Gadgetbridge is an open-source Android app that serves as an alternative to manufacturers' fitness watch apps, supporting over 600 devices. The app avoids bloatware and corporate tracking but has limitations like missing features (VO2 max, calendar sync), connection instability, and fewer watch face options compared to official apps. It remains in experimental stage and works better with older, more established device models.
EssilorLuxottica announced the Nuance Audio Plus, an updated version of its FDA-cleared hearing aid glasses that feature improved voice clarity, better sound boosting, expanded on-device controls, and up to 10 hours of battery life. The glasses are available in three frame styles and five colors starting at $829, with audio modes for focused or ambient amplification and noise reduction settings.
Apple is exploring development of a screen-less fitness tracker to compete with Whoop, with prototypes already built but no expected release before 2028. The device would be a fabric band with integrated sensors, complementing Apple's existing Apple Watch product line.
Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses capture first-person video data that could train AI systems and robots to understand the physical world, addressing a gap in machine learning that text and images alone cannot fill. The glasses provide the scale of real-world footage needed to teach robots about object interaction, spatial relationships, and everyday tasks. However, this training approach raises significant privacy concerns since people around the wearer may be recorded without consent.
BitWell is a non-medical wellness platform for senior living communities that integrates with wearables via Health Connect to provide caregivers and families with insights into activity, mobility, and fall detection. The app helps senior living operators and remote families stay informed about residents' daily wellness patterns without providing medical advice or diagnosis.
A study of 58 Hispanic adults found that popular smartwatches (Apple, Garmin, Samsung, Fitbit) significantly misestimate calories burned during exercise, with errors of 15-25%, and accuracy worsens as body fat percentage increases. The devices rely on heart rate and movement data combined with user demographics, but cannot directly measure caloric expenditure, leading to substantial inaccuracies that vary across individuals.
Solana ecosystem discussions from X show activity around wearable hardware adoption (Gotchi Labs and Solana Seeker reaching hundreds of thousands of installs), trading gains, and emerging financial layers like XMoney integrating with Solana. Memecoin distributions and price speculation dominate the discourse as SOL approaches $120.
Meta stock surged over 10% after Wells Fargo raised its price target to $796 and the Meta Muse AI app topped Apple's App Store, reflecting the company's successful AI model launches and recovery from previous infrastructure spending concerns.
Vocci released a ring-shaped device for recording meeting notes with an 8-hour battery life and titanium construction, but its software lacks integration features and poses privacy concerns since the recording indicator faces only the wearer, potentially enabling covert recording.
Fitbit co-founders James Park and Eric Friedman have launched Luffu, a new company offering the Luffu Link, a $300 screenless wearable designed to help families monitor aging parents and coordinate care through continuous health tracking, location sharing, and AI-powered insights. The device connects to cellular networks, offers five days of battery life, and syncs with a companion app ($19/month for four family members) that surfaces health patterns and care coordination information in real time.
Snap co-founder Evan Spiegel discusses his company's $2,195 smart glasses that blend digital and physical worlds, arguing they should have a distinct appearance rather than mimicking regular glasses. The innovation aims to transform how people interact with computing and their environment.
A longtime Apple Watch user who switched to WHOOP for better health tracking is now considering returning to Apple Watch Series 12, which offers improved health monitoring features including more frequent heart rate collection and a new Readiness app similar to WHOOP's recovery score, alongside the redesigned Apple Health app in iOS 27.
Apple's new Readiness score and increased heart rate variability measurements on Apple Watch aim to assess autonomic nervous system health and predict disease, but claims about HRV's connection to health outcomes lack scientific proof. Consumer wearables measure HRV differently than clinical ECG methods, using optical pulse sensors rather than direct heart measurements, making direct comparisons problematic.
Apple released the Watch Series 12 today with internal upgrades and improved health sensors, including a faster S11 chip and enhanced heart rate monitoring that samples every five seconds. The device maintains the same external design as Series 11 but adds new color options, tougher Ceramic Shield 2 glass, and faster charging capabilities. New features include a readiness score based on activity and vitals, with prices starting at $399.
Snap has launched Specs, $2,200 AR glasses that represent a decade-long effort by CEO Evan Spiegel to build a standalone augmented reality computer in glasses form. Unlike previous Spectacles or competitors' smart glasses, Specs function as a dedicated AR headset with onboard computing and no reliance on smartphones or external devices. The company spun out Specs as a separate business to raise capital, signaling ambitious but costly AR ambitions as it competes against Meta's Project Orion.
The Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 share the same S11 chip and health sensors, with the Series 12 starting at $399 and the Ultra 4 at $799. For most users, the Series 12 offers better value with identical performance in a lighter design, while the Ultra 4 justifies its premium through extended battery life and specialized features for diving, hiking, and endurance activities.
The Apple Watch Ultra 4 introduces significant hardware improvements including a new S11 chipset, enhanced optical heart rate sensor with increased electrode surface area and photodiodes, extended battery life to over 2 days, and new health features like HRV trending and a Readiness Score system. The watch also promises upcoming features including a redesigned Health app with AI summaries, Health Age calculations, and additional audio intelligence capabilities, all backed by an Apple-conducted study of 1,400 participants.
Apple released the Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 with iterative improvements including a new more powerful chip and improved health sensors. The most notable change is the return of ceramic as a case material in Pearl White and Night Blue shades, featuring enhanced durability through improved manufacturing processes and a cleaner design without red crown accents.
Best Buy has released a curated list of 10 new electronics for September 2026, including the Oura Ring 5 smart ring with advanced health tracking, the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ handheld gaming PC offering powerful performance, and the Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless headphones with high-quality audio. These recently launched devices span wearables, gaming hardware, and audio equipment at varying price points.
The Apple Watch Ultra 4 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 are premium smartwatches released this summer with similar titanium construction and durability ratings for swimming and diving. Both offer 64GB storage, but differ in processors, display size and brightness, battery life, and health features, with the Galaxy featuring a brighter 5,000-nit display and up to 60 hours of battery versus Apple's 50-hour claim.