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CNET
9 hours ago
- CNET
I Want Workout Buddy to Be More Boot Camp Trainer Than Cheerleader on the Apple Watch
I was expecting (and hoping) Apple would launch some kind of AI-powered health feature on the Apple Watch at WWDC 2025, but Workout Buddy wasn't exactly what I had in mind. I'm the kind of person who spoils any and all surprises by reading the last page of a good mystery novel, or the finale synopsis of a Netflix whodunit before I've even gotten through the pilot. So I went into WWDC, Apple's annual developers conference, having read all the rumors, feeling pretty confident that I knew most of what was coming to WatchOS 26: a smarter Health app with AI coaching that could finally turn all my fitness metrics into meaningful, personalized guidance. What we actually got during Apple's WWDC keynote was a bit different... and that's not necessarily a bad thing. Rather than unleashing a flood of generic coaching suggestions or unsolicited advice (like caffeine restriction windows which should not exist in my vocabulary), Apple is being intentionally conservative with its approach to AI on the watch, testing the waters with Workout Buddy and laying the groundwork for more meaningful, context-aware insights. Workout Buddy will take into account all your past fitness data including training load, move rings and past workouts. Screenshot by Jeff Carlson/CNET What Is Workout Buddy? Workout Buddy isn't meant to be a coach (at least not in the traditional sense). It won't train you for a marathon or map out a four-week plan to boost your VO2 max. What it will do is act as a voice in your ear, offering encouragement during a workout based on your past fitness data. Think: "That was your fastest mile ever," or "You've just crossed 500 miles for the year!". For some people, that kind of affirmation might be enough to keep pushing forward. But I'm the kind of runner who thrives on structure and tough love. I should note that I haven't tested Workout Buddy. But from what Apple showed off, Workout Buddy won't cut it for me -- at least not yet. I already rely on pace and heart rate alerts to let me know when I'm slacking. What I really need is a drill-sergeant-style coach that handles the math for me, so I can focus on my stride, my breathing and whatever podcast is carrying me through mile four. Apple unveils WatchOS 26 at its Developers Conference WWDC 2025. Apple Screenshot What Workout Buddy means for the future What Workout Buddy is doing is technically impressive, combining exercise and health information and turning that into a conversational voice that gives you a personalized pep talk. It proves that Apple has both the data and the processing power to analyze workouts in real time and turn them into something meaningful. It's the first step toward a more responsive, intelligent Apple Watch health/fitness experience that doesn't just track your fitness, but actively helps you improve it. It also offers a window into Apple's broader strategy for AI on the Watch. Whether due to hardware limitations (Workout Buddy relies on Apple Intelligence, which requires an iPhone 15 or newer communicating with the watch) or just Apple being Apple (cautious, user-first and deliberate), the result is a feature that feels thoughtfully scoped rather than rushed and half baked. It's not shouting unsolicited advice or drowning users in confusing metrics. It's dipping a toe into coaching, not diving in headfirst. Now that the groundwork is there, it feels like only a matter of time before we get a true AI-powered health coach. Workout Buddy could pave the way for more real-time coaching on the wrist. Apple Screenshot And if this voice assistant really is the start of something smarter and more didactic, can it please expand to other areas of health too? I've never been a fan of sleep tracking. But maybe, if I had the right incentives or feedback, I'd get on board. The new Vitals app already does a decent job of flagging early signs of illness, but now imagine a proactive sleep coach that tells me my room's too hot to hit deep sleep. That's the kind of data driven encouragement I'd actually listen to. For now, Workout Buddy is limited to eight workout types: indoor and outdoor running and walking, outdoor cycling, HIIT, functional strength and traditional strength training. It'll arrive in September with the watchOS 26 update -- alongside a handful of other features you can read more about here.
