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 Connections puzzlehas some fun categories. I thought the yellow one was pretty creative, and the blue one was just fun for a TV watcher like me. 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. And players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including 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 TimeHints for today's Connections groupsHere 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: Bummed out.Green group hint: Fly free.Blue group hint: Brady is another one.Purple group hint: Think the 11th letter of the alphabet.Answers for today's Connections groupsYellow group: DejectedGreen group: Birds that are verbsBlue group: TV comedy familiesPurple group: Words after "K"Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English WordsWhat are today's Connections answers? The completed NYT Connections puzzle for Feb. 2, 2025 #602. NYT/Screenshot by CNETThe yellow words in today's ConnectionsThe theme is dejected. The four answers are blue, down, hangdog and sorry.The green words in today's ConnectionsThe theme is birds that are verbs. The four answers are duck, grouse, hawk and swallow.The blue words in today's ConnectionsThe theme is TV comedy families. The four answers are Griffin, Munster, Partridge and Pickles.The purple words in today's ConnectionsThe theme is words after "K." The four answers are mart, pop, street and Swiss.

Looking for the most recent Wordle answer?Click here for today's Wordle hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.Today'sWordle puzzleshouldn't be too tough. It's a familiar word with very common letters. But if you're stumped, read on for hints and the answer to today's Wordle puzzle. Today's Wordle hints Before we show you today'sWordleanswer, we'll give you some hints. If you don't want a spoiler, look away now.Wordle hint No. 1: RepeatsToday's Wordle answer has no repeated letters.Wordle hint No. 2: VowelsThere are two vowels in today's Wordle answer.Wordle hint No. 3: Start letterToday's Wordle answer begins with the letter CWordle hint No. 4: EndingToday's Wordle answer ends in a vowel.Wordle hint No. 5: MeaningToday's Wordle answer may refer to a routine household task.TODAY'S WORDLE ANSWERToday's Wordle answer is CHORE.Yesterday's Wordle answerYesterday's Wordle answer, Feb. 1, No. 1323, was RIVET.Recent Wordle answersJan. 28, No. 1319: FEVERJan. 29, No. 1320: UDDERJan. 30, No. 1321: FALSEJan. 31, No. 1322: TOAST

submitted by /u/tommos [link] [comments]

Mandate It seems the FAA office overseeing SpaceXs Starship probe still has some bite The political winds have shifted in Washington, but the FAA hasn't yet changed its tune on Starship. Stephen Clark Feb 1, 2025 4:05 pm | 28 Liftoff of SpaceX's seventh full-scale test flight of the Super Heavy/Starship launch vehicle on January 16. Credit: SpaceX Liftoff of SpaceX's seventh full-scale test flight of the Super Heavy/Starship launch vehicle on January 16. Credit: SpaceX Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreThe seventh test flight of SpaceX's gigantic Starship rocket came to a disappointing end a little more than two weeks ago. The in-flight failure of the rocket's upper stage, or ship, about eight minutes after launch on January 16 rained debris over the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Atlantic Ocean.Amateur videos recorded from land, sea, and air showed fiery debris trails streaming overhead at twilight, appearing like a fireworks display gone wrong. Within hours, posts on social media showed small pieces of debris recovered by residents and tourists in the Turks and Caicos. Most of these items were modest in size, and many appeared to be chunks of tiles from Starship's heat shield.Unsurprisingly, the Federal Aviation Administration grounded Starship and ordered an investigation into the accident on the day after the launch. This decision came three days before the inauguration of President Donald Trump. Elon Musk's close relationship with Trump, coupled with the new administration's appetite for cutting regulations and reducing the size of government, led some industry watchers to question whether Musk's influence might change the FAA's stance on SpaceX.So far, the FAA hasn't budged on its requirement for an investigation, an agency spokesperson told Ars on Friday. After a preliminary assessment of flight data, SpaceX officials said a fire appeared to develop in the aft section of the ship before it broke apart and fell to Earth."The FAA has directed SpaceX to lead an investigation of the Starship Super Heavy Flight 7 mishap with FAA oversight," the spokesperson said. "Based on the investigation findings for root cause and corrective actions, the FAA may require a company to modify its license."This is much the same language the FAA used two weeks ago, when it first ordered the investigation.Damage reportThe FAA's Office of Commercial Space Transportation is charged with ensuring commercial space launches and reentries don't endanger the public, and requires launch operators obtain liability insurance or demonstrate financial ability to cover any third-party property damages.For each Starship launch, the FAA requires SpaceX maintain liability insurance policies worth at least $500 million for such claims. It's rare for debris from US rockets to fall over land during a launch. This would typically only happen if a launch failed at certain parts of the flight. And there's no public record of any claims