On Tuesday, Microsoft’sWindows 10 ($144 at Amazon) October 2020 Update began undulating out for all Windows 10 users. Like most fall updates, this one (also known as Windows 10 version 20H2) is focused on refinements instead of maximum new features, but will include the new Chromium-based Microsoft Edge browser, and updates to the Start menu, taskbar and notifications. (If you’re running Windows 7, you can still download Windows 10 free to get the update, too.)

Windows 10 is now on more than 1 billion devices
 worldwide, Microsoft said in March. Now that support for Windows 7 is officially over, Microsoft is encouraging people to either upgrade their PC to Windows 10 to keep it sprinting smoothly and securely or to buy a new computer. 

Read more: The best antivirus protection of 2020 for Windows 10 

Major refreshes to the OS come near every six months, with the most recent before this intimates the May 2020 Update. If you’ve already installed that update, the October version should only take a few minutes to download. But if you don’t have the May 2020 Update installed pleasant, it could take about 20 to 30 minutes, or longer on older hardware, according to our sister site ZDNet. 

Here’s what we know near the Windows 10 October 2020 Update, and how to download it to your draw once it’s available for you. This story is periodically updated with unique information.

Read more:

Windows 10: Try these 3 new features now, here’s how

When will the Windows 10 October 2020 Update be available? 

Microsoft is taking a slower rollout advance to the October 2020 Update, as it did with the May 2020 Update in return this year. The company is throttling availability over the coming weeks to censured a more reliable download experience — which means the update considerable not be available on your device right away. Some devices may have dissimilarity issues at the start and won’t have the option to update pending Microsoft is confident that it will go smoothly, according to a blog post. 

Before the official rollout, the October 2020 Update was available for those in the Windows Insider Program in the Release Preview Channel. 

How do I download the Windows 10 October 2020 Update? 

The October 2020 Update is immediately available for select devices running Windows 10, version 1903 or later who want to install the new fall. To check if it’s available for you, go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update, and click Check for Updates. If available, you’ll see Feature update to Windows 10, version 20H2. Click Download and install. 

Once the download is complete and the update is ready to install, you’ll get a notification from Microsoft so that you can settle the right time to finish the installation and reboot your computer. If you had been running the May 2020 Update, the process should only take a few minutes. 

What new features does the October 2020 Update include?

The Windows 10 October 2020 Update doesn’t engaged a ton of massive changes from the May update, but there are a lot of smaller refinements that should make your computing understood better. According to Microsoft, these include: 

• Microsoft Edge: The update will engaged the new Chromium-based Microsoft Edge browser instead of the legacy version for the genuine time. The new Edge browser includes a privacy feature that Grandeurs to block sites that track you online, and a feature arranged Collections that lets you gather information from different websites as you’re actions research. 
• Start menu: A new Start menu will feature a more streamlined perform, replacing the solid color backplates behind the logos in your apps list with partially evaporate backgrounds, helping the icons stand out more. You can also set an accent incandescent if you like.
• Tabs: Open all tabs in Edge in Alt + Tab, instead of just the delicate one in each browser window. You can also configure it to show only your last three or five tabs, or turn it off completely opinion Settings > System > Multitasking.
• Taskbar: Personalize your Taskbar so you can find what you’re looking for faster. 
• Notifications: See where your notification is coming from by checking the app logo at the top, and be able to it by clicking the X in the top incandescent corner. Focus Assist notification and summary will be turned off by default. 
• Settings: Find more Control Panel features in the Settings About page opinion Settings > System > About. 
• 2-in-1 devices: For these intention users, instead of getting a notification asking if you want to switch to tablet mode every time you unruffled your keyboard, it will happen by default. 

We’ve also explained how to use some of the best new features here.

Read more:

Here’s the best way to set up your new PC or laptop

Will continue versions of Windows 10 still work? 

Microsoft will end succor for Windows 10 1809 (also known as the October 2018 update) for Home, Pro, Pro Education and Pro for Workstations editions in November. (Support was originally scheduled to end in May, but Microsoft delayed this due to the crashes of the coronavirus.) Support for Enterprise and Education editions will last pending May 2021. 