CNET
03-06-2025
- Health
- CNET
These 7 Favorite Apple Watch Tips Assist Me Every Day
You know your Apple Watch is capable of doing a lot, whether that's tracking your health metrics or managing multiple timers when cooking dinner. But it's easy to treat it mostly as a timepiece, even though it always feels like there's more happening beneath the watch face that you're not fully using. That's why I've put together seven of my favorite Apple Watch tips, each of which I use nearly every day to save me time and trouble. See also: Did you think you were stuck with just the built-in watch faces? Learn how to expand the variety of timekeeping designs. And if you have an old Apple Watch in a drawer, see how to extend its utility. Swipe between watch faces (again) Until WatchOS 10.0, you could swipe from the left or right edge of the screen to switch active watch faces, a great way to quickly go from an elegant workday face to an exercise-focused one, for example. Apple removed that feature, likely because people were accidentally switching faces by brushing the edges of the screen. Swipe from the edge to switch between faces. Screenshot by Jeff Carlson/CNET However, the regular method involves more steps (touch and hold the face, swipe to change, tap to confirm) and people realized that the occasional surprise watch face change wasn't really so bad. Therefore, as of version 10.2, including the current WatchOS 11.2, you can turn the feature on by toggling a setting: Go to Settings > Clock and turn on Swipe to Switch Watch Face. Stay on top of your heart health with Vitals Wearing your Apple Watch while sleeping offers a trove of information -- and not just about how you slept last night. If you don the timepiece overnight, it tracks a number of health metrics. A new feature in WatchOS 11 gathers that data into the Vitals app that reports on the previous night's heart rate, respiration, body temperature (on recent models) and sleep duration. The Vitals app can also show data collected during the previous seven days -- tap the small calendar icon in the top-left corner. (If you own a watch model sold before Jan. 29, 2024, you'll also see a blood oxygen reading. On newer watches in the US, that feature is disabled due to an intellectual property infringement fight.) The Vitals app reports heart and health trends collected while you sleep. Screenshot by Jeff Carlson/CNET How is this helpful? The software builds a baseline of what's normal for you. When the values stray outside normal ranges, such as irregular heart or respiratory rates, the Vitals app reports them as atypical to alert you. It's not a medical diagnosis, but it can prompt you to get checked out and catch any troubles early. Make the Smart Stack work for you Bring up the Smart Stack using the crown or by swiping. Screenshot by Jeff Carlson/CNET The Smart Stack is a place to access quick information that might not fit into what Apple calls a "complication" (the things on the watch face other than the time itself, such as your Activity rings or the current outside temperature). When viewing the clock face, turn the digital crown clockwise or swipe from the bottom of the screen to view a series of tiles that show information such as the weather or suggested photo memories. This turns out to be a great spot for accessing features when you're using a minimal watch face that has no complications. Choose which Live Activities appear automatically The Smart Stack is also where Live Activities appear: If you order a food delivery, for example, the status of the order appears as a tile in the Smart Stack (and on the iPhone lock screen). And because it's a timely activity, the Smart Stack becomes the main view instead of the watch face. Live Activities like mobile orders appear in the Smart Stack. Screenshot by Jeff Carlson/CNET Some people find that too intrusive. To disable it, on your watch open the Settings app, go to Smart Stack > Live Activities and turn off the Auto-Launch Live Activities option. You can also turn off Allow Live Activities in the same screen if you don't want them disrupting your watch experience. Apple's apps that use Live Activities are listed there if you want to configure the setting per app, such as making active timers appear but not media apps such as Music. For third-party apps, open the Watch app on your iPhone, tap Smart Stack and find the settings there. Add and pin favorite widgets in the Smart Stack When the Smart Stack first appeared, its usefulness seemed hit or miss. In WatchOS 11, Apple seems to have improved the algorithms that determine which widgets appear -- instead of it being an annoyance, I find it does a good job of showing me information in context. But you can also pin widgets that will show up every time you open the stack. For example, I use 10-minute timers for a range of things. Instead of opening the Timers app (via the App list or a complication), I added a single 10-minute timer to the Smart Stack. Here's how: View the Smart Stack by turning the Digital Crown or swiping from the bottom of the screen. Touch and hold the screen to enter the edit mode. Tap the + button and scroll to the app you want to include (Timers, in this example). Tap a tile to add it to the stack; for Timers, there's a Set Timer 10 minutes option. If you want it to appear higher or lower in the stack order, drag it up or down. Tap the checkmark button to accept the change. Add specific widgets to the Smart Stack. Screenshot by Jeff Carlson/CNET The widget appears in the stack, but it may get pushed down in favor of other widgets the watch thinks should have priority. In that case, you can pin it to the top of