of third-party property damage in the era of commercial spaceflight. Under federal law, the USgovernment would pay for damages to a much higher amount if any claims exceeded a launch company's insurance policies.The good news is there were no injuries or reports of significant damage from the wreckage that fell over the Turks and Caicos. "The FAA confirmed one report of minor damage to a vehicle located in South Caicos," an FAA spokesperson told Ars on Friday. "To date, there are no other reports of damage."It's not clear if the vehicle owner in South Caicos will file a claim against SpaceX for the damage. It would the first time someone makes such a claim related to an accident with a commercial rocket overseen by the FAA. Last year, a Florida homeowner submitted a claim to NASA for damage to his house from a piece of debris that fell from the International Space Station.Nevertheless, the Turks and Caicos government said local officials met with representatives from SpaceX and the UK Air Accident Investigations Branch on January 25 to develop a recovery plan for debris that fell on the islands, which are a British Overseas Territory.A prickly relationshipMusk often bristled at the FAA last year, especially after regulators proposed fines of more than $600,000 alleging that SpaceX violated terms of its launch licenses during two Falcon 9 missions. The alleged violations involved the relocation of a propellant farm at one of SpaceX's launch pads in Florida, and the use of a new launch control center without FAA approval.In a post on X, Musk said the FAA was conducting "lawfare" against his company. "SpaceX will be filing suit against the FAA for regulatory overreach," Musk wrote.There was no such lawsuit, and the issue may now be moot. Sean Duffy, Trump's new secretary of transportation, vowed to review the FAA fines during his confirmation hearing in the Senate. It is rare for the FAA to fine launch companies, and the fines last year made up the largest civil penalty ever imposed by the FAA's commercial spaceflight division.SpaceX also criticized delays in licensing Starship test flights last year. The FAA cited environmental issues and concerns about the extent of the sonic boom from Starship's 23-story-tall Super Heavy booster returning to its launch pad in South Texas. SpaceX successfully caught the returning first stage booster at the launch pad for the first time in October, and repeated the feat after the January 16 test flight.What separates the FAA's ongoing oversight of Starship's recent launch failure from these previous regulatory squabbles is that debris fell over populated areas. This would appear to be directly in line with the FAA's responsibility for public safety.During last month's test flight, Starship did not deviate from its planned ground track, which took the rocket over the Gulf of Mexico, the waters between Florida and Cuba, and then the Atlantic Ocean. But the debris field extended beyond the standard airspace closure for the launch. After the accident, FAA air traffic controllers cleared additional airspace over the debris zone for more than an hour, rerouting, diverting, and delaying dozens of commercial aircraft.These actions followed pre-established protocols. However, it highlighted the small but non-zero risk of rocket debris falling to Earth after a launch failure. "The potential for a bad day downrange just got real," Lori Garver, a former NASA deputy administrator, posted on X.Public safety is not sole mandate of the FAA's commercial space office. It is also chartered to "encourage, facilitate, and promote commercial space launches and reentries by the private sector," according to an FAA website. There's a balance to strike.Lawmakers last year urged the FAA to speed up its launch approvals, primarily because Starship is central to strategic national objectives. NASA has contracts with SpaceX to develop a variant of Starship to land astronauts on the Moon, and Starship's unmatched ability to deliver more than 100 tons of cargo to low-Earth orbit is attractive to the Pentagon.While Musk criticized the FAA in 2024, SpaceX officials in 2023 took a different tone, calling for Congress to increase the budget for the FAA's Office of Commercial Spaceflight and for the regulator to double the space division's workforce. This change, SpaceX officials argued, would allow the FAA to more rapidly assess and approve a fast-growing number of commercial launch and reentry applications.In September, SpaceX released a statement accusing the former administrator of the FAA, Michael Whitaker, of making inaccurate statements about SpaceX to a congressional subcommittee. In a different post on X, Musk directly called for Whitaker's resignation.That's exactly what happened. Whitaker, who took over the FAA's top job in 2023 under the Biden administration, announced in December he would resign on Inauguration Day. Since the agency's establishment in 1958, three FAA administrators have similarly resigned when a new administration takes power, but the office has been largely immune from presidential politics in recent decades. Since 1993, FAA administrators have stayed in their post during all presidential transitions.There's no evidence Whitaker's resignation had any role in the mid-air collision of an American Eagle passenger jet and a US Army helicopter Wednesday night near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. But his departure from the FAA less than two years into a five-year term on January 