Tech / Technology

Apple Watch almost got Android support — here’s why Apple changed its mind

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Apple apparently came really close to making Apple Watches compatible with Android devices.
Apple Watches on display

Apple Watch and Android: a match (almost) made in Heaven.

In a wide-ranging Bloomberg report about Apple’s health tracking ambitions, one little juicy nugget of info stands out in particular: Apple almost made its signature house brand smartwatches compatible with Android devices.

According to Bloomberg, Apple’s engineers were “deeply engaged” in bringing both Apple Watch and Health app compatibility to Android as part of something called “Project Fennel.”

Apple Watch with Nike band

Apple Watch with Nike wristband combined with the new Nike watchface.
Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

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Apple Watch Series 9 review: Upgrade for this key feature (no, it’s not Double Tap)

Of course, the operative word here is “almost.” This obviously didn’t – and most likely won’t – happen. The reason for that is simple: Apple wants to keep selling iPhones, and Apple Watches help the company do that. One of Bloomberg’s sources straight up said giving Android users access to Apple Watch would “dilute the value of the watch to the iPhone.”

This is fascinating just on the surface, but it’s also worth looking at it in context of what Apple’s competition is in the Android smartwatch market. Competitors like Samsung’s Galaxy Watch and Google’s Pixel Watch have certainly improved over the years, but Apple’s product is still widely regarded as the one to get, especially for health tracking.

Pushing Apple Watch to Android users may have diluted iPhone sales, but it probably would’ve put a dent in Samsung and Google sales, too. Regardless, this is all speculation at this point. All we can do is think about what could have been.


Apple Watch Series 9 [GPS + Cellular 41mm]

Credit: Amazon


Apple Watch Series 9 [GPS + Cellular 41mm]

489.99

Tech / Technology

YouTube puts limits on repetitive recommendations for teens

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YouTube tries to address teen safety and well-being with the new limits.
Teen looks at a laptop.

In a move designed to prevent teenagers from repetitively watching potentially harmful videos on YouTube, the streaming platform announced Thursday that it will limit repeated recommendations of videos featuring certain themes to U.S. teens.

Currently, YouTube is limiting repetitive exposure to videos that compare physical features and favor some types over others, idealize specific fitness levels or body weights, or depict social aggression in the form of non-contact fights and intimidation. While these videos don’t violate the platform’s policies, repeated viewings could be harmful to some youth. YouTube already prohibits videos of fights between minors.

James Beser, director of product management for YouTube Kids and Youth, announced the new policy in a blog post Thursday.

Beser said that the company’s youth and family advisory committee, which comprises independent experts in child development and digital learning and media, helped YouTube identify categories of content that “may be innocuous as a single video, but could be problematic for some teens if viewed in repetition.”

He noted that teens are more likely to develop negative ideas about themselves when consuming online media that focuses on “ideal standards.”

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Allison Briscoe-Smith, a child psychologist and member of the committee, said in the blog post that such content can “emphasize potentially problematic messages,” which can in turn affect how teens see themselves. Limited repeated recommendations will go into effect in other countries in the next year, according to the post.

The new policy comes amidst heavy scrutiny and criticism of the way social media platforms can influence youth mental health and well-being.

In May, the U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory warning about youth social media use involving a “profound risk of harm.” In September, The Mental Health Coalition convened a group of experts to begin creating a “first ever” rating system across social media, search engines, and gaming platforms.

Beser’s announcement on Thursday also included updates to existing youth well-being features.

“Take a Break” and “Bedtime” reminders, which have been in place since 2018, will now appear as a full-screen takeover and will surface more frequently, especially for viewers younger than 18. These reminders are turned on by default for youth accounts.

YouTube’s crisis resource panels will also now appear in full-screen mode, which YouTube hopes will encourage viewers to pause and explore a panel’s topics when searching the platform for information related to suicide, self-harm, and eating disorders.

Beser framed the new policy and updates as part of a comprehensive effort to “build great experiences” for young users.

“We recognize the important role that YouTube can play in the life of teens and are deeply committed to ensuring time on YouTube is time well spent,” Beser wrote.

Tech / Technology

Apple Watch Series 9 review: Upgrade for this key feature (no, it’s not Double Tap)

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Apple Watch Series 9 has a fancy new chip, but Apple hasn’t done too much with it — yet.
Apple Watch Series 9

The new Watch Series 9 is a robust and elite wearable device – the best Apple has ever made. It has some serious power on the inside, with a fancy new S9 SiP and a new Ultra Wideband chip. But very little of that power translates into new features you’ll actually notice.