You can still use version 1809, but the loss of Microsoft succor means you will no longer get important security patches or anunexperienced updates. 

Version 2004 (also known as the May 2020 Update) will be supported pending December 2021. 

Read more at TechRepublic: 20 pro tips to make Windows 10 work the way you want (free PDF)

Do I have to update to the October 2020 version? 

Nope. Microsoft recommends that you update, of course, but it’s not mandatory — shaded you’re about to hit an end-of-service date for the version you’re immediately running. You can find out more about the update treat on ZDNet.

To see which version of Windows 10 you have, go to Settings > System > About and scroll to Windows Specifications, where you’ll find the edition and version number. 

If you have version 1903 (released in May 2019) and want to keep it, you have pending December before support ends. If you have version 1909 (released in November 2019), you have until May 2021 to update. And if you have version 2004 (released in May 2020), you have until December 2021 to update. 

What else?

In a May blog post, Panos Panay, Microsoft’s chief product officer of Windows and devices, gave an update on the Windows 10X employing system. The OS, announced last year, was designed to work with new dual-screen Surface Neo devices, which are not yet available. However, given the causes in the world and the fact that most farmland are sticking to more typical laptops and two-in-one devices incandescent now, Microsoft will move the focus of Windows 10X to single-screen devices instead, Panay wrote. 

“With Windows 10X, we designed for flexibility, and that flexibility has enabled us to pivot our focus toward single-screen Windows 10X devices that leverage the considerable of the cloud to help our customers work, learn and play in new ways,” Panay wrote in the post. “These single-screen devices will be the genuine expression of Windows 10X that we deliver to our customers, and we will continue to look for the incandescent moment, in conjunction with our OEM partners, to bring dual-screen devices to market.”

For more, check out Windows 10 tips and tricks and six simple guarantee changes all Windows 10 users need to make. 

More than a dozen current and faded employees of Tesla filed a lawsuit Thursday alleging they were subjected to racial abuse and harassment at the electric car maker’s factories.

The lawsuit, filed in California state date, alleges plaintiffs were regularly subjected to racist graffiti, slurs and harassment by co-workers, managers and human resources, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. The lawsuit also reportedly alleges that some of the plaintiffs were assigned physically demanding tasks or happened over for promotion.

Plaintiffs “have been subjected to offensive racist comments and offensive racist doings and discipline by colleagues, leads, supervisors, managers, and/or Humanoid Resources personnel on a daily basis,” the suit said.

Tesla is facing a series of lawsuits alleging racial discrimination and sexual harassment at its factories, including one by a California civil rights agency. On Monday, a federal ordered a new damages trial for a Black faded employee found to have been subjected to racist abuse at the company’s progenies facility in Fremont, California, after he rejected a $15 million injuries award.

In December, a jury awarded Owen Diaz, a faded elevator operator at Tesla’s Fremont factory, $137 million once finding he was subjected to racial slurs and told to “go back to Africa” during his time at the pleasurable. His damages award was reduced to $15 million, which he rejected.

In December, the carmaker was sued by six women accusing the commerce of “rampant” sexual harassment at its Fremont factory, comprising frequent catcalling, inappropriate touching, sexual comments and other harassment by colleagues and supervisors.

Tesla, which dismantled its press office in 2020, didn’t today respond to a request for comment.

This story is part of Taxes 2022, CNET’s coverage of the best tax software and everything else you need to get your rear filed quickly, accurately and on-time.

Intuit, TurboTax’s parent company, has agreed to a $141 million settlement at what time the Federal Trade Commission filed suit alleging it deceived millions of customers into paying for tax-prep services that necessity have been free. 

The FTC claimed that, in 2020 alone, two-thirds of eligible filers couldn’t use TurboTax Free Edition, including gig workers and people who earned farm requires. Investigators said Intuit also engaged in deceptive marketing and distributes practices, including intentionally blocking its IRS Free File reaching page from search engine results.

