Digital Trends Live: Apple Watch partners with gyms, Fortnite becomes a sport

By Todd Werkhoven Published April 25, 2023

On Thursday’s episode of Digital Trends Live, hosts Greg Nibler and Adrien Warner discuss the biggest trending tech topics of the day, including Apple Watch partnering with gyms, Surface Duo details, Fortnite is officially a high school sport, Picard debuts, Seattle votes by phone, and more.

John Kent

Nibler then speaks with John Kent, program manager for IBM’s sports and entertainment partnerships, about its partnership with the Recording Academy, and using A.I. at the Grammys.

Gray Scott

Gray Scott, futurist and host of Futuristic Now, discusses how Amazon is planning to use “pay-by-hand” biometric scanners.

Adrienne Liebenberg

We then talk with Adrienne Liebenberg, co-founder of the NotForgotten Digital Library, about preserving a history of yourself on blockchain that will be around for over 300 years.

Finally, we take a look at what’s coming to the box office with our Reel News segment. This week, we review The Gentleman, The Turning, and The Rhythm Section.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Todd Werkhoven's work can be read at numerous publications and he co-authored a personal finance book called "Zombie…

Topics

Wearables

Garmin’s new Fitbit Air rival has 80 workout modes and avoids the frustrating subscription trap

Garmin CIRQA entered the screenless fitness band fight with 10-day battery and no monthly fee

Garmin CIRQA featured image

The screenless fitness-band revival has gained another serious contender, and Garmin is arriving with a refreshing approach. The new Garmin CIRQA Smart Band just debuted for $199.99 and offers up to 10 days of battery life while also featuring continuous health monitoring and support for more than 80 activities. It has no display, leaving Garmin Connect to handle every chart, score, and workout summary. Garmin ensures that a subscription is not required to access its features.

Garmin packed its fitness ecosystem into a silent wristband

Wearables

The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is finally ready to dive, and the Watch 9 40mm gets a bigger battery

Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 may finally close the diving gap with the Apple Watch Ultra 3

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra's case and screen.

Samsung’s upcoming smartwatches may have another couple of meaningful upgrades hiding up their sleeves. Newly leaked promotional images suggest the smaller Galaxy Watch 9 will receive a much larger battery than previously reported, while the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 could finally be certified for recreational diving.

The images were shared by an X account using the @evleaks handle, although the prominent leaker Evan Blass has previously said the account does not belong to him. They appear to be official Samsung marketing materials and reveal a few details that were missing from earlier specification leaks.

Wearables

Bose’s next QuietComfort headphones could steal the Ultra’s best features

Bose QuietComfort deal

For the last few years, Bose has been in a slightly awkward position. Its standard QuietComfort headphones have remained an easy recommendation, but they've also felt a little... forgotten. While the Ultra lineup grabbed the spotlight with new features and a refreshed design, the regular QuietComfort stayed the same. That may finally be about to change.

A new leak suggests Bose is preparing a QuietComfort (2nd Gen) model, and if it's accurate, this looks like Bose bringing its mainstream headphones much closer to its premium offering.