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Garmin's new smartwatch lets streamers show real-time heart rates
The Garmin Instinct Esports Edition is available now for $300.
Here's why Netflix is tracking some Android users' physical activity
Netflix is tracking some users' physical activity, but it isn't exactly moving into Fitbit's territory. Details of the test first emerged when a security researcher said the Netflix app on his Android device requested access to his physical activity data. It might seem odd on the surface that Netflix would like to know when you're moving around, but there's some solid reasoning behind the move.
Fitbit's latest tracker is only available through your work or insurance
Fitbit has quietly released a new activity tracker, but don't expect to buy one yourself -- if anything, it'll be issued to you. The company's new Inspire is a fitness band intended for companies that plan to issue wearables en masse, whether it's your health insurance provider or a just a corporation that wants employees to stay active. It's the definition of no-frills. A basic version doesn't do much more than track activity and deliver phone alerts, while the Inspire HR adds heart rate monitoring and phone-based GPS. There's no price listed, but that's likely to vary from deal to deal. It's the company's cheapest device yet, however.
Fitbit finally returns to profit thanks to the Versa
Fitbit was hoping it would return to profit after many months of losses, and it turns out that faith was well-placed. The wearable maker earned a net profit of $10 million for the third quarter of 2018, beating both its $2.8 million loss from a year earlier and the stiff 54.2 million loss from this spring. And it's not shy about why it went from red ink to black -- Fitbit mostly owes the recovery to smartwatches, and the Versa in particular.
Garmin adds Deezer to its music-playing fitness watches
To date, Garmin's music-capable fitness watches have had access to iHeartRadio and... that's about it. You're about to get some much-needed variety, though, as Deezer's music service has finally arrived on Garmin fitness wearables after months of promises. You can store more than 100 tunes on your wrist and sync playlists (including curated workout playlists) like you might with other services on smartwatches, but the ace up Garmin's sleeve may be Deezer's Flow feature. While the mix of favorites and recommendations isn't that special on your phone or PC, it gives you a fresh mix every day -- important when you'd rather not repeat your gym soundtrack.
Fitbit Charge 3 hands-on: Better controls come with a trade-off
I recently set my mom up with a Fitbit Charge 2 and had to go to great lengths to explain how to use its pseudo touchscreen. "You have to tap it, but really hard, more like jab at it," I told her, as she poked at the device. "Aim for the logo, it's a bit more sensitive there." My poor mom is almost 60, and learning a new way of interacting with a watch isn't easy. She looked on wistfully as I explained to her why the Fitbit Versa, with its easier-to-use touchscreen, was too complicated for her needs. More than anything, my mom doesn't like the appearance of smartwatches like the Versa and Ionic, preferring the simpler aesthetic of the Charge. I finally got her an Alta HR instead, which adds a few more features, but still uses that odd "Tap Display."
Motiv ring is ready to track your activity on Android
Motiv's Android app is now out of beta, and the full version comes with features its iOS counterpart had upon launch. It can track your activity, sleep and resting heart rate, it works with Amazon's Alexa voice assistant and it has the ability to share the data it collects with your friends and family. In addition, the full application now supports Google Fit, giving you a way to see Motiv's data with the info collected by your other apps and devices.
Motiv's activity tracking ring now works with Android and Alexa
Motiv is making good on promises of widening support for its fitness tracking ring. To start, Android support is finally here in an early form. If you have one of a handful of phones (one of the Google Pixel series, the Galaxy S7 through S8+ and the Galaxy Note 5), you can download a beta version of Motiv's Android app to measure your activity with a relatively unintrusive band. The app should have more robust features by the end of the first half of 2018, but this will give you a taste if you want to try the Motiv Ring as soon as possible.
'Call of Duty: Black Ops 4' hits consoles and PC October 12th
If you're a fan of military-style first person shooters sometimes set in the future that have zombie DLC modes, you're in luck. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is headed to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on Friday, October 12th. Developer Treyarch announced the date in a short post on the Activision blog while also teasing a "community reveal event" you can watch on May 17th.
Fitbit plans a 'family' of smartwatches in 2018
Fitbit knows it can't lean on activity trackers forever, and it's going to shake things up in 2018. As part of a call discussing its latest earnings, the company said it would produce a "family" of smartwatches this year -- it's not just going to hope a single model like the Ionic will be enough. Details are unsurprisingly thin (this wasn't an announcement), but the aim is to produce smartwatches with "more mass appeal" while taking advantage of its core strengths in health and fitness. Don't be surprised if that translates to more aggressive pricing.
Strava’s fitness heatmaps are a 'potential catastrophe'
The 2018 cybersecurity race to the bottom is off to an exciting start. First out of the gate is Strava — now widely known as the "social network for athletes" -- and its reckless data-visualization "heat map" gimmick that revealed details of secret military bases around the world. It was the kind of incident deserving of a plot line in a ridiculous Hollywood drama. And yet, here we are, with Twitter and the whole world discussing and dissecting fitness routes of soldiers and agents in sensitive locations, such as American bases in Afghanistan and Syria, a possible secret CIA base in Somalia, military facilities in war zones and much more.
