MacRumors

Announced earlier this year at CES, Withings today officially launched its latest connected health device, Thermo, a contactless thermometer approved by the FDA that "yields the most precise temperature possible" for parents looking to diagnose not only their children, but themselves.

With a connected app, which syncs to Thermo firstly through Wi-Fi but defaults to Bluetooth if Wi-Fi is unavailable, the company aims to track anyone's rough patch of sickness with temperature logs, medicine reminders, and a symptoms tracker all available for each user.

Thermo claims its "clinical accuracy" comes from HotSpot Sensor technology, which uses 16 infrared sensors to take more than 4,000 measurements and readings in one swipe of the device on a sickly individual's forehead. After finding the hottest point of contact, the Thermo detects changes in temperature and displays its highest reading on the digital screen of the product's handle, with convenient LEDs for easy visual confirmation of a normal, elevated, or high temperature based on the user's age.

Using revolutionary HotSpot Sensor™ Technology, Thermo uses 16 infrared sensors to take over 4,000 measurements to find the hottest point. Thermo sweeps over the forehead and measures from the temporal artery — considered the best way to detect temperature changes, as the blood that circulates there comes directly from the core of the body.

Thermo is a game changer. Now a fast, simple, no-contact gesture yields the most precise temperature possible, and automatic sync with the dedicated app also allows you to track temperature readings, get reminders, and input related symptoms/medications right on your smartphone.

The biggest advantage of the new connected thermometer is that it doesn't require direct contact with skin to successfully read a person's temperature, which means, unlike traditionally invasive designs, Thermo avoids contact with potentially unsanitary body fluids like saliva and ear wax. Withings said this advantage makes Thermo "the most sanitary way to take anyone’s temperature."

All of these readings are subsequently wired into the connected Withings app (supporting up to 8 family members), which accounts for a patient's age, fever history, and symptoms, guiding users to the best potential path for treatment. After temperature is determined on Thermo, a touch sensitive pad on the device's LED readout lets users toggle through family members to assign each reading. Push notifications can also be set up, so the app will remind users to take consistent readings throughout the day.

Thanks to a partnership with Boston Children's Hospital, parents can also get even more in-depth information on what kind of medication and dosage amounts they should look into if fevers run high enough to need a doctor visit. In order to keep track of everything happening during a period of illness, they can also mark down specific notes -- like how the sick family member is feeling -- to provide a more robust view of an individual's sickness when talking to a doctor.

Microsoft announced an overhaul of its Groove music app for iOS yesterday, featuring a redesigned interface and a handful of new features for the subscription-based service, home to over 40 million tracks.

The 3.5.6 update promises a much faster sign-in for mobile users of the $9.99-per-month service and introduces a new Explore view to the UI where users can discover popular songs and new releases from top artists.

The update also offers significant improvements to playback reliability, as well as faster download of songs and albums for offline playing. Lossless OneDrive support and new sorting options when viewing music collections have also been implemented.

In addition, the update includes fixes to the sync process that requires users' music collections to be rebuilt from scratch, which Microsoft promises is a one-time procedure, as well as optimizations to screen resolution to support larger mobile displays.

The app still needs to be in the foreground to download music, although Microsoft says a background download feature is coming in a future update. 

Microsoft Groove is a free download for iPhone and iPad available from the App Store. [Direct Link]

Apple has been warned by the Iranian government that it faces having its products banned in the country unless it officially registers with Iran's anti-smuggling office.

"If Apple will not register an official representative in Iran within the next few days, all iPhones will be collected from the market," said the director of Iran's anti-smuggling project on Sunday.

The ultimatum was reported by Tasnim News Agency and translated today by The Japan Times. According to the report, more than 40 million Iranians use smartphones, including millions of iPhone users whose devices are often imported into the country by smugglers.

To stop the flow of smuggled phones, Iran's presidential office will initiate a scheme later this week that requires all mobile phones to be registered with Iran's telecommunications user database. Phones not registered will not be able to be used in the country. According to the office, former users of iPhones and other smuggled phones are excluded from the scheme.

Despite the cooperation of mobile operators, customs, and the union of mobile phone sellers, IT activists in the country have criticized the state's decision to potentially ban iPhones.

"Collecting this huge number of iPhones will not be easy," the head of the Tehran IT union told Tasnim News, and expressed concerns that the telecommunications database could be susceptible to hacking attempts.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

The BBC released a new app today called BBC+ which aims to let users customize the content offered by the British broadcaster for a more relevant, personalized experience.

The idea behind the app is to work as a customized one-stop portal for all things BBC that corrals content from across the service, from TV and radio to exclusively online bitesize and longform content.

Users are prompted to sign in to the app on launch and begin choosing their content preferences. The app's homepage for example offers a fully customizable content carousel that users populate by choosing from a list of editorial themes, including regional and national news, sports, gaming, science, music, business, politics, health, food, and more.

Pooled data collected by the app is then used by algorithms and human curators to work out what content formats are most popular and help identify trending themes to better serve up more relevant content.

"BBC+ is a key part of the journey towards achieving a much more personal BBC, and truly brings topical information from across the whole organization to your pocket, ready for you to access at your convenience," said the head of BBC+ Paul Owen in a press release. "This is just the start for us, and over time the app will evolve and add new features based on user feedback."

The app is a key aspect of the broadcaster's vision for the BBC in the digital era – the "myBBC revolution", as director general Tony Hall called it – which seeks to reinvent public service broadcasting by using viewers' data and interests to put them in the driver's seat.

According to the BBC, 7.2 million people have signed in to the BBC's existing digital services to date, and consumed 44 percent more content than those not signed in.