the list: While editing, tap the yellow Pin button. That moves it up, but Live Activities can still take precedence. Use the watch as a flashlight You've probably used the flashlight feature of your phone dozens of times, but did you know the Apple Watch can also be a flashlight? Instead of a dedicated LED (which phones also use as a camera flash), the watch's full screen becomes the light emitter. It's not as bright as the iPhone's, nor can you adjust the beam width, but it's perfectly adequate for moving around in the dark when you don't want to disturb someone sleeping. To activate the flashlight, press the side button to view Control Center and then tap the Flashlight button. That makes the entire screen white -- turn the Digital Crown to adjust the brightness. It even starts dimmed for a couple of seconds to give you a chance to direct the light away so it doesn't fry your eyes. Your Apple Watch can double as a hands-free flashlight. Screenshot by Jeff Carlson/CNET The flashlight also has two other modes: Swipe left to make the white screen flash on a regular cadence or swipe again to make the screen bright red. The flashing version can be especially helpful when you're walking or running at night to make yourself more visible to vehicles. Press the Digital Crown to turn off the Flashlight and return to the clock face. Pause your Exercise rings if you're traveling or ill Closing your exercise, movement and standing rings can be great motivation for being more active. Sometimes, though, your body has other plans. Until WatchOS 11, if you became ill or needed to be on a long-haul trip, any streak of closing those rings that you built up would be dashed. Now, the watch is more forgiving (and practical), letting you pause your rings without disrupting the streak. Open the Activity app and tap the Weekly Summary button in the top-left corner. Scroll all the way to the bottom (take a moment to admire your progress) and tap the Pause Rings button. You can choose to pause them for today, until next week or month, or set a custom number of days. Give yourself a break when needed and pause your exercise rings. Screenshot by Jeff Carlson/CNET When you're ready to get back into your activities, go to the same location and tap Resume Rings. Bypass the countdown to start a workout Many workouts start with a three-second countdown to prep you to be ready to go. That's fine and all, but usually when I'm doing an Outdoor Walk workout, for example, my feet are already on the move. Instead of losing those steps, tap the countdown once to bypass it and get right to the calorie burn. How to force-quit an app (and why you'd want to) Don't forget, the Apple Watch is a small computer on your wrist, and every computer will have glitches. Every once in a while, for instance, an app may freeze or behave erratically. On a Mac or iPhone, it's easy to force a recalcitrant app to quit and restart, but it's not as apparent on the Apple Watch. Here's how: Double-press the Digital Crown to bring up the list of recent apps. Scroll to the one you want to quit by turning the crown or dragging with your finger. Swipe left on the app until you see a large red X button. Tap the X button to force-quit the app. You can force-quit an app on the Apple Watch. Screenshot by Jeff Carlson/CNET Keep in mind this is only for times when an app has actually crashed -- as on the iPhone, there's no benefit to manually quitting apps. These are some of my favorite Apple Watch tips, but of course there's a lot more to the popular smartwatch. Be sure to also check out which new health features are expected in the next models and Lexy Savvides' review of the Series 10.
CNET
02-06-2025
- General
- CNET
When Siri Fails, Here's How I Find My Images in Apple Photos
When Apple demos Siri, it often highlights finding images in the Photos library -- a great example, since we all have tons of pictures and asking for what we want feels like the simplest approach. The problem? It just doesn't work reliably. For example, "Siri, show me pictures of Jeff Carlson" is a phrase that should work on my iPhone when I'm looking for a new profile picture or to see if I wore the same shirt at last year's family gathering. Instead, the Apple Intelligence assistant brings up a web search of other Jeff Carlsons, such as a star of the movie Slap Shot, the leader of a rock band and the late science fiction author. So much for smart AI photo management. The conundrum is that the Apple Photos app already knows who I am -- I've tagged photos of myself, and a text search for my name brings up exactly what I'm looking for. In fact, Apple Photos already uses AI extensively to find images and surface memories -- it's just not yet integrated into the broader Apple Intelligence framework. When you do want to locate photos that you know must be in your library somewhere, you don't need to haphazardly scroll through the thumbnails to find them. Here are some strategies for making smarter searches that'll save you time and trouble. It's all about the photo metadata When you search for a document on your computer, you typically type a word or phrase that you know appears in it; for example, I can quickly locate my tax information by searching for "2024 taxes" or "1099" in the MacOS Finder or Windows Explorer. However, an image is composed of colored pixels. The key to effective photo searches is having metadata -- information that lives inside the image file and describes what the image depicts. It used to be your job to tag each photo with keywords and descriptions to make it easier to find. In reality, few people actually go to the trouble of adding this information. Plus, in