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Kayla Solino/ZDNETZDNET’s key takeaways The Snapsicle silicone straps More

Matthew Miller/ZDNETIt’s only been a couple of years since I started golfing for more than an annual outing with my brother. Most of the time, I have relied on a Garmin watch paired with golf club sensors. That has been quite useful in helping guide me with club selection as I learned more about the game of golf and my performance with my clubs.Apple introduced its high-frequency motion API with the Apple Watch Series 8 and Watch Ultra with the WatchOS 10 release in 2022, but it wasn’t until a few months ago that I discovered the potential benefits of this API thanks in part to an Apple article on golfing with an Apple Watch and a discussion with an Apple PR contact.Also: Apple Watch Series 10 vs. Apple Watch Series 8: Is it time to level up?To take advantage of the API that Apple opened up, developers needed to create apps to use the data from the sensors. The timing of my personal discovery of the API and Golfshot’s latest application features was perfect since Golfshot now provides a Swing ID on-range experience that lets you wear your Apple Watch on the driving range or even in your backyard with plastic practice balls to evaluate various ways to improve your shot for each club in your golf bag.How the high-frequency motion API worksThe high-frequency motion API connects to the three-axis gyroscope and the accelerometer to detect rapid changes in velocity and acceleration. The gyroscope can capture angular velocity at 4,000 degrees per second, while the accelerometer has a maximum sample rate of 800Hz. The previous sample rate was 100Hz, so providing 800 samples per second significantly increases the fine definition of movement that can be captured and analyzed. More

Get three months of access to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for a discount right now. Stack Social If you’ve been thinking about trying out Xbox’s subscription gaming service Game Pass, now is a great time to get started: Stack Social is offering a deal to get three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate access for […] More

Matthew Miller/ZDNETZDNET’s key takeawaysThe Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 5 Enduro More

drees Abbas/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images I’ve been using Android since version 1.5, so it’s not often that a feature catches me off guard. You can imagine that when I do come across an unfamiliar Android feature, it’s an exciting moment. For more casual (or newer) users of Google’s mobile operating system, there are probably […] More

Save big on this lifetime Microsoft Office Pro 2021 and Windows 11 Pro bundle.  Kerry Wan/ZDNETIt doesn’t matter if you’re upgrading to a new laptop or just upgrading your existing system — access to Microsoft Office and Windows is a necessity for getting things done on your computer these days. And right now, you can buy a bundled lifetime license to Microsoft Office Pro 2021 and Windows 11 Pro from Stack Social for $53 — that’s 87% off. Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2021 includes all of the classic and essential Microsoft offerings, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Publisher, Access, and Teams. If you don’t need all the bells and whistles, check out this deal for Microsoft Office 2019, which offers all the same features except for Teams. Microsoft Windows 11 Pro is an operating system perfect for working professionals or at-home users. Get an easy-to-navigate interface, biometrics login, Smart App Control, Windows Studio Effects, DirectX 12 Ultimate, and top features like snap layouts, desktops, seamless redocking, improved voice typing, and a powerful search experience. You’ll also get access to Microsoft Copilot, an AI platform designed to upgrade your workflow experience. Also: How to use Copilot (formerly known as Bing Chat)There’s one caveat, though. While Stack Social is an authorized Microsoft partner and offers “lifetime” access to Office, it is possible that Microsoft could end the license. But the site has been running these Microsoft deals for years now, and ZDNET’s Alison DeNisco Rayome can personally vouch for them — she purchased an Office license from Stack Social about two years ago, and it’s still working on her personal MacBook today. While this bundle deal offers a lot, you won’t get the benefits of the latest Microsoft Office 365 subscription, so if you’re looking for Microsoft 365, this deal may not be for you (though Stack Social does have a discount on Office 365, too.) Windows users must update their OS to Windows 10 or 11 to access these software deals. Get your lifetime license bundles for Microsoft Office Pro 2021 and Windows 11 Pro right now. More

Kerry Wan/ZDNETI wrote about half of this article on my Apple Watch. Seriously. It’s easy and efficient. If you keep reading, I’ll show you how you can turn your Watch into a powerful writing assistant.Also: The best Apple Watches of 2024: Expert tested and reviewedThis is new. It’s made possible by the iOS 18 and MacOS Sequoia updates. The key is the Voice Memos app, which iOS and MacOS can now automatically transcribe. First, I’ll explain where this can fit into your writing workflow, and then I’ll walk you through the step-by-step process to use it every day. My new Voice Memo writing workflow We’ve had the Voice Memos app for quite some time, but getting the text transcribed involved listening to the audio and hand-typing what you said in the memo. That was just way more work than it was worth, especially for day-to-day use. Also: I replaced my Apple Watch Ultra with the 46mm Series 10, and it’s surprisingly capableBut this new ability to record a memo and then just cut and paste the text transcription right into your writing is a huge time saver. It removes a tremendous amount of tedium, substantially boosts productivity, and possibly increases the quality of your writing. That last paragraph was dictated into my Watch. I brought it into this article, gave it a quick edit, and now it’s in the article just as if I’d written it using a keyboard while sitting in front of my computer. I think about my articles for quite some time before I hit the keyboard and start putting down words on the screen. During that pre-writing time, elements of the article tend to flow in and flow out of my head. I do try to rush back to my computer if I have a really good idea that I want to write down, but it doesn’t always happen. As a result, a lot of good and useful thoughts for my articles wind up forgotten. More

Prakhar Khanna/ZDNETThe Bose QuietComfort series has been my go-to travel headphones since the company released the QuietComfort 35. But in my quest for better noise cancellation, I tried out Sony’s WH-1000XM5, which also feature a sturdier build than the QC45 headphones. During my time with the Sony headphones, however, I realized that the grass wasn’t always greener. I missed the folding earcup design of the Bose headphones, and I’m glad the company has stuck with it for the Bose QuietComfort Ultra More