An Apple watch can even tell you what time it is. (Photo by Art Smith)

I must confess, I have been an Apple user for a long time, how long, 43 years long. I’ve burned through nearly 20 Macintoshes, a half dozen iPhones and one Apple Watch.

The Apple Watch does many things, and some of them can actually save your life. It monitors a variety of things about you, and gently lets you know when something is not right.

It is among a long list of wearable technology that both monitors things like steps and heart rate, but also analyzes that data to let you know what is up, comparing the now you to data recorded about you in the past. Some 57% of smart phone users in the United States use iPhones and the watch automatically syncs with your phone, with some phone apps providing additional information to the watch. Without the phone as its partner, the watch is well, pretty much just a watch.

I’ve had my third generation watch for four years now. I was not a watch wearer until then. I found they bothered me when I type so I never wore them. I plan on replacing it this fall not because it is worn out, but because the advancement in features makes it the logical thing to do. The next version will add blood pressure to the long list of things it keeps an eye on. For those of us who remember when apple just meant a fruit that you should consume once a day to keep the doctor away, it’s important to have as many things as possible to help us out.

Here are some ways an Apple Watch can help you lead a safer life.

When you are sleeping it will study how you sleep. Over time it will tell you if you have sleep apnea, a potentially dangerous condition. It does this by monitoring your heart rate, respiratory rate, wrist temperature, and sleep duration. My watch gets charged at night so there is no sleep data on me. Perhaps I should charge it at a different time. The watch does require nearly daily charging, which can be somewhat annoying.

It monitors your heart whenever you have it on and will let you know if things seem to be off. An abnormal rate when you are not moving around will trigger an alert. I had a family member that did require medical care following an alert on their watch.

It will produce an electrocardiogram that you can share with your doctor.

If you fall and are non-responsive afterwards it will call for help and give emergency responders your location. It will do the same if you have been in a car accident. A very handy tool if you or a loved one lives alone.

There are other features that simply make life easier not only for seniors, but for everyone.

Using Apple Maps, for instance, on your phone, will vibrate your wrist through your watch when it is time to turn. Anything that helps keep your eyes on the road makes for safer travel.

An Apple Wallet on your phone allows you to electronically store your credit cards, so you never have to take your wallet out to pay for something. Syncing it with your watch allows you to never take the phone out of your pocket, either. Get a newer generation human to help you set it up if you need to, I did, and have been tapping my wrist to pay like a Gen Xer ever since. Your watch is unlocked by your phone and your phone is unlocked by your face. Sure beats waving cash around.

You can use your watch to track your steps both to the Apple Health app on your phone, but also to apps like Strava. The Apple Health app is a great place to check in on yourself since it compiles all the data that your watch feeds to it.

Oh, you can also answer your phone on your watch, which just seems weird and will get you odd glances from your boss when you look at your watch to see who is calling your phone.

The Apple Watch can also tell you… what time it is.

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Art Smith is the online manager of The Marietta Times and the Parkersburg News and Sentinel; he can be reached at asmith@mariettatimes.com