Google I/O hasn’t even started yet, but the company is getting ahead of things with its recently teased wearable strap. The Fitbit Air is a screenless device that you can put in a wristband or a chest strap. If you’re deep into fitness wearables, you’ll notice it looks like the Whoop, but with jazzier strap colors. Weighing in at a mere 12 grams (0.42 ounce, it’s available for pre-order today for $100.
Central to the Air experience is the Google Health Coach, which has been in public preview since last October. This is a Gemini-powered interface that can offer personalized suggestions based on your data. The Health Coach will create “dynamic, tailored fitness plans that fit your goals”, apparently. Expect to hear more on all the AI features when the strap eventually lands on May 26.
Each purchase of the Fitbit Air (including a $130 Special Edition) includes 3 months of Google Health Premium. After that, expect to pay $10 a month for access to the most advanced, AI-infused features.
– Mat Smith
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DJI’s Osmo Mobile 8P gimbal has a detachable remote with a screen
In the opposite direction of Google’s faceless wearable, DJI’s latest camera gimbal comes with a detachable remote with its own screen. The Osmo Mobile 8P remote lets you capture video solo and also features DJI’s latest tracking tech to keep vloggers in frame. DJI’s Osmo Mobile 8P is a more professional version of the Osmo Mobile 8 that arrived late last year and it hooks directly into Apple’s DockKit, like rival gimbals from Insta360 and GoPro.
The handle houses the detachable “Frametap” remote control, with a built-in screen, joystick controller and record button. It lets you tilt and rotate the gimbal and activate smartphone camera recording from over 150 feet away.
DJI’s Osmo Mobile 8P is now available in Europe, starting at £135/€145 in the standard combo or £169/€169 in the Advanced Tracking Combo with the Multifunctional Module 2. It’s not yet available in the US.
reMarkable Paper Pure review
The Paper Pure is a gorgeous, repairable writing slate that offers the best monochrome writing experience out there. However, in reMarkable’s quest for “distraction-free” purity, they’ve omitted a backlight and doubled down on the company’s clunky file-sync workflow that feels increasingly archaic. With the company pivoting toward enterprise sales and trimming its sails, the Pure is a stunning tool for a specific (and well-lit) niche.
Snap’s $400 million deal with Perplexity is dead
Snap’s deal with Perplexity to put the AI search engine directly in Snapchat is dead. The two companies “amicably ended the relationship” earlier this year, Snap disclosed in its latest earnings report. In a statement, a spokesperson for Perplexity said that the planned feature was “not the right fit” for either company.
Stephan is the sports journalist for the Maple Grove Report.
