Eliana Willis

Nina Raemont/ZDNETBefore Shyamal Patel had even experienced symptoms of his dental infection, his Oura Ring detected that something was off. The smart ring noticed data fluctuations when his resting heart rate elevated by 10 beats per minute from his average, so he called up his primary care physician. His PCP told him that his elevated resting heart rate of 63 beats per minute was normal and, in fact, healthy for his age, and that there was nothing to worry about. However, days later, Patel, senior vice president of science at Oura, developed the infection and had emergency dental surgery. Also: Oura Ring 4 reviewPatel wonders if the infection and the emergency surgery could have been prevented, or its risks minimized, if his doctor had investigated further concerns about his heart rate. “There was a risk that I might have permanently damaged some of the sensation in my mouth if [the infection] had gone on too long,” he said. This is one of many health emergency stories I’ve heard when people talk about their experiences with the Oura Ring. Scroll on the Oura Ring Reddit, and you’ll find stories of the smart ring waving a red flag ahead of pregnancy, COVID-19, or an autoimmune disease diagnosis. The smart ring is known as a sleep and activity tracker. Yet in the past few years, the device has evolved into a vital tool, perhaps even a physiological crystal ball of sorts, that takes a more personalized approach to monitoring health and predicting and preventing illness.  More

MirageC/Getty Images According to new research from Slack, the hype around artificial intelligence (AI) is dwindling.  “For the first time since generative AI arrived on the scene, sentiment and uptake among desk workers is starting to cool,” the report published on Tuesday states. In August, Slack surveyed over 17,000 desk workers in the US, UK, Australia, […] More

Kerry Wan/ZDNETYou don’t have to be a professional video editor to understand just how practical, efficient, and impactful the latest update to Final Cut Pro is. Apple today is launching the high-anticipated refresh to its in-house editing program, Final Cut Pro 11, along with updates to its cross-platform variants: Final Cut Pro for iPad and Final Cut Camera.Also: I’ve used Final Cut Pro for video editing for years – here are my 5 essential tipsThe big focus with Final Cut Pro 11 is unquestionably AI and how the Mac, powered by Apple’s language model in MacOS Sequoia, can help automate and streamline your workflow, whether it’s identifying moving objects for cropping and editing or transcribing and captioning. “Our creative apps give artists, producers, directors, and editors around the world the tools they need to express themselves and realize their artistic vision,” said Brent ChiuWatson, Apple’s senior director of Worldwide Product Marketing for Apps, in a Wednesday press release. Below, I’ve highlighted the best new features available with the free new update.1. Magnetic Mask More

Pulse/Getty Images I’m both a Linux and Android user, and although there are apps to make syncing those two platforms fairly seamless, there are times when I’d rather just run an Android app on my desktop. Fortunately, there’s an app called Waydroid that allows you to run Android apps within a virtual environment. The process […] More

Hakan Nural/Anadolu via Getty Images Every time I think social media is done evolving, something shakes things up. Twitter was the go-to for years, with algorithms steering what we saw. But Bluesky has arrived, offering something different — an open-source, decentralized network that puts control back into users’ hands.  Now that it’s open to all, […] More

Maria Diaz/ZDNETThe Google smart home is getting one of its biggest upgrades in years. In addition to the recent launch of a new Google TV Streamer and Nest Learning Thermostat, the company is bringing Gemini, its set of artificial intelligence (AI) large language models (LLMs), to its smart home experience with new AI-generated summaries, automations, and a Gemini-powered search feature.Also: I tested the new Eero Outdoor 7, and it’s a smart home system worth splurging forGoogle Nest security cameras can detect general motion, people, and animals. Google recently updated its cameras with garage door detection through the Nest Aware subscription. This newer feature lets you monitor — using AI image detection — whether or not your garage door was left open.Gemini-powered Nest surveillance & searchBeginning today, Google is adding Gemini to the smart home Nest cameras in the Google Home app, using AI-powered image recognition to generate descriptions of what the camera captures. This feature is only available for cameras in a Nest Aware Plus subscription.Google shared the example of a camera looking into a backyard where kids jump into a swimming pool. The description read, “Three children jumping into a swimming pool, chasing after a pool toy. The sun shines brightly, casting long shadows,” instead of an ambiguous “motion detected.” More

NurPhoto/Getty Images Apple appears committed to the smart home market, with sources saying the company plans to launch a smart display next year and a security camera the year after. We’ve heard rumors of an Apple smart home panel for years, but new reports now make a 2025 product launch sound more likely.  Sources told […] More