News

watchOS 7 previews new workouts, sleep tracking, and better hand-washing

Rolling out in the fall

Published

on

Apple Watch SE

Who says smartwatches are dead? Despite the dwindling number of competitors, the Apple Watch is still alive and kicking. At WWDC 2020, Apple unveiled the latest innovations in the coming watchOS 7, featuring innovations that will help you sleep and wash your hands properly.

Sharable watch faces

Naturally, a smartwatch user’s watch face will depend on their individual lifestyles. A surfer will not enjoy the same functionalities as a new mom, for example. watchOS 7 will introduce new ways to customize and to share your watch faces. New complications, like a tachymeter for sports aficionado and a breastfeeding tracker for moms, will open the Apple Watch for different users.

Apple will provide new official watch faces for now: Glow Baby for moms and Dawn Patrol for surfers, for example. However, users can share their own customizations to other users through Messages or Mail.

Sleep tracking

Finally, Apple has a solution for your sleeping habits. However, instead of just tracking how you sleep, watchOS 7 will also help optimize your pre-bedtime routine. Wind Down, the new feature, can automgadatically turn off notifications, operate smart home devices, and play specific playlists or a meditation app.

As for sleeping time itself, the update can detect micro-movements to accurately measure periods of waking and sleeping. The watch will then report the user’s sleep patterns weekly or monthly.

New workouts

As the watch’s most used function, Workout is getting some interesting additions, including new workout types: Core Training, Dance, Functional Strength Training, and Cooldown. The Dance function, for example, sampled the four most popular fitness dances: Bollywood, cardio dance, hip-hop, and Latin.

Improved Noise

In watchOS, Apple introduced a new function that measured a location’s ambient sound level, helping users reduce noise pollution. In watchOS 7, the company is improving this app to measure how loud your media is. If you’re listening to music at dangerously high volumes for concerningly long periods of time, the watch will alert you to turn your volume down.

Washing for 20 seconds

Especially useful nowadays, watchOS 7 will start notifying you if you did a good job washing your hands. Using motion sensors and machine learning, the watch can detect your method and your duration. If you wash your hands for less than the prescribed 20 seconds, it will tell you to continue washing.

watchOS 7 will roll out later this year. The update will support the Apple Watch Series 3 onward paired with the iPhone 6s or later.

SEE ALSO: The Apple Watch Series 5 is here!

News

Next iPhone might get rid of the Action Button

Both functions will be in one button instead.

Published

on

In a world with a love-hate relationship with extra buttons on a phone, Apple has gone to the deeper end and included two buttons in the latest iPhones: the Action Button and the Camera Control. Next year, Apple might consolidate the two buttons into one, ridding itself of the Action Button.

According to a Weibo leak from Instant Digital, Apple will merge the two buttons starting with next year’s iPhones. Though technically a new button in itself, the merged version will, based on the leak, retain more Camera Control than the Action Button.

Of course, both functions can coexist in the same button. The Camera Control activates with a single press, while the Action Button needs a longer press. In the merged button, a single press can still open the camera and a longer press can activate whatever the user sets it to.

Both buttons have had a storied past. The Action Button came in 2023, replacing the Ring/Silent Switch. Meanwhile, the Camera Control debuted a year later, offering control over the camera with a capacitive button. The current iterations retain both buttons on the same phone.

Personally, as someone used to creating content, the Camera Control button is ultimately a boon to get those shots quickly while in the moment. Retaining that functionality is definitely worthwhile.

Continue Reading

Enterprise

NVIDIA CEO admits to having an affair with alleged Chinese spy

The company is currently investigating the allegations.

Published

on

In one of the craziest headlines this year, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang has admitted to having an affair with an alleged Chinese spy.

Over the weekend, a heavy allegation claimed that the NVIDIA CEO had a relationship with a person actively involved in Chinese intelligence. Since Huang is involved in business globally, the accusation isn’t a light one. In fact, it’s serious enough that Huang admitted to the affair late this past Sunday.

In an internal letter reported by Associated Press, the CEO acknowledged the existence of the affair with a business executive. Of note, Huang did not confirm the executive’s ties to Chinese intelligence. NVIDIA, however, will conduct its own investigations regarding the allegations. Despite the allegations, Huang will remain as the company’s CEO. The company is also confident that the alleged spy did not compromise NVIDIA’s secrets.

According to The New York Times, the executive, Alice Huang, was reportedly feeding information back to Beijing, despite being an executive of the Singapore-based Megaspeed, which is already a serious customer of NVIDIA.

Now, NVIDIA is currently in a prime position when it comes to the industry today. Formerly a huge proponent of gaming peripherals, the company is now one of the biggest names in AI hardware, allotting a lot of its products for data centers. Huang’s allegations come at an interesting time.

Continue Reading

News

Sony revives classic Walkman headphones with USB-C MDR-3R

Iconic 1980s headphones

Published

on

Sony MDR-3R

Sony is bringing back one of its iconic Walkman-era headphones with the MDR-3R. The new wired headphones modernize the original MDR-3 with USB-C connectivity and updated features.

Introduced in 1979, the original Walkman and MDR-3 headphones helped popularize portable music listening. The MDR-3R carries that legacy forward with a familiar design and modern conveniences.

The headphones retain the original’s lightweight, open-ear construction. They also feature interchangeable blue and orange ear pads. Sony even gives the packaging and instruction manual a design inspired by the original model.

The MDR-3R connects to compatible smartphones and other devices through USB-C. Users can listen to music without charging, pairing, or installing updates. A built-in microphone and in-line remote also make calls and playback controls more convenient.

Sony equipped the headphones with the same 23mm driver units as the original MDR-3. The company also tuned them to closely reproduce the original’s sound signature. They deliver balanced audio, natural vocals, and the emotional richness associated with Sony headphones.

Sony MDR-3R gets a Stranger Things edition

Sony is also launching a special MDR-3R Stranger Things Edition. The collaboration celebrates the 1980s inspiration shared by the Walkman era and Netflix’s popular series.

Inspired by Max’s signature headphone style and the mysterious Upside Down, the special edition features exclusive design details. These include an engraved Stranger Things logo and custom packaging.

Sony also considered environmental impact when developing the headphones. Approximately 25 percent of the plastic used in the product comes from recycled materials. The packaging is also plastic-free.

Price and availability

Sony has opened preorders for the MDR-3R and MDR-3R Stranger Things Edition. Availability and pricing vary by market.

In the United States, the standard MDR-3R costs US$59.99, while the Stranger Things Edition costs US$79.99. The standard model is available through Sony and authorized retailers.

In Singapore, both models will launch in December 2026. The standard MDR-3R costs SG$89, while the Stranger Things Edition costs SG$129. Both are exclusive to Sony Stores and Sony Store Online.

In the Philippines, Sony has yet to announce local pricing and availability. Based on US pricing, the headphones would cost approximately PHP 3,500 for the standard edition and PHP 4,700 for the Stranger Things Edition, before local taxes and retail adjustments.

Continue Reading

Trending