Technologies

Apple to Halt Sales of Its Newest Apple Watches. Here’s What to Know

Apple is pausing sales of the Series 9 and Ultra 2 in the US as part of an ongoing legal dispute. The Apple Watch SE is unaffected.

Apple will pause sales of its Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 smartwatches in the US this month as the result of an ongoing legal battle with health tech company Masimo.

The US International Trade Commission, the federal agency that handles trade-related mandates, previously issued an order that would prohibit Apple from importing the Series 9 and Ultra 2. The decision came after a US judge ruled in January that Apple infringed on Masimo patents related to the technology used in Apple’s blood oxygen sensing system. The order is currently under presidential review, but Apple is preemptively pausing sales in case the decision is upheld, the company said. The move was first reported by 9to5Mac on Monday, and Apple has since confirmed its decision to CNET.

The Apple Watch is one of Apple’s most important products, helping push the company’s wearables, home and accessories business to be its second-largest product category behind the iPhone. Apple has previously said the size of its wearables unit alone equals that of a Fortune 150 company.

Apple will stop selling the Series 9 and Ultra 2 through its website on Dec. 21, while Apple stores will stop selling the watches on Dec. 24.

«Apple’s teams work tirelessly to create products and services that empower users with industry-leading health, wellness and safety features,» the company said in a statement to CNET. «Apple strongly disagrees with the order and is pursuing a range of legal and technical options to ensure that [the] Apple Watch is available to customers.»

The company added that it will «continue to take all measures to return [the] Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 to customers in the US as soon as possible,» if the order stands.

Apple’s pause of Apple Watch sales comes during the critical holiday shopping season. Smartwatches were among the top products sold during the Black Friday period, according to holiday shopping data from Adobe.

When the judge’s ruling was made in January, Masimo CEO Joe Kiani said the decision «should help restore fairness in the market.»

Here’s what to know about Apple’s pause in sales of the Series 9 and Ultra 2. This story will be updated as we receive more information.

When will Apple stop selling the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2?

Apple will stop selling the Series 9 and Ultra 2 online at noon PT (3 p.m. ET) on Dec. 21, according to Apple. The company said the last day for the pickup and delivery of online orders, as well as in-store sales, will be end of day Dec. 24.

Can I still buy the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 from other retailers?

The order affects sales of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 through Apple specifically. But 9to5Mac points out that the order prohibits Apple from importing these watches and selling them to resellers, which means they may only be available through other retailers for a limited time.

However, the order only applies to sales in the US, meaning you should still be able to purchase the Series 9 and Ultra 2 abroad.

Best Buy told CNET it will continue selling the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 in the US after Dec. 25 even if the order stands.

Which Apple Watch models are affected?

The Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 are the only models affected. Since the legal dispute involves the blood oxygen sensing tech used in the Apple Watch, the Apple Watch SE will continue to be sold as usual. The Apple Watch SE is the lower-end model in Apple’s lineup, meaning it’s missing some health tracking features like blood oxygen sensing and the ability to take an ECG.

Current Apple Watches with blood oxygen monitoring, which includes any non-SE models starting with the Series 6, also won’t be affected.

What is Masimo and why is Apple pausing sales?

Masimo is a medical technology company that creates professional and consumer health products, including a smartwatch called the Masimo W1. The sales pause is the latest development in an ongoing legal dispute between Apple and Masimo, in which the latter accused Apple of infringing on its pulse oximeter patents.

What happens next?

The presidential review period ends on Dec. 25, so we’re expecting to learn more about whether the import ban will stand after that deadline. Apple also plans to appeal the ITC’s decision to the federal circuit, the company said.

It’s rare for an order like this to be vetoed, said Rochelle Dreyfuss, professor of law emerita at the New York University School of Law. But it’s happened before, specifically in 2013 when the Obama administration vetoed a ban that would have blocked the sale of certain older iPhone and iPad models in the US after the ITC found that Apple had infringed on Samsung patents.

The Apple Watch is a health product, which could work in Apple’s favor when it comes to the presidential review process, Dreyfuss said. But there are also plenty of other products that offer blood oxygen monitoring, which is the specific function at the heart of the legal dispute.

«Are there other industries that provide exactly the same service? So can Americans actually get that product?» she said. «That’s something that the industry has already decided against Apple. … So this would be the president sort of interfering with that decision,» she added, referring to if the Biden administration were to veto the ITC decision.

If I can’t buy an Apple Watch Series 9 or Ultra 2, what are my alternatives?

It’s worth waiting to see what happens after the presidential review process before making any decisions. Those with an iPhone who just want a smartwatch for tracking activity, workouts and sleep should consider the $249 Apple Watch SE. While that watch lacks ECG and blood oxygen monitoring, it can still provide notifications for high and low heart rates and irregular heart rhythms.