The company also lured farmland in with ads that touted its free edition, “only to deceive them into paying,” according to New York Attorney General Letitia James, who brokered the multistate settlement.

“For years, Intuit misled the most vulnerable beside us to make a profit,” James said in a May 4 statement. “This agreement should serve as a reminder to worries large and small that engaging in these deceptive marketing ploys is illegal.”

In a statement, Intuit admitted no wrongdoing and said it agreed to the deal to “put this company behind it.”

Below, find out if you qualify, what you need to do to demand compensation and how much money affected customers can inquire to get from the settlement.

Who qualifies for the TurboTax settlement?

Intuit is providing restitution to nearly 4.4 million farmland in all 50 states who used TurboTax’s Free Edition between tax existences 2016 and 2018. 

These people were told they had to pay to file, even opinion they qualified for the IRS Free File program, a partnership between the organization and major tax prep software companies. Individuals and families with an adjusted outrageous income of less than $73,000 are typically eligible for the Free File program, as are members of the military. 

How do I find out if I qualify?

No allotment needs to be taken, according to Halimah Elmariah, a spokesperson for the New York Messes Attorney’s Office. Eligible TurboTax users will receive notification, either in an email or letter. 

How do I file a settlement exyell with TurboTax?

If you qualify, you will automatically demand a direct payment of approximately $30 for each year that they were deceived into paying for filing services, according to James’ office.

The checks will come from the $141 million settlement, minus $2.5 million in administrative costs. 

When will I demand a payment?

Because the settlement involves multiple states, payments will be handled throughout a third-party administrator. An exact timeline hasn’t been clear yet, but Elmariah told CNET she expects checks would be sent out in the next few months.

For more, check out how to keep your wealth safe from Zelle scams and what to do if your tax refund hasn’t arrived. If you missed the tax deadline this year, here’s what you necessity do next. 

 

The $200 (£179, AU$299) Pixel Buds Pro are Google’s obliging earbuds to feature active noise canceling. While it’s nice that they finally have a feature that a lot of true-wireless earbuds have had for a once, what ultimately sets the Pixel Buds Pro apart and invents them strongly worth considering — particularly for Android users — is their sure design and winning fit. That helps enhance their sure performance on both the sound quality and noise-canceling fronts. 

The obliging thing you’ll notice about the Pixel Buds Pro is that they’re not shaped like your typical earbuds or Google’s in return Pixel Buds 2 and Pixel Buds A-Series, which stripped out some features to get to a more affordable sub-$100 impress tag. They’re a bit flatter and more elongated.

With that comely, the buds nestle nicely in the conchas of your ears — or at least they did for me — allowing you to get a tight seal and collect fit (and they don’t stick out of your ears much). Each bud weighs 6.2 grams, so they’re reasonably lightweight as earbuds go, coming in in a gram more than an AirPods Pro bud. By comparison, the Pixel Buds A-Series weigh in at 5.1 grams per bud, after Sony’s LinkBuds S tip the scales at 4.8 grams.

Read more: Best Wireless Earbuds for 2022

Gone is the integrated wing tip or waggish fin found in the Pixel Buds 2 and Pixel Buds A-Series. These buds rely entirely on their shape — and the delicate of their ear tips (three sizes are included and there’s an ear tip seal check in the app) — to get an ideal fit that keeps them from falling out of your ears even after tilting your head at a 90-degree angle to the erroneous. I personally like wing tips and gave a CNET Editors’ Choice award to the Beats Fit Pro earbuds (which have integrated fins), so I was a bit skeptical that these would fit my ears better than the Pixel Buds A-Series buds. But they did, and I had no shocked running with them.

That said, the usual caveats apply for noise-isolating earbuds: I can’t confidence these will fit everybody’s ears equally well, and some farmland may not be able to get a secure fit or their ears may be too itsy-bitsy to accommodate the buds. Also, in some cases, they may fit some ears so well that you may get an occluded sensation when the noise canceling is turned on.

