Die Kritik war anscheinend laut genug: Mit der Beta von watchOS 27.2 kehrt der App-Umschalter zurück. Allerdings öffnet er sich nicht über den ehemaligen Doppelklick auf die Digital Crown, sondern durch langes Drücken auf den unteren Rand einer geöffneten App.

Das ist semi-nachvollziehbar, weil iOS und iPadOS über eine vergleichbare Geste den App Switcher aufrufen. Allerdings funktioniert der Shortcut auf der Uhr nicht auf dem Zifferblatt, sondern ausschließlich aus einer Anwendung heraus.

Zu entdecken ist eine solche Geste nicht – zumindest zum jetzigen Stand. Einen Doppelklick führt man eventuell eher aus.

Wenn die Doppelbelegung tatsächlich für „Live Rewind“ reserviert bleibt, obwohl das Feature nicht global und lediglich auf zwei Modellen der Uhr funktioniert, sollten Watch-Nutzer:innen mindestens eine Auswahloption bekommen.

The Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 feature a refreshed band lineup for the fall, adding new colors and materials.



Here's a breakdown of what's new across the band lineup:

• Sport Band: New Navy Blue, Magenta, Olive, Burgundy, Wildflower Blue, Pale Succulent, Sand, and Black colors for Apple Watch Series 12.


• Sport Band (ceramic hardware): Sand and Navy Blue to match the new ceramic Apple Watch Series 12 models; not available as a standalone purchase.


• Sport Loop: New Olive, Burgundy, Limestone, Magenta, and Chambray Blue colors, plus a new inkjet-printed plaid pattern in Burgundy and Light Umber.


• Nike Sport Band and Nike Sport Loop: Five new colors; Essential White, Chalk Calm, Pavement Grey, After Dark Black, and Green Spark.


• Milanese Loop: New Radiant Gold and Natural colors to match the titanium case, plus a new Dark Bronze option, priced at $99.


• Link Bracelet: A new stainless steel bracelet in Radiant Gold and Natural, priced at $349.


• Modern Buckle: New woven material with flecks of color, in Mulberry, Camel, Sage, and Navy Blue, now available with gold hardware for the first time alongside natural hardware, priced at $199 (42mm only).


• Magnetic Link: Available in Wildflower Blue, Burgundy, Camel, and Midnight, priced at $99.


• Solo Loop: New Wildflower Blue, Burgundy, Olive, and Navy Blue colors, priced at $49.


• Braided Solo Loop: New Olive, Magenta, Wildflower Blue, Burgundy, Navy Blue, and Black colors, priced at $99.


• Trail Loop: New Dark Umber, Sand, and Burgundy colors for the Apple Watch Ultra 4, priced at $99 (49mm only).


• Alpine Loop: New Desert, Dark Olive, and Burgundy colors for the Ultra 4, priced at $99 (49mm only).


• Ocean Band: Now made from a translucent silicone material, offered in Translucent Gray, Translucent Kelp, and Translucent Black, priced at $99 (49mm only).


• Hermès Noir Satin Clou de Selle: A new band with a gold-finish clasp and saddle stud, exclusively paired with the new Hermès radiant gold titanium case, priced at $499.


• Hermès Rocabar Club: A new knitted H pattern band inspired by horse-jumping competitions, in four Bleu Nuit colorways paired with Gris Titane, Orange, Bleu Brighton, and Vert accents, priced at $499.


• Hermès En Mer: A new water-resistant knit band for the Apple Watch Ultra 4 with a pillowed stripe and titanium buckle, in Argile, Bordeaux, Bleu Nuit, and Orange colorways, priced at $549 (49mm only).


• Hermès Scub'H Diving: A new rubber band for the Ultra 4 with circular porthole-like cutouts, in Vert Vertigo, Gris Titane, and Bleu De Malte colorways, priced at $549 (49mm only).


• Hermès Grand H Titane: A new titanium version of the Grand H bracelet for the Apple Watch Ultra 4, priced at $2,199 (49mm only).


• Hermès Kilim Single Tour: Bleu De Malte, Cuivre, and Béton colorways, priced at $499.

The new Apple Watch bands are available to order today, with availability in stores beginning Friday, September 18.
This article, "Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 Get Wave of New Bands" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple Watch Series 12 comes in a refreshed selection of case finishes and materials, including ceramic.