this mobile age, it's difficult to actually add it; the Photos app on the iPhone and iPad only includes a Caption field for writing descriptive text. But in this case, Photos is actually on your side, because it's doing a lot of that descriptive work for you in the background. The app uses machine learning to analyze each image and build its own internal database of what it discovers. So even if you've never thought about tagging your images, Photos is building metadata for you. This photo could include metadata such as harbor, bridge, ferry, skyline, water and city to describe its contents. Screenshot by Jeff Carlson/CNET Strategy 1: Search for items, scenes or places in the photos There's no way to tell what information Photos comes up with for any given image, so the rule of thumb is to assume it's there -- or is at least close enough to narrow your search. For example, tap the Search button and type "flowers" in the Search field. As you type, the app displays an assortment of results: Photos you've favorited that contain flowers, images with any type of flower, images with the word "flowers" in it and so on. Tap one of the items in the pop-up menu that appears or tap the Search button to reveal everything it found. Searching for "flowers" (left) brings up all images that Photos thinks include flowers. Screenshot by Jeff Carlson/CNET Similarly, the Photos app can make guesses about scenes and concepts, such as "spring" or "skiing" and serve up images that match those ideas. And if your images were captured by an iPhone or tagged with location data, the search will pick up names of cities, neighborhoods or some landmarks. Apple says the following metadata are detected when scanned: Date (month or year) Place (city or state) Business names (museums, for example) Category (beach or sunset, for example) Events (sports games or concerts, for example) A person identified in People & Pets Text (an email address or phone number, for example) Caption Strategy 2: Search for identified people The Photos app also uses machine learning to identify when people are in a photo. If you've identified them in the People & Pets category, you can type someone's name into the Search field to find all the photos in which they appear. Individuals you've identified in the People & Pets category (left) can be found by name using the Search field (right). Screenshot by Jeff Carlson/CNET In fact, when you add multiple people to the search query, Photos narrows the results to photos in which all of the people are present. When you specify multiple names of people in the Search field, the results show only photos in which all of them appear. Screenshot by Jeff Carlson/CNET Strategy 3: Search for text that appears in photos At one time, you'd pay a lot of money for software that could recognize text in a document and turn it into editable text. Now, the Photos app automatically scans all your photos looking for text that appears on signs, menus and other real-world sources. Any text you type in the Search field that matches what appears in photos will come up in the search. A search for "coffee" includes results in which that word appears in photos. Screenshot by Jeff Carlson/CNET Strategy 4: Combine elements for more targeted searches You can see where this is all going. When you type multiple criteria into the Search field, you can narrow the number of results that appear and find your photos quicker. For example, searching for "Jeff L. Carlson in Italy in 2022" -- tapping each of those items in the pop-up menu that appears to denote that you're using the results it knows, highlighted in blue -- brings up images of me during a vacation that year. Combining search terms narrows the number of results. Screenshot by Jeff Carlson/CNET Strategy 5: Add keywords in Photos for Mac for more specificity I know I said people don't tag their photos with keywords, but that doesn't mean it's not an effective method of organization. The Photos app on MacOS does include a Keywords field, though it's not obvious: Select a photo and choose Window > Info to view the floating Info panel, then type in the Keywords field. Separate terms with commas. Keywords transfer, but it can take some time due to the Photos sync process. In one example, an edit where I converted a photo to black and white synced, but it took many minutes before the keyword I added ("Grabthar") came up in a search. You can add keywords in the MacOS version of Photos and they will be recognized when searching in the iOS and iPadOS versions. Screenshot by Jeff Carlson/CNET What does "Some Results May Not Appear" mean? At the bottom of the search screen you may see an unobtrusive message: "Some Results May Not Appear." This is Apple's way of tamping expectations in case the photo you're looking for doesn't come up in a search. More specifically, it's there because of how Photos indexes your library. I mentioned earlier that Photos scans your images to find recognizable elements, perform people recognition and collect other metadata. According to Apple, that scanning only happens when your device is locked, charging and connected to Wi-Fi. There's no way to force it to update its database, which can be frustrating when you've recently imported a bunch of new photos but the people in them aren't yet recognized. With AI, there's always something to look forward to, I guess. For more on working with Apple Photos in iOS 18, don't miss how to use the new Clean Up tool to remove unwanted elements from your pictures. And if you're flummoxed by the new interface, learn how to pare the app down by hiding many of the collections and categories fighting for space.