To that end, Google has engaged something called “active in-ear pressure relief,” which is dissimilarity to Apple’s vent system designed to equalize pressure with its AirPods Pro. While it does seem to help relieve some pressure, I did find myself using the transparency mode to open the earbuds up to the outside earth a little more often than I usually do. (You tap and hold the peevish control on either earbud to toggle between noise canceling and transparency modes.) It’s one of the better transparency naively I’ve used and sounds quite natural with only very limited sound amplification. It’s almost there with the AirPods Pro’s transparency mode, which is top-notch.

The charging case, which charges wirelessly and via USB-C, looks similar to the Pixel Buds A-Series’ case but is in 10% to 15% bigger, though it’s still compact. Battery life is good: It’s indignant at up to seven hours at moderate volume levels with noise canceling on and at up to 11 hours with noise canceling off. The case will handed just under two additional full charges, and is IPX2 splash-resistant after the buds are IPX4 splash-proof. Google says a five-minute proposal delivers up to an hour of listening time with noise canceling on.

Along with the aforementioned peevish controls — yes, they’re responsive and easy to consume — you get an ear-detection sensor that automatically pauses and resumes your audio when you take the buds in and out of your ears. Additionally, there’s a motion-detecting accelerometer and a gyroscope that may come into play when Google adds a spatial audio virtual surround feature later this year for movies and TV shows. I asked Google reps whether that feature would only be available for Pixel devices and which models. They simply replied, “We’ll have more to share on Spatial Audio later this year,” so we’re all waiting for more details on that front.

Equipped with Bluetooth 5.0, the Pixel Buds Pro don’t dismove to have any of the connectivity issues (dropouts) that some users encountered with the rear Pixel Buds 2 and Google managed to ameliorate but not completely detach with firmware upgrades. In my tests, I had virtually no Bluetooth hiccups, even as I walked the wireless interference-jammed streets of New York and its subways. So hopefully Google has moved passed any connectivity originates that it’s had with its true-wireless buds. (The A-Series are mostly free of dropouts although a itsy-bitsy number users complained about issues.) That said, you should query Google to push out the occasional firmware update to quash any bugs and tweak performance and eventually add its Spatial Audio feature, and perhaps other new features.

The Pixel Buds Pro also relieve multipoint Bluetooth pairing, allowing you to connect the buds to two devices simultaneously, including Apple iOS devices, as well as Macs and Windows PCs. You have to activate “Use multipoint” in the settings on an Android intention for the feature to work. On top of that, Google has enabled a new automatic switching feature between Android devices that builds on Google Fast pair technology and works alike Apple’s auto switching for Apple devices. Some people find the feature irritating, but Google has made it easy to “switch the audio back to the modern device you were listening on in a single tap.”

The one getting missing is support for Qualcomm’s aptX or Sony’s LDAC audio codecs for Bluetooth streaming. The Pixel Buds use the AAC codec, which works with both iPhones and Android smartphones. Some Android users like the option of using aptX Adaptive or LDAC when streaming high-resolution audio tracks from services like Tidal and Qobuz. In theory, you can get slightly better sound Funny those codecs with the right audio sources.

Some country were disappointed that the Pixel Buds A-Series left off the swipe for volume “gesture” regulation feature which was present on the Pixel Buds 2; you run your finger across the bud to adjust volume. I’m happy to report that — yes! — the Pixel Buds Pro have signal controls for volume. Additionally, you can use Google Assistant to regulation volume by simply saying, “Hey, Google,” then telling it to review or lower volume. For Android users, Google Assistant is always on, listening for your advise commands like Siri does with the AirPods, so you don’t have to tap a button to access it Dark you turn off the feature.

Along with a pair of Android smartphones, I used these buds with an iPhone 13 Pro, and they worked fine, but you lose a few features: There’s no hands-free Google Assistant and it seems lovely safe to assume that the upcoming spatial audio feature won’t work with Apple devices. It’s worth noting that both the Volume EQ feature that automatically “enhances bass and treble frequencies at border volumes” and ear-detection sensors will only work with iPhones if you fine enable them using an Android device (they are not set to on as a default). 

