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Google taps your phone cameras to measure your heart rate
Like many of us, Google is getting more interested in our health. The company is announcing today new features that will allow those without wearable sensors to get a read on their respiratory and heart rates. Starting next month, Pixel owners will be able to use their phone cameras to measure their pulse and breath rates via Google Fit.
Smartwatches may detect the signs of COVID-19 before you know you're sick
Smartwatches and fitness wearables may be able to play a valuable role in the early detection of COVID-19, according to recent studies.
Golf fans can see PGA Tour players’ heart rates thanks to new wearable partnership
The PGA Tour will use Whoop fitness straps to show the heart rates and other biometric data of players “during defining moments throughout the season,” it announced.
Garmin's new smartwatch lets streamers show real-time heart rates
The Garmin Instinct Esports Edition is available now for $300.
Fitbit Sense review: Basic smartwatch, robust health tracker
Still, the Fitbit Sense is the company’s stab at what it calls an “advanced health” device and it’s chock full of features to help it meet that promise.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 leaks again in detailed hands-on video
We already knew a few details about Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 3, but a new video from TechTalkTV (via The Verge) appears to reveal most everything else you need to know about it.
Garmin’s Forerunner 35 GPS smartwatch drops to $100 at Best Buy
Garmin’s Forerunner 35 GPS smartwatch is a Best Buy deal of the day today. The Forerunner lineup is designed specifically for runners, and this feature-packed smartwatch includes GPS tracking to record distance and speed, as well as wrist-based heart rate monitoring. Garmin says the Forerunner 35 will last up to nine days in smartwatch/activity tracking mode, but battery life will vary widely based on how you use the device.
Wyze's Alexa-equipped fitness tracker costs $25
Smart home security company Wyze announced last month its plans to launch an Alexa-supported fitness tracker, among other products. Now, the wearable -- simply called the Wyze Band -- has arrived, and is available now as part of an early access launch, and to the general public from April.
Muse's new meditation headband is designed to help you sleep
Muse first launched its brain-sensing headband back in 2013. Designed to take the guesswork out of meditation by providing real-time feedback on your brain and body's activity, the device has seen a couple of iterations over the years, and now its back with a completely new form factor. Gone are the rubbery cushions and external metal components -- the whole thing is now covered in a plush, breathable fabric and has been designed to fit better and more comfortably on a wider variety of head sizes.
What's next for fitness wearables?
At IFA this year, we've seen devices, like Withings' Move ECG and ASUS' VivoWatch SP, that bring more ECGs to more people -- technology that first appeared in mainstream wearables with Apple's Watch Series 4. I've been thinking about the future of wearables, and it increasingly looks like we're at the final frontier of what fitness wearables can do. Five years from the announcement of the first Apple Watch, and it looks like, soon, there's not going to be much to distinguish one wearable from another.
ASUS’ new fitness watch is more useful and better looking
ASUS may not make smartwatches anymore, but it has kept one foot in the wearables space with its line of fitness watches. A year and a bit after launching the VivoWatch BP, the company is back with a new health-tracking watch that, most importantly, looks a whole lot better than its predecessor.
Form's Swim Goggles display heart rate data in the pool
You might have thought Form already perfected the Swim Goggles, but the company is about to add another welcomed feature: heart rate tracking. Today, Form announced that it's teamed up with the fitness wearable company Polar to introduce the heart rate tech. Beginning in November, a free software update from Form will make the Swim Goggles compatible with Polar's OH1 and OH1+ heart rate sensors.
FDA clears first personal ECG device to detect three heart arrhythmias
To date, personal ECG devices have only really detected one kind of heart arrhythmia: atrial fibrillation. While that's helpful, it doesn't cover other conditions that could be just as dangerous. You might not be left wondering for much longer. AliveCor's KardiaMobile has received the first FDA clearance allowing a personal device to detect two other relatively common conditions, bradycardia (where your heart rate dips to 40-50BPM) and tachycardia (a jump to 100-140BPM). While these conditions are sometimes innocuous and might not show symptoms, they can also be representative of issues like heart disease.
