While your Fitbit hardware tracker will continue to count your steps, Fitbit’s new owner Google is discontinuing more features. Starting March 27, 2023, Fitbit announced they will remove the adventures, challenges, and open groups features from the app.

The Fitbit Adventures feature allowed users to count their steps towards “virtual walks” through famous landmarks and earn virtual rewards along the way. The Fitbit Challenges feature allowed Fitbit friends to compete in different competitions, such as the “Weekend Warrior” challenge that would place a virtual crown on who achieved the most steps between Saturday and Sunday.

It seems odd to kill off these features as they were what helped make the FitBit unique and provided some motivation by way of gamification. After the March 27th date, Fitbit users will no longer have access to the virtual trophies they earned through these features.

Is Fitbit being discontinued?

So is Fitbit being discontinued? No, as Google hasn’t officially stated the fate of FitBit yet. While the basic functions, such as counting steps, are still supported, it seems like Google is dismantling the Fitbit system little by little, perhaps to focus their resources on the Google Pixel Watch. The recently released Fitbit Sense 2 and Versa 4 are missing third-party apps which their earlier versions did support, which may be another sign that Google is winding down their Fitbit efforts.

If you’re looking for an alternative to FitBit, check out our guide of the best FItBit alternatives.

How can I save and backup my Fitbit data?

If you want to export all your Fitbit data so you have a backup copy just in case it is discontinued in the future, here are the steps to do so.

1. Go to fitbit.com and sign in.
2. From the fitbit.com dashboard (where you see your steps and activites), click the gear icon in the upper-right corner.
3. Click Settings
4. On the page that loads, click Data Export on the left side.
5. Under “Export Your Account Archive,” click Request Data. (On this page, you’ll also notice a section at the bottom that allows you to save 31 days of data at a time. You could use this to download your data once-a-month going forward to keep your archive up to date.)
6. You’ll receive an email at the address associated with your Fitbit account. Open the email and confirm your data archive request.
7. You’ll receive another email with a link to download your Fitbit account data.
8. Download and save the data file to your computer.

Please note that if you have a large amount of Fitbit data, it can take up to a few days to generate your account data archive. Check the status of your request in your Data Export account settings (steps 1-4 above).

Photo by Adam Birkett on Unsplash

The post Is Fitbit being discontinued? appeared first on Technically Well.

Pandora Radio

Pandora Radio is a household name for streaming radio, so it’s no wonder they have a wide array of stations dedicated to Christmas.  Pandora is available on a wide variety of internet-connected devices, allowing you to spread holiday cheer with your in-car audio system, WiFi speakers, and smart TVs.

• Rockin’ Holidays Radio
• Today’s Christmas Radio
• Christmas Traditional
• Christmas Radio
• Holiday Hits

iHeart Radio

iHeart Radio is another solid streaming platform that, of course, has Christmas stations available for streaming.  This service is available on a wide range of gadgets, like the Amazon Echo, Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, car stereos, tablets, and smartphones.

• iHeartChristmas
• iHeartChristmas Rock
• iHeartChristmas Classics
• North Pole Radio

Need a speaker or some earbuds to listen to these holiday tunes?

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LiveOne Radio

Perhaps not as well known as Pandora and iHeart, LiveOne Radio (formerly Slacker Radio) provides great streaming holiday music with regular DJ updates and news breaks (which you can turn off if you wish). LiveOne Radio is available on smartphones, tablets and some in-car audio systems.

• Rock The Halls
• Top Christmas Hits
• Holiday Party
• Yuletide Classics

Spotify

Even if you don’t subscribe to Spotify’s service, you can take advantage of their free tier to get in the holiday spirit. While Spotify is available on a wide varieties of devices and smart speakers, some of the features of the free tier are limited to desktop/laptop computers.

• Happy Holidays section

Alexa and Amazon Echo Devices

If you have an Alexa-enabled device in your home, here are some Christmas music skills to fill your home with the sounds of the season.

• Christmas Radio
• iHeart Santa

Alternatively, you can simply ask Alexa to play one of the stations mentioned above.

• “Alexa, play North Pole Radio on iHeart Radio.”
• “Alexa, play Today’s Christmas Radio on Pandora.”

