Technologies

Polar Introduces Loop, a $200 Screenless Wearable

Polar’s first fitness tracker with no screen tracks activity, sleep and overall health, the company says.

Fitness tracking company Polar has launched Loop, a $200 screenless wearable that it says will have no subscription fees. Preorders opened on Sept. 3, and the Polar Loop will start shipping on Sept. 10.

Like other fitness trackers, the Polar Loop will log steps, sleep patterns and daily activity patterns but Polar is touting the lack of a screen as «unobtrusive» and «discreet.» The Loop, which is a wearable band for your wrist, has eight days of battery life with continuous use and stores four weeks’ worth of data. It syncs with the Polar Flow app to view stats and analyze sleep and training data, among other information.

Because it has no buttons, activities can be started in the app or passively with what the company calls «automatic training detection.»

It’s available in the colors Greige Sand, Night Black and Brown Copper. Additional band colors are offered for $20 each.

There’s already a market of no-screen wearables, including the Whoop 5.0 wristband and smart rings such as the Oura Ring 3.

Will the Loop measure up?

Whether the Polar Loop’s attempt at simplifying a fitness wearable works out will largely depend on how well it runs and what it offers compared to other devices.

«The company is clearly tapping into the growing demand for screen-free wearables,» says CNET’s lead writer for wearables, Vanessa Hand Orellana. «It feels like a direct answer to the athlete-favorite Whoop band and even the Oura Ring, both of which collect similar health metrics to display and analyze in their respective apps.»

Hand Orellana says Polar has a good reputation, with its signature heart-rate chest straps, and may win over fans by eschewing the subscription fee that the Oura and Whoop require.

«That said, as with most devices in this space, the real differentiator often comes down to execution… specifically, how well the data translates into clear, actionable insights. Personally, I’m curious to see how the Loop integrates with Polar’s app, which, at least in my experience with their HR straps, hasn’t always been the most intuitive to navigate,» she said.

Technologies

Waymo Is Expanding to Denver and Seattle. Everything to Know About the Robotaxi

The company has also been granted a permit to test its self-driving vehicles in New York City. Here’s everywhere Waymo operates now, and where it’s set to arrive soon.

Technologies

Instagram App Finally Appears on iPads, After 15 Years of Neglecting Apple’s Tablet

You no longer have to use the strange-looking iPhone version of the social media app on your tablet.

Following earlier rumors in 2025, iPad users finally saw a dedicated Instagram app arrive on their devices on Wednesday. Since the iPad’s original release 15 years ago, Instagram had never been available in the App Store as a download for Apple’s tablet. Instead, users had been stuck with the mobile version, which awkwardly failed to stretch to the iPad’s larger screen size.

It’s not clear why Instagram took so long to appear on the iPad. (We’re baffled by it just as much as you are.)

We’ve tested out the app and found it ready to download and fully functional. A big plus is that it takes up the full screen. However, Instagram has made a few changes, so you’ll have a slightly different experience than on your phone or computer.

What’s new with the Instagram iPad app?

When first logging on to Instagram on the iPad, we found a notable difference. Instead of the typical Instagram home screen, the app takes you directly to Reels to start scanning the latest videos. The experience ends up looking similar to scroll-happy TikTok, which seems intentional (and could indicate future changes for the other versions of the app).

It’s nice for those who like checking out all the Reels, but somewhat cumbersome for those who prefer to focus on standard Instagram posts instead.

The new iPad app also includes a new section called Following, which takes you to classic Instagram posts with a long-requested twist. Following posts are divided into All, Friends only or Latest, giving you different options for your feed.

Other Instagram features on the dedicated iPad app appear more or less identical to existing versions, but we’ll keep you updated if we see any other differences. For now, social scrollers who want a bigger screen to enjoy their Insta pics and Reels have a significant upgrade to explore.

Meta didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Sept. 4, #816

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for Sept. 4, #816.

Looking for the most recent 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, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle features a fun mix of words, but some people might think the yellow category is rushing a certain holiday season. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

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

Yellow group hint: Deck the halls!

Green group hint: Make an image look better.

Blue group hint: Think Julia Child.

Purple group hint: Prison would be another answer.