Victoria Song

Senior Reviewer, Wearable Tech

Withings adds temperature tracking to the new ScanWatch 2

Victoria SongAug 31, 2023

The Wear OS 4 rollout has begun for Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 5

Wear OS 4 debuted earlier this month on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6, and now it’s coming via a One UI 5 Watch update to the Galaxy Watch 5 series in the US. In a nutshell, Wear OS 4 adds cloud backups and supposedly improves battery life. (Meanwhile, you can read about the One UI 5 Watch updates here.)

Right now, it appears this is limited to the Galaxy Watch 5 series though 9to5 Google says it’ll also come later to the Galaxy Watch 4 watches. We just don’t know how much later.

Wear OS 4 is now rolling out to the Galaxy Watch 5 series

[9to5Google]

Victoria SongAug 30, 2023

The new Apple Watches might feature 3D-printed parts.

A new Bloomberg report says Apple is tinkering with 3D printing for the stainless steel version of the Apple Watch Series 9. The main goal is to purportedly streamline production, and if things go well, Apple may consider using 3D printing for its other products.

The report claims that Apple’s been secretly developing this tech for three years, but it’s not a given that the first Series 9 shipments will actually feature the tech. Earlier in June, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo noted that some of the Ultra 2’s titanium parts would also be manufactured via 3D printing. (Bloomberg says this won’t happen until 2024, however.)

Ultimately this would be a small number of Apple Watches sold. Most people opt for the less expensive aluminum models, with stainless steel making up roughly 10 percent of total units.

Apple Watch Series 9: Apple (AAPL) Tests 3D Printing in Device Production

[Bloomberg]

Victoria SongAug 30, 2023

You can now download an app to run a 5K with Thor and Loki.

Marvel’s new running app — Marvel Move — is now available. It’s made in partnership with Six to Start, or the folks behind Zombies, Run! Basically, you get to listen to audio stories featuring Marvel heroes (and you) as you run. It’s sort of like a mix between a podcast and an interactive game.

I haven’t gotten a chance to try it out for myself yet, but I’ll probably check out the 5K Asgard training with Thor and Loki. I’m curious to see how well it works — especially since Zombies, Run! is how I started running a decade ago. If you want to learn more, I got a chance to speak with Adrian Hon, Six to Start’s CEO and co-founder, back when the app was announced.

Victoria SongAug 30, 2023

Our first glimpse (probably) of the Pixel Watch 2.

Google did it again. For a hot second, the Pixel 8 Pro and what appears to be the Pixel Watch 2 popped up on a Google Store page. While it’s pretty clear this is the Pixel 8 Pro, it’s hard to definitively say this is the Pixel Watch 2 because of the angle. I’ve been holding up my Pixel Watch next to this picture for a good while and it does appear thinner and flatter than the current watch.

It probably is! It’d make sense since we already got an FCC filing. And while this isn’t the best angle, I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw a few more leaks before Google makes everything official.

A man in glasses and a knit cap talks on a cellular phone, described by Google as the Pixel 8 Pro in porcelain.

Image: Google

The Garmin Venu 3 series will finally give you credit for naps

Victoria SongAug 30, 2023

Victoria SongAug 28, 2023

The CIA can’t use Fitbits for annual step challenge.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Fitbits and other high-tech devices are a no-no for counting steps in the CIA’s annual Pedometer challenge. Apparently, internet-connected gadgets simply aren’t allowed inside CIA buildings. Instead, the agency uses old-school pedometers clipped to the waist and punny team names.

This is a fun read and reminds me of the good old days when I used to test a fitness tracker’s step count accuracy against a Yamax Digi-Walker SW-200.

The Spy Who Came in From the Cold and Then Took 50,000 Additional Steps

[WSJ]

Victoria SongAug 25, 2023

Withings finally got FDA clearance for its super high-tech scale.

At CES this year, Withings announced its Body Scan Connected Health Station. It’s arguably the most extra smart scale to exist with six-lead EKG and atrial fibrillation detection, segmented body composition, electrodermal activity sensors to detect nerve health from your feet sweat, and the ability to estimate your vascular age.

Now that the FDA’s cleared the product, Withings says it’ll go on sale this fall for a whopping $399.95. Would you use this scale?