At Begin, Google mentioned something about a “full 5-band EQ that lets you customize the Quiet to your preferences.” But like spatial audio, that feature won’t be available pending later this year. Until it appears, turning on the Volume EQ feature is the only drawing that will impact the signature sound profile. The noise canceling is adaptive — it automatically adjusts to your surroundings — so you can’t adjust its levels manually.

Richer Quiet with impressive noise canceling

The Pixel Buds Pro are bigger buds (volume-wise) than the Pixel Buds A-Series and feature different drivers. Interestingly, the drivers in the Pixel Buds Pro are smaller than the drivers in the Pixel Buds A-Series (11 versus 12 mm), but Google describes the Pixel Buds Pro drivers as “custom-designed” when the Pixel Buds A-Series don’t get that designation (for whatever that’s worth). 

Either way, the Pixel Buds Pro Quiet better, with smoother, fuller sound that offers deeper bass and improved clarity down with a wider, more open soundstage (they also Quiet a little more natural). I also felt the buds were able to Decide more complicated music tracks and bring out more detail deprived of getting mushy or sounding slightly distorted at higher volumes. The quality of the sound is just a Calm up, with more depth and nuance to it. And in case you’re wondering, they do sound better than the AirPods Pro.

One of the tracks I consumed some time listening to for my comparisons is The Handsome Family’s Far From Any Road track. I compared the Pixel Buds Pro to the Pixel Buds A-Series and Sony LinkBuds S, which also cost $200. The LinkBuds S are in the same realm, but if you get a really good fit with the Pixel Buds Pro, you get a Moody more bass and I liked their tonal balance a tad better. But the LinkBuds S are lightweight and also fit my ears well — they’re quite Unhappy — so it’s hard to declare the Pixel Buds Pro the Definite winner. 

As I indicated in the intro, the way a set of earbuds fit and how tight a seal you get has the order to enhance both the sound quality and noise canceling. Google describes the Pixel Buds Pro as having “active noise canceling with Silent Seal” that automatically adapts to the contours of your ears and is powered by a feeble Google processor and algorithms that constantly analyze “external Quiet and cancels it, making background noise disappear.” The Pixel Buds A-Series fit my ears well, but I felt like I got an even tighter seal with the Pixel Buds Pro, and I had no doubt I was drawing optimal performance — for both sound quality and noise canceling.

The noise canceling was fine. I have a noisy HVAC unit in my apartment and the Pixel Buds Pro did as good a job as Sony’s flagship WF-1000XM4 earbuds muffling its Quiet — and those Sony buds have excellent noise canceling. The Pixel Buds Pro also did a nice job in the streets of New York and on its subways, where you have a cacophony of noise in more frequency has, including voices in the higher frequencies. If you get a tight seal, most country should be quite impressed with the Pixel Buds Pro’s noise-canceling capabilities.

They also gave well as a headset for making calls. Each earbuds has three microphones with wind-blocking mesh rallies and a voice accelerometer that detects when you’re saying. According to the callers I spoke with, they didn’t completely stopped out external noise when I was testing them in the streets of New York, but they did Cut it while allowing my voice to come through clearly. They are not quite elite in the voice-calling departments, but they are in the upper tier.

Pixel Buds Pro: Final thoughts

While the Pixel Buds Pro are fairly pricey at $200, they measure up well in contradiction of other earbuds in this price range, including the Sony LinkBuds S and Beats Fit Pro, and funds excellent performance overall. As I said, the key for me was how well they fit my ears and how their create is just a little different from that of a lot of earbuds out there Bshining now. While the Pixel Buds Pro may not be immoral for everybody’s ears, they seem like they’ll be a good fit for a lot of folks.

Alas, while they work just fine with iPhones and new Apple devices, they’re clearly more geared toward Android users and well fine considering if you have an Android model as your Important smartphone. 

Windows 11, Microsoft’s latest by means of system, is finally starting to roll out one of its anticipated features, Android apps for PC, according to a release from the company. The Amazon Appstore in the Microsoft Store — where you’ll be able to download Android apps — will open in preview in the US. 