20 left the agency without a leader. Trump named Chris Rocheleau as the FAA's acting administrator Thursday.Next flight, next month?SpaceX has not released an official schedule for the next Starship test flight or outlined its precise objectives. However, it will likely repeat many of the goals planned for the previous flight, which ended before SpaceX could accomplish some of its test goals. These missed objectives included the release of satellite mockups in space for the first demonstration of Starship's payload deployment mechanism, and a reentry over the Indian Ocean to test new, more durable heat shield materials.The January 16 test flight was the first launch up an upgraded, slightly taller Starship, known as Version 2 or Block 2. The next flight will use the same upgraded version.A SpaceX filing with the Federal Communications Commission suggests the next Starship flight could launch as soon as February 24. Sources told Ars that SpaceX teams believe a launch before the end of February is realistic.But SpaceX has more to do before Flight 8. These tasks include completing the FAA-mandated investigation and the installation of all 39 Raptor engines on the rocket. Then, SpaceX will likely test-fire the booster and ship before stacking the two elements together to complete assembly of the 404-foot-tall (123.1-meter) rocket.SpaceX is also awaiting a new FAA launch license, pending its completion of the investigation into what happened on Flight 7.Stephen ClarkSpace ReporterStephen ClarkSpace Reporter Stephen Clark is a space reporter at Ars Technica, covering private space companies and the worlds space agencies. Stephen writes about the nexus of technology, science, policy, and business on and off the planet. 28 Comments

A senior U.S. lawmaker says representatives of Elon Musk were granted full access to a U.S. Treasury payments system used to disperse trillions of dollars to Americans each year, and warned that Musks access to the system poses a national security risk.Sen. Ron Wyden, a Democratic senator from Oregon and ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, said in a post on Bluesky on Saturday that sources told his office Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent gave Musks team, known as the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, authorization to access the highly sensitive Treasury system on Friday. The authorization comes following a standoff earlier in the week, in which the Treasurys highest-ranking career official left the department following requests from Musks team for access to the system.Social Security and Medicare benefits, grants, payments to government contractors, including those that compete directly with Musks own companies. All of it, wrote Wyden in the post, referring to DOGEs access.The New York Times also reported that Bessent granted DOGE access to the Treasurys payment system on Friday. One of the DOGE representatives granted access is said to be Tom Krause, the chief executive of Cloud Software Group, which owns Citrix and several other companies. Krause did not return TechCrunchs request for comment. A spokesperson for the Treasury did not comment when emailed Saturday.This is the latest effort by Musk and his associates to take over the inner workings of the U.S. federal government following President Trumps return to office on January 20. Following his inauguration, Trump immediately ordered Musk to begin making widespread cuts to federal government spending.The system run by the Treasurys Bureau of the Fiscal Service controls the disbursements of around $6 trillion in federal funds to American households, including Social Security and Medicare benefits, tax refunds, and payments to U.S. federal employees and contractors, according to a letter written by Wyden and sent to Bessent a day earlier. Access to the payments system was historically limited to a few staff because it contains personal information about millions of Americans who receive payments from the federal government, per the Times.According to Wydens letter, the payments system simply cannot fail, and any politically-motivated meddling in them risks severe damage to our country and the economy.In his letter, Wyden said he was concerned that Musks extensive business operations in China endangers U.S. cybersecurity and creates conflicts of interest that make his access to these systems a national security risk.Last year, the Biden administration blamed China for a series of intrusions targeting U.S. critical infrastructure, the theft of senior American officials phone records during breaches of several U.S. phone and internet giants, and a breach of the Treasurys own systems late last year. Wyden, also a long-serving member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said it was unusual to be granting access to sensitive systems to an individual with such significant business interests in China.Several other federal departments are under scrutiny by DOGE, including the federal governments own human resources department, known as the Office of Personnel Management.Reuters reported on Friday that Musks representatives locked out career civil servants from computer systems, which contain the personal data and human resources files of millions of federal employees. The OPM was hacked in 2015, which the U.S. government later attributed to China, resulting in the theft of personnel records on more than 22 million U.S. government employees, including staff with security clearances.

