Developer(s) | Apple Inc. |
---|---|
Initial release | September 13, 2016 |
Operating system | watchOS, visionOS |
Type | Guided meditation |
Mindfulness, formerly Breathe, is an application developed by Apple Inc. for watchOS and visionOS devices. It was first introduced with the release of WatchOS 3 and later alongside the launch of the Apple Vision Pro. [1] The app reminds users to practice mindfulness through simple guided meditation activities, encouraging users to reflect upon and bring attention to their wellbeing throughout the day.
After beginning a breathe session, a user is instructed to take deep breaths in while several overlapping blue circles grow bigger, exhaling as they return to their original size. At the end of a session, the user's heart rate is shown alongside the number of "mindfulness minutes" completed for the day, which can also be seen in the Health and Fitness apps on a linked iPhone device. A breathe-inspired watch face is also available in classic, calm, and focus options. [2] The visionOS version of the app features a similar breathing session, which presents a sphere made out of petal-like objects that spread apart when instructed to inhale, slowly returning back to their original formation upon exhale. Furthermore, Apple Fitness+ subscribers can follow an audio-guided meditation from a trainer or complete their own self-guided session. [3]
With watchOS 8, a "reflect" mode was introduced, which provides users with a prompt or question to think about over a minute period. While completing a reflect activity, the watch displays a screen that cycles through different colors in motion. [4]
watchOS 10 added mood tracking through the app's "State of Mind" feature, which allows users to log a range of emotions, either at a particular moment in time or their general mood for the day. Additional information can also be provided, allowing users to further describe how they are feeling or list factors which may be having an impact on their emotions at the time an entry is logged. [5] State of mind history can be viewed through the Health app, which can also be compared alongside physical health data. The Health app may also prompt a user suffering from regular unpleasant moods to complete standardized assessments for anxiety or depression, and suggest seeking professional help. [6]
Things is a task management app for macOS, iPadOS, iOS, watchOS, and visionOS made by Cultured Code, a software startup based in Stuttgart, Germany. It first released for Mac as an alpha that went out in late 2007 to 12,000 people and quickly gained popularity. The following July, when the App Store launched, it was among the first 552 apps available for iPhone. It was then released alongside the iPad in 2010, the Apple Watch in 2015, and the Apple Vision Pro in 2024.
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Amishi Jha is a professor of psychology at the University of Miami.
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Health is a health informatics mobile app, announced by Apple Inc. on June 2, 2014, at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). The app is available on iPhone and iPod Touch devices running iOS 8 or later, and on iPads running iPadOS 17 or later. The application holds health data such as blood pressure measurement and glucose levels, but also holds physical tracking data such as step counts. It can pull data from fitness trackers, smartwatches, smart scales, and other devices.
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Mindfulness and technology is a movement in research and design, that encourages the user to become aware of the present moment, rather than losing oneself in a technological device. This field encompasses multidisciplinary participation between design, psychology, computer science, and religion. Mindfulness stems from Buddhist meditation practices and refers to the awareness that arises through paying attention on purpose in the present moment, and in a non-judgmental mindset. In the field of Human-Computer Interaction, research is being done on Techno-spirituality — the study of how technology can facilitate feelings of awe, wonder, transcendence, and mindfulness and on Slow design, which facilitates self-reflection. The excessive use of personal devices, such as smartphones and laptops, can lead to the deterioration of mental and physical health. This area focuses on redesigning and creating technology to improve the wellbeing of its users.
Weather is a weather forecast app developed by Apple Inc., available on iOS since the release of the iPhone and iPhone OS 1 in 2007. It allows users to see the conditions, forecast, temperature, and other related metrics of the device's current location, as well as a number of other cities. A version of Weather is also available for watchOS; however, it is limited in functionality. Weather was made available on more devices across the Apple ecosystem with the releases of iPadOS 16 and macOS Ventura, where weather data from Apple was previously only available as a widget or through Siri.
Calm.com, Inc., doing business as Calm, is a software company based in San Francisco, California. It produces meditation products, including guided meditations and Sleep Stories on its subscription-based app.
Bellabeat is a wellness company founded by Urška Sršen and Sandro Mur in 2014. It is best known for its Leaf smart jewelry wearable line. The company has offices in San Francisco, Zagreb and Hong Kong. In 2023, the company had a revenue of US$650 million, according to its investor Nordic Eye.
Beddit Oy is a Finnish technology company that sells sleep tracking devices and a sleep tracking application to help monitor sleep. The company was founded in October 2006 and released their first sleep tracker in November 2013. In May 2017, Beddit was acquired by Apple Inc.
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Fitness, formerly Activity, is an exercise tracking companion app by Apple Inc. available on iPhones running iOS 8.2 or above for users with a connected Apple Watch, later expanding to all iPhones regardless of Watch connectivity with the release of iOS 16. The application displays a summary view of user's recorded workouts from the Apple Watch or supported third-party apps and exercise equipment, as well as acting as the home for all Apple Fitness+ content.
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