Apple Reveals Time To Walk For Apple Fitness+ Subscribers

 Apple has unveiled Time to Walk, a new audio walking experience on the Apple Watch for Fitness+ subscribers. It was created to encourage users to walk more often and reap the benefits from one of the healthiest activities. 

Each original Time to Walk episode invites users to immerse themselves in a walk alongside “influential and interesting people” as they share thoughtful and meaningful stories, photos, and music. Time to Walk can be enjoyed anytime and anywhere with Apple Watch and AirPod or other Bluetooth headphones.

“Walking is the most popular physical activity in the world, and one of the healthiest things we can do for our bodies. A walk can often be more than just exercise: It can help clear the mind, solve a problem, or welcome a new perspective,” Jay Blahnik, Apple’s senior director of Fitness Technologies, says in a press announcement. “Even throughout this challenging period of time, one activity that has remained available to many is walking. With Time to Walk, we’re bringing weekly original content to Apple Watch in Fitness+ that includes some of the most diverse, fascinating, and celebrated guests offering inspiration and entertainment to help our users keep moving through the power of walking.”

Following the guest’s stories, the experience extends with the guest introducing a short playlist of songs that has given them motivation and inspiration, so the listener can continue their walk to a soundtrack intimately connected to each guest. Time to Walk launches today with four episodes from country music star Dolly Parton, NBA player Draymond Green, musician Shawn Mendes, and Emmy Award winner/actor Uzo Aduba.

New episodes will appear in the Workout app on Apple Watch from a different guest each Monday through the end of April. Users can browse previous Time to Walk episodes when it’s most convenient for them.

Time to Walk episodes are automatically downloaded to your Apple Watch with a Fitness+ subscription, and users can start an episode directly from the Workout app. Once a Time to Walk episode is selected on Apple Watch, a Walk workout automatically begins and users can go at any pace that suits them while listening with AirPods or paired Bluetooth headphones. 

New episodes ranging from 25 to 40 minutes will appear automatically in the Workout app on Apple Watch, and users can also browse episodes in the Fitness+ tab in the Fitness app on an iPhone. For Apple Watch customers who use a wheelchair, Time to Walk becomes Time to Push, and automatically starts an Outdoor Wheelchair Walk Pace workout.

Microsoft Announces The New Band

Today at Microsofts briefing event the company announced the new Microsoft Band. The new Band is a wearable device that is said to be for people who want to “live healthier and achieve more." The device has been given a new design which has no rigidity in any direction, no hard edges, and fits nicely around your wrist. The new curved screen is scratch resistant and more responsive to touch. The new Band includes Cortana Integration, Smart Notifications, Calorie Tracking, Guided Workouts, UV Monitoring, Sleep Tracking and a built-in GPS. No word on price yet but we will update this story when we know more. Stay tuned.

Apple Watch OS 1.0.1 Causing Inaccurate Heart Rate Monitoring

Apple recently released the Watch OS 1.0.1 update for the Apple Watch.  The update was suppose to improve the performance of several fitness related functions, instead it appears to have introduced a bug. The Apple Watch recording your heart rate every 10 minutes, after the update many users are seeing large gaps in the data. Some users are even reporting that they see no heart rate reading at all unless they trigger it manually by opening the Glance. Continuous heart rate monitoring during a Workout also still seems to function correctly. You can check your own readings in the Health app. First open the Apple Watch app and go to General --> About and check the Version to make sure you are running 1.0.1, then open the Health app, touch the Health Data tab, then select Vitals --> Heart Rate -- > Show All Data. Do you Apple your Apple Watch ? Have you been experiencing this bug ? 

Apple Releases First Update For The Apple Watch

Apple has released the first software update for the Apple Watch. Watch OS version 1.0.1 can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General --> Software Update. To install the update, the Apple Watch must be placed on the charger and it must be in range of the iPhone. Watch OS version 1.0.1 includes performance improvements and bug fixes for Siri, measuring stand activity, distance and pace during outdoor walking and running workouts and third-party apps. The software update also includes support for new the emojis found in iOS 8.3 and it provides additional language support for Brazilian Portuguese, Dutch, Danish, Russian, Swedish, Thai, and Turkish. 

Microsoft Announces Wearable Device Called Microsoft Band

Microsoft has announced Microsoft Band, a heath focused wearable device. In terms of health features, you can use Microsoft Band during workouts to track reps and calories burned. The device also features 24 hour heart rating monitoring and a sleep tracking option that will give you a detailed report when you wake up of how long you slept and your quality of rest. On the productivity side, Microsoft Band will give you email alerts and it can also sync with your calendar to give you a heads up about important events you don't want to miss. Microsoft Band will also display text messages when they come in, allowing you to quickly read them and reply with a simple, auto generated message if you want. The device also will show you who is calling. When to comes to battery life the Microsoft Band should last for 48 hours on a single charge, Microsoft says, though this depends on how often you use it and which apps you have enabled. The Microsoft Band must be paired with a smartphone for the initial setup, but after that, you can still access some of the fitness functionality without having a phone tied to the device. Microsoft Band is compatible with Microsoft's Windows Phones , as well as the iPhone and various Android phones. The device comes in three sizes: small, medium, and large. The Microsoft Band will coast $200 and is available today through Microsoft's website.