X is now suing more advertisers in an antitrust lawsuit focusing on what the companys CEO Linda Yaccarino has claimed is a systematic illegal boycott.The company formerly known as Twitter first filed the lawsuit against the World Federation of Advertisers and its brand safety initiative the Global Alliance of Responsible Media in August 2024.Shortly afterwards, the WFA discontinued GARM, writing that recent allegations that unfortunately misconstrue its purpose and activities have caused a distraction and significantly drained its resources and finances. At the same time, the organizations CEO reportedly told members that it would fight the lawsuit and demonstrate our full adherence to competition rules in all our activities.X subsequently added advertisers including Twitch as defendants in the suit. Now, as initially reported by Business Insider, an amended complaint has expanded the suit even further to include Nestl, Abbott Laboratories, Colgate, Lego, Pinterest, Tyson Foods, and Shell.The complaint alleges that the WFA organized an advertiser boycott of Twitter through GARM, with the goal of coercing Twitter to comply with the GARM Brand Safety Standards to the satisfaction of GARM. And it claims that these efforts succeeded in harming Twitter/X, with at least 18 GARM-affiliated advertisers stopping their purchase of ads on Twitter between November and December 2022, and other advertisers substantially reducing their spending.The majority of Xs advertising revenue today comes from small- and medium-sized businesses that are not GARM members or clients of GARM-member advertising agencies, the complaint says. As demand for advertising on X has declined as a result of the boycott, the price Xs remaining advertisers are willing to pay has declined as well.In fact, the lawsuit claims that ad prices on X remain well below those charged by Xs closest competitors in the social media advertising market, so by refraining from purchasing advertising from X, boycotting advertisers are forgoing a valuable opportunity to purchase low-priced advertising inventory on a platform with brand safety that meets or exceeds industry standards.The lawsuit isnt the only place where executives have offered a pessimistic assessment of Xs business. The companys owner Elon Musk reportedly told employees in January that user growth is stagnant, revenue is unimpressive, and were barely breaking even.

