“For the past several weeks, mostly thanks to dogged reporting from the team over at 9to5Mac, we have learned that Apple has been on a hiring spree of digital health engineers and scientists, assumedly for its rumored wristworn device, commonly referred to as the iWatch,” Brian Dolan reports for mobihealthnews. “That publication also first reported the rumor that Apple was developing an app called Healthbook, which would help iPhone and iWatch users better organize and analyze their personal health and wellness information.”
Dolan reports, “After talking to my own sources — who have limited but direct knowledge of Apple’s plans for the iWatch and Healthbook — I’ve compiled the list below…”
• There are more than 200 people working on this project
• iWatch is a peripheral device, not a primary one
• Technological capabilities will be simpler than rumors have indicated
• Meeting the FDA was about remaining unregulated
• The Healthbook concept is right on but may not be the real name
• Skeptical of claims about hydration tracking
• Apple’s focus is not on the technology, but on the experience of it
• Healthbook to focus on exercise, diet, sleep, stress, medication adherence — maybe women’s health
Much more in the full article here.
[Attributions: AppleInsider, Network World. Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers “Fred Mertz,” “Lynn Weiler,” and “Dan K.” for the heads up.]
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And how did the iPhone start out… 😉
200 working on a watch… THAT’S SOME BIG WATCH!
200 People hired from The Shire. Teeny wittle hands.
You need teeny little hands for a teeny little watch, like you need teeny little number plates for bees.
Just informational and a bit off topic. It won’t be called iWatch because…. It is not a watch.
iBand seems more suitable.
It is called iRing.
Methinks it will incorporate many innovative ways of monitoring health…e.g. new way of measuring BP, etc.
I can hear the Fandroid now being underwhelmed by the focus on medical use and very vocal about it. Of course not a one of them has any better idea. I only hope it has many other surprises in store if for no other reason than to shut down the Fragmenboys.
Siri will be your digital health coach…keeping you on track with your goals…have a growing understanding of your motivation and confidence levels over time based on your data and what you will tell her.
I just want a laser beam. Preferably a piercing, evil colored red, but I’ll settle for blue or green if they go that route.
Red? Pah, you want a real laser that burns, you want a violet laser.
Cost you, though.
Do you mean ultra-violent?
I don’t get very excited until now about the rumors around the iWatch…can’t think of any reason why I would buy one or what problem this would solve…
Please focus on the Apple TV…:)
I hear the iWatch will be a chick magnet. Would that part interest you? Own an iWatch and you’ll never go home alone. The iWatch will start beeping and flashing when your pulse rate goes up and blood pressure rises and the babe will know you want her right now. Yeah, I gotta get me one of those.
Hey, if it has a calculator with teeny-tiny buttons that beep – count me in!
You’re still going to have to learn how to talk to the chick, though.
Gives me a nice idea for an advice website. I’ll give you a credit.
Exactly what I want it to be….a peripheral that connects to my iPhone. Not an iWatch, but an iBand.
Sorry Apple, but I can’t afford your iWatch to monitor my health.
The reason is that someone passed a law that made my health care costs go from $300/month to $572/month, and my deductible went from $2700 to $7200. Also, I learned that this same law gave the insurance companies 50 million more customers. Weird, huh?
“Apple’s focus is not on the technology, but on the experience of it”
Best definition of Apple I’ve ever heard.
when i get my new iWatch, i really, really want an amy chua app. when i’m bad, i want my iWatch to berate and scold me, even threaten me if i don’t get my sht together. that, alone, would be worth the price of admission. the app must also come with an impulse control feature ..maybe, electric shock or something.
I was huge skeptic at the idea of a smart watch. couldn’t see the point in making one and I was stuck in convention thinking of being a smartphone but watched sized or something like the iPod nano with the watch band which one I also own.
but after looking into the rumors, pulling retired engineers, buying biosensor engineers/developers, fashion icon execs, LQMT, GTAT, even seeing the patent last year myself. seeing the breadcrumbs but not seeing the path to the destination APPL has already set in stone a long time ago. the clues even Cook has dropped, wearing a prototype himself in public and even sitting at the BoD at Nike which makes the fuel band. I still didn’t think it was a viable piece of tech. What slapped the ever sense in me was actually the motley fool, they clued in the most important piece for this next gen wearable. the motion sensor, and how crucial it is to make this wearable device so important that it will displace the smartphone/tablet/Pc as the most important and relevant technology in our lives.
do your research, I watched the a video that motley fool since I am previous subscriber. they never mentioned the name of company, but did drop enough clues to figure out which company it is without having to become a subscriber to find it out. I tested myself just to find out my investigative skills and I for sure found it out for myself. I tested it against the slides of a rough location and the financial chart. so it’s for sure. people look into this, the stock is only at $5/share. this could be like buying APPL in 2001. they will not only supplying APPL sensors but their competitors, so it’s a win-win situation.
just my advice. my other guesses on LQMT and GTAT are about to flower my fruits of retirement before 40.