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Apple Watch 8 Hands-On: Early Impressions of All Those New Sensors – CNET

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This story is part of Focal Point iPhone 2022, CNET’s collection of news, tips and advice around Apple’s most popular product.

Apple announced the Apple Watch Series 8 during the company’s annual fall product event on Wednesday. The GPS version starts at $399 (£419, AU$629), while the cellular version begins at $499. It’ll be available on Sept. 16 with preorders beginning immediately. Apple also announced the rugged Apple Watch Ultra, which starts at $799, and a new version of the more affordable Apple Watch SE, starting at $249 and on preorder now. Here’s everything Apple announced at its Sept. 7 event.

The most significant change is the addition of a temperature sensor, marking the first time Apple has added a new health sensor to its smartwatch since the Series 6 arrived with blood oxygen saturation measurements in 2020. The new batch of Apple Watches, which includes the Series 8 as well as the new SE and Ultra models, are also the first to include car crash detection, further underscoring Apple’s emphasis on wellness and safety. The Apple Watch Ultra is a new outdoorsy version of the Apple Watch aimed at athletes, while the SE is a refreshed version of Apple’s cheaper smartwatch.

Temperature sensing and car crash detection

The Apple Watch Series 8’s temperature sensor is the biggest upgrade in this year’s watch. There are actually two sensors, one under the display and another on the back, closer to the skin. This should improve accuracy by helping the watch distinguish your wrist temperature from other factors affecting the temperature in your environment. The watch measures your wrist temperature overnight every five seconds and tracks it in the Apple Health app. 

Since this is a passive reading that happens overnight, I wasn’t able to try it in Apple’s demo room. But I did get to see how this information will be presented in the Health app. The app will show changes in your baseline temperature in a chart within the app, along with context about what the data means. The company says shifts in your baseline temperature could be indicative of exercise, jet lag or illness. There’s also a new wrist temperature tile in the Health app’s summary section where you can tap into this data. 

The Apple Health app on an iPhone showing wrist temperature readings

Apple’s Health app will show data from the Series 8’s temperature readings. 


Lisa Eadicicco/CNET

Apple is positioning the temperature sensor as being most useful for tracking female health. The temperature sensors allow the Series 8 to provide retrospective ovulation estimates and improved period predictions. 

The Apple Watch is also getting a new safety feature this year: car crash detection. If the watch detects a crash, it will notify emergency services and the wearer’s emergency contacts if the wearer has been unresponsive for 10 seconds. This is only available in the Series 8, new SE and Apple Watch Ultra models because it uses the upgraded gyroscope and accelerometer.

Apple

Go straight to the source for your Apple Watch Series 8 preorder and score three months of Apple Fitness Plus. 

Low power mode

A description of Low Power Mode being shown on the Apple Watch Series 8.A description of Low Power Mode being shown on the Apple Watch Series 8.

A description of Low Power Mode being shown on the Apple Watch Series 8.


Lisa Eadicicco/CNET

Another noteworthy addition is the Apple Watch’s low power mode, which Apple says should prolong battery life for up to 36 hours for the Series 8. The new low power mode turns off features like the always-on display and automatic workout detection to preserve functionality while extending battery life. Although Apple just announced the feature today, it will also be available for the Series 4 and higher. Otherwise, the Apple Watch’s battery life is generally the same at 18 hours. 

The overall design of the Apple Watch seems generally unchanged this year. The Series 8’s size and overall shape remain the same, and it will be available in midnight, starlight, silver and Product Red with an aluminum casing. The stainless steel version, which I got to try during my time with it, will come in silver, graphite and gold. 

The Apple Watch Series 8 stainless steel in gold being worn on the wristThe Apple Watch Series 8 stainless steel in gold being worn on the wrist

The stainless steel Apple Watch Series 8 in gold.


Lisa Eadicicco/CNET

Most of the Apple Watch Series 8’s most significant changes, like temperature sensing and low power mode, are under-the-hood changes rather than cosmetic upgrades. We’ll have to spend more time with the Series 8 to know how much these additions really impact the overall experience. But based on what we know so far, the Series 8 seems like another step toward the Apple Watch becoming an even more comprehensive wellness device. 