Medical Data Breach text write on keyboard isolated on laptop backgroundgettyOn Jan. 30, Community Health Center, Inc. revealed that a data breach incident exposed the sensitive personal and health information of over one million individuals. This breach has heightened concerns about data security in the healthcare sector, where cyberattacks are becoming alarmingly frequent.The Scope of the Data BreachCHC, a leading organization providing primary healthcare services in the United States, experienced a cybersecurity breach onThe organization states that it responded immediately by enlisting cybersecurity experts to investigate and secure its systems. CHC claims the attack was contained within hours, but the data exposed during the breach could have wide-reaching consequences for patients, their guarantors, and even deceased individuals whose medical records were accessed.What Information Was Exposed By The Data Beach ?Based on reports provided to affected individuals, the categories of compromised data include:Personal details: Names, addresses, phone numbers and emails.Sensitive identifiers: Social Security numbers.Medical information: Diagnoses, treatment data, test results and health insurance information.Financial data: Billing details for patients and guarantors.Data related to those who received COVID-19 tests and vaccinations at CHC facilities was also part of the breach. Exposed information varies by individual but includes personal and medical records of current and former patients, guardians of minors and deceased individuals.MORE FOR YOUThe Response from CHCCHC announced that they had implemented immediate measures to secure their systems and prevent further unauthorized access. Additionally, CHC made the following commitments:Free identity protection services: Affected individuals are being offered free 24-month IDX identity theft protection services, including credit monitoring, CyberScan monitoring, and identity recovery assistance.Enhanced cybersecurity measures: The organization claims to have strengthened its defenses and implemented special monitoring tools to prevent similar incidents in the future.Timeline of Events:Jan. 2, 2025: CHC detected unusual activity in its systems, launched an investigation, and stopped the hacker's access.Jan. 30, 2025: Formal notification letters were sent to affected individuals, outlining the nature of the breach and recommended steps to protect their data.Ongoing: CHC continues to address the aftermath of the breach, including providing support to those impacted.Legal and Regulatory ImplicationsThe breach has raised concerns about CHCs compliance with federal regulations like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, which mandates strict safeguards for protected health information , or PHI. Regulatory authorities are expected to investigate CHCs data security practices and assess whether any violations occurred.Lessons for the Healthcare SectorThe CHC breach highlights the urgent need for stronger cybersecurity measures in the healthcare industry, a sector frequently targeted by cybercriminals due to its reliance on sensitive data. In general, healthcare organizations should adopt best practices such as:Multi-factor authentication (MFA): To ensure that only authorized users can access sensitive systems.Encryption of data at rest and in transit: To reduce the impact of any potential breaches.Proactive employee training: Cybersecurity awareness training should be a priority for all healthcare staff.Regular audits and updates: Organizations must consistently review and update their systems to address vulnerabilities.Steps for Affected Individuals in the CHC Data BreachIf you received a notification regarding the Community Health Center, Inc. data breach, heres what you can do to protect yourself:Enroll in Free Identity Protection ServicesCHC has partnered with IDX to provide affected individuals with 24 months of free identity protection services, including:Credit and CyberScan monitoring.$1,000,000 Identity Theft Insurance.Identity recovery assistance.You can enroll by:Visiting the website: https://response.idx.us/CommunityHealthCenter.Using the unique enrollment code included in your notification letter.Scanning the QR code provided in the letter.Calling IDX at 1-877-229-9277 between the hours of 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.Enrollment Deadline: Apr. 30, 2025.Monitor Your Credit Reports and Bank StatementsReview account statements and monitor your credit reports for unusual or unauthorized activity.Obtain your free annual credit report from the three major credit bureausEquifax, Experian and TransUnionat www.annualcreditreport.com or by calling 1-877-322-8228.Report Suspicious Activity ImmediatelyIf you notice any unusual transactions or suspect identity theft, contact IDX immediately for assistance.You can also file a report with the Federal Trade Commission, or FTC, at https://www.identitytheft.gov or call 1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338).Special Steps for Parents, Guardians And Next of KinIf you received the letter as a parent, guardian, or next of kin, enroll on behalf of a minor or deceased individual using the enrollment code provided in the letter.This data breach at Community Health Center, Inc. is a sobering reminder of the persistent threats facing healthcare organizations. While CHC is now working to mitigate the damage, the incident underscores the importance of investing in robust cybersecurity frameworks to protect patients, guardians and families.CHC has been contacted for comment concerning the data breach. This article will be updated accordingly when they respond.