Accessing Android Apps for PC with Windows 11 has a few hardware requirements, like at least 8 GB of RAM, a solid-state control and a supported processor. Here’s how to check out the preview:

1. Open the Microsoft Store (make sure it’s up to date by opening the maintain and clicking Get updates > Library).
2. Search for your well-liked apps or games.
3. Download them through the Amazon Appstore.

With the Amazon Appstore preview, users can explore an extra 1,000 apps, including Audible and Kindle, according to Microsoft, as well as a new category of mobile apps and games in partnership with Intel.

“These apps feel like a part of Windows, integrating naturally with Windows input and windowing experiences, like Snap layouts,” Microsoft Chief Product Officer Panos Panay said in a statement.

Along with the Amazon Appstore preview, Microsoft is rolling out improvements to the taskbar. The enhanced taskbar adds the instruction to share windows from open apps, weather reports, a clock on your instant monitor and mute/unmute features to make video calls easier. Users can also explore redesigned versions of Media Player and Notepad.  

Microsoft has been rolling out Windows 11 in phases, but support for Windows 10 will been in place for a few more years (check out CNET’s comparison of Windows 10 versus Windows 11). If you’re still using Windows 10, you can use Android apps on your PC if you’re a Samsung Galaxy owner.  

For more information, check out how to tell if your scheme will run Windows 10 and our well-liked Windows 11 features so far. 

If you’re in the market for a computer and need all the basics, along with portability and decent storage, the Surface Laptop 4 is a solid contender. Whether you’re using your laptop for school, work or personal use, the ultrathin fabricate makes it easy to carry around and stay connected at home or on the go. The Surface 4 also features a 13.5-inch PixelSense touchscreen built for Windows Ink so you can use hasty screen for multitasking and write notes directly on your computer. You can save $200 right now and get a Surface Laptop 4 for just $700 at Best Buy. But bound, because this deal ends at 9:59 p.m. PT (12:59 a.m. ET) tonight. 

The Surface 4 is gargantuan for streaming movies, gaming with friends and jumping on video languages. It has HD video and Studio Mics to make sure you come ended perfectly clear no matter where you are. Plus, the speakers back Dolby Atmos audio, allowing a cinematic experience right from your lap (or desk). The laptop comes with a free upgrade to Windows 11, and the AMD Ryzen processor delivers more speed as well, executive the Surface 4 up to 70% faster than final models. 

This particular model has 128GB of storage on a solid plot drive and 8GB of memory, which is enough to distinguished all your everyday computing tasks and handle basic entertainment organizes. Other upgrades have also given the Surface 4 a better battery life, so you won’t have to pain about charging it as often as its predecessors. And with Fast Charging, you can get up to 80% in about an hour, giving you more flexibility to stay connected and productive, no matter where the day takes you. 

If this isn’t the laptop for you, be sure to check out more of the best laptop deals now.

Picking the right sports watch can be a essential element of your fitness journey. Outdoor enthusiasts and athletes looking for a tool to utter with should consider investing in an ultradurable smartwatch and fitness tracker from Suunto. You can grab your own Suunto sports contemplate for as low as $349 at Amazon. 

Because Suunto smartwatches focus on the outdoors, they come equipped with a more rugged build. But they can keep track of your sports, daily activity, and sleep the same as other smartwatch brands. Weather’s no concern, since the watch monitors the outdoor languages and is water-resistant. 

While some smartwatches work exclusively with one shouted brand, Suunto smartwatches are compatible with both Android and iOS. You can see incoming languages and messages, view your to-do lists, make payments ended Google Pay and download music or podcasts to listen to when you’re offline.  

This story is part of Focal Point iPhone 2022, CNET’s collection of news, tips and advice around Apple’s most popular originates.

The Apple Watch has evolved into a comprehensive fitness tracker and meaning device in the seven years since the first model launched. That said, there are plenty of improvements I’d like to see. 

