Apple Watch Ban, Beijing's Extreme Chill, Mariah's Record Smash

Just reporting the facts.

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Centrist Chronicle
December 28, 2023

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The ongoing prohibition on the sale of two leading smartwatch models from Apple is set to continue after US trade authorities upheld a patent infringement ruling. This decision, which was not overturned by the Biden administration, impacts the availability of the Series 9 and Ultra 2 models in the US market.

Masimo, a health technology firm based in California, accused Apple of misappropriating its patented technology used for light-based blood oxygen measurement. This technology assesses blood oxygen levels by examining light reflections from the wrist. Masimo also alleged that Apple, initially showing interest in incorporating their technology into its smartwatches, opted instead to recruit key Masimo personnel to create a similar technology internally.

Following this ruling, it has been reported that Apple, which lodged an appeal, is considering modifications to the data collection and processing methods of its watches. These changes could potentially serve as a solution to comply with the legal decision.


In recent days, much of China has experienced a notable thaw, with temperatures rising above the freezing point for the first time after several weeks. This change marks the end of what is being called the most intense cold wave the nation has seen in seventy years. In the capital city of Beijing, the mercury had not risen above 0 degrees Celsius since December 11. Meanwhile, some areas in northeastern China experienced extreme cold, with temperatures plummeting to as low as minus 40 degrees, a figure that's identical in both Celsius and Fahrenheit scales.

Experts are looking at a possible weakening of the polar vortex—a fluctuation in the jet stream encircling the Arctic—as the primary cause of this phenomenon. This irregularity allows extremely cold air from the Earth's north pole to move southward. A similar event occurred in 2021, leading to harsh winter conditions that extended all the way to Texas in the United States, resulting in the tragic loss of nearly 250 lives.

These frigid conditions add to a string of recent abnormal weather patterns in the region. Beijing set new heat records over 27 consecutive days last summer, and the northeastern part of China witnessed its most significant rainfall in 140 years.


Mariah Carey's iconic holiday tune, "All I Want for Christmas Is You," continues to make history nearly three decades after its debut.

A recent report on December 25th from TMZ disclosed that this festive anthem has set a new benchmark for the most streams in a single day on Spotify, achieving this milestone on Christmas Eve. On Saturday, December 24th, this track, crafted by Carey and Walter Afanasieff, amassed an impressive 23,701,697 plays on the noted streaming service. This number surpasses Carey's own previous high of 21,273,357 streams recorded on the same date. Furthermore, the report highlighted the song's steady rise in popularity, noting a significant jump from over 17.2 million streams in 2020.