AccuRadio

AccuRadio has a wide variety of free Christmas stations as well that you can stream from you browser. AccuRadio is also available as an iPhone and Android app, an Alexa skill, and a compatible streaming service on Sonos.

• AccuRadio Christmas page

Apple Music

Apple’s streaming service isn’t free, but if you have a subscription, you have access to a good variety of holiday music. Open the “Music” app on your iPhone or iPad, tap the Browse section, and look for the “Holiday” banner.

• Holiday section on Apple Music

Amazon Prime Music

If you’re an Amazon Prime member (who isn’t now-a-days?), Amazon recently announced that Prime members have access to their entire music catalog as long as you listen in “shuffle” mode.

• Holiday section on Prime Music

This list is by no means exhaustive, so please be sure to let me know where your favorite streaming Christmas music resides in the comments below.

The post Best Free Streaming Christmas Radio Stations 2022 appeared first on Technically Well.

• BestBuy
  • Click “Sign In with WebAuthn” on the login page.
• CardPointers app
• Carnival
• Cloudflare
• eBay
  • eBay will sporadically offer to setup a passkey when logging in from an iOS device in Safari
• GoDaddy
• Kayak app
• Nvidia
• PayPal
  • PayPal will sporadically offer to setup a passkey when logging in from an iOS device in Safari

The post Sites Supporting Passkeys on iOS 16 and macOS Ventura appeared first on Technically Well.

The Fitness app no longer requires an Apple Watch

The Fitness app previously did not appear unless you paired your iPhone with an Apple Watch. With iOS 16, you can now track your daily activity using the motion sensors built-in to your phone and use that data to close your move ring.

Medication tracking

The Health app can now remind you to take your daily medications, supplements, and vitamins.

Heart rate zones in watchOS 9

You can view your current heart rate zone while working out with your Apple Watch. The zones are automatically calculated by Apple Watch using your health data.

New workout summaries

You can now scrub through your run and see metrics like your heart rate and pace at any particular point on the map.

Apple Fitness+ no longer requires an Apple Watch

Previously, you needed an Apple Watch to stream workouts from Apple’s streaming workout service: Apple Fitness+. Now, you can subscribe and stream the workouts (minus the on-screen Apple Watch metrics) with just an iPhone.

The post Best New Health Features in iOS 16 and watchOS 9 appeared first on Technically Well.

From wall chargers to car chargers to power banks and to dash cams, you are sure to find the perfect gadget for everyone on your Christmas list.  As a bonus, you can get a lot of your Christmas shopping done early!

If you’re Amazon Prime subscriber, you can get many of these deals delivered in 2 days as part of your membership, giving you plenty of time to wrap your presents ahead of the holiday rush.

In case you’re not familiar, AUKEY is a top ranked global Amazon seller,  combining the latest technologies with over a decade of hardware expertise to design and build reliable consumer electronics and mobile tech accessories.

Be sure to keep visiting TechnicallyWell.com for more great deals throughout the holiday season!

The post Best Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals from AUKEY for 2018 appeared first on Technically Well.

Players can enable the features by following these steps:

• Open Pokemon Go
• Go to Settings
• Check the “Adventure Sync” option
• Allow prompts for Apple Health/Google Fit and location services

Players will also see a new Adventure Sync rewards section on the player profile screen that tracks their weekly progress:

Rewards

At the launch of the feature, the rewards are (subject to change):

5 km rewards

• 20x Poke Ball

25 km rewards

• 20x Poke Ball
• 10x Great Ball
• And either:
  5000 Stardust
  or 5 KM egg

50 km rewards

• 20x Poke Ball
• 10x Great Ball
• 5x Ultra Ball
• And one of these:
• 15000 Stardust
• or 5000 Stardust and 10 KM egg
• or 10 KM egg and 1 Rare Candy
• or 10,000 Stardust and 1 Rare Cand

Limitations

Based on some Redditor comments, here are some notes on how the feature works:

• Steps from walking seem to import fine, but steps from running are hit or miss.
• Unfortunately, FitBit is not directly supported. Some players using a FitBit import utility report that they do not receive full credit for their steps.
• You do not need a data connection or GPS signal to earn steps.  If you’re hiking without cell service, for example, the steps will sync into Pokemon GO the next time you have a data connection.

The post Pokemon Go Now Counts Steps from Apple HealthKit and Google Fit appeared first on Technically Well.

