fitbit - SlashGear

Fitbit updated to automatically detect and record exercises

Adam Westlake | Nov 23, 2015

Fitbit has just rolled out a new software update for its Charge HR and Surge wearables that allow the fitness trackers to automatically know when users begin exercising. There are several new features, but the main one is called SmartTrack, and it means users no longer have to worry about forgetting to press a button or navigate a menu before their workout. The exercise detection works for a number of activities and sports, and sees stats like heart rate, calories burned, and duration recorded in the app.

Hacker alleges Fitbit smartband could be a malware carrier [UPDATE: Fitbit responds]

JC Torres | Oct 22, 2015

PCs, smartphones, and tablets are fair game to hackers these days. And we've also started to see cars with sophisticated infotainment systems and controls also getting hacked. But how about the innocent little whose sole purpose is to keep your body healthy? Well, now they're getting hacked as well. And worse, they might be used to make other computers unhealthy. Fortinet researcher Axelle Apvrille reveals that the Fitbit is one such wearable that easily succumbs to a hack in just 10 seconds and can then spread the malware to computers it syncs with.

Fitbit Surge update doubles battery life, adds running alerts

JC Torres | Sep 23, 2015

Fitbit my be the darling of the fitness wearable market, but it has seen increased competition, and sometimes even lawsuits, in a once niche industry. To stay on top of its rivals, it needs to continuously update its existing devices with new features, without requiring users to buy a new one. Almost a year old now, the Fitbit Surge is getting another major update, the last one rolled out last March, which not only adds a new mode to the smartwatch but also improves its longevity.

Fitbit Universal Windows app for Windows 10 supports all your devices

Shane McGlaun | Aug 14, 2015

One of the best things about Windows 10 is that it is designed to work on anything you have from your computer to your smartphone or tablet. That means that you can have the same app experience on each of your devices making use lots easier than having to learn a Windows program and an app for your smartphone. Fitbit has announced that its new Universal Windows App for Windows 10 is now available.

Jawbone takes another hit at Fitbit, filing patent infringement suit

Lindsey Caldwell | Jun 11, 2015

Jawbone is coming for Fitbit, guns blazing. The company just filed a lawsuit alleging that Fitbit products are infringing on multiple Jawbone patents including a method for "reporting an individual's physiological or contextual status" and a "wellness application using data from a data-capable band." Jawbone is seeking damages and an injunction to halt the continued sales of Fitbit products. Jawbone's attacks couldn't be more precisely timed. Fitbit is getting ready for an initial public offering (IPO). No matter how things take a turn int he courtroom, the legal heat will certainly have some impact on Fitbit's IPO.

Jawbone sues Fitbit for ‘systematically plundering’ confidential data

Brittany A. Roston | May 27, 2015

Fitbit's warm limelight has turned sour thanks to a lawsuit from competitor Jawbone, which has accused FitBit of "systematically plundering" its confidential data. How? According to the lawsuit, Fitbit has pilfered Jawbone's confidential details by snapping up former Jawbone employees who first downloaded confidential data they weren't supposed to have -- presumably, the thought process goes, taking that data with them to FitBit for its own gain. Such is the accusation, anyway.

Fitbit’s IPO to help them keep pace with Apple, Jawbone

Nate Swanner | May 8, 2015

Fitbit is probably never going to command the wearable space. Even if their hardware is better than Jawbone’s (and it is), Fitbit now has Apple Watch, Microsoft, and Android Wear to contend with. Fitbit also doesn’t seem interested in playing nice with Apple, now the largest company in the wearable space. Fitbit doesn’t work with Apple’s HealthKit, and Apple has stopped selling Fitbit in their company stores. In filing for their IPO, Fitbit laid out some strategic plans, and they may have a lot to do with Jawbone and Apple.

Fitbit adds bicycling activity monitoring, multi-sensor tracking

Nate Swanner | Mar 23, 2015

Fitbit Surge is great for tracking your activity level and even has some insight on the type of activity you do, but it doesn’t necessarily apply to everyone. In an attempt to find a new market, Fitbit is updating their Surge wearable with the ability to track bicycling metrics. The update is also bringing in 9-hour battery life for GPS use, and a swipe-through interface for when you’re riding your bike. There’s even a new biking-centric page in the Fitbit app.

Fitbit buys FitStar, gives your workouts context

Nate Swanner | Mar 5, 2015

Fitbit, the only company we know of that actually encourage you to not wear their fitness bands, has acquired FitStar. For now, the two companies will remain separate, FitStar users can publish their workouts to the Fitbit app. Over time, the two will begin using a single Fitbit sign-in, though it’s not clear if FitStar will eventually go away, with its existing services melded into Fitbit. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but TechCrunch is reporting the deal is likely between $25-40 million, cash and stock.

Fitbit to users with irritated skin: “take a break” until it heals

Brittany A. Roston | Feb 12, 2015

Fitbit is no stranger to skin irritation complaints. Last year, the company recalled its Force fitness band following numerous skin irritation complaints. Those who wanted a replacement could get one, but the company maintained that only a small number of users had experienced the allergic reaction to the bands. That issue hasn't gone away, however, and users have complained of on-going irritation troubles. As a result, Fitbit isn't doing another recall -- it is telling wearers to stop wearing it so much.

Study: Wearables worse than phones for measuring steps

Nate Swanner | Feb 11, 2015

The assumption that you need to strap something onto your wrist in order to accurately gauge your fitness level might not be accurate. Your favorite wearable might not be, either — or at least any more accurate at detecting steps taken than your phone. A new study claims apps are just as good at monitoring your activity level than some of the top wearables on the market. The University of Pennsylvania tested apps and wearables in a controlled environment, and the results are pretty interesting.

Fitbit data being used in court as evidence of injury

Nate Swanner | Nov 17, 2014

If you sit idle long enough, your fitness tracker may nudge you to get up and move around. It’s a means to keep you active, and one person is now claiming she can’t respond to those vibrations on her wrist. In a Canadian court, one woman is trying to use data from her Fitbit to prove injuries suffered from an accident leave her a shell of her former, active self. Whether or not that will work is another story altogether.