Apple added AFib History to Apple Watch’s features, like ECG readings, in 2022. Photo: Apple
For the first time, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) qualified a digital technology — Apple Watch’s AFib History feature — for a special research program. AFib, or atrial fibrillation, is a type of abnormal heart beat associated with heart attacks.
Apple Watch’s AFib History now qualifies for FDA’s stringent Medical Device Development Tools (MDDT) program. The program says which tools research sponsors can choose from to help develop and evaluate medical devices.
Apple Watch AFib History feature qualifies for FDA MDDT program
FDA first approved Apple’s AFib History feature just before it came out in 2022, after a clinical study showed it worked. And since then, plenty of anecdotal evidence of Apple Watch’s usefulness as a heart-health tool has come along, including stories of lives saved thanks to its warnings.
Wednesday’s news from FDA qualifies AFib History for a more specialized use in assessing AFib data in clinical studies related to developing and evaluating medical devices.
Specifically, AFib History now qualifies “to assess atrial fibrillation (a type of arrhythmia, or abnormal heartbeat) burden estimates within clinical studies through the Medical Device Development Tools (MDDT) program,” FDA said.
However, real-world use of the feature may be limited. That’s because of Masimo’s lawsuit over Apple’s use of pulse oximeter technology, used by the AFib History feature. Apple turned it off in current models on sale, Apple Watch 9 and Ultra 2.
Here’s how FDA describes the feature and its qualification:
The first digital health technology qualified under the MDDT program, providing a non-invasive way to check estimates of atrial fibrillation (AFib) burden within clinical studies.
Designed to be used as a biomarker test to help evaluate estimates of AFib burden as a secondary effectiveness endpoint within clinical studies intended to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of cardiac ablation devices to treat.
Designed to be used throughout the clinical study, both before and after cardiac ablation devices, to monitor a study participant’s weekly estimate of AFib burden.
A special Today at Apple series by and for small-business owners is coming in May to select Apple Stores, the iPhone giant said Wednesday. New “Made for Business” sessions will offer small business owners and entrepreneurs free opportunities to learn how Apple products and services can support them.
“At Apple, we know small businesses are the backbone of local communities, which is why we are constantly innovating to help at every stage of their growth,” said Deirdre O’Brien, Apple’s senior vice president of Retail.
“Our retail stores provide only-at-Apple experiences such as community and education sessions, free Today at Apple programming, and ongoing support from in-store experts who help small businesses find the perfect technology to supercharge their work,” she added.
‘Made for Business’ Today at Apple sessions launch in May
The new programs start up during National Small Business Week in the United States. Six new Made for Business Today at Apple sessions will run throughout May in Chicago, Miami, New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. After that, programming in will run in select stores worldwide throughout the year.
Here’s how Apple describes the new Made for Business Today at Apple programming:
Led by small business owners, the sessions will highlight how these organizations have used Apple products such as iPhone, iPad, and Mac — along with resources such as Apple Business Connect, Apple Business Essentials, and Tap to Pay on iPhone — to build their businesses, reach customers in new ways, and push their organizations forward.
So having small business owners lead the sessions lets them teach other entrepreneurs how actual businesses have used Apple products and resources to reach customers in new ways and more, Apple said.
New Today at Apple business sessions
Business owners teaching business owners: It builds business like nobody’s business. Photo: Apple
An example of a business leading a session comes with Washington, D.C.-based Mozzeria, a Deaf-owned pizzeria. It was “founded with a mission to provide customers with a warm, memorable and visually captivating experience of Deaf culture,” Apple said.
Theodore Miller, the pizzeria’s director of National Operations, will lead a session at Apple Carnegie Library. He will show how the restaurant’s staff uses Apple’s accessibility features to assist clientele and build business.
“To build a truly inclusive and community-driven business, we must focus on putting people first. That means adapting our technology and practices to be more accessible. Apple’s innovations have been key in helping us boost efficiency and connect with customers,” said Miller.
“Whether it’s using Dictation on iPhone or iPad for speech to text in the Notes app, or enabling Live Captions for phone calls, Apple’s tools help bridge communication gaps and set higher standards for businesses in today’s fast-paced world,” he added.
