GARMIN
Delete your Garmin Messenger account before you give up a phone number
Garmin Messenger restores your old chats with just a text code, no password. Whoever gets your recycled number could read them.
Monday, Oct 26
The $179 Fitbit Edge lasts a week, but came up short on distance in two tests
The Edge's GPS ran a bit short of Strava in two tests, but its battery outlasted the seven-day rating. There's no NFC for payments.
Fitbit Air gets blood pressure and insulin resistance trends for Premium subscribers
Fitbit Air finally gets the metabolic insights Google promised, and automatic workout detection just got smart enough to stop pestering you about every walk to the fridge.
Pixel Watch and Fitbit Air can now spot over 100 workouts on their own
Pay for Google Health Premium and a Fitbit Air now watches for blood pressure and insulin resistance trends. First reports land in early November.
Friday, Oct 23
GARMIN
Third-party Garmin watch apps can now use the microphone and speaker
Apps on the Fenix 8, Venu 4 and Forerunner 970 can now record and play sound, but only while open and only after asking you.
Thursday, Oct 22
Garmin's CIRQA band now buzzes for calls and texts, after Garmin said it wouldn't
Garmin said at launch the $199.99 CIRQA wouldn't buzz for calls. Firmware 4.20 changes that, though its support page still says otherwise.
Wednesday, Oct 21
GARMIN
Garmin reopens its Connect API, with free personal keys and a fee for big apps
Anyone can now get a key to their own Garmin data in seconds. Apps with more than 1,000 users will pay Garmin per user.
Friday, Oct 16
GARMIN
Garmin's September update turns on OK Garmin, and it can cost days of battery
Garmin's new always-on voice wake word cuts battery life 35 to 50% on several watches, enabled by default.
Tuesday, Oct 13
Garmin's new MARQ starts at $2,500 with LTE and satellite SOS
DC Rainmaker's hands-on found MARQ Gen3's biggest upgrade isn't the titanium case, it's a new route-less ClimbPro.
OTHER WELLNESS
New Withings accounts now need Withings+ to sync with Apple Health
New Withings buyers now pay $9.99 a month to send their scale and watch data to Apple Health or Google Health. Existing accounts don't.
Monday, Oct 12
Fitbit Air gets blood pressure and insulin resistance trends, if you pay for Premium
Fitbit Air and Edge now recognize over 100 workout types, up from 10, cutting missed workouts by more than half.
Google's $179.99 Fitbit Edge ships October 27 with a battery you can replace
First Fitbit with a replaceable battery, 1.34-inch screen, seven-day battery, five-minute charge for a day. $179.99, out October 27.
Google forces the last Fitbit app holdouts onto Google Health
Google has started blocking old Fitbit app versions behind a mandatory update screen, closing the holdout window for good.
Friday, Oct 9
Google teases its next Fitbit for October 12, and the tagline says Edge
Fitbit Edge replaces Sense and Versa with ECG, GPS, a 1.3 inch OLED screen, 5 ATM rating, and a $180 price.
Tuesday, Oct 6
The Fitbit Edge leaks at €179 with a battery you can swap
A second leak prices the Fitbit Edge at €179 and gives it a battery you can swap yourself, plus ECG and blood pressure trends.
Monday, Oct 5
The Fitbit Edge may be the Google band from September's FCC filing
The Google band in September's FCC filing had no Wi-Fi or cellular radio, and the leaked Fitbit Edge looks like a match.
Saturday, Oct 3
Some Fenix 8 owners lose heart rate after Garmin's 23.39 update
Fenix 8 owners say update 23.39 killed their heart-rate sensor, and a 90-second power-off only brings it back for some.
Monday, Sep 28
GARMIN
Garmin buys Moxy, the muscle oxygen sensor maker, and Muscle Battery suddenly has hardware
Garmin bought the company that's been feeding its watches muscle oxygen data since 2014. Muscle Battery just got its engine.
POLAR
Polar's app now names a Loop Gen 3, barely a year after the Gen 2
Polar's app already knows about Loop Gen 3 and 360 Gen 2 before Polar does.
Thursday, Sep 24
Garmin's Venu 4 can now keep fall detection on all day
Until now it only watched for falls during some outdoor workouts. Version 17.25 could take a few weeks to reach every watch.