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Bloomberg reports Apple is running an early 'technology investigation' into a screen-less fitness band, described as a thin fabric strap with a sensor-equipped computing module. Multiple prototypes reportedly exist, but any product would not launch before 2028. Apple has not commented; TechCrunch says it reached out for details.
At IFA Berlin 2026, Lexar showed its new Muse SSD, a drive just 3.8mm thick at its thickest point that tapers to 1mm at the edges. It comes in 512GB and 1TB capacities, offers up to 1,050 MB/s read and 1,000 MB/s write speeds, and uses a proprietary PogoPin connection with a magnetic SnapLink cable instead of USB-C. Lexar says it supports direct external ProRes 4K recording at up to 120 fps on compatible iPhones.
According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple has postponed work on a wearable AI pendant that would have included a camera and microphone to feed visual and audio data to Siri. The device was designed to be worn as a necklace or clipped to clothing, serving as an always-on companion to the iPhone. Apple is instead prioritizing AI features on Apple Watch, with AirPods featuring cameras and smart glasses reportedly planned for 2027.
Bloomberg reports Apple is building early prototypes of a screenless wearable with a thin fabric band and sensor-equipped module, aimed at competing with Whoop and Oura Ring. The project remains in an early technology-investigation stage and isn't expected to launch before 2028, if it ships at all. Executives including Eddy Cue and Tim Cook reportedly back the effort, with Cue pushing Apple's health team to borrow ideas from simpler, fitness-focused competitors since taking over health leadership last October.
After several days testing the Apple Watch Series 12, a reviewer highlights the new S11 chip as a major speed boost, especially noting Siri now runs smoothly under watchOS 27. The device also gains new health complications—Heart Rate, Daily Steps, and Readiness—thanks to an updated Health Sensing System, plus quicker charging that delivers up to 12 hours of battery from just 15 minutes on the charger.
Bloomberg reports Apple is prototyping a screenless fitness tracker with a fabric band and sensor-equipped module, similar to Whoop's wearables. The device is described as being in early development, with a possible release no earlier than 2028 if Apple proceeds. Whoop's existing products include a medical-grade EKG variant and batteries lasting over 14 days.
Apple's watchOS 27.2 beta 2, released to developers, brings back the App Switcher feature that had been removed in watchOS 27. Instead of the old double-click of the Digital Crown, users now activate it by pressing and holding the bottom of the screen while inside an app, then turning the crown to scroll through recent apps.
WhatsApp is rolling out an update that lets Apple Watch users react to messages with any emoji from watchOS's full library, organized into eight categories including Smileys, Nature, and Objects. Previously, reactions on the Apple Watch app were limited to six default emojis, requiring an iPhone for anything else. Tapping and holding a message still shows the six defaults, but a new picker offers recent emojis and the complete system set.
New code found in iOS 27.2 beta 2 shows Apple continuing development of an internal feature called AutoLock, which detects signals like sudden acceleration, loss of connection to a paired Apple Watch, or extended network dropout to guess that an iPhone has been snatched and lock it automatically. The code also reveals safeguards, including biometric checks, familiar-location detection, and a voting system where certain signals can veto a false lock trigger. The feature remains inactive and unavailable to users in this beta.
A CNET journalist testing the Apple Watch Series 4's ECG feature against a hospital-grade electrocardiogram unexpectedly had the device flag an irregular heartbeat in his own heart, matching the hospital's findings. Doctors later determined the anomaly was benign, likely caused by stress and sleep deprivation, but the moment shifted his view of the watch from a novelty gadget to a legitimate health tool. He later gave Apple Watches to his parents, and one flagged an issue that led to his father's diagnosis and treatment for a serious heart condition.
BLAVOR has released a 20000mAh Solar Power Bank aimed at fall camping and tailgating season. The device integrates four cables directly into its housing (two USB-C, one Lightning, one USB-A) alongside three extra ports, letting users charge up to six devices without packing separate cables, plus a solar panel and a top-mounted Qi wireless pad for iPhone and Apple Watch.
Apple's new Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 use a Health Sensing System that samples heart rate every five seconds instead of every five minutes, requiring the optical sensor's green light to flash almost continuously. To avoid that light being visible in dark settings, Theater Mode automatically slows heart rate readings back to five-minute intervals, but a new setting lets users override this and keep continuous measurements.