It’s a Whoop dupe. That was my first thought when I saw the new $99 Google Fitbit Air. You can hardly blame me. The band is screenless with a metallic fabric clasp. My eyes flickered between the Fitbit Air and my wrist, where I’m wearing a Whoop MG. Was I not seeing double? But as […]
This is Optimizer, a weekly newsletter sent every Friday from Verge senior reviewer Victoria Song that dissects and discusses the latest gizmos and potions that swear they’re going to change your life. Opt in for Optimizer here. I take my beauty rest seriously. So seriously that, after months of testing, I bought my ludicrously expensive […]
Oura is launching a new reproductive health feature that takes hormonal contraception into consideration when tracking period cycles. The smart ring maker describes the Hormonal Birth Control update as a “first-of-its-kind experience” inside Oura’s existing Cycle Insights feature, allowing users to see how over 20 combinations of hormonal birth control methods – including pills, patches, […]
Spotify has dabbled in customized running playlists, but now it’s diving more firmly into the fitness space with curated playlists and content from creators like Yoga with Kassandra, Sweaty Studio, Chloe Ting, and Pilates Body by Raven. Not only that, but Premium subscribers will have access to over 1,400 classes from Peloton. Spotify has already […]
This is Optimizer, a weekly newsletter sent every Friday from Verge senior reviewer Victoria Song that dissects and discusses the latest gizmos and potions that swear they’re going to change your life. Opt in for Optimizer here. These days, it seems I cannot escape peptides. Online, I’ve been assaulted by videos of shirtless Chads injecting […]
An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Granted, 19th-century proverb writers were talking about the fruit, but Tim Cook helped give new meaning to the adage with the release of the very first Apple Watch. In fact, I’d argue that when he hands the reins to John Ternus in September, it won’t be iPhones, […]
Daily life is different when you’re tracking glucose. A little over a year ago, I was on my way to a conference. My bags were packed, the Uber was on its way, but there was one last thing to do before I could head to the airport. Tearing open a small isopropyl alcohol wipe, I […]
Google says it has updated Gemini to better direct users to get mental health resources during moments of crisis. The change comes as the tech giant faces a wrongful death lawsuit alleging its chatbot “coached” a man to die by suicide, the latest in a string of lawsuits alleging tangible harm from AI products. When […]
Utah is allowing an AI system to prescribe psychiatric drugs without a doctor. It’s only the second time the state – and the country – has delegated this kind of clinical authority to AI. State officials say it could bring costs down and ease care shortages, but physicians warn the system is opaque, risky, and […]
For the past seven years, the California-based startup Kintsugi has been developing AI designed to detect signs of depression and anxiety from a person’s speech. But after failing to secure FDA clearance in time, the company is shutting down and releasing most of its technology as open-source. Some elements may even find a second life […]