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Apple Watch - page 32

Oppo Watch is a shameless ripoff of Apple Watch

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Oppo Watch looks very familiar
Oppo Watch looks almost identical to one made by a certain rival based in Cupertino.
Photo: Oppo

Chinese phone maker Oppo gave the world a first glimpse of its upcoming smart watch. And it’s a total Apple Watch clone.

Apple dominates the wearables market, and Oppo seems like it wants to borrow some of its thunder.

Why you shouldn’t skip leg day (and how Apple Watch can help)

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If you want to get in shape, definitely don't skip leg day
Don't skip leg day or you'll regret it.
Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac

Bodybuilders have given us more than their fair share of memes. Who can forget “sun’s out guns out” or “do you even lift, bro?” and one of the all-time weightlifting classics, “Don’t skip leg day.” But unless you’re a dedicated gym rat, you might be wondering what exactly “leg day” is and why you shouldn’t skip it.

Let’s take a closer look at leg day — and how Apple Watch and various apps can help you build great “wheels” (bodybuilder talk for “legs”).

Bag HomePod for under $200, MacBook Air for $749 [Deals & Steals]

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DS-Mar-2-20
And get Apple's official Clear Case for iPhone 11 at 18% less.
Photos: Apple, Twelve South

Apple’s brilliant HomePod speaker is back to its lowest price yet. Best Buy is matching its big Black Friday discount by slashing $100 off the usual price for a limited time only.

That’s just one of the awesome offers in today’s Deals & Steals roundup. Other highlights include:

Find all these and more in today’s Deals & Steals roundup.

Apple Research app taps AirPods Pro for hearing study

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The Ear Tip Fit Test on iPhone.
AirPods Pro can be used for science. SCIENCE!
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Apple Research, an application that lets users take part in groundbreaking medical studies, scored an update today to let participants share data from their AirPods Pro with the Apple Hearing Study. A new version of the associated Apple Watch app also promises battery life improvements.

Apple teams with Johnson & Johnson for 3-year heart study

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Heartline Study app
The Heartline Study app.
Screenshot: Apple App Store

Apple will team up with Johnson & Johnson to study whether the Apple Watch and its knack for alerting users to atrial fibrillation can reduce stroke risk in seniors 65 and older.

The Heartline Study will include a special iPhone app. Afib is a leading cause of stroke.

Nonprofit seeks old Apple Watches to donate to people in need

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App Home Screen Apple Watch Series 4
Recycle Health is a wearables charity working out of Tufts Medical School.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Have an old Apple Watch you want to donate to a good cause? Recycle Health, a nonprofit working out of Tufts Medical School, is collecting fitness-tracking wearables to donate to underserved populations.

These include homeless people, veterans, people in senior living homes, and intellectually disabled adults, in low-income communities. The hope is that the fitness-tracking devices could lead to “sustained behavior change” among those who need it.

Target employees leak inventory listings for new AirPods, Apple TV, iPod touch and more

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Target inventory photos
Are these soon-to-be-released Apple products, supposedly uncovered by Target employees?
Photo: 9to5Mac

Unnamed Target retail store employees are sharing details of what some believe are soon-to-be-released Apple updates using purported images of product listings from the companies retail inventory system.

The supposed new products include Apple AirPods X Generation, a 10.5-inch iPad, a new generation Apple TV, a new iPod touch and a series of new Apple Watch bands. 

Use the hidden autocomplete in Apple Watch’s Scribble to send text messages

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fountain pen
Autocomplete metaphor.
Photo: Aaron Burden/Unsplash

Unless you hate yourself, or you have an uncommonly close relationship with Siri, anytime you need to reply to a message on your Apple Watch, you pull out your iPhone. Scribble, the watch’s laborious handwriting-recognition input, is fine for very short replies, but it takes so long for anything else that it makes T9 text input look appealing.

But what if there was some kind of iPhone-esque Scribble autocomplete? What if I told you that this hidden feature is already there, and that you just never noticed it? Prepare to have your mind blown.