Other resources for businesses
Mozzeria will lead a Made for Business session at Apple Carnegie Library showcasing how the restaurant’s staff makes use of Apple’s accessibility features. Photo: Apple
Apple also noted its other resources for businesses in Apple Store locations. Teams called Business Pros and Business Experts stand by to help. Here’s more information from the iPhone giant:
Whether a business owner is looking to learn which products and services are right for their team, or interested in expanding their use of Apple’s tools, Business Pros can help curate personalized solutions, facilitate easy purchasing and shipping, and help small businesses get set up with Apple resources:
Apple Business Connect, a free tool allowing businesses of all sizes to customize how they appear to more than a billion Apple users across Apple Maps, Messages, Wallet, Siri, and other apps.
With Business Connect, businesses can directly manage their information in the interactive Apple Maps place card, including creating Custom Action Links that direct users to their website or preferred platform and make it easy for customers to place orders, reserve a table, and more, right from the place card.
Apple Business Essentials, one complete subscription that seamlessly brings together device management, 24/7 support, and cloud storage. Business owners can easily manage the Apple devices in their organizations and scale up as they grow.
Tap to Pay on iPhone, which provides businesses with an easy, secure, and private way to accept in-person contactless payments. This includes contactless debit and credit cards, Apple Pay, and other digital wallets, using only an iPhone and a partner-enabled iOS app — no additional hardware or payment terminal needed. Tap to Pay on iPhone uses the built-in features of iPhone to keep business and customer data private and secure.
To get started with Today at Apple sessions, attendees can sign up at apple.com/today/groups.
Earlier this week, Samsung rolled out a new software update to various devices across the European region, bringing some changes related to compatibility with 4G networks. The update was released for the Galaxy S24, S23, Z Fold 5, Z Flip 5, and the Galaxy A54 initially, and it is now making its way to the Galaxy S22 series as well.
On Monday, June 10, Apple plans to hold a keynote viewing party for select students and developers, allowing them to watch the pre-recorded unveiling of new software updates. Apple accepted applications for the event until yesterday, and now emails are going out to developers who have been selected by the lottery process.
The event will include “exciting new programming,” an opportunity to meet with Apple experts, and other WWDC-related “special activities.”
At last year’s WWDC event, developers and students were provided with refreshments in the morning, followed by the keynote event. The Platforms State of the Union followed, and there were two Apple Park tours to choose from. The day ended with the Apple Design Awards and an evening dinner.
Prior to 2020, the Worldwide Developers Conference was an in-person event that was hosted in San Jose, California. Developers were required to pay $1,599 to purchase a ticket to attend, and space was limited. Starting in 2020, Apple turned WWDC into an online event open to all developers, but there have been small in-person events at Apple Park since 2022.
There will be a reception event at Apple’s Infinite Loop campus on Sunday, June 9, where attendees can pick up their badges early.
Apple extended invitations to Current Apple Developer Program members, Apple Developer Enterprise Program members, Apple Entrepreneur Camp alumni, and Swift Student Challenge winners from 2022 to 2024. Attendees were chosen by random selection.
While there is no cost to attend the Apple Park special event, Apple does not cover transportation or lodging. Out-of-state attendees will need to purchase airfare, hotel accommodations, and transportation to Apple Park.
WWDC 2024 is set to take place from June 10 to June 14. Developers not selected to attend the special event can watch the keynote, interface with Apple engineers, and watch WWDC sessions online.
At MemCon 2024, Samsung showcased its latest HBM3E technology, talked about its future HBM4 plans, and unveiled the CXL Memory Module Box, also known as CMM-B, the latest addition to its Compute Express Link (CXL) memory module portfolio.
CMM-B is essentially a memory pooling appliance for rack computing leveraging CXL. It supports disaggregated memory allocation, allowing memory capacity available in remote locations to be shared across multiple servers. Through this, CMM-B enables independent resource allocation in the rack cluster and allows for larger pools of memory to be assigned as needed. With up to 60GB/s bandwidth, Samsung says CMM-B is ideal for applications like AI, in-memory databases, and data analytics.
CMM-B can accommodate eight E3.S form factor CMM-D (PCIe Gen5) memory modules for a total of 2TB. CMM-D memory integrates Samsung’s DRAM technology with the CXL open standard interface to deliver efficient, low-latency connectivity between the CPU and memory expansion devices.
Easy setup
Samsung says the CMM-B integrates seamlessly into Supermicro Plug and Play Rack Scale Solutions, ensuring not only faster productivity but also reduced total cost of ownership (TCO).
