MacRumors

For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with WaterField Designs to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a mobile office setup that includes an Outback Duo bag and tons of accessories to go with it like Leather Cord Clips, a Padded Gear Pouch, a Keyboard Case, a wallet and more.

WaterField Designs makes all kinds of bags, sleeves, and accessories for Apple devices and other tech devices, along with wallets, gear bags, and gaming cases. This week's giveaway focuses on everything you might need to take your gear on the go.

Priced starting at $229, the Outback Duo Laptop Brief can fit a MacBook Pro that's up to 16 inches in size. There's a full size version for those with larger MacBooks, and a compact size for those with smaller 13-inch machines or iPad Pro models.

The Outback Duo is available in black ballistic nylon with black or chocolate leather accents, or an attractive waxed canvas material with chocolate leather accents. The interior is made from a gold-colored water-resistant neoprene and it offers shock resistance to keep your devices safe, while a full-grain dual-layer leather flap keeps the bag closed.

As the name suggests, the Outback Duo is able to accommodate two laptops or a laptop and a tablet along with accessories despite its slim size. There are two padded, plush-lined laptop compartments, complete with cutouts for in-case laptop charging when needed. There's a pleated front pocket for holding accessories without adding bulk, and it can be carried with leather-lined handles or a removable shoulder strap.

Along with the Outback Duo, WaterField Designs is providing several useful accessories and add-ons for today's giveaway. The $29 Magic Keyboard Slip Case provides protection for Apple's standard Magic Keyboard for Macs, while the $15 Leather Cord Clips keep loose cables organized in your bag.

A $29 portable Leather Mouse Pad tucks into the Outback Duo to go anywhere, and it is smooth and comfortable to use thanks to the full-grain leather that it's made from.

The $27 Leather Key Clip is designed to hold and organize several keys, while the $79 Stratto Bifold Wallet, also made from leather, organizes cash and cards and even offers optional RFID blocking.

For all of your other loose accessories, WaterField Designs has the $69 Padded Gear Pouch with a padded pocket that can hold phones, tablets, a kindle, or a Nintendo Switch, along with pockets for organizing cables, cords, adapters, and more.

We have one mobile office set to give away to a MacRumors reader. The prize includes the Outback Duo Laptop Brief, a Magic Keyboard Slip Case, four Leather Cord Clips, a Padded Gear Pouch, a Stratto Billfold Wallet, a Leather Mouse Pad, and a Leather Key Clip.

To enter to win our giveaway, use the Gleam.io widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winners and send the prizes. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, following us on Instagram, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.

Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older and Canadian residents (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.

The contest will run from today (August 28) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on September 4. The winner will be chosen randomly on September 4 and will be contacted by email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before a new winner is chosen.

Apple this week reminded developers that they can create web extensions in Safari 14 using the same WebExtensions API used in other browsers, such as Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. A new conversion tool in Xcode 12 beta also allows developers to port existing extensions from other browsers to Safari and make available on the Mac App Store later this year.

Apple says developers have two options for creating Safari web extensions:

• Convert your existing extension into a Safari web extension, so you can use it in Safari on macOS and distribute it in the App Store. Xcode includes a command-line tool to simplify this process.
• Build a new Safari web extension in Xcode using the built-in template. You can then repackage the extension files for deployment in other browsers.

Safari web extensions are available in macOS Big Sur and in macOS 10.14.6 or 10.15.6 with Safari 14 installed.

Not all Chrome, Firefox, and Edge extensions will work in Safari, and developers will be required to pay $99 per year for an Apple Developer Program membership in order to port their extensions to Safari. Apple has a WWDC video and documentation with more details for developers.

Apple's Machine Learning Reseach group has launched a new residency program inviting experts in various fields to apply their expertise to build new ML and AI-powered products and experiences.

Apple AI/ML research in academia lead Michael Rennaker announced the new residency program on Twitter, encouraging experts in fields outside of AI who can code and want to "dip their toe" into the world of machine learning to apply.

