The high-end gaming laptop also comes with up to a Core Ultra 9HX processor and an RTX 5090 GPU. It can even support up to the max of 192 GB of RAM and 8 TB of storage. While it’s quite a thick laptop (and weighs well over 7 pounds), its specs and features are as premium as they get, including a 5-MP webcam, a six-speaker sound system, and just about every port imaginable—including Thunderbolt 5. You can opt for the basic 2D version as well, of course, which will likely bring the price down, right along with the cool factor. We still don’t know what that price will be, however, and the North American launch isn’t expected to come until later this fall, as the laptop will launch initially exclusively in China. —Luke Larsen
Whoop Finally Releases New Bands
Photograph: Whoop
We’ve included the Whoop band in our guide to the Best Fitness Trackers because it’s unique—it doesn’t have a screen, and you can wear it anywhere on your body by inserting it into a Whoop Body garment—but it has been years since it’s seen significant upgrades. That changed this week when the company announced the Whoop 5.0 and the Whoop MG, two new wearables that offer new health and performance features (for Whoop, anyway) for day-to-day use, not just for elite performers like Cristiano Ronaldo.
Some of these include Healthspan, which lets you see your Pace of Aging, and a Heart Screener with an FDA-cleared ECG feature that allows you to take a reading from your wrist. Most significantly, the new Whoop purports to measure your blood pressure, which isn’t currently available on any other wearable fitness tracker. Whoop’s patent-pending technology estimates systolic and diastolic readings from other cardiac measurements that the tracker takes. The wearable itself is now 7 percent smaller with up to 10x better power efficiency, and Whoop also offers new accessories, including a leather band. Finally, there are also three different pricing levels for the subscription, which range from Whoop One at $199, Whoop Peak at $239 per year, and Whoop Life, which offers medical-grade insights at $359 per year.
This announcement is not great news for everyone. Part of the deal with Whoop is that the hardware is included in the hefty subscription fee. To upgrade to the new hardware, existing Whoop users will now have to cough up, either by committing to a new 12-month membership or paying a one-time upgrade fee. Still, if Whoop really can take an accurate blood-pressure reading from your wrist, the company will be the first; Apple has been working on a similar feature on the Apple Watch for years. It’s still the only wearable that you can wear anywhere on your body, at any time, so for that reason alone, we are excited to test. —Adrienne So
Oura Releases Two New Metabolic Features
Photograph: Oura
One of the biggest trends I’ve seen in the past year is the prevalence of blood sugar sensors, which ping you when your blood sugar spikes and tell you how to eat all day. Late last year, Dexcom (which makes the Stelo sensor) announced a partnership with Oura, the makers of our favorite smart ring. This week, you can now purchase a Stelo biosensor from Oura and check your blood sugar readings in the Oura app. Just click on the sidebar and click Glucose.
After several months of testing, the Meals feature will now be a permanent part of the Oura app as well. Just take or upload photos of your meal, and Oura’s AI will analyze it and break it down into key nutritional elements like protein, fiber, and added sugars. I myself have had the Meals feature for half a year now and have trouble using it regularly; having mostly ignored the Instagram food-blogging era, I tend to eat food before I take a picture of it. However, the biosensor is remarkably effective at making sure I eat enough protein and fiber, even if it’s a bit nerve-wracking. And if you’re already an Oura ring wearer, it’s extremely convenient not to have to click on two separate apps to see all your health metrics. —Adrienne So
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