Latest news with #Withings
Tom's Guide
8 hours ago
- Health
- Tom's Guide
Don't let summer solstice steal your sleep this weekend — how to fall asleep fast even when it's still sunny outside
Saturday will be the longest day of the year — but it might do more harm to your sleep than good, according to a recent study. Research conducted by Withings, a health tech company, shows that Americans have lost around 32 minutes of sleep per night over the last five years. The least sleep in a night was recorded during the June 21 summer solstice, which is the day with the most hours of sunlight within a 12 month period. There are a number of reasons sleep time could be reduced over the summer solstice, which we'll explore here. They include excessive exposure to sunlight and irregular meal times, which can throw off your sleep schedule, delay sleep onset (time taken to fall asleep) and stop you from getting the recommended hours of rest you need. Here are tips to avoid this and save your sleep this weekend: Sunlight exposure during the day (and particularly in the morning) increases your cortisol levels, helping to keep you alert and active and can help with melatonin (the sleepy hormone) production at night (when melatonin is naturally released in response to darkness). This process helps regulate your body's circadian rhythm (sleep and wake cycle), which means you're waking and falling asleep at the right times, and getting a restorative night's sleep. However, continued exposure to bright light in the evening can confuse your brain into remaining stimulated, which can be counterproductive for your sleep at night. With sunlight lasting until beyond 9 pm in the summer, having a late evening meal can be tempting. But before you delay your dinner time, take note that the 2022 Sleep in America Poll , conducted by the National Sleep Foundation, revealed that having regular meal times during the day has a significant positive impact on your sleep. This is, the National Sleep Foundation explains, because of how your meal times are directly linked to your body's internal sleep and wake mechanism, since they "can act as an important cue for the circadian rhythm." Eating at different times on a day or missing meals "can negatively influence the ability to maintain sleep and wake schedules, especially if meals are eaten too close to bedtime." Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Which leads us to why it's better to avoid late-night summer meals. Some foods can increase the body's core temperature (which can suppress the release of melatonin) when metabolized, and the overall process of metabolizing food will also raise your body temperature. Eating late can also cause other issues like bloating, indigestion or heartburn which can keep you awake and sabotage your sleep. It might be tempting to stay awake to see the sunset on the longest day of the year, and perhaps even longer, but this may also lead to having a bad night's sleep. That's because disrupting your normal bedtime will throw off your sleep schedule. Sticking to regular sleep and wake up times helps regulate your circadian rhythm, leading to better quality sleep (and sleep quality is equally as important as quantity), can help you avoid daytime sleepiness and even lead to better health outcomes. While you may be able to pay back the sleep debt you get from a late night on summer solstice during the same weekend, a consistent schedule will help you get a good night's rest, every night. External distractions like light can hinder sleep on any night of the year, but obviously there's going to be more daylight in the evening during the summer solstice. Even if you're inside, sunlight seeping into your bedroom can still confuse your brain into thinking you need to be active. Investing in blackout curtains or an eye mask are great tool to avoid this, especially if you're a light sleeper. Sticking to a regular nighttime routine will also help you winddown in time for bed, even if it's still bright outside. Looking for more sleep accessories to help you fall asleep faster and get restful sleep? Scroll down for our top picks... 1. Kitsch Satin Sleep Mask: was from $17.99 from $14.39 at AmazonGetting a soft to touch sleep mask is a more affordable alternative to installing blackout curtains in your bedroom. This one from Kitsch promises to block out light, and includes light padding for extra comfort, perfect for restful sleep. You can now grab this at 20% off, which drops the MSRP from $17.99 to $14.39 on Amazon. 2. QWH Silicone Ear Plugs for Sleeping: was from $29.99 now from $9.98 at AmazonAmbient noise is yet another distraction to sleep, which is more likely to present when the days are longer and people are up and about later. A simple solution is to pop in a pair of ear plugs. The QWH reusable ear plugs boast noise reduction up to 30dB, are crafted from lightweight silicone and are available in four sizes (XS, S, M and L). These currently have 67% off, which brings down the MSRP from $29.99 to just $9.98 at Amazon. 3. YnM Breathable Weighted Blanket: twin in 15lb $34.99 at AmazonDeep pressure therapy has been proven to reduce anxiety and promote rest and relaxation. The YnM breathable weighted blanket will help you achieve this thanks to its glass beads and fiber fill, while our reviewer was surprised to find it breathable and the cover cool-to-touch, which is great for summer nights. You can now find a gray, 15lb weight in a twin size for $34.99 on Amazon. There are cheaper kids' sizes available, and prices vary for other sizes and weights.