Apple moves production of some high-demand devices to Taiwan

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Apple logo on store
Apple has a backup plan.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Apple is shifting a portion of AirPods, iPad and Apple Watch production from China to Taiwan as the tech giant continues to deal with coronavirus-related delays in China.

The virus, called COVID-19, has forced Apple to diversity on the fly its China-reliant production model. Much of the country remains quarantined and restricted in travel, and Apple assembly and supply partners are unable to operate at full capacity.

watchOS 6.1.3 brings a heart-related bug fix

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watchOS 6.1.3 update is available now
If you live in Iceland, you need watchOS 6.1.3 right now.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The newly-released watchOS 6.1.3 fixes a significant bug, but only for the residents of Iceland. Still, Apple thinks it’s important enough to put out a software update primarily for this reason.

See in spring with stunning Speidel straps for Apple Watch

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Speidel-Watch-Store
Shop the latest lineup today.
Photo: Speidel/Cult of Mac

See in spring in style with these hot new Apple Watch bands from Speidel.

We’ve got stunning double tours, traditional leather straps, and premium stainless steel bracelets — all available today on the Cult of Mac Store. Prices start at just $19.95.

Apple Watch detects teen’s rare heart ailment

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Apple Watch heart rate monitor
An Apple Watch can constantly watch for problems with your heart.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

A 13-year-old Oklahoma boy sent a frightened text to his mother after his Apple Watch showed his heart rate was at 190 beats per minute while he was sitting still. But thanks to this warning — and a lengthy operation — he’s back to playing sports.

You can now stream Pandora from your Apple Watch without an iPhone

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Apple Watch Series 5 California Face
It could be one of many new faces.
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

The newest update to Pandora for Apple Watch gives you the ability to stream music without being connected to your iPhone.

The feature takes advantage of changes made in watchOS 6, which rolled out last fall, that allow third-party apps to stream audio on Apple Watch. Of course, you’ll need a device with LTE connectivity to enjoy it.

Strava finally adds support for Apple’s Workout app. But there’s a big but …

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Strava is ready to play nice with Apple
Strava is ready to play nice with Apple
Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac

Strava is a brilliant app for sharing your workouts and analyzing your fitness activity. But its Apple Watch app is not so great. That’s why I prefer to use Apple’s built-in Workout app and then view my data afterward on the Strava website.

The trouble is, up until now, the only way to do that was by relying on third-party apps such as HealthFit, which provide the missing link that syncs Apple’s workouts with Strava.

Strava has been promising to come up with a solution for years. And this week, the company finally delivered. It’s a huge step in the right direction, but I won’t be deleting HealthFit just yet. Here’s why.

Apple could be planning ‘AirPods Pro Lite’ for 2020

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AirPods Pro and Transparency Mode make for fine hearing aids.
AirPods Pro and Transparency Mode make for fine hearing aids.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Apple could be planning to introduce more affordable AirPods Pro buds. A new report claims Cupertino is in talks with suppliers in Taiwan over “AirPods Pro Lite,” which are expected to debut later this year.

It is believed Apple is also planning to shift production of other devices — including iPad, Apple Watch, and iMac — to Taiwan as the coronavirus epidemic continues to cause problems in China.

How to customize Apple Watch iMessage smart replies

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Change the lame Apple Watch smart replies by adding custom replies.
Change the lame smart replies on your Apple Watch.
Image: Apple

You know when you reply to a message on your Apple Watch, and it’s such a pain to write it out a letter at a time or to dictate your reply (only to have Siri mishear you)? The alternative is to use one of Apple Watch’s canned responses. Unfortunately, they all sound like your account got hacked, or that you don’t care about the sender enough to come up with a proper reply.

However, you can customize those replies to make them much more useful. And with one clever trick, you can make Apple Watch smart replies sound just like you really wrote them.

You should check your Apple Watch trends now [Cult of Mac Magazine 335]

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Check your Apple Watch Activity Trends: Find out how to decipher the data hiding behind the Activity app's new tab.
Find out how to decipher the data hiding behind the Activity app's new tab.
Cover: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

A new feature in the Activity app offers deep insights into progress you’re making on your personal fitness goals. Find out how to check your Activity Trends and decipher all that delicious workout data your Apple Watch is squirreling away.

