Today’s big news, other than Hurricane Florence continuing its deadly march towards the Carolinas, was the recent announcement Apple made regarding their much maligned smart watch series. That’s because the Apple Watch is now capable of acting as an early warning system for heart attacks, the first time such technology has ever been made available publicly.
As Engadget puts it, “The current Watch 3 is already pretty health-centric, but Apple has taken it to a new level with its latest model. Thanks to a new electric heart sensor built into the backside, the Watch Series 4 can not only detect a low heart rate but also act as an electrocardiogram (ECG). That means it can sense a dangerous condition known as an atrial fibrillation and warn you to talk to your doctor. The Watch Series 4 has received clearance from the FDA and is the first over-the-counter ECG app offered directly to consumers, Apple claimed.”
I’ve never been a big fan of the Apple Watch up to this point but I’ll be honest with you: this new-found ability to detect heart attacks is a major selling point for me as this is something that I’ve always been worried about. Truth be told I hate feeling like I’m in the dark, feeling like I could be minutes or days away from a heart attack that I’ll never see coming. To finally have a way to truly know whether or not I’m at risk is a real game-changer. Just knowing that I’m not dying every time I eat something too quickly will greatly reduce my stress and anxiety levels.
But that’s not the only new trick the Watch Series 4 will have. It’ll also be able to detect if you’ve fallen down. Giving an upgrade to those old, “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up” devices.
All in all, it’ll be interesting to see where Apple goes from here. What other technologies can they pack into a miniature watch? What other life-saving devices can be incorporated? The Watch Series 4 has changed the game. Will the Series 5 take it to the next level?
Is the heart attack monitoring on the Apple Watch Series 4 the Greatest Idea Ever?
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