New Heart Irregularity Monitoring

The Apple Watch Series 4 now more closely monitors your heart and can alert you to irregularities.  If it detects an irregular heart rhythm, it will alert you so you know when you should see a doctor.

Built-in ECG

By touching your finger to the Apple Watch’s Digital Crown, the Apple Watch Series 4 can take an ECG reading in 30 seconds and let you know if it’s normal (sinus rhythm) or if it shows signs of atrial fibrillation and needs to be examined by a doctor.

Fall Detection

The Apple Watch Series 4 is also capable of detecting when you fall and can display a prompt to call for help.  And if you’re unresponsive for a 1 minute after the fall, the Apple Watch will automatically call emergency services and notify your emergency contacts.

watchOS 5

Even if you’re not getting a brand new Apple Watch, the watchOS 5 update brings new health features as well:

• Automatic Workout Detection: Your Apple Watch will detect when you’re working out and offer to start a workout.
• Activity Competitions: You can challenge your Apple Watch-wearing friends to a friendly 7 day competition to close your Activity ring.
• Pace Alerts: When running, you can select a target pace and Apple Watch will tap your wrist to let you know when you’re above or below that pace.
• New Activity Tracking: watchOS 5 also includes new tracking features for yoga and hiking.

I’ve very happy to see Apple’s emphasis on our health in their latest version of the Apple Watch. The new heart detection features can give someone any early warning that something is wrong as they would likely would never know otherwise.

The post Apple Watch Series 4 Features New Ways to Monitor Your Health appeared first on Technically Well.

What is YouTube TV?

YouTube TV is a streaming TV service offering many of your favorite cable package in one, easy-to-understand price without hidden fees, B.S. taxes, or equipment rentals.

What devices can I watch on?

YouTube TV recently expanded to many streaming boxes, including Apple TV, Android TV, Chromecast and newer Samsung and LG smart TVs.  See the full list of support devices.

Unfortunately, Amazon’s Fire TV boxes and streaming sticks are not compatible at this time (likely due to the dispute between Amazon and YouTube).

Where is YouTube TV available?

It is only available in certain markets right now.  You can start the sign-up process and it will tell you if your area is eligible.  Or you can check the list of available markets.

What channels do I get?

For $39.99/month: AMD, BBC. Bravo, Cartoon Network, CNN, E!, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN U, FOX News, FOX Sports, FreeForm, FX, FXM, FXX, National Geographic, Pop, SyFy, TBS, TNT, truTV, USA and more!  Most markets also have live streaming for ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC.  During the sign-up process, you will see a list of the channels your specific region can receive before you commit.

You can also add ShowTime for $11/month.

Price and channels may change since this article was last updated. Check the website for the latest offerings.

How many devices can I stream to simultaneously?

You can watch on 3 devices at the same time.

Can each person have their own login and shows?

Yes!  You can link up to 6 Google accounts together and each person can have their own set of shows to DVR.  Switching accounts in the YouTube TV app is a little cumbersome (one person needs to sign out and another person needs to sign in), so this works best if each person has their own device to watch on.

Do I get DVR?

Yes! You can mark your favorite shows and they will “record” to the cloud whenever they air.  There are no storage limits, although recordings expire after 9 months.  When you watch a DVR recording, you can fast-forward through commercials, but YouTube TV will sometimes replace recordings with an “On Demand” version that can’t be fast-forwarded (boo1).

Do I get On-Demand?

Yes, when you add a show to your library, you will see the On-Demand versions available.  Unfortunately, YouTube does gives priority to the On-Demand version over the DVR recordings, which prevents you from fast-forwarding through commercials.

Is there a contract? “Broadcast Fee”? Box rentals? Other hidden fees?

Nope, but you will likely need to pay your local sales tax on the monthly charge  You can cancel at any time without an additional fee.

Can I authenticate with network apps? For example, can I log in to the CNN app?

Yes, many apps allow you to select YouTube TV as your provider.

Can I use this service when I’m away from home?

Yes, if you stay in the United States.  You’ll lose access to your local channels if you leave your home area, but you can watch other local channels if you are in an area serviced by YouTube TV.  You can access your DVR recordings anywhere (even DVR recordings from your local channels) as long as you have an internet connection.  There may be some other regional viewing restrictions in place as well.