The Apple Watch SE is the best choice for those who are most comfortable in Apple’s ecosystem, but there are also other options that work across iPhone and Android, like the Fitbit Versa 4 and Garmin Venu 3.

Those who are looking to monitor blood oxygen levels from home specifically should consider buying a standalone pulse oximeter, said Jennifer Schrack, professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

«Consumer wearables are a great supplemental way for people stay informed about their health, but they are subject to error,» Schrack said over email. «It is important to remember that they are measuring blood oxygen using PPG sensors, which can be affected by things like skin tone.»

But again, if your heart is set on the Series 9 or Ultra 2, and you aren’t in a position to buy one right now, it’s worth waiting to see whether the ITC’s order stands before making a decision.

Technologies

Spotify Launches ‘About the Song’ Beta to Reveal Stories Behind the Music

The stories are told on swipeable cards as you listen to the song.

Did you know Chappell Roan drew inspiration for her hit song Pink Pony Club from The Pink Cadillac, the name of a hot-pink strip club in her Missouri hometown? Or that Fountains of Wayne’s song Stacy’s Mom was inspired by a confessed crush a friend had on the late co-founder Adam Schlesinger’s grandmother?

If you’re a fan of knowing juicy little tidbits about popular songs, you might find more trivia in About the Song, a new feature from streaming giant Spotify that’s kind of like the old VH1 show Pop-Up Video.

About the Song is available in the US, UK, New Zealand and Australia, initially for Spotify Premium members only. It’s only on certain songs, but it will likely keep rolling out to more music. Music facts are sourced from a variety of websites and summarized by AI, and appear below the song’s lyrics when you’re playing a particular song.

«Music fans know the feeling: A song stops you in your tracks, and you immediately want to know more. What inspired it, and what’s the meaning behind it? We believe that understanding the craft and context behind a song can deepen your connection to the music you love,» Spotify wrote in a blog post.

While this version of the feature is new, it’s not the first time Spotify has featured fun facts about the music it plays. The streaming giant partnered with Genius a decade ago for Behind the Lyrics, which included themed playlists with factoids and trivia about each song. Spotify kept this up for a few years before canceling due to multiple controversies, including Paramore’s Hayley Williams blasting Genius for using inaccurate and outdated information.

Spotify soon started testing its Storyline feature, which featured fun facts about songs in a limited capacity for some users, but was never released as a central feature.

About the Song is the latest in a long string of announcements from Spotify, including a Page Match feature that lets you seamlessly switch to an audiobook from a physical book, and an AI tool that creates playlists for you. Spotify also recently announced that it’ll start selling physical books.

How to use About the Song

If you’re a Spotify Premium user, the feature should be available the next time you listen to music on the app.

Start listening to any supported song.
Scroll down past the lyrics preview box to the About the Song box.
Swipe left and right to see more facts about the song.

I tried this with a few tracks, and was pleased to learn that it doesn’t just work for the most recent hits. Spotify’s card for Metallica’s 1986 song Master of Puppets notes the song’s surge in popularity after its cameo in a 2022 episode of Stranger Things. The second card discusses the band’s album art for Master of Puppets and how it was conceptualized.

To see how far support for the feature really went, I looked up a few tracks from off the beaten path, like NoFX’s The Decline and Ice Nine Kills’ Thank God It’s Friday. Spotify supported every track I personally checked.

There does appear to be a limit to the depth of the fun facts, which makes sense since not every song has a complicated story. For those songs, Spotify defaults to trivia about the album that features the music or an AI summary of the lyrics and what they might mean.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Feb. 7, #502

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Feb. 7, No. 502.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition features a fun batch of categories. The purple one requires you to find hidden words inside some of the grid words, but they’re not too obscure. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Golden Gate.

Green group hint: It’s «Shotime!»

Blue group hint: Same first name.

Purple group hint: Tweak a team name.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Bay Area teams.

Green group: Associated with Shohei Ohtani.

Blue group: Coaching Mikes.

Purple group: MLB teams, with the last letter changed.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is Bay Area teams. The four answers are 49ers, Giants, Sharks and Valkyries.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is associated with Shohei Ohtani. The four answers are Decoy, Dodgers, Japan and two-way.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is coaching Mikes. The four answers are Macdonald, McCarthy, Tomlin and Vrabel.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is MLB teams, with the last letter changed. The four answers are Angelo (Angels), Cuba (Cubs), redo (Reds) and twine (Twins).

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Saturday, Feb. 7

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Feb. 7

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? It’s Saturday, so it’s a long one, and a few of the clues are tricky. Read on for all the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.