How to Customize Your Apple Watch Workout Metrics

The ability to view live metric data is one of the most important feedback functions of any Apple Watch fitness app. In this article, we’re going to show how you can easily customize the metrics that the stock Workout app shows you when you raise your wrist during exercise.

Checking in on your progress during a workout is best achieved with a quick glance at your watch screen, so choosing which statistics are displayed is an important consideration if you want to minimize the amount of attention this requires. By default, Apple Watch displays things like duration, calories burned, heart rate, and distance, but you can choose to see only those that are important to you based on the type of workout you’re doing. Keep reading to learn how it’s done.

How to Customize Your Metrics for Different Workouts

The Workout app offers either a multiple metrics readout or a single metric view. The Multiple Metric view lets you choose up to five different metrics for individual workouts. The Single Metric option reduces this to one, however turning the Digital Crown in this mode lets you scroll through all available metrics for the current workout. Here’s how to choose between and set up the two viewing modes. Launch the Watch app on your iPhone.
Tap Workout in the app list.
Tap Workout View at the top of the menu.

Tap either Single Metric or Multiple Metric.
If you chose the Multiple Metric option you will see the list of individual workouts beneath. Tap a workout to customize its view.
To remove a metric from the view, tap the red minus symbol next to it in the list. To add a metric, tap the green plus symbol. You can also drag metrics between the two lists and reorder them to suit using the horizontal bars along the right. Note that the order will be reflected in your Apple Watch’s display.Tip: When using the Multiple Metric view, turn the Digital Crown on your Apple Watch to highlight a particular statistic on the screen for easier at-a-glance reading.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch, watchOS 4Buyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)
Discuss this article in our forums

WhatsApp Extends Time Limit for Deleting Sent Messages to Over an Hour

WhatsApp has quietly extended the time window in which users can delete a message they already sent to a person or group in the latest version of the popular messaging app.

First noticed by WABetaInfo and reported by The Verge, the change in v2.18.31 means users now have up to one hour, eight minutes, and 16 seconds to “delete for everyone” any message already sent over the platform, rather than the previous time limit of up to seven minutes.

It’s not clear what prompted the specific limit change (other than the value being equal to 4096 seconds, or 2^12) and there’s no mention of it in WhatsApp’s support pages. Nevertheless, users now have a much longer time period in which to delete individual messages or entire chat threads either before or after they’re read.

A new WhatsApp for iOS update (2.18.31) is available on AppStore.
It is a bug fixes update, but it has the new “Delete for everyone” limit, that’s 1 hour, 8 minutes and 16 seconds.

— WABetaInfo (@WABetaInfo) March 8, 2018

The “delete for everyone” option was introduced last year, but WhatsApp still lacks a self-destructing message feature like the one found in Telegram, where users can set a countdown on a message in the device-specific secret chat mode. As soon as the time runs out, the message disappears from both devices.

Tag: WhatsApp
Discuss this article in our forums

Apple Updates ‘Made for iPhone, iPad, and iPod’ Logos

Apple has updated its Made for iPhone, Made for iPad, and Made for iPod logos, and accessory makers have 90 days from when the change was announced in mid February to begin using them, according to ChargerLab.

Apple’s new Made for iPhone, iPad, and iPod logos via ChargerLab
The new decals look similar, but they have Apple logos in place of iPhone, iPad, and iPod icons. Apple has also moved iPod from first to last in the list, as the iPhone and iPad have long overshadowed the portable media player. The new logos use Apple’s San Francisco font, compared to Myriad Pro previously.

Apple’s old Made for iPod, iPhone, and iPad logo
Made for iPhone, Made for iPad, and Made for iPod logos inform customers that an electronic accessory has been certified by the developer to meet Apple’s performance standards. To use the logos, accessory makers must apply to be a MFi Program licensee, and receive approval from Apple.

MFi-licensed technologies include the Lightning connector, CarPlay, GymKit, HomeKit, game controllers, and hearing aids, among others. MFi Program certification is not required for accessories that only make use of standard Bluetooth profiles supported by iOS, or accessories that only use the 3.5mm headphone jack.

For customers, this isn’t a significant change. But, next time you’re shopping for Apple-certified accessories, be aware the logos will soon change on packaging. It doesn’t appear the similar Made for Apple Watch decal has changed.

(Thanks, Nick!)