Apple's Machine Learning Research website explains that the year-long program aims to invest in the resident's technical and theoretical machine learning development, and help advance their professional careers.

The program is open to residents with STEM graduate degrees "or equivalent industry experience, software development backgrounds, and niche expertise — like design, linguistics, neuroscience, or psychology."

Residents will have the opportunity to attend personalized machine learning and AI courses, learn from an Apple mentor closely involved in their program, collaborate with fellow multi-talented residents, and gain hands-on experience working on high-impact projects with our machine learning teams.

To learn more about the fields of study that qualify, and other job requirements for the residency program, interested readers should check out Apple's list of job postings, which begin in the summer of 2021.

(Via iMore.)

YouTube appears to be testing Picture in Picture (PiP) mode for its iOS app, reports 9to5Mac. The feature allows users to watch YouTube videos while using other apps, and was discovered by developer Daniel Yount, who stumbled across it while viewing a YouTube live stream on his iPad.

Yount wasn't able to get PiP to work in YouTube during any other playback scenarios, suggesting the feature is still in the experimentation stage.

The YouTube app has never supported PiP, a feature that has been available to ‌iPad‌ users since iOS 9. Apple is also bringing PiP to iPhone with iOS 14, due to release this fall.

Developer Steve Troughton-Smith speculates that the feature's introduction is part of a deal between Google and Apple that brings support for YouTube's VP9 codec to tvOS 14 and iOS 14, allowing 4K YouTube content to be watched on those platforms. In any case, it's not clear that PiP will be available to all users when the YouTube feature launches.

Officially, YouTube only allows users to playback videos in the background if they subscribe to YouTube Premium, which means PiP may be restricted to paying users. YouTube Premium costs $11.99 ($15.99 through the YouTube app for iOS due to Apple's in-app purchase fees).

However, iOS 14 users can still watch YouTube videos in Picture in Picture Mode through Safari. Read our step-by-step guide to learn how.

Apple blocked Facebook's attempt to tell users about the 30% fee that Apple would take of all in-app purchases made through a new online events feature, Facebook has told Reuters. Apple reportedly told Facebook the update violated an App Store rule that prevents developers from showing "irrelevant" information to users.

Facebook planned to launch a new tool in its app that lets online influencers and other businesses host paid online events as a way to recoup revenue lost during the global health crisis. The feature lets Facebook users buy tickets for the events directly through the app.

Apple's long-standing ‌App Store‌ rules say the iPhone maker takes a 30% cut of all in-app purchases. When Facebook asked Apple to waive the fee so it could pass on all events revenue to business owners, Apple reportedly declined.

The feature is now available in the Facebook app, just without the message notifying users about Apple's 30% fee. The image above was released by Facebook earlier this month to show what the message would have looked like.

Facebook reportedly intended to show a message on Android that read "Facebook doesn't take a fee from this purchase," but Reuters said the message doesn't appear in the version of Facebook currently available on the Google Play Store.

"Now more than ever, we should have the option to help people understand where money they intend for small businesses actually goes. Unfortunately Apple rejected our transparency notice around their 30% tax but we are still working to make that information available inside the app experience," Facebook said in a statement.

Apple did not respond to a request for comment.

Nothing about Apple's actions is new here – the company has been consistent in preventing other apps like Netflix and Spotify from discussing ‌App Store‌ policies, such as explaining that users could pay for their services via the web without Apple taking a cut.

What's different in this case is that by previewing the message ahead of submitting it to Apple's ‌App Store‌ review process, Facebook is clearly looking to fuel debate about the way Apple polices apps on its iOS platform, at a time when Apple is already facing antitrust lawsuits and government probes over alleged anticompetitive actions.

One particularly vocal critic has been Fortnite creator Epic Games, which has repeatedly referred to the ‌App Store‌ as a monopoly. Earlier this month, Apple removed Fortnite from the App Store after ‌Epic Games‌ introduced a direct payment option in the app for its in-game currency, violating ‌App Store‌ rules. In an apparently orchestrated move, ‌Epic Games‌ promptly filed a lawsuit against Apple, accusing the company of anti-competitive behavior.