Microsoft Band 3 prototype reveals the wearable that might have been
When Microsoft killed its Band wearables, a leak emerged of what was believed to be the cancelled third-generation model. Well, it's real -- and it says a lot about what Microsoft was thinking before it pulled the plug. Windows Central has obtained a Band 3 prototype and given it a shakedown to see how well it would have worked. True to the rumors, the biggest deals were the additions of waterproofing, swim tracking and (most importantly) an electrocardiogram sensor to track your blood pressure. We now know that the Band 3 could tell if you were stressed out, check your body temperature or otherwise track your health beyond fundamentals like heart rate and calorie burn.
Garmin's latest activity band is built for rookie golfers
To date, Garmin's golf tracking wearables have been aimed at experienced players, with the higher prices to match. Even the Approach X40 isn't a trivial purchase. But what if you're relatively new? Enter the Approach X10: the new model gives you data for 41,000 courses at a $200/£160 price that's easier to swallow for someone just starting to refine their game. You still get GPS positioning, a 1-inch touchscreen and connectivity with the Garmin Golf app to compete with friends. The main sacrifice is the absence of support for a TruSwing club sensor, so you'll need to step up to pricier gear if you want to perfect your swing.
Garmin's new Vivofit lasts for a year with an always-on color display
It's hard to stand out in the fitness tracker world when you can easily cover the fundamentals at a very low price. Garmin, however, is trying its level best. It just launched the Vivofit 4, which combines an always-on color display with its predecessor's claimed year-long battery life. You can now check your activity goals or the time without having to either wake up the screen, kill your battery or settle for a drab monochrome display. Logically, the band includes Garmin mainstays like Move IQ automatic activity detection and the Connect online community to get you motivated.
Misfit's latest hybrid smartwatch focuses on classic style
If it wasn't already evident that Misfit is on a fashion kick with its smartwatches, it is now. The Fossil-owned badge has unveiled a new hybrid smartwatch, the Command, that promises to track your fitness while looking appropriate for formal wear. It delivers notifications and tracks activity (including step count, calories, distance and sleep) much like the Phase did, just without screaming "I am tech." The steel bracelet model in particular wouldn't be out of place at a formal event, even if people won't mistake it for a Montblanc.
Apple retakes the top spot in wearable device shipments
It looks like Xiaomi's reign as the wearable device champion was short-lived. Canalys' latest estimates indicate that Apple regained the lead in wearable shipments during the third quarter of the year, shipping 3.9 million smartwatches over the summer. That's only slightly ahead of Xiaomi's 3.6 million and Fitbit's 3.5 million, but that's no mean feat when the Apple Watch is typically far more expensive (Xiaomi's Mi Band 2 cost $23 when new) and only works with one manufacturer's smartphones. And it's no surprise as to why Apple pulled out in front: new hardware.
Red Sox reportedly cheated with a Fitbit, not an Apple Watch
Reports that the Boston Red Sox cheated in games with an Apple Watch may have been slightly off the mark. A source speaking to Boston Globe baseball writer Nick Cafardo claims that the team used a Fitbit device, not Apple's smartwatch. It's not certain which model would have been used, but the Blaze seems like a prime candidate given its smartwatch-like design. You don't need a high-priced smartwatch to get text messages, after all.
Garmin's latest smartwatch can buy your post-run drink
Garmin's smartwatches are still largely focused on fitness, but they're learning a few new tricks -- and in one case, they don't need your phone to do it. The company has unveiled a trio of Vivo smartwatches headlined by the Vivoactive 3 (far left), which introduces Garmin Pay. As the name suggests, it lets you make tap-to-pay purchases without your phone, much in the same way you would with an Apple Watch. If you want to buy an energy drink as the reward for a long run, you don't have to carry anything in your pockets. The technology requires an eligible credit or debit card from MasterCard or Visa, so you'll want to check the support list before you leave your phone behind.
Samsung will unveil its next Gear S smartwatch on Aug. 30th
The Galaxy Note 8 isn't going to be Samsung's only big mobile offering this fall. Mobile chief DJ Koh tells CNBC that the next Gear S smartwatch will make its debut at the IFA trade show, where Samsung will have an event on Aug. 30th. The executive isn't saying much about what this wristwear will entail, of course, but he might have dropped some clues when opining about the struggling wearables market. He believes that smartwatches could become more valuable if they monitor more aspects of your health: Don't be surprised if the Gear S4 (or whatever it's called) tracks more of your vital stats.
NHS could trade free cinema tickets for hitting fitness goals
Just as insurers are looking to wearables to motivate people to lead healthier lifestyles, the NHS is now also exploring a scheme that would reward active participants with discounts on shopping, fitness gear and gym memberships, as well as free cinema tickets. The concept programme would use a mobile app to track exercise and encourage people to hit targets in order to earn such bounties. The end goal being, naturally, to promote healthier lifestyles and thus "reduce pressure on the NHS."