Tag: MFi Program
Discuss this article in our forums

Samsung Galaxy S9+ Teardown Reveals Components for Dual-Aperture Camera and ‘Lower-Tech’ AR Emoji

Over the weekend, iFixit shared its latest teardown, this one for Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S9+ smartphone. The Galaxy S9 and S9+ will both launch this Friday, March 16 for around for $720 and $840, respectively, and some initial reviews took to comparing the devices to Apple’s iPhone X.

iFixit did so as well in the new teardown, starting off by trying to get into the back of the S9+ to look at its rear-facing camera components. After applying heat, the iFixit team got into the smartphone and found its dual-aperture camera system, which the team described as one of the only significant hardware changes this year.

Images via iFixit
iFixit explained that the S9+ has a rear-facing camera that automatically adjusts its aperture for low light, and at f/1.5 it has the widest aperture of any phone. For normal photos, Samsung’s new device still has a “more standard” f/2.4 aperture. In comparison, the iPhone X’s dual 12 MP rear cameras include f/1.8 and f/2.4 apertures.

Standard camera lenses use at least five aperture blades to keep the aperture roughly circular throughout many f-stop adjustments. This Galaxy’s aperture has just two rotating, ring-like blades for its single adjustment.

After some trouble dislodging the rear fingerprint sensor, iFixit moved to focus on the battery within the S9+ and discovered a 3.85V, 3,500 mAh battery. As the iFixit team pointed out, the battery in the S9+ shares the same specs as those found in the S8+ last year, and in the Note7 in 2016. The iPhone X’s battery teardown uncovered a 3.81V, 2,716 mAh battery in Apple’s smartphone.

Eventually, the team got underneath the S9+ display and compared its front-facing camera components side-by-side with the iPhone X. iFixit noted that Samsung’s AR Emoji are “lower-tech” compared to Apple’s Animoji, mainly because the S9+ front-facing hardware — composed of an iris scanner, camera, IR emitter, and proximity sensor — are “pretty much exactly” the same as the tech from the Galaxy S8+.

Galaxy S9+ (left) and iPhone X (right)
Because of this, iFixit pointed out that it might have been a bit too soon for Samsung to debut its own animated emoji characters “without a hardware update to bring it up to speed.” To further explain the distance between the technologies, the teardown team described Apple’s Animoji as having Kinect-level tracking, while Samsung’s emoji are more akin to Snapchat filters.

iFixit gave the Samsung Galaxy S9+ a repairability score of 4 out of 10, explaining that there are a few modular components while noting the chance for breakage if attempting to repair the display and rear glass panel. The iPhone X fared slightly better in its teardown with a 6 out of 10 score. To read more about the Galaxy S9+ and its teardown, visit iFixit’s website.

Tags: Samsung, iFixit, teardown, Galaxy S9
Discuss this article in our forums

Scientology is launching a TV network with streaming options

Scientology’s relentless marketing push is evolving for the modern era. Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that the organization is launching a TV network on March 12th, and it’ll include the virtually obligatory streaming apps. In addition to broadcasting on AT&T’s DirecTV, it’ll also offer streaming through mobile apps (at least iOS), Apple TV and Roku devices. It’s not certain what the network will offer online as of this writing, but there will be on-demand clips in addition to live fare.

The group had hinted about the possibility of a TV offering as far back as 2016, when it opened its own media studio, but it has never formally discussed plans.

To some extent, this is a defensive move. Scientology hasn’t aggressively adopted online video, but its critics certainly have. The 2015 HBO documentary Going Clear has been available on Netflix for a while, and details some of the allegations of systemic abuse and harassment leveled against the organization. It’s not hard to find YouTube videos documenting similar claims, either. While an internet-savvy network isn’t likely to change many minds (especially not when it’s relatively late to the party), it’s hard to imagine the image-obsessed outfit letting its many challengers go unanswered.

Source: Hollywood Reporter

FCC accuses startup of launching satellites without permission

Life isn’t easy if you’re a space technology startup: in addition to the outlandish costs, you have to clear all kinds of regulatory challenges that might cut your plans short if there’s a snag. One company might not have been willing to take “no” for an answer, however. IEEE Spectrum has discovered that the FCC accused startup Swarm Technologies of launching four of its tiny SpaceBEE (Basic Electronic Elements) communication cubesats without obtaining the necessary approvals — in effect, it would be the first satellite maker to go rogue.

The FCC denied Swarm’s application to launch its satellites in December 2017 on the grounds that they posed a safety hazard other spacecraft orbiting Earth. That apparently wasn’t a deterrent, as the SpaceBEEs appear to have launched aboard one of India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicles on January 12th (you’re looking at the rocket above). Needless to say, that left officials fuming. The FCC revoked Swarm’s approval for a subsequent mission that would have taken place this April, citing an “apparent unauthorized launch and operation” of the four satellites.

