Last month, we heard of the Withings ScanWatch Horizon, which so far has only been available in Europe. At the time of that writing, there was no indication that the ScanWatch Horizon would launch here in the US, but now Withings has provided an update on that front. The ScanWatch will indeed be launching here in the US following FDA approval of its ECG and SpO2 features.
Today Amazon launched Amazon Halo View, a fitness band with a touchscreen display. This new device takes what the original Halo Band was and adds a display. This device is made to be as inexpensive as possible while still allowing the functionality of a fitness band that has a color touchscreen.
Smart fitness bands are a dime a dozen these days, but Fitbit's name still stands at the top. Offering more features than you can probably remember, Fitbit's advanced trackers can now do more than just monitor your activity. With the Fitbit Charge 5, the Google-owned company is offering a more holistic overview of your health even during those times you shouldn't be active at all. The wearable is now finally available for purchase, but there are a few caveats you might want to take note of before buying one immediately.
As much as it wants people to keep using its devices, Apple knows that physical and mental health is crucial to keeping its customers happy (enough to keep on using those devices). The company has invested a lot in health and fitness products, best exemplified by the Apple Watch. Of course, that isn't the extent of Apple's well-being campaign, and upcoming additions to its Fitness+ subscription service aims to not only expand its geographical reach but also expand beyond physical health to mental health.
WHOOP is a self-described human performance company that has revealed its next-generation technology. The technology includes WHOOP 4.0, a digital fitness and health coach providing athletes with insights whenever and wherever they are. The company has also revealed WHOOP Body, which is a smart apparel line featuring Any-Wear Technology.
There has been renewed vigor in the Wear OS ecosystem party thanks to the announcement of the big Wear OS upgrade soon and partly due to the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, the first and so far only to use Wear OS 3. That excitement, however, was quickly doused by the cold reality that not all smartwatches will be updated to Wear OS 3, though, to some extent, that wasn't totally unexpected, even if completely disappointing. What is unexpected and puzzling, however, is the software support between Wear OS versions, as exemplified not just by Google but also by Strava.
Strava, a fitness app that makes it easy to track your running and cycling sessions, has made a key safety feature free for all users. Going forward, anyone who uses the activity tracking app can enable Beacon, a tool that will share the user's real-time location with the people they choose. This makes it easier for partners, parents, and friends to seek help if something goes wrong.
Celebrity Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson is back with another pair of headphones made for people who want to block out other noises while they're at the gym. The new model of over-ear training headphones features a design similar to the pair introduced in 2018, bringing expected tech upgrades from audio company JBL.
In what is a surprising and frustrating twist, researchers with the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology and the University of Roehampton have found that activity doesn't have the same effect on weight loss in obese individuals as it does in people who have a normal BMI. Put simply, exercising causes the body to burn fewer calories when resting later on.
If you purchased the original Peloton Bike when it was released, you likely dropped $2,245 USD. If you waited until Peloton released the Bike+ in September of 2020, you could've had the original Peloton Bike for a price of $1,895. Now, after Peloton revealed some relatively poor earnings results (F4Q21) here at the tail end of August, 2021, the price of the original Peloton Bike has been cut again - by a significant margin.
After a summer of controversy and recalls, Peloton announced today that it will launch the Peloton Tread in the United States, Canada, and the UK later this month. While the Tread+ was the subject of a lot of headlines over the summer thanks to its recall, the standard Tread (which was available only as part of small preview launches in some regions) was recalled right alongside it because its touchscreen could detach from the main unit in some cases. That flaw, it seems, has been sorted out, allowing Peloton to launch the treadmill on a larger scale.
After a rather awkward start, it seems that smartwatches have more or less become staple accessories these days. That said, some still prefer a less conspicuous but equally advanced wearable that can keep up with the most important things in their lives. Fitness trackers are still a thing, and Fitbit remains at the top of that market. Not everybody has been happy with the latest Fitbit Charge 4, however, but it seems that the company will be making up for it with the upcoming Fitbit Charge 5.