Starting with the design, the new Apple Watch Series 9 looks exactly the same as its predecessor: the Series 8 watch. You still get to choose between aluminum and stainless steel as well as 41mm and 45mm displays. The only difference is the availability of pink, the only new color in the lineup (the unit Apple sent me was Midnight).

You do get a couple of new watch faces, including Solar Analog, Palette, improved Snoopy, and Nike Globe, as well as a choice of new wristbands, including Nike’s environmentally friendly Sport Band – though none of those are exclusive to the Series 9 Watch.

Super bright display

The takeaway here is that the new Watch looks and feels exactly the same as the old one. There’s one key difference that won’t be apparent until you lie in bed at night or go out in direct sunlight. The new Apple Watch Series 9’s display has double the peak brightness of up to 2000 nits and a minimum luminance of just one nit. This means that the new Watch is a lot more readable in direct sunlight, and you’ll be squinting less when you take a peek at it in the dark.

Apple Watch Series 9

New Nike wristband combined with the new Nike watch face.
Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

Inside, the new Watch is packed with significant upgrades, including a new A15 Bionic-based S9 chipset with a 64-bit dual-core processor and a four-core Neural Engine. Apple says this makes the Watch 30 percent zippier compared to the previous generation – and the new Neural Engine is up to twice as fast.

In my experience, the new Watch is certainly snappy, but I don’t remember the last one being slow. In fact, my previous daily driver was a Series 6 Watch, and while it’s noticeably slower than the new one, speed was never an issue to me.

Apple Watch Series 9

It measures your blood oxygen and heart rate, but there are no new sensors here.
Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

Battery life is an improvement over my old Series 6. Finally, I can charge my Watch in the morning and have it last well into the next day. But if you already have a Series 8, you won’t notice a big difference. Apple says the battery life is unchanged from the previous generation.

The things that aren’t here yet

The new chip’s power did allow Apple to do some cool things with the new watch, namely Double Tap. It’s a new feature that lets you launch and control apps without touching the Watch. Instead, you just put your index finger and thumb together twice in rapid succession, which prompts the Watch to perform an action.

I’ve briefly tried Double Tap in Apple’s hands-on area at Apple Park, but the review unit I got afterwards didn’t have the feature, so I can’t really say how useful it is in everyday usage. This is because the Watch actually launched without Double Tap, which is coming sometime in October. It’s a pretty big blunder by Apple; Double Tap is the Watch’s most marketable feature, and it just isn’t here yet. I will update this review with my thoughts on it once it becomes available on my unit.

The improved Neural Engine allows Siri processing to happen on the Watch itself, meaning you can summon the digital assistant while you’re offline. On top of that, Apple claims that dictation up to 25 percent more accurate on the new watch. More important to me is another feature that’s not here yet. Later this year, you’ll be able to ask Siri to log your health data (e.g., telling it your weight) – and you can ask it about your health data, too.

I tested the Watch Series 9’s updated Siri by asking it to send a few messages, and it worked surprisingly well. Siri never missing a single word. I still got frustrated, though, at Siri’s inability to understand some contextual information. The digital assistant still struggles to mimic a natural conversation, but that’s always been the case with Siri.

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Another new chip inside, Apple’s second-gen Ultra Wideband chip, allows for Precision Finding for iPhone 15, making it easy to find a misplaced phone just by using your watch.

Ironically, I had problems finding this feature. You can’t get Precision Finding from within Find My, which was where I first looked for it. Instead, you must pull up the Control Panel (single click of the side button in WatchOS 10) and tap the “ring iPhone” button. Next, the Precision Finding screen will appear, guiding you towards your iPhone. It worked flawlessly; no matter where I hid the iPhone around my flat, the Watch was able to navigate me to it every time.

Apple Watch Series 9

Lost your iPhone? No problem.
Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

Oh, and Apple Watch Series 9 now comes with 64GB of storage, doubling the Series 8’s 32GB of space. If you store a lot of music on your Watch, this will be important.

A big theme around this year’s Watch is ecology. If you get it with an aluminum case and the new Sport Loop band, it’ll be carbon neutral. Apple plans to make all of its products carbon neutral by 2030, and it’s a commendable plan.

Is the Apple Watch Series 9 worth it?

Apple Watch Series 9

No need to upgrade yet.
Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

There’s a recurring theme in this review of the Apple Watch Series 9. This is a powerful device that feels like a foundation for something better to come in the future. This includes Double Tap, which should come fairly soon, as well as talking to Siri about your health. However, I’m looking forward to seeing more significant gen-over-gen upgrades in the future (rumor has it that next year’s Watch will include a blood pressure monitor).

That’s not to say that there are no improvements here. The brighter display is a bonus, the watch is speedier, and it has more storage than before. But if you already have a Series 8, or even a Series 7, there are few reasons to upgrade right now.

