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9 great reads from CNET this week: Fitness trackers, iMessage issues, the climate crisis and more

Why all that fitness data you're getting may be too much of a good thing. Plus: The trouble with those Apple iMessage green bubbles, growing calls for climate disaster reparations, and other top topics.

CNET News staff
2 min read

You track your heartbeat, your blood oxygen levels, your sleep patterns with almost no effort at all. The data's all right there in your Apple Watch or your Fitbit, yours to check whenever you want. You're trying to stay in tip-top shape, or to catch an early warning sign of something out of whack with your body.

It used to be, that was the job of your doctor or trainer. Now you're your own physician's assistant, and that's where things get complicated. "I do get nervous," Dr. Devin Mann tells CNET's Lisa Eadicicco, about the clinical types of data you're now seeing, "because the conditions tied to those data types are a little scarier, and people get scared easier." For her in-depth report, she spoke with medical professionals, fitness device makers and anxious gadget users. You can read it below.

That story is among the many in-depth features and thought-provoking commentaries that appeared on CNET this week. So here you go. These are the stories you don't want to miss.

Smartwatches, fitness bands aren't medical devices but are starting to act like them

The line is blurring as wearables become more advanced. And it's only getting more complicated.

Illustration showing a smartwatch tracking fitness data
Zooey Liao/CNET

It's not about the green bubbles, Apple 

Commentary: Apple's iMessage green bubble issues are about far more than group chats and emojis.  

iPhone 11 and iMessages
Jason Cipriani/CNET

'Heartbreaking' loss: Climate crisis spurs push for compensation

Amid the ravages of climate change, hard-hit lands look to wealthy nations for funds. 

Climate loss family portrait
Naomi Antonino/CNET

Omicron throws travel for a loop once again 

Getting on a plane, a train or a ship will likely remain complicated in 2022. 

A commuter jet takes off from a runway
Greg Bajor/Getty Images

The Leica M11 is the most beautiful camera I will never buy 

Almost $9,000 and with no autofocus, stabilization or video recording. Leica fans should love it. 

Leica M11 camera
Andrew Hoyle/CNET

What is 'twee' and why is TikTok debating its return? 

To twee or not to twee, that is the question. 

Zooey Deschanel in New Girl
Fox / Contributor

Crypto airdrop season: Why people are making thousands for 'free'

Crypto and NFT traders are getting airdrop after airdrop of "free" tokens. Here's why.

Cryptocurrency coins
NurPhoto/Getty

QR code scams on the rise. Think twice before you scan 

Cybercriminals are increasingly using malicious QR codes to trick consumers.

Illustration of a QR code with a thief in the center
Getty

Quit watching movies and TV shows you don't like

You aren't loving it, so just hit the Stop button and be done with it.   

John Cho as Spike Spiegel in Cowboy Bebop
Netflix
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.