Apple, the Blood Oxygen Sensor, and a Bit of Clever Lawyering

I was happy to see the blood oxygen sensor come back to the Apple Watch late last week. After months of being disabled due to a patent fight with Masimo, Apple turned it on again — but only after securing approval for a workaround that cleverly meets legal constraints.

On the surface, it looks like a technical switch was flipped. But as a retired lawyer, I can’t help but see the legal fingerprints all over this move. Apple had to disable the blood oxygen feature in the U.S. after the U.S. International Trade Commission ruled that the Watch infringed on Masimo’s patents. To comply, Apple stripped the feature from models sold in the U.S. (Although it remained working in my aging Ultra 1 Apple Watch.)

Now, the feature is back — but not in the way you might expect. Apple re-enabled blood oxygen monitoring with a twist: the Watch collects the data, and the iPhone does the processing. By moving that piece of the puzzle off the Watch, Apple sidestepped the specific infringement ruling.

This isn’t just engineering — it’s careful legal positioning. The patent claims were tied to how the Watch processed the data. Shift the processing elsewhere, and suddenly Apple isn’t doing the “infringing act” anymore.

For Watch owners, the difference is invisible. You tap your wrist, you get a blood oxygen reading, end of story. For those of us who follow the intersection of tech and law, it’s a fascinating example of how narrow definitions in a ruling can create space for a workaround.

Apple didn’t defy the order. They didn’t give up the feature, either. Instead, they found a precise middle path that kept them compliant and kept customers happy. Whoever cooked up that idea gets a gold star in my book.

The blood oxygen sensor is a valuable addition to the Apple Watch. A few months ago I was feeling sick and scheduled a phone appointment with my doctor. She asked during the call if I had the ability to give her my blood oxygen rate (and I did!). That actually helped figure things out.

As a lawyer, I admire the elegance. As a Watch owner, I’m just glad the feature’s back.

The Alleged TechWoven Case

As we approach the new iPhone release next week, we’re now getting rumors of a new case material, TechWoven. This seems like a successor to the failed FineWoven material (which wasn’t very good), which was a successor to the leather iPhone case.

The new case material, if true, looks like texture similar to that on the Peak Design phone case. I hope this is for real.

Mac Power Users 810: Unlocking PowerPhotos with Brian Webster

Brian Webster is the developer behind Fat Cat Software, home of PowerPhotos. The Mac app gives users a wide range of extra controls and tools to manage their Photos library. On this episode of Mac Power Users, Brian chats with Stephen and me about the app and its features.

This episode of Mac Power Users is sponsored by:

  • Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code MPU.
  • Indeed: Join more than 3.5 million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast.

Lisa Browser-Based Simulator

Back in the day, the Apple Lisa was a mythical computer that those of us with paper routes dreamed of. It’s asking price of $9,995 scales up to about $31,000 2025 dollars. While I’m too much of a minimalist to keep old Macs around, I do like tinkering in their operating systems and the recent crop of browser-based simulators scratches exactly that itch. And now there is an excellent one for the Lisa.

When playing with it you’ll notice how, when you move windows, you just see an outline of the window. That, boys and girls, is how these things worked “back in the day” when computers didn’t have much graphics processing power.

Daylite Mail Now Available in Open Beta

If you’ve been looking for a way to make your email work better with your business workflow, there’s some interesting news from Marketcircle. Their Daylite platform—a CRM and project management system designed specifically for Mac and iOS—now includes a dedicated Mail component that’s entered open beta.

The new Daylite Mail takes Daylite’s integration concept and applies it directly to your inbox. Instead of treating email as a separate silo, it pulls your messages into the broader Daylite ecosystem where they automatically connect to contacts, projects, and opportunities.

Rather than relying on flags, folders, and filters to stay organized, Daylite Mail automatically links your messages to the relevant people and projects in your system. The system also includes a Priority Inbox that highlights emails connected to your business activities, helping you focus on what actually matters.

Since this is still in open beta, it’s a good time to take a look if you’re already in the Daylite ecosystem or considering it. You can learn more about Daylite Mail and sign up for the beta on their website.