Spotify and Microsoft have since sided with Epic over the issue, and Facebook's latest action suggests they have picked up another ally in the increasing controversy over Apple's ‌App Store‌ policies.

Epic Games this evening sent out emails to Fortnite users on iPhone, iPad, and Mac to let them know that it will not be possible to play the newly released Marvel-themed season 4 content on their devices.

In the email, ‌Epic Games‌ blames Apple's App Store fees for the unavailability of new content, even though Apple has said that if the direct payment option is removed and Fortnite obeys ‌App Store‌ policies, it can be updated and remain in the ‌App Store‌ while the legal battle between the two companies plays out in court. From the ‌Epic Games‌ email:

Apple is blocking Fortnite updates and new installs on the App Store, and has said they will terminate our ability to develop Fortnite for Apple devices. As a result, the Chapter 2 - Season 4 update (v14.00), did not release on iOS and macOS on August 27. [...]

Apple limits competition so they can collect 30% of consumer payments made in apps like Fortnite, raising the prices you pay. Epic lowered prices through a direct payment option, but Apple is blocking Fortnite in order to prevent Epic from passing on the savings from direct payments to players. Epic has taken legal action to end Apple's anti-competitive restrictions on mobile device marketplaces. Papers are available for our August 13, August 17, and August 23 filings. In retaliation for this action, Apple blocked your access to Fortnite updates and new installs on all iOS devices.

Epic Games informs customers that they can still play the existing season 3 content, but progression is not possible and iOS and Mac players cannot play cross-platform with those on other devices. Players using Apple products cannot access the new cosmetic options, nor can they receive gifts from the new season unless they log into an alternate platform that has access to the season 4 content. Battle Lab, Duos, and LTMs are disabled on iOS, and iOS players are unable to complete new Quick Challenges and Style Challenges.

In lieu of iOS devices, ‌Epic Games‌ recommends customers play Fortnite on Android, PC, PlayStation, Xbox, or Nintendo Switch, and it directs customers to Apple to ask for refunds for in-app purchases.

‌Epic Games‌ attempted to get a temporary restraining order that would force Apple to allow Fortnite updates to continue to be available on iOS devices and that would prevent Apple from terminating the ‌Epic Games‌ developer account, but the judge sided with Apple and did not grant a restraining order for Fortnite.

The judge overseeing the case told ‌Epic Games‌' lawyers that all Epic needs to do "is take it back to the status quo and no one suffers any harm," but Epic has opted not to do so and is standing firm as Apple prepares to terminate its developer account. Epic lawyers in fact said that Epic "can't go back into an anticompetitive contract."

Apple said in mid-August that Epic would lose access to its developer account on August 28, which is tomorrow, so it looks like Fortnite will be unavailable for the foreseeable future as it appears neither side has plans to back down.

Apple was also going to block Epic from working on the Unreal Engine used by third-party developers, but Epic was able to successfully secure a restraining order to prevent that from happening. So while Apple is allowed to block Fortnite so long as Epic continues to violate ‌App Store‌ rules, it is not allowed to terminate the Epic International developer account and tools used for the Unreal Engine.

The next hearing in the Apple vs. Epic battle will take place on September 28, with Epic aiming for a preliminary injunction that will allow Fortnite back onto the ‌App Store‌.

Apple has settled a class action lawsuit related to the Powerbeats 2 headphones, which was levied against the Cupertino company after some customers found that the Powerbeats 2, first released in 2015, had a defect that could cause them to stop working and fail to retain charge after "minimal usage."

Plaintiffs alleged that Apple misrepresented the battery life of the Powerbeats 2, and that the Powerbeats 2 were sweat and water resistant. Apple was also accused of not repairing or replacing defective Powerbeats 2 within the one-year warranty period, with the lawsuit initially filed in 2017.

