Apple May Soon Develop Health-Tracking AirPods While Facing Stiff Competition

Image via Apple

Health monitoring features may be coming to Air Pods but Apple faces some stiff competition from two other tech giants keen on getting a large share of the market, Amazon and Google. While Air Pods have been used on both Apple and Android devices, the devices are designed for iPhone use, enabling Siri use.

Image via Apple

Based on the various patents Apple has applied for pertaining to ear bud features and functionality including biometric sensors, new health-tracking AirPods could be used for detecting health data. The AirPods could possibly also integrate with the Apple Watch. Industry analysts expect that Apple may create AirPods with wireless charging support and a Bluetooth specification upgrade in early 2019.

Image via Apple

Both Amazon and Google are working on their own consumer devices with Goertek and Unitech to create their own AirPod-like earpieces. Both tech giants offer Apple stiff competition in the space given the dominance of their individual brands and Amazon’s powerful voice assistant service. Amazon and Google versions of AirPods are expected to ship in the second half of 2019, with 10 to 20 million units. AirPods are expected to ship in large numbers in 2019, with 55 million units, then up to 80 million by 2020, and as high as 110 million AirPods shipped by 2021.

Apple Acquires 'Platoon', A UK A&R Startup for Discovering Music Artists

Apple has added Platoon, a London-based A&R startup that is focused on discovering emerging music artists, according to Music Business Worldwide. 

The acquisition was also confirmed by British newspaper The Telegraph. The acquisition shows Apple’s keen interest in reaching new up and coming music artists.

Image via Apple

Platoon was founded in 2016 by Saul Klein who previously had co-founded the British video-on-demand service LoveFilm (now defunct), and Denzyl Feigelson, who has been an advisor to Apple on iTunes and Apple Music for 16 years, and a music industry veteran for 40 years.

Klein (left) and Fegulson (right)

Platoon worked with California singer, 16-year-old Billie Eilish before she signed with Interscope in 2017. Eilish debuted her new song "Come Out And Play" as the backdrop to Apple's "Share Your Gifts" holiday ad. 

At its London headquarters, Feigelson leads Platoon's team of 12 full-time employees where it has two recording studios. Platoon offers support to its artists from tour support to original content, social media marketing and global expansion strategies. As an A&R company, Platoon focus on talent scouting and helping in developing the relationship between recording artists and songwriters. A&R staff often connect artists with record labels or publishing companies. 

Apple has been highlighting emerging artists through its Up Next Program that began in April 2017. Apple Music has put its weight behind developing artists with Up Next, jumpstarted with artist 6lack (aka Ricardo Valdez), a 24-year-old rapper from Atlanta, GA. As part of the program, 6lack appeared on The Late Late Show With James Corden, where he was introduced by Beats 1's Zane Lowe. Apple Music also promoted 6lack’s songs on their playlists and on the iTunes store. While the criteria for selection to the program has not been announced, 6lack was an unknown musician without any social media following or established fan base prior to his inclusion in the program.

“I may be extreme in saying that, but nobody knew who he was. And within his first week, “PRBLMS” got a million streams. That’s a metric. Within the first week, a guy that no one had heard about had the No. 3 song on the R&B charts in the [iTunes] Store, he sold 10,000 copies independently. And then, he was the No. 6 streaming song on the chart. This was back in May.”

— Carl Chery, Apple's head of Artist Curation

While no one had heard of 6lack, the first song of his that was released on Apple Music was extremely popular or as Chery said in an interview with Billboard, “on fire.”

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

Image via Apple

Image via Apple

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.