Swarm was undoubtedly aware of the objections, as the April cubesats addressed FCC complaints that the initial models were too small. Unless the Indian space agency ISRO’s description of the cargo and successful launch is inaccurate, though, it didn’t scrap plans to launch the old satellites.

IEEE and TechCrunch have so far been unsuccessful in repeated attempts to reach Swarm for comment. The incident creates all kinds of problems though, and not just for Swarm or the FCC. The launch services company Spaceflight had said it checks its customers’ regulatory licenses, but appears to have let Swarm through the cracks. A spokesperson said the company “has never knowingly” launched clients without FCC licenses. It’s also uncertain whether or not ISRO checks licenses. Although it’s doubtful you’ll see a repeat of this any time soon, there may need to be more stringent checks — space junk is enough of a problem with fully authorized spacecraft, let alone the unsanctioned kind.

Via: TechCrunch

Source: IEEE Spectrum, FCC (1), (2)

Tesla temporarily paused Model 3 production in February

Tesla temporarily halted production of the Model 3 in order to fix crucial bottlenecks in the assembly process. According to Bloomberg, the line at the company’s Fremont plant was shut down between February 20th, through to the 24th. In a statement, Tesla said that its plans include pauses in production to “improve automation and systemically address bottlenecks.”

The Model 3 is a very special vehicle, since it is Tesla’s first attempt at building a truly mass-market electric vehicle. But the project has suffered a number of setbacks as the company struggles to grapple with the nuances of mass production. CEO Elon Musk has pledged that volumes will increase, several times over, claiming that Tesla would make 5,000 models a month by March.

In fact, the company has missed pretty much every goal that its CEO has set, and the target of producing 5,000 a month has now been pushed back to June. If these breaks can enable Tesla’s engineers to fix some of the more chronic issues with Tesla’s system, however, then things might just improve. Perhaps the team could also work to resolve some of the issues with build quality that critics are obsessed with highlighting.

Source: Bloomberg

Move over, lithium! Researchers create world’s first rechargeable proton battery

A team of researchers at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia have created the world’s first rechargeable proton battery. The current battery is simply a prototype, but the research team says that it is a step toward creating a more affordable and environmentally friendly energy sources. The team believes that within five to ten years, the proton battery could compete with commercially available lithium-ion batteries.

“Lithium-ion batteries are great but they rely on ultimately scarce and expensive resources,” lead researcher John Andrews told the Guardian. “Hydro is also a good technology but suitable sites are limited and the cost may be very high.”

In an RMIT University news story, Andrews said that the world’s energy needs were continuing to increase and he believes that proton batteries have the potential to supplement or even replace lithium batteries due how expensive and rare the materials used in lithium batteries are.

“The proton battery is one among many potential contributors towards meeting this enormous demand for energy storage,” Andrews said. “Powering batteries with protons has the potential to be more economical than using lithium ions, which are made from scare resources. Carbon, which is the primary resource used in our proton battery, is abundant and cheap compared to both metal hydrogen-storage alloys, and the lithium needed for rechargeable lithium ion batteries.”

Another benefit of this proton battery is the fact that, thanks to the way it produces energy, the carbon it produces is not burnt or released into the air as fumes. This makes it more environmentally friendly than standard lithium batteries.

Environmental and economic costs are important things to consider, but potential consumers maybe wondering how well the battery works. The current prototype, which has an active surface area of 5.5 square centimeters, is already capable of storing as much energy-per-mass as lithium batteries. Andrews and his team are currently working on ways to improve the battery now that they have a working prototype.

“Future work will now focus on further improving performance and energy density through use of atomically-thin layered carbon-based materials such as graphene, with the target of a proton battery that is truly competitive with lithium ion batteries firmly in sight,” Andrews said.

Editors’ Recommendations

• These 4 tips will help you max out your Xbox One controller’s battery life
• Next-gen pacemakers will keep hearts beating with tech inspired by electric eels
• This sweat-powered, stretchable battery could revolutionize wearables
• Solid Power partners with BMW to bring solid-state batteries to EVs
• Blink XT One Camera System review

Authentic HAL-9000 virtual assistant could actually open the pod bay doors

The sentient A.I. from Stanley Kubrick’s opus 2001: A Space Odyssey may soon find a place in your home reciting your favorite recipe or telling you about the weather. The malevolent HAL-9000, which recently topped our list of A.I. villains, has been recreated in loving detail by Master Replicas Group as a virtual assistant using Amazon’s Echo technology.

