Sleep specialist Roy Raymann leaves Apple in tandem with Beddit takeover
An important sleep research expert, Dr. Roy J.E.M. Raymann, appears to have quietly left Apple last month, just ahead of the company's Beddit acquisition.
Raymann reportedly joined Apple in January 2014, a move confirmed by his LinkedIn profile. Previously he led a sleep research program at Philips.
Around that time, Raymann was thought to have been hired to work on the unreleased Apple Watch, or at least on iOS 8's Health app. The latter part seems to have been true, since his profile mentions work on HealthKit and ResearchKit, as well as iOS 10's Bedtime feature, and the Night Shift display technology in iOS and macOS.
His recent departure was noted by MobiHealthNews. Raymann is now serving as the vice president of Sleep Science and Scientific Affairs at SleepScore Labs.
Apple's surprise Beddit takeover may have been in response to losing Raymann, or alternately, Raymann may have left because of the impending deal.
Regardless, Apple is likely hoping to integrate native sleep tracking into the Apple Watch. While third-party apps are available, watchOS omits the feature -- presumably because current Watch models don't have enough battery life to last a full day and night. Fitness trackers from the likes of Garmin, Polar, and Fitbit do have sleep functions.
Extra battery life has been rumored for the "Apple Watch Series 3," predicted to ship later this year. It's not clear what other features the device might have, but one rumor has been LTE, which would let it run independently from an iPhone.
Raymann reportedly joined Apple in January 2014, a move confirmed by his LinkedIn profile. Previously he led a sleep research program at Philips.
Around that time, Raymann was thought to have been hired to work on the unreleased Apple Watch, or at least on iOS 8's Health app. The latter part seems to have been true, since his profile mentions work on HealthKit and ResearchKit, as well as iOS 10's Bedtime feature, and the Night Shift display technology in iOS and macOS.
His recent departure was noted by MobiHealthNews. Raymann is now serving as the vice president of Sleep Science and Scientific Affairs at SleepScore Labs.
Apple's surprise Beddit takeover may have been in response to losing Raymann, or alternately, Raymann may have left because of the impending deal.
Regardless, Apple is likely hoping to integrate native sleep tracking into the Apple Watch. While third-party apps are available, watchOS omits the feature -- presumably because current Watch models don't have enough battery life to last a full day and night. Fitness trackers from the likes of Garmin, Polar, and Fitbit do have sleep functions.
Extra battery life has been rumored for the "Apple Watch Series 3," predicted to ship later this year. It's not clear what other features the device might have, but one rumor has been LTE, which would let it run independently from an iPhone.
Comments
What is Donald doing with his left hand?
Most people think of sleep as "resting" -- as in resting your tired brain and/or muscles.
But, research is showing that it is far more than simple resting and, can not only affect many areas of health, but is as necessary for life as food or water.
Increasingly medical researchers are creating sleep labs to identify and diagnose sleep problems and, in a few cases, providing medical grade trackers for home use.
While admittedly, I am not knowledgeable in those medical grade devices, I have to believe that with the right sensors (including an Apple Watch), Apple could not duplicate anything a lab could do -- and conceivably do it better.
I'm sure Apple is a lot more ambitious than this. It's gonna be exciting!
When wearing a Watch it's charged every night, usually with plenty of juice left. Depending on my various workouts, the margin can get kind of slim. GPS takes a big hit on the battery (if I'm not using the phone).
What interests me would be the possibility of an always-on display. Others what to see cellular data and/or phone calls from the Watch. Either way, that's a lot of juice needed.
So where would the 'extra life' come from. More efficient silicon, more efficient wOS, bigger battery, better battery tech? It will be interesting to see what Apple does, and how.