Apple leads the global smartwatch market with 29.3% of shipments in the second quarter of 2022, according to Counterpoint Research. Samsung follows in second place with 9.2% of the worldwide smartwatch shipments during the same period. Still, Apple faces increased competition. Even though Samsung trails far behind Apple in terms of shipments, Samsung saw 40% growth year over year, compared with Apple’s 8% growth, according to Counterpoint’s data. 

In August, Samsung launched the Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro. Meanwhile, Google is expected to release its first smartwatch, the Pixel Watch, this fall. Google hasn’t revealed many details yet, but it seems to be positioning the Pixel Watch as a premium smartwatch similar to the Apple Watch.

Although the iPhone is Apple’s biggest moneymaker, products like the Apple Watch are an important part of the company’s business. The wearables, home and accessories division, which encompasses products like the Apple Watch and AirPods, is the company’s third largest business following the iPhone and digital services. Apple said in a quarterly earnings call in April that its wearables business is now the size of a Fortune 100 company.

Read moreBest Smartwatch for 2022

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Here is how to prepare your online accounts for when you die

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LONDON (AP) — Most people have accumulated a pile of data — selfies, emails, videos and more — on their social media and digital accounts over their lifetimes. What happens to it when we die?

It’s wise to draft a will spelling out who inherits your physical assets after you’re gone, but don’t forget to take care of your digital estate too. Friends and family might treasure files and posts you’ve left behind, but they could get lost in digital purgatory after you pass away unless you take some simple steps.

Here’s how you can prepare your digital life for your survivors:

Apple

The iPhone maker lets you nominate a “ legacy contact ” who can access your Apple account’s data after you die. The company says it’s a secure way to give trusted people access to photos, files and messages. To set it up you’ll need an Apple device with a fairly recent operating system — iPhones and iPads need iOS or iPadOS 15.2 and MacBooks needs macOS Monterey 12.1.

For iPhones, go to settings, tap Sign-in & Security and then Legacy Contact. You can name one or more people, and they don’t need an Apple ID or device.

You’ll have to share an access key with your contact. It can be a digital version sent electronically, or you can print a copy or save it as a screenshot or PDF.

Take note that there are some types of files you won’t be able to pass on — including digital rights-protected music, movies and passwords stored in Apple’s password manager. Legacy contacts can only access a deceased user’s account for three years before Apple deletes the account.

Google

Google takes a different approach with its Inactive Account Manager, which allows you to share your data with someone if it notices that you’ve stopped using your account.

When setting it up, you need to decide how long Google should wait — from three to 18 months — before considering your account inactive. Once that time is up, Google can notify up to 10 people.

You can write a message informing them you’ve stopped using the account, and, optionally, include a link to download your data. You can choose what types of data they can access — including emails, photos, calendar entries and YouTube videos.

There’s also an option to automatically delete your account after three months of inactivity, so your contacts will have to download any data before that deadline.

Facebook and Instagram

Some social media platforms can preserve accounts for people who have died so that friends and family can honor their memories.

When users of Facebook or Instagram die, parent company Meta says it can memorialize the account if it gets a “valid request” from a friend or family member. Requests can be submitted through an online form.

The social media company strongly recommends Facebook users add a legacy contact to look after their memorial accounts. Legacy contacts can do things like respond to new friend requests and update pinned posts, but they can’t read private messages or remove or alter previous posts. You can only choose one person, who also has to have a Facebook account.

You can also ask Facebook or Instagram to delete a deceased user’s account if you’re a close family member or an executor. You’ll need to send in documents like a death certificate.

TikTok

The video-sharing platform says that if a user has died, people can submit a request to memorialize the account through the settings menu. Go to the Report a Problem section, then Account and profile, then Manage account, where you can report a deceased user.

Once an account has been memorialized, it will be labeled “Remembering.” No one will be able to log into the account, which prevents anyone from editing the profile or using the account to post new content or send messages.

X

It’s not possible to nominate a legacy contact on Elon Musk’s social media site. But family members or an authorized person can submit a request to deactivate a deceased user’s account.

Passwords

Besides the major online services, you’ll probably have dozens if not hundreds of other digital accounts that your survivors might need to access. You could just write all your login credentials down in a notebook and put it somewhere safe. But making a physical copy presents its own vulnerabilities. What if you lose track of it? What if someone finds it?

