Apple's latest Watch can sense falls and heart irregularities

Apple's current Watch 3 is already pretty health-centric, but Apple has taken it to a new level with its latest model. Thanks to a new electric heart sensor built into the backside, the Watch Series 4 can can not only detect a low heart rate, but act as an ECG (electrocardiogram), too. That means it can sense a dangerous condition known as an atrial fibrillation and warn you to talk your doctor. The Watch Series 4 has received clearance from the FDA and is the first over-the-counter ECG product offered directly to consumers, Apple said.

It can check your ECG in the background, and while it won't catch every instance of fibrillation, it could help people who don't even know they have an issue. Apple brought American Heart Association President and cardiologist Dr. Ivor Benjamin onto the stage, and he said the feature could be valuable for some folks. "In my experience, people often report symptoms that are absent during their visits. That is why this information is vital," he said.

Apple also unveiled another interesting, but completely different safety feature for the Watch Series 4. Thanks to a new accelerometer and gyroscope, it can detect when you slip or fill. It not only detects when you head toward the ground, but also your arms flying up in a typical defensive stance. In other words, it's a new, more high-tech version of the Life Call "I've fallen and I can't get up" device.

The feature can tell the difference between a slip and a fall, a programming feat that wasn't easy to figure out, said Apple's Jeff Williams. You can set it up to automatically call emergency services and contact your loved ones. It seems like overkill if you're young, health and athletic, but it could be an extremely valuable feature for the elderly -- or clumsy.

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