Health

Rumor: new health-tracking Apple hardware in the works for 2017 launch

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated September 11, 2017

Taiwan's Economic Daily News is reporting that Apple is developing a brand new health-tracking hardware product that will be released in 2017. Although the report sheds little light on the matter, a machine-translated version of the story suggests that the device, described as a “killer new” gadget, will be a first-generation product so we can rule out a second-generation Apple Watch.

It's also unclear if the rumored product will be worn on one's body and whether it will operate standalone or require an iPhone, like the Apple Watch.

iOS 10’s Health app will let US users sign up as organ, eye and tissue donors

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated June 30, 2017

Apple announced Tuesday that it will add an organ donor registration option to the stock Health app in iOS 10. People in the United States will be able to use a built-in option in the Health app when iOS 10 launches for public consumption this fall to register themselves as organ, eye and tissue donors.

CEO Tim Cook told the Associated Press that the feature should help ease a longstanding donor shortage, reminding the public that the problem hit home when Apple co-founder Steve Jobs endured an “excruciating” wait for a liver transplant in 2009.

Apple’s fitness guru talks Breathe app and bringing meditation to your wrist

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 27, 2016

Jay Blahnik, Apple's Director of Fitness and Health technologies who was a Nike contract athlete and consultant for over eighteen years, sat down with BuzzFeed News reporter Stephanie Lee three days ago to discuss an interesting addition to the Apple Watch's arsenal of health-focused software technologies: the new Breathe app in watchOS 3.

Sage Bionetworks co-founder joins Apple to work on health projects

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 23, 2016

Sage Bionetworks said in a media release today that is president and co-founder Dr. Stephen Friend has joined Apple. “Dr. Friend has accepted a position with Apple Inc. where he will work on health-related projects,” reads the release.

He will stay on as Sage's chairman of the board.

Sage was one of the launch partners for ResearchKit, a framework Apple launched in March 2015 to accelerate advanced medical research by allowing medical professionals to create iOS apps which tap into the iPhone's many sensors to collect anonymized data on various diseases and symptoms.

Breathe: Apple’s new Watch app to encourage breathing exercises

Anthony Bouchard ∙ June 13, 2016

Apple on Monday at its WWDC 2016 event announced a new app for Apple Watch that will come pre-installed on watchOS 3 called Breathe, which offers a new perspective on health.

Setting itself apart from the typical fitness aspects of health, Breathe will be oriented around breathing exercises.

Apple poaches Dr. Rajiv Kumar, a pediatric endocrinologist from Stanford Children’s Health

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 3, 2016

In yet another sign of its commitment to advancing health-related services across its platforms, Apple has quietly poached Dr. Rajiv Kumar, a pediatric endocrinologist from Stanford Children's Health, Fast Company has learned. Kumar specializes in treating kids with diabetes.

Additionally, he also is the creator of a HealthKit-enabled diabetes monitoring system for young patients at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford University. Lucile CEO Christopher Dawes has confirmed to the publication that Kumar left for Apple.

Jawbone denies exiting wearables business, production of UP devices continues

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 28, 2019

Following a Tech Insider report earlier this week claiming that accessory maker Jawbone had made the decision to sell its remaining inventory to a third-party reseller, stop building UP fitness trackers and create a clinical-grade health device, it's issued a post to officially deny exiting the wearables business, putting a stop to “wrongful insinuations“.

Jawbone stops making UP fitness trackers, planning a clinical-grade health device

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 28, 2016

Jawbone, which made a name for itself a decade ago with a lineup of high-quality Bluetooth headsets, has stopped making and selling the UP fitness trackers, according to a report yesterday from Tech Insider.

Sources familiar with the matter have reportedly told the publication that the company has sold its remaining inventory to a third-party reseller, while The Verge adds that Jawbone is now exploring a “clinical-grade health device”.

Apple’s boss talks Watch potential at European startup conference

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 24, 2016

Tim Cook is at the Startup Fest Europe conference in Amsterdam, Netherlands today. In an on-stage interview with Nellie Kroes, who is a retired European Commissioner for Digital Agenda, Cook waved off any suggestion that the Cupertino firm might enter the telecommunications business by becoming an MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator).

The CEO also spent some time talking about future potential of the Apple Watch as a health-monitoring device, hinting that it'll soon be possible to outfit wearable devices with additional sensors to help monitor more and more of what’s going on in your body.

Apple hires Google X Lab co-founder and Nest’s former tech boss for health projects

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 4, 2016

Apple has hired famed robotics expert Yoky Matsuoka, a former head of technology at the smart thermostat maker Nest before it was acquired by Google and one of the co-founders of the search giant's X Lab, a research and development unit tasked with conceiving moonshot projects.

According to her LinkedIn profile, she won a MacArthur Foundation grant in 2007 for a neurorobotics project that helped disabled people and stroke victims regain the use of their limbs. Fortune has confirmed with an Apple representative that Matsuoka will work on health-related initiatives at the Cupertino firm.

How to use your iPhone as a pedometer

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated April 11, 2019

Some of you may know that I am the creator and sole member of what I call the 10,000 steps a day challenge, a self-imposed goal of walking at least 10,000 steps per day. I started with a goal of 6,000 steps per day back in 2015, and increased that goal by 1,000 every new year, a goal I reach every single day, no matter how busy my schedule may be, no matter what the weather is like outside, and no matter my health condition.

When I talk to people about the 10,000 steps a day challenge, a question that often comes up is how I track the amount of steps I take. Surprisingly, most people don’t know this is something newer iPhones can do straight out of the box.

iDB readers are probably aware of that feature, but for those that might not be, or those who want to share the existence of this feature with friends and family, we will go over this today as I talk about how you can use an iPhone as a pedometer.

CareKit goes live with four compatible health apps, with more to come

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 8, 2018

Apple's open-source CareKit framework has gone live this morning with support for a handful of specialized health applications for the iPhone and iPad, including the Glow Nurture fertility tracker, Glow Baby maternity app, diabetes monitor One Drop and depression medication tracker Start.

TechCrunch reports that additional CareKit-driven apps will be released at a later stage. The source code for CareKit should be released on GitHub later today.