Health

Mayo Clinic to reportedly participate in HealthKit demo at today’s event

Representatives from the Minnesota-based Mayo Clinic will be participating in Apple's media event later today, reports the Star Tribune. The outlet says the highly-regarded medical group will help show how data from iOS 8's Health app, and possibly the so-called iWatch, can flow into the more sophisticated systems of a major health center.

Scratch that: iPhone 6 ‘Phosphorus’ component likely barometric pressure sensor

An eagle-eyed member of the MacRumors forum says the "Phosporus"component destined for the iPhone 6, leaked on Monday, isn't a next-generation version of Apple's M7 co-processor, but instead a barometric pressure sensor. It makes sense given the several rumors that have cropped up in recent months with word Apple plans a barometer used to measure atmospheric pressure in the iPhone 6.

Rumor: low-powered M7 successor code-named ‘Phosphorous’ to collect health and fitness data (Updated)

An Apple chip internally code-named 'Phosphorous' has been identified on leaked schematics and thought to replace the M7, a motion coprocessor which debuted inside the iPhone 5s last Fall. (Update: It's looking like a barometer pressure sensor instead.)

It's said to include the M7's motion tracking functions and thought to be able to collect a number of health and fitness data from various health and fitness accessories and specialized medical devices.

This apparently includes heart rates, calories burned, cholesterol levels, blood sugar and more. It's believed the chip works in tandem with iOS 8 and the new Health app, which allows users to enter a number of health and fitness-related data manually, or automatically collect these from various HealthKit-friendly accessories and wearables.

Apple in talks with major insurance companies regarding HealthKit partnerships

Bloomberg is out with a new report this afternoon on rising medical costs and the growing number of partnerships between insurance providers, corporations, and fitness device makers. And in the report, the outlet notes that Apple has been speaking with insurance companies regarding potential HealthKit partnerships.

Not many specifics on the meetings were provided, but Apple has been very active in promoting its new HealthKit initiative. Earlier this month, it was reported that the company was in talks with healthcare providers at Mount Sinai, Cleveland Clinic, John Hopkins and others about its plans for the healthcare market...

Apple discussing HealthKit adoption with US healthcare pros ahead of iOS 8 launch

Apple is working on bringing its new iOS 8 tool for developers called HealthKit to medical professionals in the United States. Eagle-eyed readers will remember that back at WWDC in June, Apple and the Mayo Clinic demoed the first HealthKit-driven app.

Reuters is now reporting that the Cupertino company has been discussing HealthKit integration with a number of US healthcare professionals, including renowned hospitals like Mount Sinai, Cleveland Clinic, John Hopkins and Allscripts...

‘Sense’ takes sleep tracking to a whole new level

Technology has really pushed its way into our lives these past few years, moving beyond smartphones to fitness, and even sleep-tracking accessories. FitBit's Flex, Jawbone's UP and several other wearables are able to record and analyze your sleep patterns.

But the new 'Sense,' from Hello promises to do much more than that. In addition to tracking your sleep behavior, that glowing ball you see in the photo above has the ability to monitor things like noise and temperature, and can even play ambient sounds...

The best of iOS 8: from new features to developer tools

With the imminent introduction of the iPhone 6 will come the release of iOS 8, Apple's latest iteration in its mobile operating system. After spending the past several weeks with pre-release versions of the software, I can say that there are definitive grounds for anticipating its public availability. Whether you're planning on buying a new iPhone this fall or upgrading your current device to iOS 8, there are clear reasons to be excited about the features it has to offer.

Although it will be shipping with quite a few significant features – Apple claims this is their "biggest iOS release ever" – we've gone hands-on with the beta releases and picked our top ten favorite enhancements that will be available for qualifying devices this September. Here, in no sequential order, are the best of what makes iOS 8 great...

Jawbone’s Up fitness band app gains weight management features

Jawbone, the maker of the Up fitness band, wireless Bluetooth headsets and a host of other mobile accessories, today pushed a major update to its iPhone and iPad app.

The refreshed software brings new calorie and nutrition tracking tools, food and restaurant logging, as well as comprehensive weight management features to the popular fitness tracker.

Other enhancements include a new food score and a redesigned food experience with brand new tools such as a dedicated water logger, restaurant menus, common pairings and frequent meals...

Adidas adds to the fitness tracker craze with the ‘Fit Smart’

If you were disappointed to hear that Nike was shuttering its FuelBand hardware, never fear, another major sportswear brand is picking up the baton. Adidas has unveiled its latest fitness tracking device, the miCoach Fit Smart, this week.

Revealed in San Francisco, during the Wearable Technologies Conference 2014, the device is capable of measuring your steps taken, pace, burned calories, heart rate, and more. It's also durable, lightweight, and sweatproof (not waterproof)...

iOS 8 beta 3 enables M7 support and caffeine-tracking in Health app

As we continue to sift through the beta 3 of iOS 8, we've come across another notable change in the firmware. In today's update, Apple adds both Caffeine-tracking and M7-supported step-counting to the already feature-packed Health app.

Developers with the latest iOS 8 beta installed on their iPhone 5s will notice that they can now input their daily Caffeine intake. They can also now track their steps without a third party app or accessory using the 5s' built-in M7 processor...

Apple hires head software engineer from Atlas Wearables, likely to work on the iWatch

Apple is believed to have an interesting pipeline of new products planned for the second half of this year, including new Macs, iPhones and its first wearable device. It has been speculated over the past several months that the company is gearing up to launch the so-called "iWatch" in the fall, a smart watch that will double as a health and fitness tracker for managing your heart rate, calories, blood glucose levels and more…

The best apps for diabetics

Diabetics must pay close attention to the things they do and don’t put into their bodies. Keeping track of important data can be a daunting task.

We’ve got a list of what we think are the best apps for diabetics. Check them out to see if one of them is right for you.