Early today, Apple released a dedicated frequently asked questions (FAQ) document regarding Expanded Protections for Children. This is the company's new initiative to help protect children against exploitation and abuse. While the intentions are good, it has ruffled a lot of feathers. Especially regarding one feature in the new protections.
Every once in a while, Apple manages to do something that is Very Controversial. It doesn't happen all the time, and usually it's hardware related. Like the butterfly keyboard. Or the Touch Bar. Or how you charge a Magic Mouse 2. Things like that.
Apple this week revealed a new initiative that's meant to help protect children. The Expanded Protections for Children effort is three-fold, each feature baked into Apple's major platforms. Two of the new additions appear to be going over well enough, but it's the other one, the photo scanning one, that's ruffled a lot of feathers.
Yesterday, Apple unveiled new child safety features that are going to be baked into iOS 15, iPadOS 15, macOS 12 Monterey, and watchOS 8. The goal is to help protect minors from being abused, seeing explicit material, and more. However, to reach that goal, the company has to implement some intrusive features.
User privacy and security is a major focal point for Apple. Safety, too. Making sure that a user is able to keep their data safe, for instance, is one of the selling points of iOS in general. So it makes sense that Apple would want to broaden that scope, especially as it relates to protecting children.
There are a lot of features in the Apple Watch. Some of them stand out more than others, like the heart rate sensor. Indeed, it's one of the biggest elements of the Apple Watch, a major selling point for Apple's wearable. There's at least one company out there that's not such a fan of Apple's implementation, though.
Health features are baked right into the Apple Watch. It's one of the standout elements of Apple's smartwatch, and certainly at least one reason why the device is so popular. So it only makes sense that Apple would create new ads on a semi-regular basis to promote those things.
Apple Watch's ECG feature is now more widely available around the world with support for 30 new countries added to the recent watchOS 7.6 software update.
Apple supplier Rockley Photonics unveiled a comprehensive health sensor system that might help bring continuous non-invasive blood sugar measurement to a future Apple Watch.
The electrocardiogram (ECG) feature baked into the Apple Watch is one of the more health-focused elements of the smartwatch. But, before it can actually be used by owners, it has to gain approval by required regulators. For customers in China who have been waiting for this particular feature, it looks like that wait is almost over.
The Apple Fitness+ Time to Walk feature is adding new guided audio walking workouts and music on Monday, June 28, 2021.
A pair of AirPods with integrated wellness sensors that would be capable of monitoring certain health functions isn't a stretch, if you ask an Apple executive who just hinted at such a gizmo.