Apple Health

This week Benjamin and Zac share a quick review of the Smart Folio cover for the new iPad Pro, talk about Apple Music coming soon to Amazon’s Echo speakers, recent iPhone XR discounts and Apple’s marketing strategies, the launch of the Apple Clear Case for iPhone XR, the 18W USB-C charger, and lots of software updates and new features including iOS 12.1.1 and FaceTime fixes, HomePod in China, dual SIM in the US, and the new ECG app on Apple Watch Series 4, plus much more.

9to5Mac Happy Hour is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play Music, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

Sponsored by ZUGU Case: Check out ZUGU’s new Muse case for Apple’s 2018 iPad Pro and enter our 12.9-inch iPad Pro giveaway below.

Sponsored by Atlassian’s OpsGenie: Opsgenie empowers Dev & Ops teams to plan for service disruptions and stay in control during incidents. Get a free company account for up to 5 team members, forever.

Expand
Expanding
Close

When people ask me what’s different about the new Apple Watch Series 4, my immediate answer is simply the design. There’s way more to Apple Watch Series 4 than its appearance, but the way it looks is arguably the one difference that anyone can appreciate.

The design isn’t so different that Series 4 feels like something different than the Apple Watch on your wrist though. It’s absolutely the biggest external change to Apple Watch since the original, but I’ve encountered a number of existing Apple Watch users who can’t immediately pinpoint what’s different.

I think that’s partly because the first three Apple Watches pulled off a great illusion: blending a thick black bezel with deep black elements using the OLED display. If you’re very familiar with the actual confines of the previous screen, the new rounded corner-to-corner display feels like a serious breakthrough.

While design is a major advancement on Apple Watch Series 4, it’s the features that you can’t see and may never need that matter the most.

watchOS 5.1.2 for Apple Watch is now available. For Apple Watch Series 4 customers, the update unlocks the promised ECG app that captures a live electrocardiogram using the Apple Watch heart rate sensor and Digital Crown. The new watchOS update also includes new Apple app complication options on the new Infograph and Infograph Modular watch faces and more.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Apple Watch Series 4 is getting the hotly anticipated ECG feature today. The ECG app will appear for customers using Apple Watch in the United States, after updating to watchOS 5.1.2 (releasing later today). The 5.1.2 update will also include irregular heart rate notifications for Apple Watch Series 1 through Series 4.

To take an ECG, users simply place their finger on the digital crown and wait for 30 seconds whilst the Watch scans the electrical impulses in your finger.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Health data from the iPhones of both a killer and his victim provided crucial evidence in a murder case.

The combined data proved that the killer’s story about how his wife died was a lie, and saw him convicted and sentenced to at least 30 years …

Expand
Expanding
Close

When announcing the new electrocardiogram (ECG) feature for Apple Watch Series 4 back at its September event, Apple only shared that it would be released “later this year.” Now, a new report says that the ECG app on Apple Watch will arrive with the public release of watchOS 5.1.2.

Expand
Expanding
Close

The Wall Street Journal reports today that Apple is in talks with the Department of Veterans Affairs to offer electronic health record access to military veterans. This comes as Apple continues its push into the health industry with platforms like HealthKit, ResearchKit, and Health Records.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Niantic has announced a new feature called Adventure Sync that’s coming soon to Pokemon Go on iOS and Android. Adventure Sync will use Apple Health and Google Fit activity data to credit players with distance traveled in the real world for hatching eggs and earning candy — even when Pokemon Go is not running.

Update 11/1: This post has been updated with information about the Adventure Sync feature rollout and how it works.

Expand
Expanding
Close

An Apple Watch can often provide useful heart-rate data on its owner, but one quick-thinking Apple intern actually strapped his watch onto a fellow passenger when she collapsed during an airline flight …

The incident actually persuaded the intern that he wanted to go to medical school – where he went on to create an ebook for brain tumor patients …

Expand
Expanding
Close

If you’re trying to keep tabs on your caffeine intake, the task just got easier – thanks to a clever link-up between Apple’s Health app and a smart mug …

Expand
Expanding
Close

Apple is donating 1,000 Apple Watches to help university researchers gain a better understanding of eating disorders such as binge eating or the more specific bulimia nervosa …

Expand
Expanding
Close

When Apple launched the Apple Watch Series 4, American Heart Association president Dr. Ivor Benjamin said that he was inspired by ‘the life-saving potential’ of the device. A paramedic has now chimed in with a detailed look at ‘how the Apple Watch Series 4 will and won’t save lives’ …

Expand
Expanding
Close

It’s Apple Watch upgrade season for a lot of people which means deciding what to do with old models. Should you resell, gift, throw it in a drawer, or repurpose it?

Turning your old Apple Watch into a dedicated sleep tracker is a great way to get a little more mileage out of your original purchase. Take these steps to make sure the experience isn’t a nightmare.

Expand
Expanding
Close