WIRED
20-05-2025
- Health
- WIRED
Monitor Your Hypertension at Home With the Withings BPM Vision
When you visit your doctor's office, a blood pressure test is often the first thing you'll face. Blood pressure measures how hard your blood pushes against your artery walls as your heart beats, and it's one of the most important vital signs. High blood pressure means an increased risk of heart failure, heart attack, or stroke, which are among the leading causes of death in the US, and nearly half of the adults in the country have high blood pressure. Hypertension is one of the easiest, widespread health problems to solve because we have all the tools, and the fixes are relatively easy, if not always simple to scale: Eat less salt. Drink less alcohol. Exercise more. Still, it remains hard to monitor blood pressure at home because you need an arm cuff. You still can't get a blood pressure reading from a fitness tracker, although Apple has been developing one for the Apple Watch. Samsung has rudimentary support for blood pressure monitoring on its Galaxy Watch, but the feature isn't available in the US and has caveats. Enter: Withings' BPM Vision, the update to the no-frills BPM Connect ($100). Withings also launched Cardio Check-Up this year, a service within the Withings+ subscription that lets you send information on your cardiac health to a certified board of cardiologists for review. It is easier than ever not to let a heart attack sneak up on you. Lay Down Your Cards The BPM Vision is a tabletop unit, which makes it easier to use and see the display in contrast to the BPM Connect, which has all the electronics in the cuff. This is important for a blood pressure monitor because everything affects your blood pressure, including whether your legs are crossed and if you're sitting up or leaning back. The BPM Connect wasn't difficult to use, but it's infinitely easier to unzip the BPM Vision at my dining room table, lean back, and relax for five minutes. It also charges via USB-C, and both my spouse and I have been using it for a few weeks with no sign that the battery is low. It's a little annoying that there's no battery indicator, but again, this matters less for a tabletop unit you can plug in while using it than for a cuff. It comes with one regular-sized cuff with a range from 8.7 inches to 16.5 inches that comfortably fits both my husband's and my arms (my arm is 9 inches around and his is 15). You can also order an XL cuff for arms bigger than 15.8 inches. It's FDA-cleared and meets the validation protocols recognized by organizations such as the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation and the American Heart Association. It is hard for me to independently verify its accuracy, given that I'm not a physician, but the heart rate readings are the same when checked against a Whoop Band and an Oura Ring. It was easy to set up—just turn it on and connect it to the Withings app. You can see your readings simultaneously on the LCD and the Withings app on your phone, which is compatible with iOS and Android. (It also syncs with Apple Health, Samsung Health, and a few other apps.) You can also have someone else use it as a guest profile, although their readings will not be saved. You can subscribe to Withings+ with one month free, and then it's $100 per year or $10 per month. If you're worried enough about hypertension that you want to monitor your blood pressure at home, I think you probably already know what you need to do to improve your health, and the Withings+ Health Improvement Score won't help you. You Need to Calm Down I asked Jehan Bahrainwala, a Stanford professor with a clinical area of focus in resistant hypertension and secondary hypertension, how you're supposed to use this thing. 'It is more useful to have more readings over a short time period than sporadic readings over a longer time period,' she responded over email. 'I recommend patients monitor their blood pressure at the same time daily for one week in a row, one week per month, and keep a journal of these readings.' The display is simple—it shows your systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate. You can take one measurement at a time or three in a row, which takes about 5 minutes with 45 seconds of rest in between. I recommend taking three in a row because even if you follow every other instruction that Withings gives you, my first reading always showed elevated blood pressure. It turns out that taking your own blood pressure reading isn't as easy as lying on an exam table. To use the BPM Vision, I sat down at my kitchen table at the same time every morning. I had my back supported, with my feet uncrossed and flat on the floor. I took my sweatshirt off and drank plenty of water. I rested my arm on the table for around 5 minutes, then I wrapped the cuff around my upper arm with the tube running down the middle, along my vein.
WIRED
05-04-2025
- Business
- WIRED
Is Verizon's Three-Year Price Lock Worth It?