There was no ruling by the court as Apple and the plaintiffs in the case have agreed to a settlement that will see Apple paying $9,750,000. Apple says that it denies all allegations and is paying the settlement fee to avoid expensive litigation. The $9.75 million will be split between all Class Members who submit claim forms (one payment per household) after attorneys' fees and related costs are paid.

Details about the settlement were sent out to Powerbeats 2 owners this evening. Customers who purchased new Powerbeats 2 earbuds before August 7, 2020 can claim a payment from the settlement after it is approved by the Superior Court of the State of California, Santa Clara County. A hearing is set to be held on January 15, 2021 at 9:00 a.m.

For those who owned or own Powerbeats 2, claims can be submitted online through the settlement website, which also includes more information on the settlement agreement. Those who want to participate in the settlement need to do so by November 20, 2020.

Apple each year hosts a company wide fitness challenge for its employees at corporate offices and retail stores around the world, tasking participants to close all three of their Apple Watch Activity Rings every day of the month.

The challenge is normally held in February as part of Heart Month, but this year's challenge was delayed due to the ongoing public health crisis that had people staying in their homes for the early months of the year.

Apple reinstated the activity challenge on Monday, July 20, and it ran through Sunday, August 16. Employees who participated and successfully closed their rings each day are now receiving their award, which is an Apple-designed t-shirt that says "2020" in a logo with Apple Watch Activity-style rings.

The t-shirt is accompanied by a congratulatory card, but Apple appears to have skipped the pins that have been provided with past challenges. Apple has held these challenges each year. In 2018 and 2019, employees received an exclusive Apple Watch band with Activity ring colors.

Apple's annual February fitness challenges are internal only and limited to Apple employees, but Apple also regularly holds public fitness challenges, though these come with digital achievement awards rather than physical rewards.

The next Apple Watch Activity Challenge, which celebrates national parks, is set to take place on August 30. Apple Watch owners can complete the challenge by recording a walk, hike, roll, or run of a mile.

Nomad this week launched its latest wireless charger, the Base Station Pro, which is unique because it uses Aira wireless charging technology to allow up to three devices to charge regardless of where they're placed on the charging mat. The Base Station Pro was first announced in October 2019, so it has been in development for some time.

Because of its ability to charge multiple devices with no specific placement required thanks to a new kind of charging design, the Base Station Pro has been likened to Apple's now-canceled AirPower charging accessory.

When it comes to design, the Base Station Pro is a flat, wide charging mat that's sized to accommodate multiple devices such as smartphones and the AirPods. It works with any Qi-based wireless charging accessory, but it is not compatible with the Apple Watch, which does not use Qi charging.

The Base Station Pro measures in at 8.7 inches long, 5.5 inches wide, and 0.5 inches thin, and it features an aluminum base with a leather pad, much like Nomad's other wireless charging options. It looks and feels heavy and high quality, as it should for the $230 asking price. It comes with a braided USB-C cable, a 30W USB-C power adapter, and interchangeable plugs for different countries. Three LED lights at the front let you know when a device is charging.

Aira's FreePower technology used inside the Base Station Pro features a unique 18 coil matrix built into a circuit board along with software algorithms designed to detect a smartphone regardless of its orientation, which allows an iPhone to be placed in any position and orientation on the charging mat. As long as the wireless charging coil inside the ‌iPhone‌ is somewhere on the mat, the ‌iPhone‌ will charge.

The large form factor of the Base Station Pro allows it to accommodate multiple iPhones along with the AirPods or AirPods Pro. I'd say that it comfortably fits two iPhones at the same time while also providing power to AirPods, but it also fits three naked iPhones if you have three to charge.

I've tested a multitude of wireless chargers at this point, and the flat chargers where you need to make sure to match a coil in the charger to the coil in the ‌iPhone‌ can be frustrating to use. If you're off by a bit, your device isn't going to charge, and it can be hard to get the correct position, especially in the dark on a nightstand or when you're in a hurry.

The Base Station Pro addresses that issue. I was able to put my ‌iPhone‌ on the mat at any angle and it successfully detected it and initiated charging. The one exception is right at the edges where there's a bit of a dead zone due to the design of the charger. I had to make sure not to put my AirPods too close to the edge or they wouldn't charge, but that wasn't an issue with the ‌iPhone‌.

