March 2018. After Motorola made a splash with...
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It looks as though Google is starting to get serious [again] about its Wear OS and the smartwatches that use the operating system. The Fossil Group announced today that Google is purchasing $40 million worth of intellectual property that pertains to its [in-development] smartwatch technology. Fossil is one the most prominent manufacturers of Wear OS smartwatches, and sells a number of different styles ranging in price from $250 to around $350. In addition to its IP, Fossil says that Google has also acquired a portion of its R&D team. However, Fossil still has over 200 R&D team members that will continue to advance both the software and hardware side of its smartwatch operations....
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A new AT&T device has been seen passing through the FCC that isn't a phone or a smart wearable. Instead, it is a very slick charger aiming directly at Apple device users that can charge the iPhone and Apple Watch on the go, at the same time. The gadget is called the Power Drum Wireless Charger & Apple Watch Power Bank, and it was spied at both the FCC and in documentation from the Qi Wireless Power Consortium. The Power Drum has a flat section around the perimeter of the device that is meant to wirelessly charge the Apple Watch. The iPhone would be placed flat on top of the Power Drum to receive its wireless power; the Power Drum would also charge any Qi-enabled smartphone. The wireless...
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When Apple first announced the Apple Watch Series 4 back in September, it hailed the device as a big upgrade over its predecessor with larger displays across the board (with slimmer bezels), much faster S4 processor and integrated fall detection. In addition, despite the slight redesign to the smartwatch's exterior to accommodate the larger displays, the old 38mm and 42mm bands still work. But perhaps the most important feature announced with the Apple Watch Series 4 was its built-in electrocardiogram (ECG) for monitoring your heart rhythms and atrial fibrillation. Apple hyped this inclusion, saying that its latest Apple Watch is the first consumer device to feature such a heart...
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For some people that purchases an Apple Watch Series 4, upgrading to watchOS 5.1 was simply a nightmare. WatchOS 5.1 was supposed to be simple maintenance release when it was made available to customers last week alongside iOS 12.1 and macOS Mojave. However, some Apple Watch Series 4 owners quickly found that the update rendered their fancy new smartwatches inoperable. For some undisclosed reason, applying the update would force the Apple Watch to become stuck at the boot screen, which displays the Apple logo. No amount of resetting or shouted profanity was enough for the end-user to fix the issue by himself (or herself). In fact, the only way to resolve the problem was to...
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