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DeepHeart AI IDs sleep apnea, hypertension via Apple Watch
Your Apple Watch can tell if you have hypertension or sleep apnea -- with the help of Cardiogram's deep neural network, DeepHeart, that is. The app-maker and the UCSF Health lab have conducted a study proving that wearables can suggest the presence of hypertension and sleep apnea with 82 percent and 90 percent accuracy, so long as they come equipped with heart rate sensors and accelerometers. And, yes, they're not just talking about Apple Watch, but also Android Wear devices, Garmins and Fitbits.
Apple Watches were crashing when asked about the weather
We hope you didn't ask your shiny new Apple Watch about the weather on November 4th -- you probably got a rude response. Many Series 3 owners reported that their wristwear crashed (specifically, the "springboard" interface restarted) if they asked Siri how the weather was that day. It wouldn't crash if they asked about weather in subsequent days, but the odd hiccup affected users across North America and Europe. We've asked Apple for comment. With that said, there's already a potential culprit... and it's a familiar one for iPhone users.
iPhone, Mac and iPad sales all increased this quarter
One day before Apple's most important product launch in years, the company has released its quarterly earnings info. As usual, Apple's fiscal Q4 doesn't contain a full three months of iPhone sales, so it's hard to tell how the launch of the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus affected the company, let alone the iPhone X. But, the company did manage to sell 46.7 million iPhones in the last three months, good for a slight 2.6 percent growth compared to a year ago.
Apple Watch Series 3 can stream up to seven hours of music over LTE
Yesterday, Apple released watchOS 4.1, allowing Apple Watch Series 3 users to stream music from their entire iCloud Music Library or through Apple Music rather than limiting them to tunes from playlists synced from their iPhones. And for Watch owners opting into the models with built-in LTE connectivity, the update now allows them to take advantage of these capabilities without having to tote around their iPhones. Now, as MacRumors reports, Apple has released a breakdown of how the Watch Series 3 battery fares during music streaming.
Apple watchOS 4.1 delivers phone-free music streaming
For many, the big allure of Apple Watch Series 3 has been the promise of phone-free music streaming on cellular data: you can listen to any song you like while you're out for a run, not just whatever's stored on the watch itself. And now you can see whether or not it lives up to the hype. Apple has released watchOS 4.1, which lets you stream either Apple Music or your iCloud Music Library directly from your wristwear. You'll need a Series 3 watch, of course, but you're no longer tethered to your iPhone if you demand fresh tunes at all times.
Life insurer offers members a $25 Apple Watch (if they earn it)
You might have heard of insurers discounting the Apple Watch before, but never quite like this. John Hancock is offering all its Vitality life insurance policy holders (including newcomers) an Apple Watch Series 3 for $25 so long as they use it and remain active. Specifically, you have to exercise enough to earn "Vitality Points" that lower or eliminate the monthly installments you'd otherwise be paying. Accrue 500 points per month for 2 years and the smartwatch is yours for no extra cost. That's potentially a big bargain, especially if you're paying for basic coverage -- John Hancock previously offered the not-quite-free wristwear solely to people with policies worth $2 million or more.
MLB fines coach for wearing an Apple Watch during a game
Officials at the MLB are definitely keen to remind teams that they aren't allowed to use wearable tech during games. The league has fined Arizona Diamondbacks coach Ariel Prieto for wearing his Apple Watch in the dugout during an October 4th game against the Colorado Rockies. The team is facing a collective fine, too. Investigators looking at Prieto's watch and phone were quick to stress that there was "no evidence" of cheating, but the mere presence of the wristwear was enough.
Apple watchOS update addresses LTE connectivity issues
Two weeks after Apple released watchOS 4.0, the company has pushed out an update that aims to fix a seriously annoying issue. It seems the brand-new Apple Watch Series 3 with the latest watchOS would tend to automatically switch from LTE to WiFi hotspots -- even unusable ones -- in efforts to save battery. The patch aims to prevent that specific model of watch from automatically connecting with those wireless providers.
Apple Watch Series 3 review: A good watch, a so-so phone replacement
With each generation, the Apple Watch's purpose has seemed to shift. The first one demonstrated what Apple thought a wearable should be, and the second tried to be the perfect workout companion. When it came time to build the Series 3, though, Apple took everything it got right with the fitness-friendly Series 2, polished it up, and threw an LTE radio inside. And lo, the $399 Apple Watch Series 3 became the first of a new breed of Apple devices -- it straddles the line between smartwatch and phone, with a dash of iPod thrown in for good measure. For those who'd rather play it safe, Apple also built a $329 Series 3 with just GPS and no cellular connection. In fact, that safe bet will probably pay off for most people -- the cellular Series 3 is a little too inconsistent for my taste.
