Articles tagged with "smartwatches"
Pebble founder says his new company is ‘not a startup’
Pebble founder Eric Migicovsky is relaunching his smartwatch company with a fundamentally different approach, emphasizing sustainability and profitability over rapid growth typical of startups. Unlike the original Pebble, which scaled quickly to around 180 employees and faced significant challenges such as overproduction and financial strain leading to layoffs and an eventual exit, the new company, Core Devices, operates with a small team of five and sells directly to consumers without outside funding. Migicovsky stresses that this reboot is not about creating a revolutionary new product but rather reviving an "old idea" with a focused, limited vision tailored to niche users like himself—tech enthusiasts who value a fun, casual smartwatch companion rather than a full smartphone replacement or fitness tracker. Key lessons from the original Pebble experience have shaped this new direction. Migicovsky acknowledges that overestimating demand and producing excess inventory caused financial difficulties, and that the company lost sight of its original vision by trying to expand into areas like health tracking. The new Pebble watches
IoTsmartwatcheswearable-technologyhardware-developmentconsumer-electronicsstartup-strategiesproduct-manufacturingA guide to choosing the right Apple Watch
The article provides a detailed guide to choosing among Apple’s latest smartwatch models released in 2026: the Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch SE 3, and Apple Watch Ultra 3. The Ultra 3, priced at $799, targets a niche market of athletes and high-end users, while most consumers will likely choose between the more affordable Apple Watch SE 3 ($249) and the Series 11 ($399). The SE 3 offers substantial upgrades over its predecessor, including the new S10 chip, an always-on display, fast charging, improved durability, and advanced health features such as a wrist-temperature sensor for enhanced sleep tracking and ovulation insights. This makes the SE 3 a strong value proposition, particularly for first-time buyers and younger users. Both the Series 11 and SE 3 share many core features: they run on the same S10 chip, have always-on Retina displays, support essential health monitoring (heart rate notifications, irregular rhythm alerts, fall and crash
IoTsmartwatcheswearable-technologyhealth-monitoringApple-WatchS10-chipwearable-sensorsA guide to choosing the right Apple Watch
Apple's 2025 smartwatch lineup includes the Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch SE 3, and Apple Watch Ultra 3, catering to different user needs and budgets. The Ultra 3, priced at $799, targets high-end users and athletes with advanced features, while most consumers will likely choose between the more affordable SE 3 ($249) and the mid-tier Series 11 ($399). The SE 3 offers significant upgrades over its predecessor, including the new S10 chip, an always-on Retina display, fast charging, improved durability, and enhanced health tracking features like wrist temperature sensing and retrospective ovulation estimates. This makes it a strong value option, especially for first-time buyers and younger users seeking essential smartwatch functions such as step counting and sleep tracking. Both the Series 11 and SE 3 share many core features: they run on the same S10 chip, have always-on displays, support heart health notifications, emergency SOS, fall and crash detection, water resistance up to
IoTwearable-technologysmartwatcheshealth-monitoringApple-WatchS10-chipwearable-sensorsThe Google Pixel Watch 4 made me like smartwatches again
The author, who previously preferred analog watches or basic fitness bands due to limited need for constant notifications and daily charging, found renewed interest in smartwatches after testing the Google Pixel Watch 4. The watch’s circular, domed Actua 360 display with thinner bezels and higher brightness (up to 3,000 nits) impressed the author, making it easier to use outdoors. The 41mm model tested offered good battery life, often lasting over a day with light use, and fast charging capabilities—advertised as 0-50% in 15 minutes and 0-100% in 45 minutes—proved practical for quick top-ups during short breaks. In terms of fitness tracking, the Pixel Watch 4 was used mainly for pickleball and walking, but lacked specialized gym equipment modes, offering only general workout categories. While it supports cardio workout detection and running features, these were less useful in the author’s environment. Some tracking metrics, like floor count, were inconsistent
IoTsmartwatcheswearable-technologyfitness-trackingbattery-liferapid-chargingGoogle-Pixel-WatchIs the Apple Watch SE 3 a good deal?
