9 Great Reads From CNET This Week: Smartwatches and SpO2, Paycheck Apps, Nightmares and More

If you’ve got a smartwatch, chances are you’re using it to track some aspect of your health. During the pandemic, that might have included keeping tabs on your . Smartwatches from , , and all offer that capability. 

It’s a complicated matter, though, to assess what exactly those blood oxygen (aka SpO2) numbers mean at any given moment, and over time. CNET’s Lisa Eadicicco talked to doctors and product experts about the benefits and shortcomings of that health feature, and she’s here to pass along to you what she learned.

Her article 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.

Having access to more health data from home is helpful, but smartwatches still have limitations to overcome. 

Earned-wage apps also don’t fix problems caused by inflation and low wages.  

DNA analysis might’ve finally solved a puzzle surrounding one of history’s deadliest diseases.

From waking up in a cold sweat to the lingering unease of the morning after, here’s what happens when you’re struck by a nightmare.   

WWDC has come and gone, and still no Apple AR/VR goggles. But new software hints at future possibilities.

The test measures a variety of gamer skills. I wasn’t up to snuff in any.  

The strange lack of sulfur dioxide in Venus’ clouds doesn’t appear to be the doing of aliens.

Commentary: Somehow, reality dating shows are growing more unhinged, and actual dating isn’t far behind.

Fear of the dark is common in children, but adults can have it too.