The CMM-B module comes pre-installed with Samsung’s Cognos Management Console (SCMC) software, which provides an intuitive interface for quick setup of the Rack-Scale server appliance. This software facilitates dynamic memory allocation, enabling memory to be allocated independently of the server to which it is attached.
During his keynote at MemCon, Jin-Hyeok Choi, Corporate Executive Vice President, Device Solutions Research America – Memory at Samsung Electronics said, “AI innovation cannot continue without memory technology innovation. As the market leader in memory, Samsung is proud to continue advancing innovation – from the industry’s most advanced CMM-B technology, to powerful memory solutions like HBM3E for high-performance computing and demanding AI applications. We are committed to collaborating with our partners and serving our customers to unlock the full potential of the AI era together.”
(Image credit: Samsung)
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While Apple does not plan to hold a traditional in-person WWDC event this year, the company will invite select developers and students to attend a special event at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California.
On Monday, June 10, Apple will host a keynote viewing party to let attendees watch the pre-recorded unveiling of new software updates. Apple also promises “exciting new programming,” an opportunity to meet with Apple experts, and other “special activities.”
At last year’s special event, developers and students were provided with refreshments in the morning, followed by the keynote event. The Platforms State of the Union followed, and there were two Apple Park tours to choose from. The day ended with the Apple Design Awards and an evening dinner.
Note that there will be a reception event at Apple’s Infinite Loop campus on Sunday, June 9, where attendees can pick up their badges early.
Prior to 2020, the Worldwide Developers Conference was an in-person event that was hosted in San Jose, California. Developers were required to pay $1,599 to purchase a ticket to attend, and space was limited. Starting in 2020, Apple turned WWDC into an online event open to all developers, but there have been small in-person events at Apple Park since 2022.
Lottery Selection
Apple is inviting a limited number of developers and students to Apple Park for the special event, and attendees will be selected through a lottery process.
Who is Eligible to Attend
Current Apple Developer Program or Apple Developer Enterprise Program members can ask to attend, as can Apple Entrepreneur Camp alumni and Swift Student Challenge winners from 2022 to 2024.
350 Swift Student Challenge winners are set to be announced on Thursday, March 28. 50 Distinguished Winners will receive an invite to a special three-day experience that includes the special event on June 10.
Both adults and children aged 13 to 17 can apply, but children will need to be accompanied by a legal guardian.
How to Register for Apple’s Special Event
Those eligible to enter the lottery can do so on Apple’s developer website through the special event request page. Apple is accepting requests to attend through 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on Wednesday, April 3.
Attendees chosen by the random selection process will be informed about their status by the end of the day on Thursday, April 4.
Costs
There is no cost to attend the special event at Apple Park, but Apple will not cover transportation. Out-of-state attendees will need to purchase plane tickets, accommodations at nearby hotels, and will need to find a way to get to Apple Park on the day of the event.
Media
In addition to inviting developers and students, Apple will likely extend invitations to select members of the media. Media invites for the Apple Park event have not yet gone out.
WWDC Details
WWDC 2024 will take place from Monday, June 10 to Friday, June 14. Developers who are not selected to attend can watch the June 10 keynote event on Apple’s website or on YouTube.
For those unable to watch the live stream, or who prefer to read a text version of the announcements, we’ll have live WWDC 2024 coverage both here on MacRumors.com and through our MacRumorsLive Twitter account, so make sure to follow.
To celebrate an in-game event for popular Apple Arcade game Hello Kitty Island Adventure, Apple is teaming up with Sanrio to have Hello Kitty herself visit Apple Union Square in San Francisco, California.
Hello Kitty will be at the San Francisco store on Wednesday, March 20 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. That is the week of the Game Developers Conference, so GDC attendees that are visiting the city will be able to attend to meet Hello Kitty.
Apple says that Hello Kitty will spread a message of happiness, friendship, and inclusivity, which matches the theme of the Hello Kitty Island Adventure in-game event. The virtual event, which takes place from March 18 to 25, celebrates International Day of Happiness. Players will be tasked with spreading joy through a surprise recipe and with surprise gifts.
Chelsea Howe, Chief Product Officer of Sunblink (the developer behind Hello Kitty Island Adventure), and Jill Koch, SVP of Marketing at Sanrio, will also be accompanying Hello Kitty at Apple Union Square. The two will speak on the inspiration behind the game.
Hello Kitty Island Adventure is part of the Apple Arcade gaming subscription, priced at $6.99 per month. All members of a family group can play Apple Arcade games for the single subscription price. Hello Kitty Island Adventure is updated on a regular basis with new in-game content and events.
