How Well Do You Sleep? Apple's New Beddit Sleep Monitor Helps You Track Your Zzz's

Smaller, lighter and more powerful version of the Beddit Sleep Monitor v3.5

Apple started selling a new version of the Beddit sleep monitor that the company acquired in 2017, this past week after receiving FCC clearance for the product. The new model version 3.5 retails for the same price of $149.95 and resembles the prior model but is smaller and lighter and still at 2 mm thin. The sleep monitor consists of a flexible sensor strip that you place under the sheet on top of the mattress to track sleep-related data when you lie down for sleep.

Data collected by the Beddit sleep monitor includes:

sleep time and efficiency
heart rate
respiration
temperature
movement
snoring
room temperature
room humidity

A user of the monitor can view data through the new Beddit 3.5 app or by using the Health app on an iPhone or iPad. The app syncs with HealthKit. The new version is compatible with iPhone 5s or later with iOS 12 or later as well as all Apple Watch models with watchOS 4.3 or later. It is conceivable that Apple might introduce these features directly into the next Apple Watch model as the smartwatch becomes increasingly a useful device for health and fitness monitoring.

Apple’s Patent for New Smart Headphones Can Detect How They Are Worn

Just by listening to a user’s voice, technology in Apple’s new headphones can help you ensure that you never put on your headphones the wrong way again.

The new headphone technology will be able to detect how the headphones are being worn, solving the problem that some users have of wearing the headphones the wrong way. Using an array of new microphones, the audio accessory will be capable of switching channels automatically.

Addressing a Common Problem: Putting on Headphones the Wrong Way

In the patent application published on November 8th of this year at the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Apple’s team clearly describes the new technology’s purpose: "System and method for automatic right-left ear detection for headphones." The new headphones can thus detect how the person is wearing the headset, automatically readjusting so that the left-channel audio will play out of the left-hand ear cup and the right-channel audio out of the right-hand ear cup. At the same time, the headphones themselves are not labeled with left and right designations in the design or direct labeling like other manufacturers have chosen to do.

The new technology consists of a set of five microphones placed strategically around each earcup - front, back, top, below to the left of the earcup and one inside towards the user’s ear. The technology listens to the user’s voice, checking the volume and thus figuring out which edge is closest to the person’s mouth and thus determines the orientation of the headphones. After the orientation is determined, the audio signal is then fed into each of the ear cups appropriately.

Another benefit of having multiple microphones is eliminating external noise when a person wearing the headset, makes calls or voice commands. Having five microphones in each ear cup of a pair of headphones would make it easier to isolate a person’s voice from background noise. In addition to making clearer phone calls, the technology would also help Siri better understand voice commands in varying surroundings. Apple has also filed a prior patent in October, "Electronic Devices with Configurable Capacitive Proximity Sensors," for proximity sensor electrodes in the earcup to hep determine the ear’s presence and shape to figure out if it is the left or right ear. Interestingly enough, the new technology can be used in a pillow to help figure out the way a person is sleeping.

Dual Mode Technology: Speaker on the Fly

Apple has been working on several headphone improvements, ranging from its patent on “Spatial Headphone Transparency” which adjusts an audio feed to sound like it is coming from a person’s surroundings instead of headphones. Another idea for a headphone that can function as a speaker has also been proposed called a “dual-mode” headphone as well as headphones that have sensors useful for healthcare and sports fitness monitoring. This next-generation headphone design can transform a stereo loudspeaker automatically, offering new technology integrations for potential EarPods, AirPods or Beats models in the future.

While Apple proactively files patents for many technology ideas, the company does not always necessarily develop these ideas into full-fledged products. However, headphones are potentially different given Apple’s keen interest in audio from iTunes to Apple Music, HomePod, Apple TV and now Apple’s own movie and TV shows. Well known industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also estimated in 2017 that Apple would sell 28 million AirPods or more this year.

As the App Store Turns 10, We Take A Look Back

The App Store opened July 10, 2008, transforming the way we communicate, work, play and learn.

Over the last ten years, the App Store has revolutionized the world, introducing the concept of apps, democratizing software distribution and igniting innovation. Today there are customers in over 155 countries worldwide and over $100 billion has been paid out to developers.

Apps themselves are a global phenomenon, in use by people of all ages and backgrounds.

Apps have become part of the daily lives of people all over the world, and an essential part of their personal goals, play and productivity. This revolution continues today.

Creating a Safe, Trusted App Marketplace

Prior to the launch of the App Store, the software industry was dominated by a few powerful players. An individual software developer could not put out his or her own software as the cost of distribution was too high to compete with the big players. The App Store changed all of this, allowing anyone whether they were a single developer, a small studio or large company, put out a custom app of their own design and reach customers all over the world. The App Store opened the door for any developer.

The App Store also emphasized consumer privacy and set up guidelines for developers to ensure this and a security process for app submissions. This protected consumers and ensured that the App Store was a safe marketplace for consumers, while providing them with an excellent experience as well. Over the years, the App Store has added categories and different ways to discover and access apps. The App Store has become enormously successful over the years and by June 2018, had paid out $100 billion to developers.

Last year, Apple unveiled its new App Store, with dedicated Games and Apps tabs to help customers find what they were looking for and other features to encourage discovery and access to new apps. The Today tab also spotlights compelling app stories. Customers can now also learn more about the people who created apps they love to use. These stories have been read by over 1 million people and that number continues to grow. The App Store itself sees over 500 million visitors per week who now spend more time exploring and discovering new apps.