Plus: Samsung debuts its Galaxy Tab S10 FE tablets, Ooni has bigger gas-powered pizza ovens, and Traeger solves a griddle riddle. Photograph: Jeremy Withings; Getty Images If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. Learn more. US carriers often shake up their mobile plans and offers to entice customers to switch and upgrade. Verizon's latest big idea? A three-year price lock. New and existing subscribers can lock in their mobile or home internet plan pricing for three years—and even get a new smartphone. Verizon says this will be automatic for both myPlan and myHome network plans. If you change your myPlan tier, the price lock resets for another three years. For the free phone offer, you'll need to trade in any Apple, Google, or Samsung phone in any condition. The carrier also says home internet routers are included with no extra cost in every myHome plan. If you have a qualifying device, you can use Verizon's free satellite texting feature (in an area with no cell service). The company says the promotion offers 'predictability, control, simplicity, and value that is particularly relevant in today's economic environment.' It was announced a day after President Trump announced tariffs that will have broad impacts across the tech industry. However, like all carrier promotions, there's a catch. In the fine print, Verizon notes: "Plan perks, taxes, fees, and surcharges are subject to change." While your mobile phone plan or home internet plan's base rate will not change, Verizon could levy fees that could still raise your bill. You also need to be on Verizon's myPlan, which the company introduced in 2023. Withings' Blood Pressure Monitor Goes on Sale One of the most common tests at the doctor's office is to measure your blood pressure to check for hypertension, yet no wearable fitness trackers offer this basic functionality. (Most of them can give you an electrocardiogram and check your blood oxygen levels.) Earlier this year, Withings began offering Cardio Checkup, an in-app service to send your cardiac data quarterly to a team of specialists for review. Now, Withings is releasing its at-home blood pressure monitor in the US. The BPM Vision is FDA-cleared and has an educational tutorial to show you how to use it. It syncs to the Withings app and has interchangeable cuffs for a wide range of adult users. When I reported on the rise of blood pressure monitoring devices earlier this year, I spoke to some business leaders who noted that quantified selfers and men in their thirties, forties, and fifties were the demographic most interested in monitoring their blood pressure. A higher percentage of men than women have high blood pressure, otherwise known as hypertension, but nearly half of all adults in the US have high blood pressure. Untreated, it can drastically increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, or other costly illnesses. If a simple $150 at-home device can help cut down the estimated $131 billion in costs to treat hypertension, sign me up. It's available directly from Withings. —Adrienne So Rolex and TAG Heuer Duke It Out in This Week's Watch Release War This week at Watches & Wonders in Geneva, the watch world gathered to show off all its new releases for 2025 (well, all except Audemars Piguet, Richard Mille, Breitling and the Swatch Group, which includes Omega, none of whom like to play in this particular horological sandpit)—and while there were many innovations on display, the two new models that sucked up the most publicity oxygen were undoubtedly TAG's Formula 1 Solargraph collection and a brand new Rolex, the Land-Dweller. You can read our exclusive feature all about how TAG revived the iconic F1 watch here, but the highlights are as follows: Nearly 40 years after the wildly successful and accessible color-popping line made its debut, it's now returning in solar-powered form. So, running on nothing other than light it can tick on for up to ten months on a full charge. Made from sand-blasted steel, DLC-treated steel, or TH-Polylight plastic, the other undeniably wise update is that the case size has bumped up from 35 mm to 38 mm, and the price is from $1,800. Like the color-strap versions? Move fast, as these are limited-edition. Any completely brand-new watch from Rolex is 'a big deal,' so I'm sure you can imagine the hoo-ha created when the Land-Dweller dropped on Monday. Evoking 1976's Datejust Oysterquartz, this piece has apparently been 10 years in development, powered by the calibre 7135, which is Rolex's first-ever mechanical high-frequency movement, running at 5 Hz thanks to an escapement primarily from silicon that delivers energy via rolling rather than sliding. At 9.7 mm thick, the watch comes in 36 mm and 40 mm flavors, as well as in steel with a white gold bezel, Everose gold, and platinum. Prices start at $13,900. —Jeremy White Hot on the heels of the new iPad and iPad Air, Samsung's answer is the Galaxy Tab S10 FE ($500) and Tab S10 FE+ ($650), the lower-cost models in the Tab S10 family that debuted last year. They've gotten a price hike over their predecessor, though the screen on the plus model is larger than ever at 13.1 inches. The standard FE has a 10.9-inch LCD, and both have a 90-Hz refresh rate. They're powered by Samsung's Exynos 1580, a mid-tier chip that will drive the upcoming Galaxy A56. Not much else is drastically new here—these Android tablets support many of Samsung's artificial intelligence features that debuted in the Galaxy S25 series, and they still come with a stylus in the box. They go on sale starting April 10 in the US. Samsung's news this week didn't stop there. It also unveiled a bevy of new Bespoke smart appliances, from a stick vacuum that can alert you if you're getting a phone call, to a new four-door refrigerator with a compact 9-inch 'AI Home' screen. But what caught my attention was the new Bespoke AI Laundry Vented Combo. This two-in-one washer and dryer is a follow-up to last year's