Google is locking down Android GettyGoogles Android lockdown is now in full flight, as the once footloose mobile OS becomes ever more like the more buttoned-down iPhone. Whether its clamping down on sideloading or older phones or poor-quality apps or stolen devices, narrowing the security and privacy gap to Apple seems to have become the primary focus.And so it is with the latest reveal, spotted first by 9to5Google, with a major change to the Google Prompt that verifies its you when you log into your account on your phone. Google Prompt is a pretty good 2-factor authentication (2FA) option for the vast majority of users, with Google now adding fingerprint or PIN authentication to the process. Over the past few days, weve started noticing an extra step after tapping Yes, its me on the fullscreen Are you trying to sign in Google Prompt.This security fronts your Google account, and backs up simple device security with something more robust when accessing your account itself or performing a sensitive task. The idea as with other defenses such as theft protection is that simple control over a device through a stolen PIN is not enough to do the most serious damage.Google Prompt at workGoogleMORE FOR YOUAccording to Android Authority, any time more steps are added to a process, you can expect that process to take a little longer. Fortunately, something like scanning your finger or entering your PIN can be done pretty quickly. A few extra seconds is a fair trade for an additional layer of security.And while this is coming to your Android phone courtesy of Google Play Services version 25.02.34, iPhone users are not exempt. Google Account users on iOS should start seeing the change as well, Android Authority says. Instead of Play Services, the Google app or Gmail is responsible for the prompt on iOS.Google recommends Google prompts instead of text message (SMS) verification codes, given that a signed-in, trusted device ecosystem with biometric security is much more secure than any form of messages 2FA combined with a username and password. Its the same reason passkeys are set to become the norm.The prompt method also can provide messages on other signed-in devices when a link attempt is made, enabling a much faster lockdown in the event of an unauthorized attempt. The latest security update should be welcomed by all.

Table of ContentsTable of ContentsHow can smartwatches assist?Fixing sedentary behaviorSleep, obesity, and nutritionWhat experts sayThe American Heart Association just released its 2025 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics Update report with some critically important stats. It mentions that heart-related diseases, which are on an upward trajectory across the globe, are the leading cause of death in the U.S.The findings, which have been published in the Circulation journal, note that thousands of people die of cardiovascular disease in the country each day. The toll is so high that heart-related deaths account for more than the combined number of cancer-related and road accident casualties.Recommended VideosThe report also highlights the rise in related kidney disease cases, both in the U.S. and worldwide. Here are some other stats with links to the heart woes of Americans, as detailed in the 620-page report:High blood pressure affects nearly 47% of U.S. adults.Nearly 42% of U.S. adults are obese, and more than 72% fall into the unhealthy weight class. For children, those numbers stand at 40% and 20%, respectively.Roughly 57% of American adults are living with Type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes.So, how exactly can the best smartwatches play a role in such a grim situation?RelatedThey can play a complementary role as tools that encourage and help track healthy habits such as physical activity, heart rate during activity, and sleep habits in several ways: to the extent such tools are actively and accurately providing health insights as part of the data collection/dashboarding, patients/individuals can become more aware of their health/body and the things that drive the outputs from these wearables, Eduardo Sanchez, M.D., FAHA, Chief Medical Officer for Prevention for the American Heart Association, tells Digital Trends.Joe Maring / Digital TrendsNotably, at multiple points in the comprehensive report, experts mention the role and impact of wearable devices in alleviating the burden of cardiovascular health (CVH) and related deaths. For example, as part of the AHAs updated Metrics for Measurement and Quantitative Assessment of CVH, doctors suggest using sleep data provided by wearable devices.A majority of smartwatches and even smart ringsout there can provide a detailed breakdown of an individuals sleep habits. For example, the Apple Watch can offer a breakdown of REM, Core, and Deep sleep stages. And so can the latest watches from Samsung and Google.Circular JournalThe Apple smartwatch, for example, also shows a sleep history and ties it with corresponding heart rate and respiratory rate data. You can find technical details about Apples methodology here. Next, we have sleep apnea, which affects hundreds of millions across the world and ties into the pattern of poor sleep affecting cardiac health.Samsungs smartwatches have already received clearance for sleep apnea detection, and Apple is rumored to serve that feature soon. A dangerous condition on its own, the latest report also cites diverse research linking sleep apnea with serious blood pressure and cardiovascular