Technology - Google News

Apple Watch blood pressure measurement not happening in Series 7 – Gurman - 9to5Mac
Chrome for Android's dark theme is now ever so slightly darker - 9to5Google
Philips Hue Lights Getting Deep Spotify Integration - MacRumors

Apple Watch blood pressure measurement not happening in Series 7 – Gurman - 9to5Mac

Posted: 01 Sep 2021 04:13 AM PDT

Apple Watch blood pressure measurement has long been rumored, but a Nikkei report yesterday suggested that the feature would be included in the upcoming Series 7 model.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says not, in a two-word reply to someone querying that on Twitter …

Nikkei's report focused on claims of production problems with the latest Watch.

Production of the upcoming Apple Watch has been delayed in large part due to the complicated designs of the new smartwatch, Nikkei Asia has learned.

Manufacturers of Apple Watch 7, as the device is expected to be called, began small-scale production last week but encountered critical challenges in reaching satisfactory production performance, multiple people familiar with the situation said.

Three sources said the current disappointing production quality could be attributed to the complexity of design, which is significantly different from that of previous generations of the watch, and the assemblers found issues when putting together electronics modules, components and displays.

But it said that one example of those "significant" differences was blood pressure measurement.

The next Apple Watch will come with new features such as blood pressure measurement, they said, which means production involves fitting a greater number of components into a similar size body.

That was a surprising claim, given no supporting reports so close to launch, and Gurman has now dismissed this.

There have also been reports of blood sugar monitoring, but these rumors roll around every year, and Bloomberg said that this is still years away yet.

What we are expecting is a new slab-sided design to match the design of current iPhones and iPads; a larger display thanks to a combination of larger casing and smaller bezels; and a faster processor. There have also been suggestions of new color options.

Also said to be included are new watch faces.

This year's watches will come in 41-millimeter and 45-millimeter sizes, up from 40 and 44 millimeters. I'm told that Apple will bundle multiple new watch faces to take advantage of the bigger screen, including an updated Infograph Modular face. This will be the second time in the Apple Watch's history that the company has increased the display size, following the Apple Watch Series 4 in 2017.

Check out 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news:

Adblock test (Why?)

Chrome for Android's dark theme is now ever so slightly darker - 9to5Google

Posted: 31 Aug 2021 04:46 PM PDT

Chrome 93 is rolling out as a quieter release than usual on desktop and mobile today. However, a small tweak in Chrome for Android sees Google switch the dark theme to a darker shade of gray.

The app and system status bars are where you're most likely to notice this change. It's also apparent (though less so in screenshots, compared to on-device viewing) in the Tab Switcher grid and settings, as well as the New Tab Page (NTP).

This darker shade (#1F1F1F) is closer to black, while Chrome previously opted for a gray hue (35363A) that had some bluish undertones. Google has also ever so slightly altered the Omnibox's color as a result of the main change, with the overflow (three dot) menu and gesture bar following.

Meanwhile, on the NTP, Google no longer uses white outlines for certain elements and is just using color to distinguish between the background and elements .

Left: Old | Right: New

The browser is expected to get some Material You updates in the future, and today's change could be getting ready for that but Chrome users on older devices will also benefit from these color tweaks. The dark theme alterations are live on Android 11 and 12 devices we checked today running Chrome 93, which is rolling out now via the Play Store.

Meanwhile, Google today invited those on Android to test the ability to create shareable text highlight cards and a new search feature.

More about Chrome:

Check out 9to5Google on YouTube for more news:

Adblock test (Why?)

Philips Hue Lights Getting Deep Spotify Integration - MacRumors

Posted: 01 Sep 2021 12:32 AM PDT

Starting today, the popular Philips Hue smart lights will feature a deep integration with the Spotify streaming music service, allowing Hue users to sync their lights to their Spotify playlists.

philips hue spotify integration
The Philips Hue system will use an algorithm to analyze the metadata of each song in real time to make Hue lights flash, dim, brighten, and change colors while matching with the beat, mood, genre, and tempo of music on Spotify. The algorithm even takes into account factors like loudness, segments, pitch, and more.

With the Sync tab in the Philips Hue app, users can personalize the Spotify integration experience. There are tools for starting and stopping the sync, changing the brightness and intensity of the lights, and choosing a palette to change the colors of the lights.

Spotify integration is free to use, requiring a Hue Bridge and color-capable Hue lights like the White and Color Ambiance Smart Bulbs. The feature works through the Philips Hue app and it does not require a microphone to react to the music, so the syncing experience can be done with no background noise and while leaving the phone free to be used for other tasks.

According to Philips Hue parent company Signify, the integration works with any Spotify-compatible audio device, which includes speakers, computers, and smartphones. All that's required is linking a Spotify account and a Philips Hue account in the Hue app, and the lights will perform whenever you play a Spotify song.

The Philips Hue and Spotify integration will begin rolling out as an early access program for Philips Hue App 4 users beginning on September 1.

Those who have the current version of the app can tap on the "What's New" update with the Spotify card and can select "Early access" to try it out. After October 2021, Spotify integration will be a permanent feature in the Philips Hue app.

Adblock test (Why?)