A free 7-day trial of the service is available, so try it out and let me know what you think in the comments!

The post YouTube TV FAQs: Stream Locals with DVR appeared first on Technically Well.

Here’s the official announcement (emphasis added by me):

Gastly, Drowzee, Cubone, and other spooky Pokémon are back again this Halloween, and this time, they’re bringing some special friends! Sableye, Banette, and a few other Ghost-type Pokémon originally discovered in the Hoenn region will be making their first-ever appearance in Pokémon GO. The rest of the Pokémon first seen in the Pokémon Ruby and Pokémon Sapphire video games will gradually arrive starting as early as December! We hope Trainers enjoy this special Halloween treat. The Halloween celebration will start on October 20 at 12:00 P.M. PDT and run until November 2 at 1:00 P.M. PDT.

A special Pikachu will be out celebrating Halloween in an all-new costume, and you can, too! Dress up your avatar for the occasion by wearing Mimikyu’s Disguise Hat. You’ll also earn extra Candy while you’re out trick-or-treating with your Buddy Pokémon: Candy rewards from catching, hatching, and transferring Pokémon will be doubled, and your buddy will find Candy twice as fast during the Halloween celebration! Last but not least, you’ll have the opportunity to stock up for your upcoming adventures with special boxes from the in-game shop, featuring items such as Raid Passes and Super Incubators.

While you’re out looking for Sableye, Banette, and other spooky Pokémon, use your Pokémon GO AR camera to capture festive photos and share them on social media using #PokemonGOHalloween. As always, make sure to remain alert and aware of your surroundings while playing Pokémon GO this season.

—The Pokémon GO team

The post Pokemon Go Announces Halloween Event appeared first on Technically Well.

iPhone

• iPhone 8
  • Faster A11 processor (up to 70% faster than A10)
  • New stereo speakers with deeper bass
  • Camera
    • Portrait lighting image processing
    • Video 1080p at 240fps
  • Augmented Reality
  • Wireless Charging
    • Qi open wireless standard
  • Pricing
    • $699 for 64GB (256GB available)
    • $799 for Plus at 64GB (256GB available)
  • Preorder September 15, available September 22
  • iOS 11 available September 19
• iPhone X
  • Edge-to-edge display
  • Glass front and back with stainless steel side
  • Super Retina Display
    • 5.8” display
    • 2436×1125 resolution at 458 ppi
    • OLED technology
    • HDR display
  • No home button
    • Swipe up to go home and unlock
    • Hold side button to call Siri
  • Facial recognition “Face ID”
    • True depth camera system
      • Infrared camera, flood
    • Improved Security
      • Touch ID: 1 in 50,000
      • Face ID: 1 in 1,000,000
    • Animoji: Emojis that animate with your facial expressions
    • Replaces Touch ID for Apple Pay and 3^rd party apps
  • Pricing
    • $999 for 64GB (256GB available)
    • Pre-Order Oct 27, ships Nov 3

AirPower

• Qi charging pad
• Supports iPhone 8 and 10, Apple Watch and new AirPods Qi case
• All devices show on the phone’s display

Apple Watch

• watchOS 4 will be available September 19
• Heart Rate enhancements (available for existing models)
  • Complication now shows heart rate
  • New measurements
    • Resting heart rate
    • Recovery heart rate after workout
  • Notification of elevated heart rate when you’re not active
  • Heart rhythm abnormalities detection via the Apple Heart Study
• Series 3
  • Built-in cellular
    • Receives calls and texts with the same number as your iPhone
    • Access maps
    • 3^rd party app support: WeChat
    • Apple Music streaming support
  • Hardware
    • New processor is up to 70% faster
      • Siri can talk
    • The screen serves as an antenna
    • Electronic SIM card (no physical SIM card)
    • Same case size
• Pricing
  • $399 Series 3 with cellular
  • $329 Series 3 without cellular
  • $249 Series 1
  • Available Sept 22

Apple TV

• New 4K model
  • Supports HDR 10 and Dolby Vision
  • 4K movies priced the same as HD
  • Automatic free upgrades to existing HD purchases
  • Amazon Video coming soon (will include 4K streams)
  • Enhanced Live Sports and News support in the TV app
  • Starting at $179, available Sept 15

The post Apple iPhone X Keynote Quick Summary appeared first on Technically Well.