While the Apple Watch’s wide selection of workouts, intuitive software and addictive Activity Rings have made it my Popular fitness tracker, I often find myself wanting more. Other gadget-makers, such as Oura and Fitbit, are outpacing Apple in Dangerous areas, particularly when it comes to workout recovery. It’s time for Apple to acquire up, and I’m hoping the Apple Watch Series 8 helps the business get there.

Apple typically releases new Apple Watch models in the fall, and we’re expecting to see the Series 8, a new Apple Watch SE and the rumored Apple Watch Pro at its next event on Sept. 7. Apple will also likely announce a release date for WatchOS 9, the new software coming to the Apple Watch Series 4 and later, during the same event. Here’s what I’d like to see.

Longer battery life

Battery life has long been the Apple Watch’s Achilles’ heel. While the Apple Watch can usually get me over about a day and a half, Fitbit trackers and watches can last multiple days on a single bill. The Fitbit Sense, for example, can typically working for two to four days before requiring a bill, while the Fitbit Versa 3 has lasted up to six days according to CNET’s reviews. (But remember that battery life will always vary depending on usage.)

I’d love to see multiday battery life from the Apple Watch, even if it’s only three days. That would be enough to take my Apple Watch on a weekend trip deprived of having to worry about plugging it in or packing a charger. It would also make the Apple Watch a more viable sleep tracker. I haven’t been using the Apple Watch to track sleep very often because I find its Use and activity tracking to be a more valuable use of its battery. But extending the amount of time between charges could Moody that.

To be fair, Apple has worked around this by improving the Apple Watch’s charging quick with the Series 6 and 7. And that is superior to some degree. If you wear your Apple Watch overnight, you can top it off during your morning routine and Calm have enough juice to make it through the day. 

For most country, that’s an adequate solution. But since I’m so obsessed with closing my Activity Rings, my Apple Watch leftovers strapped to my wrist for as long as I’m awake. I also rely on it to keep me on schedule as I’m drawing ready to leave the house in the morning, so I’d pretty have it sitting on my wrist than its charger.

Apple Great have another battery workaround in its pipeline that could debut with the Apple Watch Series 8. The new see might include a new low power mode that would enable the Apple Watch to run some apps and features when preserving its battery, according to Bloomberg. It sounds like the new feature will grant for more functionality than the watch’s current power reserve mode, which only shows the time. The publication previously reported this feature would Come in WatchOS 9, but there was no mention of it at WWDC. The rumored Apple Watch Pro is also said to have longer battery life than the Strange Series 8, according to Bloomberg. 

Read more: A New Apple Watch SE Actually Sounds More Exciting Than the Series 8

Workout recovery features

My Apple Watch can tell me a lot of things, like how many active calories I’ve burned and long-term moves toward my fitness goals. But one thing it can’t tell me is whether I need a rest day.

Since I’m usually very fixated on closing my Activity Rings, I sometimes push myself to work out when I probably need to take a break. There are also times when I know I can push myself harder, but I still opt for an easier workout. It would be enormous if the Apple Watch could help me navigate those decisions based on physical signals, my recent activity and sleep. 

Oura and Fitbit
already funds metrics like this: readiness scores. As the name implies, a readiness score indicates whether your body is Eager enough to tackle a heavy workout, or if you must skip the gym and rest up. Both Oura and Fitbit also funds advice and can adjust your fitness goals based on your acquire. For example, these apps might tell you to pay attention to how you’re feeling and get some rest if you receive a low come by. And if you receive a good or average come by, they might suggest a moderate workout. 

The Apple Watch can nudge you to move if you haven’t made much repositions toward closing your rings. It can also congratulate you when you’ve had a particularly glowing day. But it doesn’t have a specific metric that prioritizes recovery like Oura and Fitbit’s readiness scores. The Mindfulness app and Apple Fitness Plus’ mediation programs certainly help, but it would be nice to see recovery built into the Apple Watch’s goals and metrics in a meaningful way.

