GoKawiil
Tech News
Google has launched its screen-less Fitbit Air fitness tracker in India at ₹13,999 (about $146), compared to $99 in the US. The device tracks heart rate, A-fib alerts, blood oxygen, sleep stages and more, and goes on sale October 2 via Google Store, Flipkart, Croma, Reliance Digital and Vijay Sales, bundled with a free three-month Google Health premium membership.
A review of the fourth-generation Apple Watch Ultra reports incremental upgrades over its predecessor, including more accurate health sensors and extended battery life. The reviewer notes the device doesn't introduce a radically new design or feature set but refines existing capabilities.
WIRED's 2026 smartwatch guide picks the Apple Watch Series 12, priced at $399, as the best option for iPhone owners, and Google's $400 Pixel Watch 5 as the top choice for Android users. The review highlights the Series 12's new Health Sensing System, S11 chip, more frequent heart rate and HRV tracking, a new Readiness score, and faster charging, while noting battery life remains largely unchanged.
Engineers are developing thermoelectric generators designed to capture heat naturally radiating from human skin and convert it into electricity for small wearable devices. The technology targets low-power, screenless gadgets rather than power-hungry devices like the Apple Watch, which would still require conventional charging.
Qualcomm has introduced the Snapdragon Sound Elite Gen 2, a chip aimed at powering next-generation earbuds, headphones and audio glasses with on-device AI. The company says it doubles the AI processing capability of its predecessor, the Snapdragon S7 Gen 1 Sound Platform, and supports features like real-time translation and sound amplification for hearing-impaired users. The chip also includes aptX Lossless audio support, Qualcomm's XPAN wireless technology, and Wi-Fi 6E connectivity.
Meta's annual Connect conference is approaching, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg expected to present updates centered on artificial intelligence and wearable devices, particularly smart glasses. Reports suggest the company may unveil a camera-free version of its glasses amid ongoing concerns about users covertly recording others.
A new analysis argues that earbuds, already worn daily by millions, are better positioned than smart glasses to host always-available conversational AI assistants. The piece contends that audio-first wearables offer a more natural and less socially awkward way to interact with AI throughout the day.
A new wave of screenless wearable devices is gaining popularity as alternatives to mainstream smartwatches like the Apple Watch, Galaxy Watch, and Pixel Watch. These minimalist gadgets focus on health tracking without a display, appealing to users who want fitness and biometric data without the distractions of a screen.
Apple's new Series 12 and Ultra 4 look identical to prior models but pack a new S11 chip with a secure microphone-processing exclave and a redesigned health sensor array for more frequent, accurate, and efficient readings. Larger EKG electrodes and upgraded photodiodes ship now, while several AI-driven health features remain unavailable until later this year.
Retailers are discounting the Pixel Watch 5 LTE model by roughly 20%, or about $100 off, just weeks after its launch. The smartwatch includes heart-rate tracking, over 50 workout modes, cellular connectivity, and fast charging.
Researchers are increasingly using wearable devices—smartwatches, wristbands, patches and rings—to collect real-time physiological data such as heart rate, blood pressure and activity in clinical trials. Specialists say advances in sensor technology and AI could enable decentralized trials where participants are monitored remotely, with dosing personalized to individual data rather than fixed protocols. Current devices already track metrics via accelerometers, gyroscopes and photoplethysmography, with future versions potentially measuring biomarkers like glutamate and cortisol.
Wuyoh Sui, a digital-health researcher at Western University in Canada, examined how smart watches and rings are increasingly used in scientific studies of exercise, sleep and chronic disease. He points out that these commercial devices rely on opaque AI algorithms whose data handling is difficult to audit, raising ethical questions for researchers who adopt them.