Phil Ashley/Getty Images The TikTok ban could be catastrophic for Americans. This crisis has ripple effects that could disrupt industries and shake the American economy. đź’° Aly (my editor) HATES when I do hot takes… but billions per month are at stake, and American small businesses are on the line so I have to share […] More
<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways KeySmart’s SmartCard is available from Amazon for $40 (3-pack for $90). It’s super thin, works with Apple iOS Find My, has a wireless rechargeable battery, and is IPX7-rated. It needs to be recharged every 5 months or so. –> Apple AirTags<!–> have changed my life, saving me countless hours looking for […] More
<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways Microsoft has made one of the best work tablets of 2024 with the 11th-generation Surface Pro for $1,000. It’s one of the latest Copilot+ PCs housing next-gen hardware, long-lasting battery, and a stunning OLED touchscreen. As great as it may be, the device’s generative AI features don’t perform at the same […] More
<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways Amazon sells the Echo Hub for $180. The Echo Hub gives Alexa the place it has earned in the smart home market: A control panel to easily access smart devices, no ads, and no unnecessary fluff. The smart display can be slow and buggy, especially while loading multiple camera views more […] More
<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Ring Battery Doorbell Plus is priced at $150. The Ring Battery Doorbell Plus offers a clear head-to-toe view of your front door, a removable rechargeable battery pack, reliable motion detection alerts, and seamless integration with Alexa. Ring continues to keep most features behind its Ring Home subscription; though the video […] More
<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition is available for $200. I’ve been testing the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition, which features the fastest performance yet and up to 12 weeks of battery life; alternatively, the 16 GB Kindle Paperwhite is available for $160. Remember that Amazon’s promise of up to 12 weeks of […] More
Jason Hiner/ZDNETThe hottest frontier in the wearables market is smart rings, health trackers worn discreetly on your finger. Although Samsung just unveiled the Galaxy Ring, its take on the trend, this past July, its successor may be announced soon. A new report from DigiTimes reveals that the Galaxy Ring 2 will be launched at Samsung Unpacked 2025, the company’s annual hardware launch event. Building on its predecessor, the ring will feature an improved battery life of up to seven days, more accurate health data sensors, two new sizes, and improved AI, according to the report. Also: Why Oura Ring 4 is ZDNET’s product of the yearThese upgrades are set to improve the Galaxy Ring’s position as an Oura ring competitor, which has dominated the smart ring market since its launch in 2013. Despite the shortcomings of the first-generation Samsung ring, ZDNET crowned it the best smart ring for Android users, with nods to its unique AI algorithms that help determine sleep quality and patterns and its seamless integration with the rest of the Samsung ecosystem. More
Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNETFitness wearable company Whoop claims data from its screenless wristband has revealed a “novel biomarker” for tracking menstruation, which could make some health issues easier to catch earlier on. Vital signs, including body temperature and heart rate, change through each phase of a person’s menstrual cycle. But Whoop’s research, published on Monday, indicates that the amplitude, or size, of those changes can tell us more than previously thought. Also: The best fitness trackers you can buyThe company’s study reviewed data from more than 11,500 women who opted in, ultimately including 45,000 menstrual cycles. “Amplitude was found to be suppressed in individuals with characteristics linked to reduced fertility, such as higher BMI & older age. This non-invasive marker could help identify reproductive health issues earlier, cutting time to diagnosis,” Whoop Founder and CEO Will Ahmed shared in an X thread on Thursday. NEW @WHOOP RESEARCH – NOVEL BIOMARKER FOR UNDERSTANDING MENSTRUAL CYCLESExcited to share groundbreaking research from the WHOOP Research team, just published in Nature Digital Medicine. A leap forward in understanding and monitoring female physiology. 🧵— Will Ahmed (@willahmed) December 27, 2024
The study explains that for women who get a period and are premenopausal, menstrual cycle changes can indicate potential health issues, like hormonal fluctuations that suggest certain disorders. “Those experiencing irregular menstrual cycles have been found to have a higher risk of coronary heart disease, cancers, and osteoporosis later in life,” the study notes. “Unfortunately, recognizing these cycle disruptions can be challenging as it may take several months before an individual identifies irregular or missed menses.” Also: I test wearable tech for a living. These are my favorite products of 2024The study suggests that, based on the data Whoop collects, irregularities found by wearables could be used to diagnose conditions more quickly and easily — without the need for blood tests or other more invasive and slower methods of diagnosis. More