I do find it frustrating to have to adjust the positioning of my devices when using standard flat wireless chargers, but I'm not sure it's a big enough problem to justify spending $230 on a wireless charger that has little to offer beyond an elegant design and the nifty any-device-anywhere charging. I think the Base Station Pro is a top tier charger with useful functionality that heralds the future of wireless charging, but do you know what also effectively solves the wireless charging positioning problem? A multi-device charging station with an upright charging space paired with a smaller charging mat like the Logitech POWERED 3-in-1.

The Base Station Pro supports up to 7.5W wireless charging for Apple devices, which is the maximum speed that an ‌iPhone‌ can charge at. In my testing, I was able to charge an ‌iPhone‌ XS Max from one percent to 18 percent in a half hour with one device on the charger.

I was able to charge the ‌iPhone‌ XS Max from one percent to 21 percent with three devices on the charger in a half an hour, so the Base Station Pro is distributing power evenly and multi-device charging doesn't cut down on charging speeds.

After an hour, my ‌iPhone‌ XS Max was charged from 1 percent to 38 percent, and all of these charging speeds are in line with a 7.5W wireless charger. For devices that aren't iPhones, the Base Station Pro charges at a maximum of 5W, and that includes Android devices that support much faster wireless charging speeds. For that reason, it's not the best charger to use with non-Apple smartphones and devices.

In fact, on Nomad's website, it lists the Base Station Pro as compatible with Apple devices and Samsung Galaxy S10 and S20 phones, with support for Google Pixel devices and other Qi-enabled devices "coming soon."

There are some quirks with the charger that don't make for the best charging experience. When I set down an ‌iPhone‌, it takes several seconds for the charging to kick in, whereas with other chargers, it's close to instantaneous. I've also run into a bug where my ‌iPhone‌ continually stops charging for just a second and then reconnects, with the disconnects happening every 20 minutes or so.

The Base Station Pro's firmware can be updated by plugging it into a computer, so some of these issues I've been experiencing may be able to be solved with a future update.

Bottom Line

The technology that allows devices to be placed on the Base Station Pro in any spot with no rearranging necessary is useful, but the high price point of the wireless charger is a barrier to entry and I'm not sure the convenience of not having to adjust the location of a device to make sure it's charging is worth such a premium.

Unlike some other charging station options, the Base Station Pro is limited to charging Qi-based devices and has no Apple Watch charging puck, which may be inconvenient for Apple Watch owners. It also would have been nice to see an additional USB-C or USB-A port at the side for charging iPads and other devices at this price point.

You're not going to want to use this charger with non-Apple devices due to the charging speed limitations, and don't count on it when you need power in a hurry because it's slow even with iPhones and AirPods (like all wireless charging).

Aira's charging technology worked well in my testing and offered a glimpse of where wireless charging is heading in the future. I hope to see this functionality roll out to additional products and eventually come down in price, but for now the convenience of drop and go charging is likely too expensive to make it appealing to the average consumer.

There may also be a wireless charger coming from Apple in the not too distant future even after the cancelation of the ‌AirPower‌, if rumors are to be believed. There have been reports of work on a small wireless charging mat, though it's unclear when it might launch. Apple enthusiasts may want to wait for Apple's wireless charger, which could perhaps use similar technology.

How to Buy

The Base Station Pro can be pre-ordered from the Nomad website for $229.95. Shipments will begin in late September.

Update

The Base Station Pro is able to be updated over-the-air, and new firmware is being introduced for reviewers to solve some of the issues that I had during my testing. Base Station Pro units that go out to consumers will have the new firmware installed by default, so no update will be required.

The firmware update adds improved performance when charging two or three devices simultaneously, improved support for Google and Samsung devices, and improved device detection speed. Nomad has also released an add-on Apple Watch charger.

