It’s always exciting to see what excites people during keynotes. There are the usual marquees that make the biggest headlines. This week at WWDC 2024, that award went to Apple Intelligence. Often, though, it’s the smaller items a presenter chooses to gloss over that really set people off.
The arrival of Calculator for iPad got the biggest pre-AI pop of the event. Even before the company showed off its impressive equation-solving capabilities, the mere mention of the app sent the crowd into a frenzy. Sometimes delayed gratification is enough.
As surprised as I am to admit it, the most exciting non-AI news came during the watchOS segment. It’s something I’ve been asking Apple for for several years, fueled by my own health struggles and the fact that I’ve somehow managed to contract COVID four times so far.
The ability to pause your activity rings is a small feature update for most, but for those of us who obsess over such things to an unhealthy degree, it’s the best Apple Watch update in years. If you’re down with a cold, on an international flight, or find yourself shaking your wrist violently at 9 p.m. just to finish closing your rings, you can pause progress through the Watch or through the connected iPhone app.
There are many options for pausing: You can do it for a day, a day of the week, or for whole months at a time. The system will still collect your measurements, but if you fail to reach the number that would normally close your ring, you will not lose your streak.
WatchOS 11 brings further ringtone customization, allowing you to adjust your goals daily. If, for example, you use Sunday as a recovery day for marathon training, you can lower your exercise goal. Once entered, that will be the target for that day of the week until it is changed again.
Mostly, though, I’m excited that I won’t have to do 30 minutes of exercise when I inevitably contract COVID for the fifth time.