Tech / Technology

White House announces new AI initiatives at Global Summit on AI Safety

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Vice President Kamala Harris will reveal the US government’s new AI initiatives to advance the safe and responsible use of AI.
Vice President Kamala Harris delivers remarks about the Biden Administration's work to regulate artificial intelligence during an event in the East Room of the White House on October 30, 2023 in Washington, DC.

Vice President Kamala Harris will outline several new AI initiatives today, laying out the US government’s plans to advance the safe and responsible use of machine learning technology. We already know what many of them will be.

The White House previously announced an executive order on AI regulation earlier this week, with the intention to protect US citizens from the potential harm the technology can cause. It is now building further on this order, aiming to position itself as a global leader in ensuring AI is developed and used in the public interest internationally.

Currently in London to attend the Global Summit on AI Safety, Harris is scheduled to deliver her live-streamed speech on the US’ approach to AI at approximately 1:35 p.m. GMT / 9:35 a.m. ET.

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“Just as AI has the potential to do profound good, it also has the potential to cause profound harm, from AI-enabled cyber-attacks at a scale beyond anything we have seen before to AI-formulated bioweapons that could endanger the lives of millions,” Harris said in an excerpt from her prepared speech. “These threats are often referred to as the ‘existential threats of AI,’ because they could endanger the very existence of humanity.”

“So, the urgency of this moment must compel us to create a collective vision of what this future must be. A future where AI is used to advance human rights and human dignity; where privacy is protected and people have equal access to opportunity; where we make our democracies stronger and our world safer. A future where AI is used to advance the public interest.”

Here are the new announcements and government initiatives Harris will reveal.

1. The US is establishing a United States AI Safety Institute

The US government is establishing a United States AI Safety Institute (US AISI), which will be part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Created through the Department of Commerce, the US AISI will be responsible for applying the NIST’s AI Risk Management Framework, developing benchmarks, best practices, and technical guidance to mitigate the risks of AI. These will then be used by regulators when developing or enforcing rules. The US AISI will also collaborate with similar institutions internationally.

2. The first draft of policy guidance for the US government’s use of AI is being made available for public comment

The US government is publishing the first draft of its policy guidance on its use of AI, with the public invited to comment. Released through the Office of Management and Budget, this policy is intended to outline tangible steps for the responsible use of AI by the US, and builds on previous guidance such as the NIST’s AI Risk Management Framework. The policy is intended for application across a wide range of departments, including health, law enforcement, and immigration, and requires that federal departments monitor the risks of AI, consult the public regarding its use, and provide an avenue of appeal to those harmed by it. 

You can read the draft policy and submit your comments here.

3. 30 nations have joined the Political Declaration on the Responsible Military Use of Artificial Intelligence and Autonomy

The US made its Political Declaration on the Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence and Autonomy in February, establishing standards for the lawful, responsible use and development of military AI. This included the requirement that it comply with international humanitarian law. Interestingly, a specific goal of the Political Declaration is to preserve nations’ “right to self-defense,” as well as their ability to develop and use AI for the military.

Thirty other nations have now endorsed this Declaration as well, specifically Albania, Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kosovo, Latvia, Liberia, Malawi, Montenegro, Morocco, North Macedonia, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the UK.

4. 10 foundations have pledged over $200 million for public interest AI initiatives

Ten foundations are collectively committing over $200 million to fund AI initiatives intended to further the best interests of the global public — specifically workers, consumers, communities, and historically marginalised people. The foundations are also creating a funders’ network, which will coordinate such giving with the specific aim of supporting AI work that protects democracy and rights, drives innovation in the public interest, empowers workers amidst the changes being brought about by AI, improves accountability, or supports international rules regarding AI.

The 10 foundations involved are the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Democracy Fund, the Ford Foundation, Heising-Simons Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Kapor Foundation, Mozilla Foundation, Omidyar Network, Open Society Foundations, and the Wallace Global Fund.

5. The US government will hold a hackathon to find a solution to scam AI robocalls 

The US government will host a virtual hackathon with the goal to build AI models which can detect and block robocalls and robotexts that can be used to scam people. The hackathon will have a particular focus on calls that use AI-generated voices.

6. The US is calling for international authentication standards for digital government messaging

The US is calling on the global community to support the development of international standards for digital and AI content produced by governments. Such standards would be aimed at helping the public identify whether or not an apparent government message is authentic, and may include labelling such as digital signatures or watermarks.

7. The US will develop a pledge committing to the responsible use of AI

Finally, the US government will work with the Freedom Online Coalition (FOC) to develop a pledge that its development and implementation of AI will incorporate responsible practices. The FOC is a group of 38 countries whose stated aim is to advance internet freedom and protect human rights online worldwide.