Update 2

As of May 2021, Nomad and Aira do not plan further firmware updates for the Base Station Pro, which is something to keep in mind for those who plan on purchasing. The Base Station Pro also has reduced wireless charging efficiency for the ‌iPhone‌ 12 models and slower charging times, so we no longer recommend it.

Note: Nomad provided MacRumors with a Base Station Pro for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received. MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Nomad. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Apple today seeded the third public beta of an upcoming watchOS 7 update to public beta testers, one week after seeding the second public beta and just a few days after seeding a new beta to developers.

The watchOS 7 update can be downloaded after installing the proper profile from Apple's Public Beta website. watchOS 7 should not be installed on a primary device as it is still an early beta and there could be bugs, plus there is no way to downgrade back to watchOS 6.

watchOS 7 is a major update that introduces a new Sleep Tracking feature for the Apple Watch, which is designed to measure how long you're asleep as you wear the Apple Watch while sleeping.

It comes along with a Wind Down feature that helps you establish a bedtime routine to make it easier to fall asleep at night, as well as a Sleep Mode that turns on Do Not Disturb and dims the Apple Watch display.

The Apple Watch can also wake you up with haptic vibrations, providing a weather report in the morning as well as info on battery life so you can get your day started.

Along with these sleep tracking features, the Apple Watch has automatic handwashing detection that listens for the sound of running water and handwashing motions and then starts a 20-second timer so you can make sure you're washing your hands for the appropriate amount of time.

There's a new watch Face Sharing feature that lets you share watch faces with others and install new watch faces from the App Store, Messages, Mail, websites, and more.

There's a new Chronograph Pro face with tachymeter, updates to complications, and new workout options in the newly renamed Fitness app, which was previously the Activity app.

The Maps app now supports directions for cyclists, Siri provides spoken translations, and there's a Shortcuts app on the Apple Watch. For more on what's new in watcOS 7, make sure to check out our watchOS 7 roundup.

watchOS 7 is limited to the Apple Watch Series 3, Series 4, and Series 5 models, and is not compatible with the Apple Watch Series 1 and Series 2.

Apple has decided to sell its upcoming iPhone 12 models without a few accessories such as a power adapter and wired EarPods, according to Taiwanese research firm TrendForce, corroborating a widespread rumor.

TrendForce notes that iPhone 12 models will be more expensive for Apple to manufacture due to 5G support, so removing these accessories from the box will be one way that the company reduces costs. In turn, Apple plans to introduce a new 20W fast charger for iPhone 12 models that will be sold separately, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Kuo said that the iPhone 12 lineup will have similar pricing as the iPhone 11 lineup, which includes the iPhone 11 starting at $699, the iPhone 11 Pro starting at $999, and the iPhone 11 Pro Max starting at $1,099 in the United States.

Apple would likely tout the environmental benefits of shipping iPhone 12 models without a charger or EarPods, as such a move could result in slimmer packaging, less waste, and reduced emissions from both manufacturing and transportation. From a business perspective, the move would likely also increase AirPods sales.

Apple does still plan to include a Lightning to USB-C cable in the box with its upcoming iPhones, according to Barclays analyst Blayne Curtis.

While new iPhones usually begin shipping in late September, Apple recently indicated that supply will be available "a few weeks later" this year. According to leaker Jon Prosser, Apple plans to introduce new Apple Watch and iPad models via press release in September, followed by new iPhones at a (presumably virtual) event in October.

Multiple developers have seen increased activity from Apple's web crawler Applebot in their website logs recently, reigniting speculation that Apple could be planning to launch a full-fledged search engine eventually. However, it's more likely that any possible uptick relates to Apple's efforts to improve Siri and Spotlight search results.

Jon Henshaw, founder of digital marketing insights firm Coywolf, kicked off the speculation with a blog post this week in which he said that Applebot had begun regularly crawling his websites on a daily basis, something he had not noticed previously. And on Twitter, Stack Overflow engineer Nick Craver and digital marketing consultant Michael James Field also noted spikes in Applebot crawling on websites they oversee in recent days.