In terms of the broadcaster's data privacy policy, Hall made the following statement:

We believe your data is yours. Wherever we collect and use your data, we will only use it to bring you the things that matter to you, surface hidden gems that you might not otherwise have found, and improve the BBC’s services.

We’ll put you in control over how we use your data, and be open and transparent about what we’re using your data for. You will always be able to change or delete it.

We will not do anything with your data that isn’t clearly explained, or that you don’t agree to. We will never sell your data, let other organizations track what you do with the BBC for their own purposes, or spam you.

And we’ll guard and protect your data. The BBC is set up to serve the public, and to help everyone in the UK get the best out of digital technologies and the BBC. We have no reason to collect your data other than to serve you better.

BBC+ is a free download for iPad and iPhone available on the U.K. App Store. [Direct Link]

The U.S. Army Special Operations Command is looking to switch from Android smartphones for its Tactical Assault Kits to iPhones, according to Military.com's DoDBuzz. The switch away from Android, and specifically Samsung devices, is largely because the devices aren't reliable enough.

The iPhone is “faster; smoother. Android freezes up” and has to be restarted too often, the source said. The problem with the Android is particularly noticeable when viewing live feed from an unmanned aerial system such as Instant Eye, the source said.

Specifically, Android will freeze up and apps will fail to refresh properly when viewing split screens with information on them. This forces the user to restart the phone, wasting valuable minutes. The source tells DoDBuzz that the same process is "seamless" on the iPhone and that the graphics are "clear" and "unbelievable."

The Tactical Assault Kits are made up of a system that links a smartphone to a connected network radio, allowing unit leaders to keep track of their own locations and the locations of their troops on a digital map. It's unclear which version of Android or which Samsung device the Army was using in the Tactical Assault Kit. In 2013, the Department of Defense approved the use of iOS devices for military networks.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Apple today released a new update for tvOS, the operating system designed to run on the fourth-generation Apple TV. tvOS 9.2.2 comes two months after the release of tvOS 9.2.1, a small bug fix update, and almost four months after the launch of tvOS 9.2, a significant update that introduced features like Bluetooth keyboard support and dictation.

The new tvOS 9.2.1 update can be downloaded over the air through the Settings app on the Apple TV by going to System --> Software Update. Those who have automatic software updates turned on will be upgraded to the new 9.2.2 operating system automatically.

As another minor 9.x.x update, tvOS 9.2.2 focuses on performance improvements and bug fixes to address issues discovered since the release of tvOS 9.2.1. No major outward-facing changes or obvious bug fixes were discovered during the beta testing process.

Apple is already working on the next-generation update to tvOS, tvOS 10. tvOS 10 brings features like improved Siri capabilities, single sign-on cable authentication, games that can require a controller, and more.

Apple today released a new software update for the Apple Watch, upgrading watchOS 2.2.1 to version 2.2.2. The watchOS 2.2.2 update comes two months after the release of watchOS 2.2.1, a minor update that also focused mainly on bug fixes.

The 2.2.2 update can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General --> Software Update. To install the update, the Apple Watch must have 50 percent battery, it must be placed on the charger, and it must be in range of the iPhone.

Apple only seeded one beta of watchOS 2.2.2 to developers before releasing the update, which appears to be minor in scale. During the beta testing period, no outward-facing changes or obvious bug fixes were discovered in the update.

watchOS 2 will be succeeded by watchOS 3, which has already been provided to developers for testing purposes. watchOS 3 introduces major interface and navigation changes to the Apple Watch along with new apps like Breathe, new watch faces, and speed improvements that allow some apps to load instantly when opened.

Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming watchOS 3 update to developers for testing purposes, two weeks after seeding the second beta and more than a month after first unveiling watchOS 3 at its 2016 Worldwide Developers Conference.

The third watchOS 3 beta can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on an iPhone by going to General --> Software update. To install the update, the Apple Watch must have 50 percent battery, it must be placed on the Apple Watch charger, and it must be in range of the iPhone.

watchOS 3 introduces significant changes to the watchOS operating system. A new dock, accessible by pressing the side button, replaces Glances and houses 10 favorite first and third-party apps. Apps on the dock are kept continually up to date and are stored in memory for instant launch times.

Watch faces support more complications, there are three new watch faces to choose from, including a new Activity watch face, and an SOS feature will make sure an option to get help in an emergency is always right at your fingertips. On the iPhone, there's a new Face Gallery for customizing Apple Watch faces, and watchOS 3 allows the Apple Watch to be located via Find My iPhone.

For full details on the new features coming in watchOS 3, which will be released to the public this fall, make sure to check out our watchOS 3 roundup.

Apple today provided developers with the third beta of tvOS 10, the next-generation operating system designed to run on the fourth-generation Apple TV. tvOS 10 beta 3 comes two weeks after the release of tvOS beta 2 and more than a month after the operating system was first shown off at Apple's 2016 Worldwide Developers Conference

tvOS betas are more difficult to install than beta updates for iOS and OS X. Installing the tvOS beta requires the Apple TV to be connected to a computer with a USB-C to USB-A cable, with the software downloaded and installed via iTunes or Apple Configurator. Once a beta profile has been installed on the device through iTunes, new beta releases will be available over the air.

tvOS 10 builds on the features initially introduced in tvOS last October, bringing expanded Siri capabilities with topic-based search, Live Tune-In for automatically accessing live channels, and options for managing HomeKit accessories.

Single-Sign On allows users to sign in and authenticate cable credentials just once instead of requiring authentication in all cable-supported apps, games are now able to require controllers, and there are new features for Photos and Music.

For a full overview of all of the new features in tvOS 10, make sure to check out our tvOS 10 roundup.