While the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are still around six months away from launching, there are already many rumors about the devices. Below, we have recapped new features and changes expected so far. These are some of the key changes rumored for the iPhone 16 Pro models as of March 2024:Larger displays: The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will be equipped with larger 6.3-inch…
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Apple appears to be internally testing iOS 17.4.1 for the iPhone, based on evidence of the software update in our website’s logs this week. Our logs have revealed the existence of several iOS 17 versions before Apple released them, ranging from iOS 17.0.3 to iOS 17.3.1. iOS 17.4.1 should be a minor update that addresses software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. It is unclear when…
Apple’s next-generation iPad Pro models are expected to be announced in a matter of weeks, so what can customers expect from the highly anticipated new machines? The 2022 iPad Pro was a minor update that added the M2 chip, Apple Pencil hover, and specification upgrades like Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity. The iPad Pro as a whole has generally only seen relatively small updates in…
iOS 17.4 was released last week following over a month of beta testing, and the update includes many new features and changes for the iPhone. iOS 17.4 introduces major changes to the App Store, Safari, and Apple Pay in the EU, in response to the Digital Markets Act. Other new features include Apple Podcasts transcripts, an iMessage security upgrade, new emoji options, and more. Below, we…
Apple plans to release new iPad Pro and iPad Air models “around the end of March or in April,” according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. He also expects new Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil accessories for iPads to launch simultaneously. Apple is expected to release a larger 12.9-inch iPad Air In his Power On newsletter on Sunday, Gurman reiterated that Apple is preparing a special build of the…
Apple today announced three further changes for developers in the European Union, allowing them to distribute apps directly from webpages, choose how to design in-app promotions, and more. Apple last week enabled alternative app stores in the EU in iOS 17.4, allowing third-party app stores to offer a catalog of other developers’ apps as well as the marketplace developer’s own apps. As of…
AirPods Pro will gain a new “hearing aid mode” with the release of iOS 18 later this year, according to the latest report by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. Writing in the subscriber edition of his regular Power On newsletter, Gurman claims that the “big news” for AirPods Pro in the near term will be support for a hearing aid-style function when iOS 18 drops in the fall. To be clear, this isn’t …
Toyota is launching two special edition versions of the Toyota GR Yaris and these new models are inspired by its world champion drivers, Sébastien Ogier and Kalle Rovanperä and they come with a range of upgrades over the standard cars.
Both vehicles feature the most recent iteration of the GR Yaris’ 1.6-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine. This advanced powertrain delivers 280 DIN horsepower and 390 Nm of torque. Additionally, they are equipped with a six-speed intelligent manual transmission (6iMT) for an enhanced driving experience.
The new models have been developed from concept versions which were shown at the 2023 Tokyo Auto Salon, under the supervision of Ogier, who won two of his eight WRC driver’s titles with TGR-WRT, in 2020 and 2021, and Rovanperä, the winner in 2022 and 2023.
Their creation has been inspired by the desire of Toyota Motor Corporation Chairman and Master Driver Akio Toyoda – alias “Morizo” – to express his respect and gratitude to the drivers “who hone and grow our cars in rallies” and to the teams, the rally organisers and the sport’s fans.
In each car the “Gravel” and “Track” modes featured on the standard GR Yaris have been replaced with settings reprogrammed to reflect each driver’s personal preferences for handling and performance. In addition, each of the special versions has distinctive new exterior and interior styling features.
You can find out more details about the two new special edition versions of the Toyota GR Yaris over at the Toyota website at the link below, as yet there are no details on pricing for these new models.
Source Toyota
Filed Under: Auto News
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Samsung has announced that it has teamed up with French fashion brand Maison Margiela to launch a special edition version of one of its smartphones, the Samsung Maison Margiela Galaxy Z Flip5 special edition,.
Samsung Electronics and Maison Margiela, the Parisian Haute Couture house, today announced their second collaboration to create a special edition of the Galaxy Z Flip5. This collaboration further expands the innovative partnership by embracing the brand identities of both Samsung Galaxy and Maison Margiela to deliver a device for people desiring freshness and unconventionality.
“Samsung and Maison Margiela have continued to surprise the industry by breaking conventions and norms, and support those who seek individuality,” said Stephanie Choi, EVP & Head of Marketing of Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics. “This second collaboration between the two brands brings together fashion and technology by approaching a high-tech device in a way similar to the construction of an haute couture garment. Through this collaboration, we want consumers to discover their own identity and express it without limitation.”