Inspiring New Mobile-First Businesses and the App Economy

The App Store and the popularity of the iPhone in 2007 and iPad soon after in 2010, led to the rise of new mobile-first businesses. The App Store inspired new ideas and opened the doors for individual advancement through app companies, solo entrepreneurs and smaller studios. The iPhone ignited business transformation in the ways people communicate, work, learn and play and the App Store laid down the foundation for using 'apps.' A new method of sharing information was born - apps. Apps could serve any industry.

“Over its 10 years so far, the App Store has developed into the richest, most diverse, and most accessible software ecosystem the world has ever seen.”

— Marco Arment, developer of Overcast

The App Store empowered many people all over the world to be successful and creative in ways that had never been achieved before.

How Customers Interact with Business

In the last 10 years, apps have become an important method of customer interaction with businesses. Apps help people in their everyday lives, from personal motivation and fitness to paying bills, shopping, booking hotels, paying for flights or making dinner reservations. In most aspects of a person's life, there's an app for that.

Billion Dollar Startups Influence Existing Businesses To Build Apps

Several startups ranging from Instagram, Uber, Lyft and Instacart used iPhone features such as the built-in camera, Apple Pay, GPS and Location Services to provide their customers with personalized, on-demand experiences. Their businesses began as apps in the App Store. Their success and popularity among customers also led to the development of apps from existing web-based businesses such as Facebook, AirBnB and Amazon.

In 2016, there were 83,000 app releases per month. While this number has slowed down, the number of app updates has skyrocketed. By November 2017 with the launch of the new iPhone X, there were 477,000 app updates per month so that apps can remain relevant to users. On average, an app is updated 1.4 times per month. Games, business and utility apps are the most popular apps to make among developers.

Gaming

Since its launch, the App Store has been the most popular marketplace for games, from new games such as Angry Birds to favorites such as Pokémon Go, Pac-Man and Super Mario Run, a new experience based on the popular Super Mario game by Nintendo.

“We are very happy that we are able to deliver Super Mario Run, a new Super Mario experience that could be played with just one hand on iPhone, to hundreds of millions of consumers because of the App Store. The App Store allows us to share the joy of Nintendo games with many new audiences, and we will continue striving to provide unique and new game experiences to App Store customers.”

— Shigeru Miyamoto, Nintendo

The App Store also brought gaming mainstream, largely in part due to the ease of use of Multi-Touch technology on both the iPhone and iPad and being able to play on the go.

“We built our entire team around the App Store, and we’ve been able to have millions of people around the world play our games who never would have considered themselves gamers. The App Store refresh has shown players the creators behind the apps they enjoy everyday. Humanizing apps can only be a good thing and showcasing how they’re made will inspire the next generation of creators from every corner of the world.”

— Dan Gray, head of studio, ustwo Games, creators of Monument Valley

Subscriptions

Subscriptions has offered a way for developers and companies to earn income from apps. Customers are able to first try out the apps with a free version and then pay to unlock different levels of functionality. $1 billion was paid out to developers from IAP and paid apps by June 2010.

Streaming Video and Entertainment on the Go

Watching TV shows, movies and video on the go has been growing worldwide and the App Store has been at the forefront of this, as customers love to watch videos using their iPhones and iPads. Today there are many service providers such as HBO, Netflix, Sling TV and Hulu that provide high quality shows for customers anywhere, anytime.

“When we decided to introduce HBO NOW, there was never a question that our exclusive launch partner had to be Apple. Announcing the streaming service with Apple and the arrival of HBO NOW on the App Store is one of the most significant moments in HBO’s storied history.”

— Richard Plepler, chairman and CEO, HBO

Education

Apps have also unlocked new ways to learn, be productive and to create, especially with the launch of the iPad in 2010. Today there are over 1.3 million apps for the iPad. Apple also launched Swift Playgrounds, an iPad app to teach coding concepts for students of all ages to learn Apple's own coding language, Swift. Apple has also supported learning and education through its own free labs and workshops at Apple Stores with Today at Apple, Everyone Can Code initiatives and through the WWDC annual event.

Health and Fitness Apps

The App Store has also helped advance innovation in health and fitness with medical apps and health monitoring capabilities built into the iPhone such as HealthKit and Apple Watch. This has also inspired customers to be more mindful of their health and to be more active. Over 500 doctors and medical researchers have used Apple’s ResearchKit and CareKit software tools for clinical studies on topics varying from autism and Parkinson’s disease to post-surgical at-home rehabilitation and physical therapy.

“Over the last 10 years, the App Store has contributed to the advancement of innovation in patient care by creating a platform for state-of-the-art medical apps like Corrie at Johns Hopkins. Our mobile health research relies on the App Store to deliver life-saving and life-changing apps to our patients.”

— Francoise A. Marvel, MD, Corrie Health Team, John Hopkins University

What Lies Ahead: Augmented Reality

Augmented Reality (AR) became available to users practically overnight with the launch of iOS 11 in 2017, making the App Store the largest AR platform in the world. AR enables creators to bring virtual experiences into the real world. This is transformative and changes the way customers play and work. ARKit continues to grow and evolve with the latest iteration allowing shared experiences with multiple players for a game or project collaboration.

App usage is also growing into other areas, such as automotive displays and televisions. Apps have made a tremendous contribution to the quality of life for people all over the world, while providing a personalized individual experience. Having apps on an iPhone removes the need for an immediate pen and paper, carrying an additional camera or laptop for messaging and quick email. Apps opened the door to portability and new ways of interacting with people and the environment.

We are excited to create, design and engineer apps for our clients for the iOS ecosystem from iPhones and iPads to Macs, Apple Watches, Apple TV and Car Play. Thanks for reading!