FitnessApp
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App Store scammers are using Touch ID tricks to steal money
Reddit users are exposing shady iOS fitness apps that use the Touch ID feature on iPhones and iPads to scam people out of cash. Both "Fitness Balance app" and "Calories Tracker app" were active on the App Store until recently, though Apple appears to have now removed them.
Fitness app PumpUp left users' personal data exposed on server
While it's not at the catastrophic level of MyFitnessPal's 150 million-user data breach , the company behind the workout app PumpUp left information for 6 million of its members exposed. The Amazon cloud-hosted back-end server holding the data didn't have a password set up for an uncertain lenght of time, enabling anyone to observe sign-ins and exchanged messages.
Strava will focus on privacy awareness to address security issues
The CEO of fitness tracking app Strava has responded to security concerns raised this week regarding the publicly-available details of secret military bases. In a blog post, James Quarles addressed the sensitive nature of information readily available on the app's heatmap feature and said the team is "taking the matter seriously". Strava is "committed to working with military and government officials" to address the issue, he said, adding that the team is reviewing features that were originally designed for "athlete motivation and inspiration" to make sure they can't be used nefariously.
Pentagon reviews policy after fitness app reveals military locations
Yesterday, reports surfaced that a heat map released by fitness app company Strava showed the locations of US and other countries' military. While most of the locations spotted, including Afghanistan and Syria, are known to host US military bases, it still highlights the fact that information the Department of Defense would prefer remain under wraps could find its way out into the open. It also demonstrates that fitness apps could pose a security threat if location information isn't correctly handled. Now, Reuters reports, US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has ordered a review of the situation.
Fitbit's Ionic smartwatch arrives October 1st for $300
Fitbit's Ionic, the company's first smartwatch, will be available for purchase on October 1st. The watch sports a reported five-day battery life, sleep tracking, guided workouts and music playback via Pandora or Fitbit's Music app. The Ionic is priced at $300/£300 and comes in three color combinations -- silver gray with a blue-gray band, smoke gray with a charcoal band and burnt orange with a slate blue band. You'll also be able to pick up Classic and Sport accessory bands for $30/£25 apiece or leather bands for $60/£50 each. At the same time, Fitbit is also launching its first wireless headphone set -- the Flyer -- for $130/£110. You can snag them in lunar gray or nightfall blue.
Adidas' All Day fitness app hits iOS and Android devices
Exactly three months after announcing its All Day fitness app, Adidas is finally launching it in the US. The application, which is available for iOS and Android, focuses on serving up insights about different health aspects, such as mindset, movement, nutrition rest. Adidas says that All Day is designed for "versatile" athletes, meaning that the app's goal isn't just to help you with tough workouts, but also showing you anything from quick meditation moves to how to cook healthy recipes. While All Day is only available for those of you in the States right now, the sportswear giant tells Engadget that the app will be coming to other markets later this fall.
Under Armour spent half a billion dollars on two fitness apps
Under Armour just outed its own fitness-tracking app at last month's CES, but the company seems keen on continually improving its software arsenal. To do so, the Baltimore-based sports outfitter paid $85 million in early January Endomondo: an app for Android, iOS, Windows Phone and BlackBerry that keeps tabs on data from running, walking, cycling and other distance sports. Endomondo also plays nice with wearables from Jabra, Garmin, Fiitbit, Withings and more. But that's not all: Under Armour also announced alongside its Q4 earnings report that it had nabbed MyFitnessPal for $475 million, too.
Striiv launches $70 Play pedometer to track your athletics without fatiguing your iOS device
Following the recent launch of its iOS fitness app which proclaimed "no hardware required," Striiv has just announced new hardware for it anyway: the Striiv Play smart pedometer. But unlike the app alone, it lets you set off on your fitness adventures without toting an iDevice by doing the "heavy lifting of tracking activities" with up to a week of battery autonomy, then syncing up with the app using Bluetooth 4.0 later. From there, you'll be able compete with friends on Facebook, gain bragging rights by reaching milestones, play games that let you progress by working out more, and chart weight, calories and exercise progress. We tested Striiv's standalone pedometer awhile back, noting that the "insidiously" addictive games were a great motivator, and the company claims that 60 percent of users lost 13 pounds or more. So, if the little voice in your head isn't enough to egg you on, you can grab it now for $70 -- the PR and video after the break will tell you the rest.
Wahoo Fitness introduces RFLKT: an iPhone-powered bike computer that lets handsets stay in pockets
Sure, you can turn your smartphone into a bike computer, but if you'd rather not put your pricey piece of tech anywhere near harm's way, Wahoo Fitness' RFLKT Bike Computer offers an alternative. Instead of packing all the brains, the device sits atop a bicycle's handlebar and displays data it's fed via Bluetooth 4.0 from cycling apps running on an iPhone 4S or 5. At launch, the hardware will support the firm's own Cyclemeter application and Wahoo Fitness App which can monitor ride information ranging from location to speed, in addition to heart rate with an additional accoutrement. Aspiring Alberto Contadors can page through data and even sift through tunes on their playlist with the help of buttons on the device's side. Gently tipping the scales at 2 ounces, the RFLKT measures up at 2.4- x 1.6 x 0.5-inches and boasts a one-year battery life on a single coin cell. Wahoo's gadget is slated for a December launch, but there's still no word on pricing. For more specifics, take a gander at the full press release below.
Apple files patent application for Fitness Center App for iPhone
[Headline and post revised to clarify that this is a patent application, not a patent award. Our apologies for the error. –Ed.] Patently Apple's got another USPTO-sponsored bulletin from the R&D Department in Cupertino, and this time it's for a brand new app designed to help you stay in touch with your local gym. A recently published patent application details a Fitness Center App that will do things like track your workouts from exercise machines, mark down when and where you visit the gym, and even find a workout partner with social networking or set up appointments for personal trainers straight from the app. [Maybe they'll call it "QuadsSquare." –Ed.] In short, Apple's idea is that one app would govern all facets of an exercise program, with a heavy back-end system to work with different gyms all over the country. You'd be able to get news and information straight from your local gym, as well as custom reminders when you miss a workout or haven't been in a while. It all sounds good to us. While most of Apple's patents are usually just the company covering its bases, this one seems awfully in-depth -- everything from concepts to layouts is covered here. That doesn't mean this idea is any more likely to actually be implemented, but it does mean that Apple has put lots of thought and effort into an app like this. Maybe we will see it implemented as an actual release.