Apple Watch Series 3 first look: So far, no LTE problems
The Apple Watch Series 3 started shipping today, and our definitive review is still in the works. In the meantime, we wanted to give you a taste of what life is like with the company's first LTE-connected watch, so when we got it in for review, we said eff it: let's use nothing but the Watch all day. I was going to respond to every text, email and Slack message from my wrist, use it for listening to music on the subway and talk into it as much as I would with my iPhone. To be fair, Apple doesn't seem like a huge advocate of this idea -- it treats the Series 3 as an occasional substitute for an iPhone rather than a day-to-day replacement. That said, this is the first Apple Watch with cellular connectivity. How could we not try this?
Apple's fitness-focused watchOS 4 is available for download
As you might have guessed, iOS 11 isn't the only treat Apple has in store for its mobile device owners. The tech giant has also released watchOS 4, a major update to the Apple Watch that focuses on the health-conscious crowd. It includes many more workout types, lets you switch activities in mid-workout and will even sync with gym machines to provide consistent data. Also, heart rate monitoring is taking giant strides forward -- watchOS now provides a more detailed history of your heart rate, offers a view of your heart rate from your watch face and will warn you if there's a spike in heart rate when you're inactive.
Red Sox reportedly cheated with a Fitbit, not an Apple Watch
Reports that the Boston Red Sox cheated in games with an Apple Watch may have been slightly off the mark. A source speaking to Boston Globe baseball writer Nick Cafardo claims that the team used a Fitbit device, not Apple's smartwatch. It's not certain which model would have been used, but the Blaze seems like a prime candidate given its smartwatch-like design. You don't need a high-priced smartwatch to get text messages, after all.
T-Mobile confirms the new Apple Watch will get LTE speeds
The Apple Watch Series 3 comes with built-in LTE, but as MacRumors pointed out, T-Mobile's add-on $10 wearable plan limits devices to 512kb/s connections. Tonight T-Mobile CEO John Legere announced its plan for the Watch will include unlimited 4G LTE, saying that "We always listen & act!" That should help keep things even among the US carriers for anyone picking up a new iPhone and/or wrist-worn accessory. Of course, according to a T-Mobile spokesperson, the most data-intensive app on the Watch is high quality Apple Music streaming, which tops out at about 256kbps.
Apple Watch with LTE will cost $10/month on US cellular carriers
Yesterday, Apple unveiled its Series 3 Watch, which will have cellular LTE capability. The question many had, though, was about the cost. Not of the watch itself (the cellular version starts at $399), but how much on top of that will you have to pay your carrier to use it? Now, we can give you a number. An Apple Watch Series 3 will cost you $10 per month on your cell plan, and it appears that all US carriers will offer three months of free service (a $30 credit). However, we're still waiting for confirmation from Sprint.
Watch the iPhone 8 event in 13 minutes
As expected, today's event at Apple's new Steve Jobs Theater was jam-packed. Three brand-new iPhone models, a new Apple Watch and a 4K Apple TV were the news of the day, and the whole event was nearly two hours long. Don't have that much time to watch the entire keynote? We've got you covered with this supercut, showing all the highlights of the day. Don't worry: We skipped over that semi-painful chat about Apple's retail stores -- sorry, I mean Town Squares.
Apple Watch Series 3 hands-on: The war for your wrist goes wireless
You didn't think this show was just about iPhones, did you? Apple also pulled back the curtain on its 3rd-generation Apple Watch, which is... well, exactly what we expected. The physical differences between this thing and earlier models aren't much to write home about, aside from the nifty red dot on the digital crown. The good news is that means all the older watch bands will work with the Series 3, and Apple has some nice new ones you'll see in our pictures as well.
Apple iPhone 8 event by the numbers
It was a momentous day at Apple's new campus, where the company revealed its fall product lineup on the tenth anniversary of the first iPhone's release. Apple showed off its cellular-enabled Watch Series 3, a 4K Apple TV, a pair of flashy new iPhone 8s, and the ridiculously decadent iPhone X. Numbers -- because what's an extra $300? Follow all the latest news from Apple's iPhone event here!
Apple's AirPower tech wirelessly charges multiple devices at once
Apple isn't just adding Qi wireless charging to its latest iPhones; it's trotting out a charging standard of its own. AirPower is built in partnership with Qi, but can top up multiple devices at once. At the September 12th presentation, Apple illustrated AirPower topping up an iPhone X, an Apple Watch and AirPods (with a new charging case) all at once. That's more than a little handy if you're traveling and would rather not lug around multiple adapters and cables. However, you'll have to wait to try it out.
Apple details new heart-tracking features for Watch
Apple is expanding the health-monitoring features of its Watch line with a focus on the heart. The Apple Watch is getting an improved heart-rate monitoring system that allows users to raise their wrists to see their heart rates and fresh metrics, among a raft of other new features. The Watch will also notify wearers if their heart rate jumps up when they're not actually exercising, signaling a potential problem.
Apple Watch Series 3 gains LTE for $399
Just a year after the Apple Watch Series 2 was launched onto an unsuspecting public, Apple has updated its iconic timepiece once again. The Apple Watch Series 3 shares a similar case to its forebear, but most crucially, comes with an optional built-in LTE radio. That means that users can now make calls to their friends without the use of their smartphone, letting you finally live all of those Babylon 5 fantasies.