Master Replicas is not your typical tech startup. The original company produced a line of authentic but pricey sci-fi replica props from films such as Star Wars before closing its doors in 2008. The new company, comprised of several former employees, is launching with a line of officially licensed collectibles inspired by the 50th anniversary of 2001: A Space Odyssey.

The HAL-9000 features a Fire HD tablet as its base, and it uses Amazon’s voice assistant Alexa. At present, the device only responds to wake-up calls with lines from the movie, but CEO Steve Dymszo told The Verge that they hope to get Amazon’s approval to have it answer inquiries with HAL’s voice. “It’s the first prop replica that can be updated,” he said.

No price has been revealed, but Master Replicas will begin taking pre-orders in April, and is also launching a Kickstarter campaign. A special numbered series will be featured, from 1 to 2001. Production has already begun, and the company hope to begin shipping the devices this fall.

More and more virtual assistants are entering the market, with each one appealing to a different customer base. The most well-known are Alexa, Siri, Cortana, and whatever Google Assistant’s name is, but Samsung has its own VA named Bixby, and Mycroft promises to protect your privacy at all costs.

At its website, Master Replicas Group also promises that a new line of Star Wars and Star Trek collectibles is in the works, but not in the first wave of products. It is also teasing some electronic devices that will “literally change the collecting world forever!”

The company also releases products through a license with the Smithsonian, such as replica landscapes of the moon and Mars.

Dymszo hopes the updated high-tech focus of the company will appeal to a new generation of collectors, while still maintaining the authenticity they’re famous for. “It’s a replica that acts as your assistant,” he said. You might not want to connect it to your garage doors just yet, though, until they’ve worked out some of the kinks.

Editors’ Recommendations

• 7 Exotic technologies that were once science fiction, but now exist in reality
• Science fiction’s 5 most haunting A.I. villains, ranked
• Finally, an A.I. voice assistant that doesn’t collect and monetize your data
• FDA-approved robotic exoskeleton magnifies wearers’ strength tenfold
• Amazon is reportedly designing its own A.I. chips to make Alexa respond faster

New ‘documentary’ shows SpotMinis trying to survive in a desolate wasteland

A herd of migrating SpotMinis is at the mercy of mother Nature in a Planet Earth parody from video artist NIXOLAS (a.k.a. Nicholas King). In the distant future, we find that the versatile critters created by Boston Dynamics became “apex predators” who once ruled the Earth, but now find themselves scavenging for scraps in a barren wasteland.

Using a program called Golaem, which lets artists create and manipulate realistic digital crowds, King teamed up with fellow artists Vojislav Milanovic, Ramtin Ahmadi, and Nawaz Ahmed to create a prescient parody of the David Attenborough series.

King said the entire video took about two or three weeks, and at his Instagram site, you can see some of the behind-the-scenes work, including animating the Boston Dynamics robo-dogs and the ragdoll physics of the creatures.

In the video, the sonorous English narrator implies that the robots themselves are responsible for the destruction of their environment. The video has drawn a lot of comparisons to Horizon Zero Dawn, but King mentioned in a comment he’s never played the game.

The creepily aggressive SpotMinis from Boston Dynamics made the rounds of the internets a few weeks back, with a video showing one of the creatures with a mechanical arm opening a door for his headless buddy.

In a follow-up video, ominously titled “Testing Robustness,” we saw a determined SpotMini fight his way through the door despite his human handler’s best attempts to stop him. Boston Dynamics has released few actual details about the robots themselves, instead letting us speculate as they unveil videos showcasing our new robot overlords.

The SpotMini was unleashed on the world in 2016 with a video showcasing its dance moves, which is truly some nightmare fuel. The Spot Mini weighs about 55 pounds (66 with the arm) and can carry 30 pounds. Using its sensors, it can climb stairs, open doors, and pick up objects.

It’s not really clear what Boston Dynamics’ robots are for, however. Its robot BigDog has been used by the defense department, and the company was briefly bought and then sold by Google. Now they seem content to just build a robot army with better and better capabilities. Isn’t that how Skynet started?

Editors’ Recommendations

• Boston Dynamics’ SpotMini robot now has a terrifying appendage
• Whatever you do, don’t mess with Boston Dynamics’ SpotMini robot
• Spirit animals: 9 revolutionary robots inspired by real-world creatures
• The best movies on Netflix right now
• When a movie isn’t enough, the best shows on Netflix will keep you busy for days