Instead, consider a password manager that has an emergency access feature. Password managers are digital vaults that you can use to store all your credentials. Some, like Keeper,Bitwarden and NordPass, allow users to nominate one or more trusted contacts who can access their keys in case of an emergency such as a death.

But there are a few catches: Those contacts also need to use the same password manager and you might have to pay for the service.

___

Is there a tech challenge you need help figuring out? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your questions.

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Google’s partnership with AI startup Anthropic faces a UK competition investigation

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LONDON (AP) — Britain’s competition watchdog said Thursday it’s opening a formal investigation into Google’s partnership with artificial intelligence startup Anthropic.

The Competition and Markets Authority said it has “sufficient information” to launch an initial probe after it sought input earlier this year on whether the deal would stifle competition.

The CMA has until Dec. 19 to decide whether to approve the deal or escalate its investigation.

“Google is committed to building the most open and innovative AI ecosystem in the world,” the company said. “Anthropic is free to use multiple cloud providers and does, and we don’t demand exclusive tech rights.”

San Francisco-based Anthropic was founded in 2021 by siblings Dario and Daniela Amodei, who previously worked at ChatGPT maker OpenAI. The company has focused on increasing the safety and reliability of AI models. Google reportedly agreed last year to make a multibillion-dollar investment in Anthropic, which has a popular chatbot named Claude.

Anthropic said it’s cooperating with the regulator and will provide “the complete picture about Google’s investment and our commercial collaboration.”

“We are an independent company and none of our strategic partnerships or investor relationships diminish the independence of our corporate governance or our freedom to partner with others,” it said in a statement.

The U.K. regulator has been scrutinizing a raft of AI deals as investment money floods into the industry to capitalize on the artificial intelligence boom. Last month it cleared Anthropic’s $4 billion deal with Amazon and it has also signed off on Microsoft’s deals with two other AI startups, Inflection and Mistral.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Kuwait bans ‘Call of Duty: Black Ops 6’ video game, likely over it featuring Saddam Hussein in 1990s

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The tiny Mideast nation of Kuwait has banned the release of the video game “Call of Duty: Black Ops 6,” which features the late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and is set in part in the 1990s Gulf War.

Kuwait has not publicly acknowledged banning the game, which is a tentpole product for the Microsoft-owned developer Activision and is set to be released on Friday worldwide. However, it comes as Kuwait still wrestles with the aftermath of the invasion and as video game makers more broadly deal with addressing historical and cultural issues in their work.

The video game, a first-person shooter, follows CIA operators fighting at times in the United States and also in the Middle East. Game-play trailers for the game show burning oilfields, a painful reminder for Kuwaitis who saw Iraqis set fire to the fields, causing vast ecological and economic damage. Iraqi troops damaged or set fire to over 700 wells.

There also are images of Saddam and Iraq’s old three-star flag in the footage released by developers ahead of the game’s launch. The game’s multiplayer section, a popular feature of the series, includes what appears to be a desert shootout in Kuwait called Scud after the Soviet missiles Saddam fired in the war. Another is called Babylon, after the ancient city in Iraq.

Activision acknowledged in a statement that the game “has not been approved for release in Kuwait,” but did not elaborate.

“All pre-orders in Kuwait will be cancelled and refunded to the original point of purchase,” the company said. “We remain hopeful that local authorities will reconsider, and allow players in Kuwait to enjoy this all-new experience in the Black Ops series.”

Kuwait’s Media Ministry did not respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press over the decision.

“Call of Duty,” which first began in 2003 as a first-person shooter set in World War II, has expanded into an empire worth billions of dollars now owned by Microsoft. But it also has been controversial as its gameplay entered the realm of geopolitics. China and Russia both banned chapters in the franchise. In 2009, an entry in the gaming franchise allowed players to take part in a militant attack at a Russian airport, killing civilians.

But there have been other games recently that won praise for their handling of the Mideast. Ubisoft’s “Assassin’s Creed: Mirage” published last year won praise for its portrayal of Baghdad during the Islamic Golden Age in the 9th century.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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