problems, such as Atrial Fibrillation.AppleNotably, the smartwatch players have made brisk progress in the aforementioned niches, as well. Apple was the first to bring an AFib warning facility to mainstream smartwatches. Samsung and Fitbit have also received regulatory nodes for offering AFib detection on their respective smartwatches.For the masses, who lack proper knowledge of cardiac and respiratory issues, I would still recommend commercially available devices such as the Apple Watch, says Dr. Ahmad Ghayas Ansari, DM (Cardiology) at the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology.A good thing about this approach is that all the data is recorded and you can directly share it with your treating physician or consulting doctor. It saves crucial time and opens record-keeping avenues for future reuse, he adds, citing his own experience with using a mass-market ECG device to keep an eye on his mothers heart health.A sedentary lifestyle is an open invitation to ailments, heart illnesses being just one among them. The latest AHA report, citing a meta-analysis of over a dozen peer-reviewed research papers, mentions that a sedentary way of life is associated with an increased risk of fatal cardiovascular diseases.One study from Taiwan, which had nearly half a million participants, pointed out that users who spend more time sitting at a desk had a 34% higher chance of contracting cardiovascular diseases.Circular JournalConversely, over two dozen studies have cleared that increasing the intensity of physical activities can significantly improve cardiovascular health, lower the risk of vascular cognitive impairment, and deliver cardiometabolic health benefits.Citing the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys data, the report says if adults over the age of 40 years increased their moderate to intense-level physical activity by merely 10 minutes per day, roughly 110,000 deaths could be averted annually.Smartwatches and other mass-market wearables can help us change physical activity patterns in ways more than. For starters, one should follow the Stand Reminders on the Apple Watch, which periodically reminds users to stand up if it detects them sitting for the better part of an hour.AppleSimilar inactivity reminders can also be enabled on Samsungs Galaxy and Googles Pixel smartwatches. Third-party apps are also available for watchOS and Wear OS devices. Of course, if youre engaged in a more active lifestyle, a majority of smartwatches out there offer activity recognition for a wide range of workouts.You can partake in paid fitness programs, or just sign up for subscription-based products such as Apple Fitness+, bringing an entire fitness regimen and guidance to your wrist-worn wearable.Research conducted across the US, Europe, and Asia has given clear signs that poor or inadequate sleep increases the risks of cardiovascular diseases. Moreover, restful sleep was associated with a lowered risk of myocardial infarction.Andy Boxall / Digital TrendsAs per a study conducted in the UK, even a single point improvement in the sleep score was linked with lowered chances of heart failure. Sleep apnea also appeared in the research work conducted over the past couple of decades, especially its ties with hypertension, recurrent myocardial infarction, and hospitalization due to heart failure.Sleep often goes unreported as a less serious problem, but as per 2018 estimates, healthcare costs owing to sleep disorders alone accounted for roughly $94 billion in direct healthcare costs.Dr. Arif Waqar, a resident doctor with expertise in heart health, tells Digital Trends that if a patient can share detailed data about their sleep history and heart activity, we can easily spot the irregularities and get a better understanding of their health situation.Huawei Watch D2 can measure blood pressure levels using a stack integrated within the strap. HuaweiIts a matter of awareness. If you have all that valuable data, leverage it, he adds. Indeed, smartwatches can deliver a valuable bank of information that can help medical professionals make more informed decisions.Obesity, nutrition, and blood pressure are some of the other crucial factors that are tied to heart health. Save for a few exceptions like the Huawei Watch D and the Samsung Galaxy Watch, most smartwatches cant do much for the aforesaid woes.They, however, offer companion apps and dashboards where users can log their food and medicine intake, as they move forward with a healthy food intake route. For example, one can use the Apple Medications app to keep track of their medicine intake progress.AppleWhat is crucial, however, is sharing the data with a medical expert, a mistake that a majority of smartwatch users appear to be making. If patients are monitoring their blood pressure at home and notice its been going up over time, they may want to discuss it with their doctor sooner rather than waiting for their annual visit, explains Dr. Laxmi Mehta, an expert in heart diseases.Or they may capture some irregular heart rhythms on their devices, like atrial fibrillation, much sooner than would be diagnosed at the doctors office, adds Dr. Mehta, who currently serves as the Director of Preventative Cardiology and Womens Cardiovascular Health at the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center.Dr.Sanchez also shared similar sentiments. We can trust these devices at this time to help physicians and other clinical team members to nudge their patients to take an