Here's a breakdown of the case types, finishes, and pricing across the new Apple Watch lineup:

• Apple Watch Series 12 (aluminum): Available in space gray, black, light gold, and dark bronze (starts at $399).


• Apple Watch Series 12 (titanium): Available in radiant gold and natural (starts at $699).


• Apple Watch Series 12 (ceramic): Available in pearl white and night blue (starts at $899).


• Apple Watch Ultra 4 (titanium): Available in natural and black finishes (starts at $799).


• Apple Watch Hermès Series 12 (titanium): Available in radiant gold and silver (starts at $1,399).
• Apple Watch Hermès Ultra 4 (titanium): Available in natural titanium (starts at $1,499).

The ceramic finish returns with the Series 12 this year, pairing with sand and navy blue Sport Bands that feature a ceramic pin-and-tuck closure to match the case.

Pre-orders for both Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 are open today, with availability beginning Friday, September 18.
This article, "Apple Watch Series 12 Comes in New Finishes, Including Ceramic" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple today announced "Audio Intelligence," a new suite of Apple Intelligence-powered features for the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 that use the built-in microphone to help users catch missed moments in conversation and stay aware of important sounds.


The Apple Watch's Audio Intelligence comprises four features:

• Siri Recap: Uses ambient listening to generate high-level notes from conversations, such as takeaways from a team meeting or a parent-teacher conference, producing an Apple Intelligence-generated title, summary, and key points reviewable in the Siri app.


• Live Rewind: Lets users "go back in time for 15 seconds," transcribing and displaying what was just said in a conversation with a double press of the Digital Crown.


• Shazam: Automatically identifies music playing nearby and surfaces the song title and artist on the Music Recognition widget in the Smart Stack.


• Sound Recognition: Brings sound alerts to Apple Watch for users who are deaf or hard of hearing, listening for sirens, alarms, doorbells, a baby crying, and more, even when their iPhone isn't nearby.

Apple emphasized that ‌Siri‌ Recap is opt-in and configurable, telling users they "control if and when ‌Siri‌ Recap takes notes." Users can set it to always listen or schedule it for specific contexts, such as only at work or never at night, and can toggle it on or off at any time from Control Center. Apple reiterated that none of the Audio Intelligence features create or store audio recordings, with raw audio processed in an isolated Secure Exclave on the S11 chip and deleted immediately after use.

Audio Intelligence and ‌Siri‌ AI both require an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone, with Live Rewind and ‌Siri‌ Recap limited to the iPhone 16 or later (excluding the iPhone 16e).

The features arrive in beta later this year, starting in English, with additional languages to follow, and will not initially be available in the EU.
This article, "Three All-New 'Audio Intelligence' Features Arrive With Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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The Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 offer a range of new health and fitness features. Here's everything that's new.


Apple today revealed the following features for the two new devices:

• New "Health Sensing System": A redesigned sensor architecture with three main improvements, including increased electrode surface area for better ECG skin contact, photodiodes arranged in a ring for more efficient light capture, and larger, more power-efficient green LEDs for accurate heart rate readings during motion.


• Continuous heart rate sensing: Heart rate is now measured every five seconds throughout the day, 60 times more frequently than before, viewable via a new watch face complication.


• Higher-frequency HRV: Heart rate variability is sampled up to 24 times more often, with separate recovery and overall HRV values shown in a new section of the Heart Rate app.


• Daytime vitals view: A new toggle lets users switch between overnight and daytime vitals, potentially catching shifts in metrics before they show up in overnight readings.


• VO2 Max test: A new test has users set up their iPhone to watch them perform a series of exercises, delivering results immediately alongside data from their Apple Watch.


• Most accurate step tracking: A redesigned pedometer model with new machine learning algorithms improves distance accuracy for indoor workouts and all-day step counts.


• Steps complication: A brand-new watch face complication, enabled by the S11 chip, lets users track their step count in real time.


• Longer workout battery life: Up to 10 hours during an outdoor workout, 25% more than the previous model, with 15 minutes of charging now delivering up to 12 hours of extra battery. The Apple Watch Ultra 4 goes further, with up to 50 hours of everyday battery life, 84 hours in Low Power Mode, and a new Max Extended Workout mode rated for up to 45 hours of outdoor tracking; 15 minutes of charging adds up to 18 hours of battery.