Apple recently released the Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch SE 3, and Apple Watch Ultra 3, targeting different market segments. The Ultra 3, priced at $799, is aimed at high-end users and athletes, while most consumers will likely choose between the Apple Watch SE 3 ($249) and Series 11 ($399). Despite its lower price, the SE 3 offers much of the same software as the Series 11 and includes significant upgrades over its predecessor, the SE 2. Notable improvements in the SE 3 include the new S10 chip, an always-on display, fast charging, enhanced crack resistance, new health features such as a wrist-temperature sensor for advanced sleep tracking and retrospective ovulation insights, making it a strong value proposition, especially for first-time buyers. Both the Series 11 and SE 3 share many features, including the S10 chip, always-on Retina display, heart health notifications, wrist gestures, emergency SOS, fall and crash detection
IoTwearable-technologysmartwatcheshealth-monitoringApple-Watchsleep-trackingwearable-sensorsWearable devices could monitor pregnancy-related health changes
A recent study published in Lancet eBioMedicine highlights the potential of wearable devices, such as Apple Watches and fitness trackers, to monitor pregnancy-related health changes by tracking physiological patterns, particularly heart rate. Researchers from Scripps Research analyzed data from 5,600 participants, including detailed health information from 108 women spanning three months before pregnancy to six months postpartum. They found that heart rate patterns closely aligned with fluctuations in key pregnancy hormones like estrogen, progesterone, and hCG, which are critical indicators of pregnancy progression. For example, heart rate typically dropped between weeks five to nine, then steadily increased until shortly before delivery, and stabilized around six months postpartum. This research suggests that wearables could play a transformative role in prenatal care, especially for women living in "maternal care deserts"—areas with limited access to obstetric services. Early detection of abnormal heart rate patterns may help identify adverse pregnancy outcomes such as miscarriage, preeclampsia, or gestational diabetes. While the findings
IoTwearable-deviceshealth-monitoringpregnancy-trackingsmartwatchesprenatal-carephysiological-sensorsSamsung brings back the Classic version for the Watch8 series
Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Watch8 series at its Unpacked event in July 2025, introducing both the standard Watch8 and the return of the Classic version featuring a rotating bezel. Both models have been redesigned to resemble the Galaxy Watch Ultra, with a squarish case around a circular bezel. The Watch8 boasts a brighter display with peak brightness of 3,000 nits, up from 2,000 nits on the previous generation, enhancing usability in bright conditions. Internally, it retains the Exynos W1000 chip and BioActive Sensor, capable of monitoring heart rate, EKG, and body composition. The new watches incorporate health and fitness features introduced recently by Samsung, such as Bedtime Guidance, Vascular Load monitoring, Running Coach, and an Antioxidant index that measures carotenoid levels. These features rely on complex health data calculations to provide scores and lifestyle suggestions, though their practical usefulness may vary. Both models run One UI 8 Watch based on Wear OS
IoTsmartwatcheswearable-technologySamsung-Galaxy-Watchhealth-monitoringExynos-W1000Wear-OSPinwheel introduces a smartwatch for kids that includes an AI chatbot
Pinwheel has launched a new smartwatch designed specifically for children aged 7 to 14, offering a safe alternative to typical smart devices by restricting access to social media and the internet. Priced at $160 with a $15 monthly subscription, the watch features parental controls, GPS tracking, a camera, voice-to-text messaging, mini-games, and notably, an AI chatbot named PinwheelGPT. This AI assistant is intended to provide kids with a safe way to ask questions about everyday topics, social interactions, and homework, while avoiding inappropriate content by encouraging children to speak with trusted adults instead. Parents have full oversight of all chatbot interactions, including deleted messages, and can disable the AI feature if desired. The smartwatch also supports calls and texts via voice commands or keyboard, video calls, and includes apps like an alarm, calendar, calculator, and games. Parental controls are managed through a “Caregiver” app, allowing parents to create approved contact lists, block unwanted numbers, and set schedules to limit
IoTsmartwatchesAI-chatbotchild-safetywearable-technologyparental-controlsGPS-tracking