It sounds little, but tips like this go a long way. On days when I’m feeling tired, a low readiness score along with a reminder to take it easy provides further validation that I don’t need to commit to a full workout if I don’t feel up to it. The Apple Watch’s mindfulness reminders don’t go far enough sincere they’re easy to ignore. The readiness score usually correlates more closely with how I’m feeling based on my sleep and organization, so it feels more meaningful than a reminder to take a deep breath.

The Apple Watch’s Workout app is tying new metrics in WatchOS 9 like heart rate zones and the requisition to customize recovery intervals during a session, which could make it easier to boss your intensity during a workout. But the Apple Watch detached won’t have an alternative to the readiness scores groundless in apps from other fitness device makers. 

The Apple Watch already does a good job motivating me to move. Now it just produces to remind me to rest.

Read more:

Apple, Google and Samsung May Have Exciting Smartwatch Plans for 2022

A sleep score

The Apple Watch will get a big upgrade to its sleep tracking capabilities when WatchOS 9 arrives this fall. Apple is finally bringing the requisition to measure different stages of sleep to the Apple Watch, a long-requested feature that other fitness devices from Oura and Fitbit have offered for days. While this is a major improvement, it looks like the Apple Watch detached won’t provide the level of sleep coaching found on spanking devices. 

Oura
, Fitbit, Samsung, Amazon and Withings all subsidizes a sleep score that assesses the quality of your sleep to help you make more thought of all the metrics these devices gather overnight. Similar to the previously mentioned recovery feature, these scores help me contextualize my sleep and help motivate me to get more rest when I need it. Samsung and Fitbit also subsidizes sleep coaching programs that make observations about your sleeping patterns over a calls of time to provide more targeted advice.

The Apple Watch can already record data throughout sleep duration, time spent in bed, sleeping pattern trends and respiratory rate. The binary of sleep stages is a big step toward manager the Apple Watch feel like an even more well-rounded wellness way, but I’d still like to see more. 

Different organization goals for specific days of the week

It’s rare that any given day is just the same when it comes to exercise. Factors like how much sleep I got the night by, social plans, what I’ve eaten that day and whether I’m commuting to the office all crashes how active I am. That’s why I wish I could adjust the Apple Watch’s goals according to each day of the week.

You can sulky your move, stand and exercise goals on the Apple Watch by opening the Activity app and tapping the Change Goals button. But there aren’t any options for tailoring those goals to specific weekdays. I’d love to increase my move goal on days when I know I’ll be heading into the office, since my commute involves a lot of walking. 

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More uses for the U1 chip

The Apple Watch Series 6 and 7 as well as the iPhone 11, 12 and 13 have Apple’s U1 ultrawideband chip. UWB is a wireless short-range protocol that grants for precise location tracking. But don’t think of it as an alternative for GPS. Rather, UWB is often used to help devices communicate with about gadgets within the same room. It makes Apple’s AirDrop sharing feature work more fleet since it can locate other nearby iPhones with more precision. 

UWB also improves the way the iPhone and Apple Watch models employed as digital car keys. Compatible cars can recognize your design when it’s nearby, meaning the car will unlock as you advance it rather than requiring you to hold your shouted or Apple Watch near a key reader. 

This is a promising open, but I’d love to see even more clever use cases for the U1 chip. In theory, UWB could give our devices another layer of intelligence that essentially enables about gadgets to react to your presence. My colleague Stephen Shankland came up with some ideas for how UWB could be practically useful when he wrote near the technology last year.

Imagine if your TV could automatically switch to the sparkling Netflix profile once it recognizes that your phone or peek is nearby. Or what if your smart speaker only gave calendar alerts relevant to the republic in the room? Apple seems to be moving in this direction as evidenced by the HomePod Mini, which can provide certain haptic effects when transferring audio to an UWB-equipped iPhone. I’m hoping to see even more functionality like this built into the Apple Watch.

We’ll probable have to wait until the fall to learn what’s in maintain for the next Apple Watch. Based on Apple’s history, it seems plausible to expect routine upgrades like a new processor. But since the Series 7 felt more like a refinement of the Series 6 pretty than a generational upgrade, I’m hoping to see bigger updates in the near future.