ventless model, but the vented model purportedly improves performance, with the capability to wash and dry a load of laundry in just 68 minutes. Samsung claims it's the 'industry's first vented all-in-one washer-dryer in its class.' Most American homes use vented dryers, so these may be more appealing to folks with a ventilation system already, especially with the improved performance. Samsung thinks you might even buy two, in case you want to get two full loads of laundry done at the same time. It's available now for $2,499. It is not hyperbole to say that pizza oven manufacturer Ooni (formerly known as Uuni) revolutionized the market of portable, relatively affordable backyard pizza ovens when the company started in 2012. Now it's banking on that success with two new ovens extending its gas-powered, beginner-friendly Koda range. The Koda 2 can reach temperatures as high as 950 degrees Fahrenheit (510 C), with a larger 14-inch cooking area and Ooni's new G2 gas distribution technology. Most high-heat ovens have a single heat source at the back, but Ooni's flame is bigger at the mouth of the oven so that the pizza stone heats evenly. The Koda 2 Pro is the same oven but with an 18-inch cooking space. Both are also now available in a new Slate Blue color, which I've never seen on any Ooni oven. The two join last year's Koda 2 Max ($1,199), which has a 20-inch cooking space. (Having tested the Koda 2 Max, I will say: Be prepared to use a lot of gas and to feel the heat raging out of that thing.) The Koda 2 is currently available for $449, and the Koda 2 Pro will be available on May 1 for $749. —Adrienne So A Smaller Flat-Top Grill From Traeger Traeger just announced a new stand-up Flatrock 2-Zone Flat Top Grill this week, the second big griddle for the brand best known for inventing the pellet-smoker, back when the company was still owned by a guy named Traeger in Oregon. Traeger has expanded its line considerably under big-money ownership in recent decades, and it now pushes branded meat thermometers for tech-forward, app-regulated smokers the WIRED Gear team has reviewed quite fondly. The newest push is big outdoor propane-fueled griddles that mimic the flattop at your favorite diner, which have become fashionable among the backyard smashburger or fajita set. Until now, the only option was huge. Two years ago, Traeger introduced the $900, 3-Zone Flatrock Flat-Top Grill with a nearly 600-square-inch surface that could cook 24 burgers or 26 eggs at a time—a whole lot of griddle and a whole lot of money. But if such a meat margin appears a tad daunting, the new 2-Zone is a more modest version of griddle-out. Designed for smaller patios, it offers the usual fan-out prep trays on each side, with two U-shaped burners beneath its broad flat surface to maintain even temperature. The griddle's inlay design helps block wind, Traeger claims, while grease funnels into a removable container. The 2-Zone is a little smaller, a 26-inch by 18-inch cooktop offering a mere 18-burger capacity. So enough for the basketball team, but not quite the football team. For that, it's also $200 less. — Matthew Korfhage
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The Journey Pregnancy App Announces EPIC Electronic Health Record Integration
Updated app provides doctors with real-time access to user electronic health records, allowing them to monitor crucial vitals along the pregnancy journey TUCSON, Ariz., March 26, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Emagine Solutions Technology announces a significant update to its signature app – The Journey Pregnancy – with its integration with EPIC, the country's biggest electronic health records system. This transforms the already advanced app into one of the most empowering pregnancy tools for women and healthcare providers. The Journey Pregnancy App is one of the most robust free pregnancy tools for patients and medical professionals, offering an exceptional level of pre and post-partum app-based personalized support including virtual wellness coaching, vitals tracking (including blood pressure, glucose and kick count) as well as Withings and Fitbit integration. Now, as one of few pregnancy apps offering EPIC integration, The Journey Pregnancy gives patients the ability to log their blood pressure, pregnancy symptoms, mood and other health metrics, then (at their discretion) share this information with their provider team so their doctors can see these vitals in real time. Doctors will now have access to patient-provided data between appointments and can monitor the progress of their patients between appointments – important for patients with a risk profile, such as those with hypertension, diabetes, preexisting conditions, or those at risk for preeclampsia. "The US is facing a maternal health crisis. A reported 1 in 6 babies in maternity care deserts are not receiving adequate prenatal care and our own studies show that women are abandoning pregnancy apps, frustrated by a lack of useful features. People need technologies to make pregnancy care safer and at a lower cost with improved outcomes," explains Emagine Solutions Technology Co-founder and CEO Courtney Williams. "By integrating with EPIC, we will be able to further our mission to make pregnancy safer while bridging these untenable gaps in care." The Journey Pregnancy App is available for free at Apple's App Store and Google Play. For more info, visit: About Emagine Solutions Technology Emagine is an award-winning company tackling the maternal health crisis with technology to make pregnancy care safer, lower cost, and improve outcomes. The Journey Pregnancy, our AI-powered maternal health app and remote patient monitoring platform, helps women manage their maternal health through pregnancy and postpartum. To find out more, visit and follow Emagine on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Facebook. View source version on Contacts Kiri Jewellkiri@ Sign in to access your portfolio