The Apple Watch Series 12 starts at $399 and the Apple Watch Ultra 4 starts at $799, with pre-orders for both open today and availability beginning Friday, September 18.
This article, "Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 Offer These Eight New Health and Fitness Features" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Previously, a double press of the Digital Crown would surface your currently open apps, allowing you to switch between them or close them. Now, a double press does the same thing as a single press: opening the new dynamic app grid. I used the App Switcher infrequently, but when I did, it was useful, so I hope Apple reverses course.

Jonathan Reed | MacStories

Bis zur aktuellen Beta 5 hielt sich meine Hoffnung, dass Apple die Doppelbelegung der Digital Crown – der Doppelklick führte ins „watchOS Dock“ – nicht komplett streicht. Das bremst den Wechsel zwischen Apps nämlich signifikant aus.

Selbst das Verhalten vor watchOS 10, bei dem ein Doppelklick schlicht zur zuletzt geöffneten Anwendung sprang, war besser als die Abkürzung generell zu entfernen.

Zugegeben: Der App-Umschalter ließ nie glorreich multitasken. Trotzdem war es immer der schnellere Weg, um zwischen einer Handvoll der zuletzt genutzten Anwendungen hin und her zu springen.

Solange das neue „dynamische App-Raster“ keine vollständig freie Belegung zulässt, mit der ihr Apps dort dauerhaft anspinnt, ist es kein Ersatz. Und selbst dann ist es lediglich eine feste Auswahl und ersetzt nicht den Verlauf der zuletzt verwendeten Apps.

Es ist vollkommen in Ordnung, Apples Uhr lediglich für Fitness, Kommunikation und als Uhr zu benutzen. Diese 15 Apps zeigen jedoch, was darüber hinaus möglich ist.

Hier das Intro der Episode:

Weiterlesen

Together Board – eine geteilte Pinnwand mit den Liebsten – erlaubt die App-Store-Familienfreigabe und ist damit ein unverschämt guter Deal.

Das über iCloud geteilte Organisationsboard reicht von lustigen (Foto-)Erinnerungen über Post-its bis hin zu Einkaufslisten und Events. Dinge, die sich manche Familien vielleicht mit Magneten an ihren Kühlschrank kleben.

Weil’s aber digital ist, pinnt ihr an diese Familientafel auch Sprachnotizen, Abstimmungen und kleine Zeichnungen – sogar von der Apple Watch aus!

Together Board ist natürlich nicht auf die Personen eurer iCloud-Familie beschränkt. Allerdings nutzt diese Gruppe einfach euer Abo/den Einmalkauf mit.

Im Gegensatz zu einer klassischen iMessage-Gruppe verschluckt der Chatverlauf hier keine Ereignisse. Obendrein ist die App narrensicher, erfordert keine separaten Accounts, zieht eure Inhalte nicht über Apple-fremde Server und lässt euch bei Bedarf die Boards komplett exportieren.

Together Board ist eine simple Idee, hervorragend umgesetzt.

Mein Haus, mein Auto, mein Boot: „What’s in my Bag“-Videos haftet immer eine Spur der Angeberei an. Ich versuche, den „Schau her, was ich mir alles leisten kann“-Eindruck mit einem realistischen Blick in meinen Rucksack zu vermeiden.

Hier das Intro der Episode:

Weiterlesen

💾

Am heutigen „Global Running Day“ gibt es für ’nen entspannten 5-Kilometer-Run eine Apple-Watch-Auszeichnung.

Diese Fitnessherausforderung ist ein passender Anlass, um auf „Watch to 5K“ hinzuweisen – für alle, die sich mit einem solchen Run nicht so leicht tun.

Watch to 5K is an Apple Watch app that helps people gradually work up towards running 5K in just nine weeks by following the Couch to 5K program (C25K). The app works independently on the Watch, allowing users to leave their phone at home (or in their locker) while they run.

Für fünf Euro nimmt die Watch-App hier absolute Beginner an die Hand zu ihrem ersten 5K.

„Watch to 5K“ entstand in den ersten COVID-Lockdown-Monaten vor sechs Jahren, funktioniert tatsächlich unabhängig vom Telefon und motiviert gezielt Anfänger:innen (oder alle, die das Laufen wieder aufnehmen) mit einem strukturierten Trainingsplan.