Like other web crawlers, Applebot scans the web to help determine how search results should be ranked based on several factors, including user engagement, the relevancy and matching of search terms to a page's topics and content, the number of links that a page has received from other websites, and a page's design characteristics.

As noted by Henshaw, Apple updated its Applebot support document in July with new details:

• Added how to verify traffic from Applebot
• Expanded details on the Applebot user agent, including differences between its desktop and mobile version
• Expanded robots.txt rules
• Added a section stating that they don't just crawl HTML, but also render pages similar to Google
• Added a section on search rankings and the factors that affect how it ranks web search results

Given that Apple promotes itself as a privacy-focused company without an ad- or data-driven business model like Google or Facebook, it is uncertain if it would ever want to go down the avenue of launching a full-fledged search engine, although DuckDuckGo has at least shown that it can be accomplished with privacy in mind.

The idea of an Apple search engine has been speculated since at least 2015, when Apple first confirmed its Applebot and posted a series of search-related job listings.

For now, Applebot likely remains dedicated to improving Siri and Spotlight search results, as Apple states in its support document. During its WWDC keynote in June, for example, Apple said that Siri can provide over 20 times as many facts as three years prior.

Amazon has today announced "Halo," a new wearable with health and fitness tracking capabilities, reports The Verge.

The Amazon Halo wristband consists of a sensor module and a band that attaches to the top of it. The sensor contains an accelerometer, a temperature sensor, a heart rate monitor, two microphones, an LED indicator light, and a button to turn the microphone on or off. The Halo offers a week-long battery life and a "swimproof" water resistance up to 5ATM. The device is compatible with both iOS and Android, but it will not be compatible with other health apps such as Apple Health.

Unlike the Apple Watch or Fitbits, the Amazon Halo band does not have a screen. It is instead reliant on an accompanying app, with no ability to check the time, steps, or any other information directly from your wrist. It also has no GPS, Wi-Fi, cellular connectivity, or Amazon Alexa voice-control.

The Halo's more advanced features are unlocked by an ongoing subscription, separate from Amazon Prime. The subscription will offer a selection of "labs" developed by Amazon partners. The labs are effectively short challenges designed to improve specific health areas and encourage routines.

Halo has two unique functionalities not present on the Apple Watch. The first of these is use of a user's phone camera via the Halo app for full-body 3D scans to determine body fat percentage. The second is the ability to listen for emotion in a user's voice and track mood.

Body scans take four photos of different sides of a user's body, and then uploads them to Amazon's servers where they are combined into a 3D body scan which can calculate body fat.

The Halo's microphone listens to the tone of a user's voice throughout the day and reports back on their emotional state. It detects the pitch, intensity, rhythm, and tempo of a voice and then categorizes the instances into "notable moments" that users can go back and review. Users can mute the microphone at any time by holding down the side button until a red blinking LED appears.

The wristband is also able to track sleep, steps, and cardiovascular health, similar to the Apple Watch. Unlike Apple Watch, however, it only records cardio fitness on a weekly basis rather than daily. The app then offers an abstracted weekly activity score from all of this information.

The Halo band can automatically detect activities such as walking and running, but every other type of exercise needs to be manually entered into the app. The Halo band also has no ability to detect falls, offer stand prompts, or proactively alert users to heart conditions like atrial fibrillation. Interestingly, Amazon told The Verge that it has not submitted the device to the FDA for any sort of approval, including the less rigorous "FDA clearance" classification common on many other fitness bands.

It appears that Amazon has taken a more laid-back approach with more of a general focus on lifestyle tracking, rather than active sport and exercise tracking. Halo's low cost, lack of screen, and emphasis on unique features make it an interesting competitor to the Apple Watch.

The Halo band is set to cost $99.99, with an optional subscription for $3.99 per month for access to advanced features. Amazon will also sell a large variety of band styles in a range of colors. Sport bands will be $15.99 and fabric bands will cost $19.99. The Amazon Halo launches today as an invite-only early access program for an introductory price of $64.99.