Apple Watch mismeasuring vitals? Get rid of the ink
Ok, this is definitely one of the best entries in the Friday News category. A guy had to adjust his wrist tattoo (clear a circle of ink) to have his Apple Watch functioning properly and delivering on the promise of keeping tabs on his vitals.
But does it really matter? And is the data collected by the device trustworthy? Let’s take a closer look at what’s what.
How does Apple Watch monitor key health indicators?
Without going deep into the science of that, it’s a matter of sensors that use light and reflection thereof to learn and report vital information about the user’s health. Basically, there are infrared and green light emitters on the back of Apple Watch that send waves into skin, and the respective sensors catch the reflections of those waves. Then, the device interprets and processes the data, and gives you counts or warns you of anomalies.
The accuracy of healthcare functions of Apple Watch has been tested thoroughly by many enthusiasts and much more serious groups of scholars. Check this link to ResearchGate if you have time and desire to dig deeper into the topic. All in all, the ultimate answer to the question of how good wearables are in terms of health monitoring is “very much reliable.”
Does it really matter?
It does. Knowledge is power, and in this context, it means that when you know something is off about your vitals, you are empowered to take action. And when it comes to health, time is always of the essence: the sooner you address a problem, the better. Apple Watch can monitor a wide array of indicators, from simple heart rate through blood oxygen levels to respiration and sleep data. This list is non-exhaustive, of course, you can learn more about healthcare functions of the gadget at the respective product page.
So, if you have a tattoo that hinders performance of your Apple Watch, consider removing it, or, at least, making a patch of clear skin underneath the sensors. And if you need some digital assistance with getting things in order on a more general level, check out the Timekeeping and Productivity sections of the Informer catalog and make your Mac even more indispensable:
