Ondrej Holzman Apple regularly publishes advertisements on its website in which it requests reinforcements for its team with a certain focus or knowledge of specific fields. Now in Cupertino, they were asking for physiologists and engineers to run tests linked to health and fitness data. Everything is directed towards the company's new products, which will almost certainly include the measurement of physiological data.
That we can consider the published advertisements as confirmation of this assumption is also evidenced by the fact that Apple quickly removed the advertised advertisements from its website. Mark Gurman of 9to5Mac he claims, that he has never seen Apple react so quickly in this regard.
The same person reported last week that in iOS 8, Apple is preparing a new Healthbook application, which could subsequently work with the iWatch. Together with the constant hiring of new experts for physiological and similar measurements and current - now withdrawn - advertisements, everything fits together.
Advertisements indicated that Apple was already moving into the testing phase with the development of its new products/devices, as it was looking for people for real testing. It was supposed to be about creating and testing studies around the cardiovascular system or energy expenditure. Admission requirements were as follows:
- Good understanding of physiological measurement equipment, measurement techniques and interpretation of results
- Experience with indirect calorimetry to measure energy expenditure for various activities
- The ability to create tests isolated from various influencing factors (activity, environment, individual differences, etc.) on the physiological effects that are measured
- Experience with trial testing - how to proceed, how to interpret results, when to stop testing, etc.
The Healthbook application should monitor, for example, the number of steps or the number of calories burned, and it should also have the ability to monitor blood pressure, heart rate or blood glucose status. It is not yet clear whether a special device will be required for this, but iWatch as a kind of fitness accessory makes sense here.
If it is true that Apple is finally entering the testing phase with its new product, this does not mean that we should expect it in the coming months. Specifically, there is a really large amount of testing that needs to be done on medical devices, and Apple has already met with the US Food and Drug Administration about this, which indicates a move forward. At the moment, a realistic estimate for the introduction of a product associated with the aforementioned functions is the third to fourth quarter of this year. And that's especially assuming that Tim Cook keeps his words that we should expect big things from Apple this year.
It's beautiful that humanity is not declining, as was seen in Wall E, but wants to live healthy and move. If there are any iWatches and it will be such a health indicator. I will be happy to buy them. (if they are not for 50)
Lately, people have also (finally) started to care about what they eat, where they buy it and where it comes from :)
How would that blood pressure be measured? Would the watch inflate on my hand every hour? :) Well, maybe it won't be a 10k device :-/
I would expect the price to be around 10k. ;)
Personally, as a medical student, I strongly support this trend and I can't wait to see it put into practice... If it really is as complex as speculated it will be a bomb :)