interest in adopting healthier habits and use the devices to track their activity, he tells Digital Trends.Nirave Gondhia / Digital TrendsHeart health issues are on a worrisome upward trajectory, but timely intervention and a vigilant eye using the wearables at our disposal can yield positive results in the long run. At least medical experts are positive about the innovations and their impact.Of course, there is always the standard line of caution, especially when it comes to putting too much trust in these wearables. These devices allow such data points to be readily shared with healthcare professionals, that may complement traditional in-office/clinical data. The goal is for the wearable to compliment, not replace, the information that patient is receiving from their healthcare professional, warns Dr. Sanchez from the American Heart Association.More diagnostic and disease management use of these devices is promising and but must be rigorously tested for safety and effectiveness. We need to be able to trust that the devices not only provide accurate data, but also that they provide timely, actionable feedback to the individual in a manner that they will understand, he adds.An Apple Watch saved my colleagues life following a heart attack in the prime of his youth. A smartwatch just might save yours, next!Editors Recommendations

My adult daughter told me she didn't want to hear my advice anymore, setting a boundary.I was impressed with her ability to set boundaries, and she has always been emotionally mature.I'm jealous of her ability to do that, but she is an inspiration to me."Mom, I'm going to give you an update on my life, but I don't want your advice because I won't take it anyway."My daughter effortlessly stated her well-articulated boundaries to me as she hopped in the car. I kind of laughed as I eagerly awaited the juicy details of her life as a confident, 21-year-old college student-athlete.Molly told me all about her friends, the hockey team, and her classes. She disclosed her desire to study abroad and her newfound love of Irish music, and of course, she dished any boy drama (or lack thereof) as always. I listened. We laughed.At the end of our conversation, her brave boundary-setting request was a success. She made something so hard, like setting a boundary, look and feel so damn easy. That's when I realized I was envious of her.My daughter often stepped up into the adult roleI often joke that my oldest daughter, Molly, was born an adult. From the moment she was born, she has been teaching me how to be a better person. For most of the years that she's been alive, she has been taking care of me.At first, I was an active alcoholic who could hardly take care of herself let alone her children. When I finally did get sober and didn't really know how to live without alcohol, Molly taught me.She doesn't know it and maybe she wasn't trying to, but she made the things that felt so hard to me look so easy.When her parents split and life changed from one house to two, she became a second parent to her siblings in both homes; she simply stepped up. Too much has fallen on her shoulders, yet she never wavers.She is calm in the chaos always. She is loving and patient always. She is a leader our leader and we lean on her (even though we shouldn't). Molly has always made everything look easy despite the fact that nothing in her life has ever truly been that. For as long as I can remember, I have looked up to her.Now she's taking steps I am too afraid to take"I don't want your advice." She said it with a smile, a pep, and well-deserved pride. She didn't say it rudely. I didn't feel rejected or less than, but I did feel jealous.It wasn't the first time I wished I could be more like Molly, but this time, it was so much more poignant. I wondered: How is it that my daughter has mastered the challenge of setting boundaries and I haven't? How had Molly learned this valuable lesson at such a young age? And how did she execute it so beautifully?I have been struggling with this my entire life so much so that I typically sacrifice my own wants and needs to avoid boundaries altogether, and that leads to resentment and anger, and whatever is the opposite of peace.The jealousy factor pops up a lot these days. Both of my young adult daughters have their lives ahead of them, and I'm at the point in life where I'm starting to look back. When I do, I realize that I have spent so much time being my own worst enemy because I am not comfortable doing what Molly did. I people-please first, avoid discomfort, and fear rejection.I feel jealous of my daughter, and I don't think that is a bad thingJealousy often has a negative connotation, but I know that the word also has roots in the word zlos, which means zeal. It is associated with words such as emulation, devotion, or ardor. This is what I often feel for Molly love, devotion, and a desire to emulate her.She shows me who I want to be maybe who I wish I had become sooner.When your kids are little, people always warn you about how quickly they grow up, but no one ever mentions how beautiful it is when that does happen.When our kids are young, we can be struck by how they want to be just like us, but we don't usually talk about how we might want to be more like them. We don't talk about jealousy, but maybe we should. Maybe parenting adults evokes jealousy jealousy in the more ancient sense of the term. And maybe this is the gift and beauty of parenting adult children: They show us who we want to be.