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First Apple Watch software update improves third-party apps, fitness tracking, and more

The first Apple Watch software update is now available to download. The update brings improvements to third-party app performance, fitness tracking, and more. Here's everything you need to know and how to update your Watch.

The Apple Watch came out in late April, but it’s already getting its first software update. Watch OS 1.0.1 brings several key performance improvements to the wearable, including third-party app fixes, improved fitness tracking, and more.

One of the main complaints early adopters had about the Watch was the poor performance of third-party apps. The update claims to fix the many bugs and slow loading problems that most apps suffered from on the Watch. Issues with Siri are also said to be resolved, emojis have been added, and many more languages are supported on the device, including Brazilian Portuguese, Danish, Dutch, Swedish, Russian, Thai, and Turkish.

Most of the other updates address fitness and activity tracking. The log says that the Watch will more accurately measure stand activity, calculate calories for indoor cycling and rowing workouts, as well as distance and pace for outdoor walk and run workouts.

The update itself is relatively small in size, coming in at just 51.6MB. You can download the update by doing the following:

The update may take some time to download, so be patient. Once it’s done, you can strap your Watch back onto your wrist and keep an eye out for performance improvements — especially with those pesky third-party apps.

The first update looks to be a minor one without any huge changes or new features. However, a report from mid-May hints that Apple may have much more planned for its Watch in the future, including opening up more of the OS to developers, so that they can optimize their Watch apps further.

The OnePlus Buds Clip are a new pair of open-ear earbuds built around a simple convenience. They join Sony’s LinkBuds Clip in the growing ear-cuff category, but either OnePlus bud can go on either ear.

Sensors recognize how the earbuds are being worn and route the audio channels accordingly. There’s no label to check before putting them on, and the feature also works when only one bud is used.

We buy fitness bands and activity trackers to keep tabs on our exercise, but it is easy to forget to start tracking or switch modes when moving between different activities. For Fitbit and Pixel Watch users, that could soon become a lot less annoying, as Google is rolling out a major upgrade to automatic activity tracking that can recognize more than 100 types of exercise, up from just 10 before.

Google first showed off the improved tracking earlier this month alongside the Fitbit Edge. It is now coming to Fitbit Air and the Pixel Watch 3, 4, and 5, and Google claims the added context behind the system makes workout detection nearly twice as accurate while cutting missed activities by more than half. Fitbit Edge will support it too.