You can find out more details about the new Samsung Maison Margiela Z Flip5 special edition smartphone over at Samsung’s website at the link below as yet there are no detalils on when the handset will be available.
Source Samsung
Filed Under: Android News, Mobile Phone News
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Hot on the heels of the official launch and availability of the new Raspberry Pi 5 mini PC this week which is now available to purchase after being officially unveiled last month. The Raspberry Pi team has also released a special launch edition of the fantastic MagPi magazine. providing you with everything you need to get started using the more powerful Pi 5 mini PC and its new features, hardware and enhancements.
The MagPi magazine issue #135, the official Raspberry Pi magazine, has dedicated its special edition to this noteworthy launch. It not only provides an in-depth look at the Pi 5 but also features 50 Raspberry Pi project ideas, innovative community projects, and tutorials on using Raspberry Pi and Ubuntu.
The Raspberry Pi 5 is a game-changer in the Raspberry Pi line-up, boasting 2–3× the speed of the previous generation. This is primarily due to the Broadcom BCM2712 quad-core Arm Cortex A76 processor @ 2.4GHz, making it up to three times faster than its predecessor. With RAM variants up to 8GB, Pi 5 promises the fastest, smoothest Raspberry Pi experience yet.
Raspberry Pi 5
Other articles we have written that you may find of interest on the new mini PC :
Another first for the Pi 5 is the use of the RP1 I/O controller, a package containing silicon designed in-house at Raspberry Pi. This move towards in-house silicon design is a significant milestone for the Raspberry Pi team and is likely to contribute to the enhanced performance of the device.
The Raspberry Pi 5 has also introduced PCI express, a feature that allows you to connect an M.2 SSD to your Raspberry Pi. This addition ensures speedy data transfer and super-fast boot, enhancing the overall user experience. The latest release of Raspberry Pi OS is designed to maximize these new features, delivering an excellent desktop performance suitable for work, leisure, enterprise, and more.
The Pi 5 is not just about speed; it also brings a host of new features to the table. The device supports dual 4Kp60 HDMI® display output and has a 4Kp60 HEVC decoder. It also includes dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi®, Bluetooth 5.0 / Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), and a high-speed microSD card interface with SDR104 mode support. The device also features 2 × USB 3.0 ports, supporting simultaneous 5Gbps operation, and 2 × USB 2.0 ports.
The Raspberry Pi 5 also has interchangeable camera and DSI display connectors, allowing users to have one of each or two of the same, providing more flexibility in configuration. The device also supports Gigabit Ethernet, with PoE+ support (requires separate PoE+ HAT, coming soon). It also includes 2 × 4-lane MIPI camera/display transceivers and a PCIe 2.0 x1 interface for fast peripherals. The device maintains the Raspberry Pi standard 40-pin GPIO header and introduces a real-time clock and a power button.
Priced at $60 for the 4GB variant, and $80 for the 8GB version (plus local taxes), the Pi 5 mini PCrepresents a significant upgrade in virtually every aspect of the platform, delivering a no-compromises user experience.
Raspberry Pi specifications
2.4GHz quad-core 64-bit Arm Cortex-A76 CPU
VideoCore VII GPU, supporting OpenGL ES 3.1, Vulkan 1.2
Dual 4Kp60 HDMI® display output
4Kp60 HEVC decoder
Dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi®
Bluetooth 5.0 / Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)
High-speed microSD card interface with SDR104 mode support
2 × USB 3.0 ports, supporting simultaneous 5Gbps operation
2 × USB 2.0 ports
Gigabit Ethernet, with PoE+ support (requires separate PoE+ HAT, coming soon)
2 × 4-lane MIPI camera/display transceivers
PCIe 2.0 x1 interface for fast peripherals
Raspberry Pi standard 40-pin GPIO header
Real-time clock
Power button
The MagPi magazine issue #135 not only covers these impressive features of the Raspberry Pi 5 but also provides readers with a wealth of project ideas and tutorials. Whether you are a seasoned Raspberry Pi user or a newcomer to the community, this special edition is a treasure trove of information and inspiration. It showcases the potential of the Raspberry Pi 5 and encourages users to push the boundaries of what is possible with this powerful, versatile device.
Filed Under: Hardware, Top News
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