Men’s Health got a behind the scenes look at the fitness lab where Apple fine-tunes the Apple Watch algorithms that track your health and fitness. Like so many things Apple does, the numbers are staggering. According to Jay Blahnik, Apple’s director of fitness for health technologies:
‘Our lab has collected more data on activity and exercise than any other human performance study in history…. Over the past five years, we’ve logged 33,000 sessions with over 66,000 hours of data, involving more than 10,000 unique participants.’ A typical clinical trial enrolls fewer than a hundred participants.
Men’s Health also takes a look at the motivational messages coming to watchOS 4 and talked to Blahnik about the thinking behind the feature:
“We wanted to really make it easier for people to encourage each other, as well as smack-talk when the moment calls for it,” says Blahnik. “That’s why we have phrases like ‘Shazam’ and ‘You’re on fire.’ I share my activity with about 20 people, and whenever I see what someone else has done, it spurs me to train a little harder. It’s also a fun way to stay in touch.”
The refinements that Apple has made to watchOS 4 seem minor in print, but having tried the beta for about a month, I’ve been pleasantly surprised at the impact they’ve had, especially with respect to the fitness features of the Watch. Now more than ever, it feels like Apple has figured out what the Watch does best and is putting all its wood behind those arrows.
Question: One of the most frequently used applications and one of the seemingly most restrictive is email. I want to be able to compose messages that include bullet or numbered lists, different colors for words, different fonts and font sizes, and paragraph justification (left, center, right). Airmail has some options but brings a host of...
Serial Reader Serial Reader takes public domain classic books and breaks them into installments that can be read in about 20 minutes. You can choose from over 400 books, which are delivered daily. I particularly like the care and attention that has gone into the design of the books. They look great and are...
Red Pandas Cuddly animated red pandas are cute, and your messages probably need more cute. This is a modestly-sized sticker pack, but every one of them is a fluffy, red ball of adorableness that will cheer up your friends and family. Cat Life I feel like there hasn’t been a great sticker pack dedicated...
As first reported by Marques Brownlee, Apple has announced a media event for September 12, 2017 at 10:00 am. The event will be held at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino.
Based on widespread speculation, Apple is expected to introduce new iPhones, including a redesigned model with an edge-to-edge OLED screen. Rumors in recent weeks also point to the introduction of a 4K-compatible Apple TV, a new LTE-enabled Apple Watch, and perhaps other products.
In addition to hardware, Apple is expected to announce release dates for updates to its operating systems, including iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra. As in the past, Apple should release a Golden Master of iOS 11 and High Sierra shortly after the event with a public release date within about 10 days.
The market for smart home devices continues to heat up with new products and updates being released almost every day. Of note today are a trio of announcements:
- Nest released its Thermostat E smart thermostat, a cheaper version of its flagship product made of white plastic with a frosted glass surface. The new device begins shipping tomorrow for $169, a nice price reduction for anyone who want a thermostat that fades into the background more than the $249 Nest thermostat does. Unfortunately, neither device supports HomeKit.
- Philips Hue Starter Kits gained another bulb. Instead of three bulbs, the starter kits now comes with four bulbs for $99 (White), $149 (White Ambiance), and $199 (Color) plus a hub, making them a slightly better value for anyone who want to get started with lighting automation. Philips is also adding the ability to sync with movies, games, and music soon.
- Libratone, announced Alexa and AirPlay 2 support for its Zipp and Zipp Mini WiFi and Bluetooth-enabled home speakers. Unlike the Echo, Alexa can only be invoked by pressing a button on the Zipp speakers, which do not have a persistent microphone connection. AirPlay 2 is expected to be added as a firmware update after iOS 11 is released by Apple.
Comcast has had me between a rock and a hard place for a while. For years I subscribed to DirecTV for video and got Internet access from AT&T, but I finally moved to Comcast because it has the fastest Internet access available in my area by far. I willingly signed up for the handcuffs...
The last update to Ramp Champ added retina graphics – for the iPhone 4. The beloved iOS arcade game sat untouched for nearly four years, until now. An update released yesterday by SocketFace Games adds 64-bit support, ensuring iOS 11 compatibility, along with several other changes including:
- Additional retina graphics
- Updated physics
- Updated sounds and music
- iCloud syncing
- Game Center leaderboards and achievements
- Force Touch icon support
Some classic games will inevitably be lost as a result of the transition to 64-bit apps, but it’s heartening to see some of the very best classics updated in recent weeks.
The update to Ramp Champ is available on the App Store.
On this week’s episode of AppStories, we revisit subscription pricing models in the wake of Ulysses’ switch to subscriptions and discuss what Apple’s transition from 32-bit to 64-bit apps means for the App Store and consumers.
Sponsored by:
https://staging.macstories.net/podcasts/appstories/episodes/20/embed/
