If you’ve got a smartwatch, chances are you’re using it to track some aspect of your health. During the pandemic, that might have included keeping tabs on your blood oxygen levels. Smartwatches from Apple, Samsung, Fitbit and Withings all offer that capability.
It’s a complicated matter, though, to assess what exactly those blood oxygen (aka SpO2) numbers mean at any given moment, and over time. CNET’s Lisa Eadicicco talked to doctors and product experts about the benefits and shortcomings of that health feature, and she’s here to pass along to you what she learned.
Her article is among the many in-depth features and thought-provoking commentaries that appeared on CNET this week. So here you go. These are the stories you don’t want to miss.
Smartwatches Have Measured Blood Oxygen for Years. But Is This Useful?
Having access to more health data from home is helpful, but smartwatches still have limitations to overcome.
Apple
These Apps Are Cheaper Than Payday Loans, but Fees Can Add Up
Earned-wage apps also don’t fix problems caused by inflation and low wages.
Getty Images
How Ancient Graves May Have Finally Revealed the Black Death’s Mysterious Origin
DNA analysis might’ve finally solved a puzzle surrounding one of history’s deadliest diseases.
A.S. Leybin
Your Worst Nightmare: The Reason We Experience Terrifying Dreams
From waking up in a cold sweat to the lingering unease of the morning after, here’s what happens when you’re struck by a nightmare.
Donald Iain Smith/Getty Images
Apple Lays Out More Pieces of Its Future AR Headset Puzzle
WWDC has come and gone, and still no Apple AR/VR goggles. But new software hints at future possibilities.
Apple
I Took an Esports Brain Test. I’m Not Even Close to Being a Pro Gamer
The test measures a variety of gamer skills. I wasn’t up to snuff in any.
Getty Images
Life in Venus Clouds Would Break Everything We Know About the Planet’s Chemistry
The strange lack of sulfur dioxide in Venus’ clouds doesn’t appear to be the doing of aliens.
Planet-C Project Team/JAXA
Reality Dating Shows Are Super Weird Now. What’s Going On?
Commentary: Somehow, reality dating shows are growing more unhinged, and actual dating isn’t far behind.
Discovery Plus
Are You Afraid of the Dark? What’s Not Normal, Why It Happens and How to Treat It
Fear of the dark is common in children, but adults can have it too.
Axel Bueckert/Getty Images