You’ll find that how-to, along with new tips for Mac power users, in this week’s free issue of Cult of Mac Magazine. It also packs the week’s top Apple news, as well as a review of a new streaming service that basically turns your Mac into a powerful gaming PC. Download it now for a satisfying iPad read, or get the links to the week’s top stories below.

Get your Apple Watch and Strava in sync again with this essential app

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Strava is ready to play nice with Apple
Strava is ready to play nice with Apple
Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac

Before iOS 13, if you wanted to sync Apple Watch workout data with Strava, you had an excellent option: a brilliant third-party fitness app called HealthFit. Unfortunately, Apple’s strict new rules in iOS 13 broke the app’s syncing functionality, leaving Apple Watch-wearing members of the fitness social network in the cold.

Luckily, today’s HealthFit update brings the welcome return of this Strava-syncing capability. Cult of Mac has been testing a beta version of HealthFit 5.2.6 and can confirm that it works really well again. Strava sync is back and better than ever. Here’s what the new-and-improved fitness app can do for you.

Apple Watch saves life: How an alert saved his life

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photo of Texas native and Apple Watch user Brady Ogle
Brady Ogle loves his Apple Watch for many reasons.
Photo: Brady Ogle

Brady Ogle knew something was wrong with his body. It took the Apple Watch to confirm it.

24 hours after New Year’s Day, Ogle reported for work like any other workday at an AT&T store in Granbury, Texas, just south of Dallas. For the preceding three months, the 30-year-old hadn’t been feeling well. He visited his doctor but was told he might be suffering from a mild case of indigestion and to simply manage it from home with a proper diet.

Still, his symptoms kept preying on his mind. Something was wrong. He could feel it.

CarKey feature buried in iOS beta might let iPhones replace car keys

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A Tesla Watch app concept.
A concept design for an Apple Watch app designed to communicate with a Tesla.
Photo: Eleks Labs

Apple reportedly added code to iPhone and Apple Watch to let these devices function as car keys, giving users one less thing to constantly carry around.

The company began work on such a feature years ago, and supposedly how has finally reached the point where it’s building the feature into iOS and watchOS.

Why you should check your Apple Watch Activity Trends right now

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The only way is up. Are your Activity Trends pointing in the right direction?
The only way is up. Are your Activity Trends pointing in the right direction?
Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac

Apple Watch has always tracked your daily physical activity with its three iconic Activity rings. That’s great if you just want to focus on hitting your daily goals. But what if you want to see your progress over time?

iOS 13 solves this with Activity Trends, an all-new tab you’ll find in the Activity app on your iPhone. It provides an indispensable snapshot of how you’ve been doing. Trouble is, it takes 90 days to collect all your trend data. Which means if you checked when you first upgraded to iOS 13, there probably wasn’t much to see.

The good news is that it’s now well over 90 days since Apple released iOS 13. So your Apple Watch Activity Trends should finally be visible. Here’s how to make sense of them.

Apple boosts Apple Watch trade-in values for Heart Month

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watchOS 6 new features
Upgrading to the Series 5 just got a bit cheaper.
Photo: Apple

Apple is trying to entice people with an old Apple Watch to upgrade to a newer model with some new trade-in deals.

As part of its promotion for Heart Month, Apple increased the trade-in value for the Apple Watch Series 2 and will give you $100 off the purchase of an Apple Watch Series 5. Other models also received a trade-in value bump, but Apple Watch Series 4 owners might want to hold onto their units for a while longer.

These are the deals you can expect:

Pineapple leaves make for sweet, sustainable Apple Watch bands

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Mezando-Apple-Watch-band
Piñatex makes beautifully brilliant Apple Watch bands.
Photo: Mezando

Get fruity with one of Mezando’s magnificent Apple Watch bands. Made from pineapple leaves, they’re super-sustainable and available in a range of styles and color options.

They offer all the charm and durability of a leather strap, but without the obvious drawbacks.