CNET
02-06-2025
- Business
- CNET
iPhone 16E vs. iPhone 16: How Apple's Budget Phone Compares to the Baseline Model
The $599 iPhone 16E is Apple's most affordable iPhone, and it shares many features with the $799 iPhone 16. But there are also some sacrifices you'll need to make for that $200 discount. While some core components like the A18 chip, iOS 18 and Apple Intelligence are the same for both devices, there are notable differences across the phones' cameras, designs and batteries. Best Memorial Day Deals CNET's team of shopping experts have explored thousands of deals on everything from mattresses and TVs to everyday essentials and outdoor fun so you can shop the best Memorial Day deals in one place. See now Here's how the more budget-friendly iPhone 16E compares to the baseline iPhone 16. Now Playing: iPhone 16E vs. iPhone 16: Spec Breakdown 05:44 Display and build The iPhone 16E is rated IP68 for water and dust resistance, just like the iPhone 16. Apple/CNET The iPhone 16E and iPhone 16 both have a 6.1-inch OLED display with a 60Hz refresh rate. The 16E has a peak brightness of 1,200 nits, while the 16 reaches 2,000 nits. A ceramic shield front and glass back are featured on each phone. The devices have an aluminum design and are about as heavy as each other, with the iPhone 16E weighing in at 167 grams and the iPhone 16 at 170 grams. Both phones also have an Action button, but only the iPhone 16 has a Camera Control button. The Dynamic Island feature is also limited to the pricier model. The devices each have an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance. Apple drops the home button on its new budget phone in favor of Face ID, just like the iPhone 16. Both devices also have a USB-C port, and neither has a headphone jack. The iPhone 16E comes in black and white, while the iPhone 16 comes in black, white, pink, teal and ultramarine. Battery and storage The iPhone 16E has Apple's C1 modem, which Apple says is the most efficient modem in an iPhone, and this should help lengthen battery life. Apple/Screenshot by Jeff Carlson/CNET Both the iPhone 16E and 16 come in 128GB, 256GB and 512GB options. Apple boasts that the 16E can get up to 26 hours of video playback and 21 hours of streamed video playback, while the 16 will last for up to 22 hours of video playback and 18 hours of streamed video playback. One of the reasons behind the cheaper iPhone's longer battery life is because it runs on Apple's very first 5G modem, called C1. The company says its C1 modem is the "most power-efficient modem ever in an iPhone" and as a result helps increase the phone's battery life. They each support 20-watt wired charging. The iPhone 16E supports 7.5W Qi wireless charging, while the iPhone 16 is capable of 15W Qi2 charging, as well as MagSafe wireless charging up to 25W with a 30W adapter or higher. Cameras at a glance The iPhone 16E is the only phone Apple sells with a single rear camera. Apple/Screenshot by Jeff Carlson/CNET You'll find a 48-megapixel wide camera on both the iPhone 16E and iPhone 16, as well as a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera on the 16. To make up for its lower camera count, the 16E uses sensor cropping to get a 2x magnification for better zoomed-in shots (as does the iPhone 16). Both phones have a 12-megapixel front-facing camera. You can shoot 4K video at 60 frames per second on each device. On the iPhone 16, you can shoot 1080p spatial video, but only at 30 frames per second. Apple Intelligence for all The iPhone 16E has the same Apple Intelligence features as the iPhone 16. Apple One of the biggest upgrades to Apple's lower-priced iPhone is the inclusion of Apple Intelligence, which was previously confined to iPhone 15 Pro models and the iPhone 16 lineup. Now you can spend less and still get access to features like a smarter Siri, writing tools and the Clean Up tool in photos. This move signals Apple's eagerness to get its AI suite into more people's hands, and indicates that AI is now a core component of any iPhone, from the cheapest option to the most premium. Check out the spec chart below for more details on each phone.
CNET
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CNET
I Can't Make It to the F1 Monaco Grand Prix, but Apple Maps Will Help Me Feel Like I'm There
I won't get to experience the noise and heat of the real-life Formula One Monaco Grand Prix race in person on May 23-25, but following along at home will take on an added dimension due to a new Apple Maps update. Fueling interest in the legendary race and its upcoming F1 The Movie release, Apple has created a Detailed City Experience for the principality of Monte Carlo, Monaco, that features details surrounding the event. That includes more detailed 3D renderings of landmarks such as the Casino de Monte-Carlo and Hotel de Paris Monte-Carlo, with day and night-lit versions. More significantly, the race course itself is marked on the map in light red to give you an idea of how this storied race winds directly through the streets and buildings of Monte Carlo. In addition to the F1 race course, the Apple Maps renderings of Monaco now include far more visual detail. At left is the Casino de Monte-Carlo before the update; to its right are the new day and night versions. Screenshot by Jeff Carlson/CNET Following the template of other city experience upgrades, the Monaco map adds plenty of other details, from road markings to bike lanes. Temporary structures such as grandstands, turn markers and the finish line also appear. You can use Apple Maps to explore the area virtually by searching for several cars Apple's stashed throughout (hint: look on at least one yacht). And if you're attending the race in person in Monte Carlo, Apple Maps could be an invaluable tool for getting around, with real-time information such as road closures and footbridges. 3D views of Monaco during the F1 Grand Prix show the race route and updated architectural details, even at night. Apple "Whether fans are there in person or watching from afar, the beautifully designed Detailed City Experience and Monaco Grand Prix features give them an incredible view into Monaco, just in time for the race and the upcoming premiere of F1 The Movie," said Eddy Cue, Apple senior vice president of services. Not yet up to speed on Formula One racing? Be sure to check out our F1 101.