Multiple iOS apps are reportedly sharing sensitive data with Facebook (updated)
At least 11 popular apps are reportedly sharing people's sensitive data with Facebook, even if they don't have an account on the social network. The Wall Street Journal found that apps which can help track personal information such as body weight, menstrual cycles and pregnancy are sending such details to Facebook.
Fitbit partners with Google to send health data to doctors
Fitness wearables are about to become even more valuable thanks to a partnership between Fitbit and Google's Cloud for Healthcare. According to a report at TechCrunch, Fitbit will be able to send health data to doctors, who will then be able to monitor both electronic records and real-time health data.
Xiaomi's next low-cost wearable will monitor your heart rate
Chinese phone maker Xiaomi has made a name for itself by delivering premium devices at budget prices. As well as phones and tablets, Xiaomi also sells accessories, including the Mi Band fitness tracker. After almost a year on sale, China's biggest mobile manufacturer feels the time is right to update its popular wearable, and thanks to Taiwan's National Communications Commission, we now know that it will come with its very own heart-rate monitor. The Mi Band 1S retains the same design as its predecessor, complete with aluminum cap, but features a new sensor on the back that's designed to stay in constant contact with a user's skin.
ASUS VivoWatch review: a fitness watch with style and shortcomings
My wife often says I'm fat, but that's hardly a motivation for me to resume my exercise routine. Then the ASUS VivoWatch landed on my desk, so I had no choice but to get back on the treadmill for your amusement. To keep things short, it turns out that this fitness-centric smartwatch does have a couple of compelling features that made me interested in getting fit again -- more so than the other basic (as in no heart rate monitoring) fitness trackers that I've long left in the drawer. Also, the VivoWatch can pair with both iOS plus Android, and costs just under $150 in Taiwan, meaning it'll be going head to head with the similarly priced Fitbit Charge HR around the world. So is ASUS' first fitness device worth trying? Or should you stick to some more mature offerings? Let's take a look.
Nikon's doggy camera mount snaps when Rover gets excited
Dogs, it's fair to say, are easily excited. Walks, treats, sniffing other dogs' butts -- for man's best friend, life is a non-stop thrill ride. Now, to help you capture these moments of canine euphoria, Nikon has developed a camera mount that reacts to their heart rate. So when your favorite pooch spots something particularly awesome, the shutter will fire automatically, giving you an SD card full of the highlights. Nikon's "Heartography" setup consists of two parts -- an elastic heart-monitoring band and a "SmartCase" for the camera. Heart rate data is transmitted over Bluetooth and shown on the mount's OLED display, where you can also tweak the minimum threshold for each new snap. Unfortunately, this appears to be just a kooky R&D project though, rather than a serious consumer product. In the meantime, you'll have to make do with something like GoPro's Fetch mount -- it's lighter and more flexible, but you'll have to scrub through the footage to find the good bits.
Apple confirms tattoos can mess with the Watch's heart sensor
After the Internet was awash with reports that tattoos can negatively affect the Apple Watch's heart rate sensor, Apple has confirmed the issue on its website. In a page dedicated to explaining how the Watch captures your vitals, the company notes: "Permanent or temporary changes to your skin, such as some tattoos, can also impact heart rate sensor performance," adding that "the ink, pattern, and saturation of some tattoos can block light from the sensor, making it difficult to get reliable readings."
Adidas' next move is to keep young students fit and healthy
In the US, child obesity is an ever-growing concern that's desperately in need of a remedy. Knowing this, Adidas is now looking to help the cause and, in the process, make it fun for young people to get fit. The sporting gear company has teamed up with Interactive Health Technologies (whose mission is "empowering individuals to self-manage their health") to bring its miCoach technology to schools Stateside. A few years ago, IHT began implementing a heart rate monitoring system for gym classes in the US, and now Adidas wants to take that initiative one step further. By combining miCoach's activity tracking with IHT's heart rate system, Adidas believes it can get students to motivate themselves.
