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A Misfit Flash wrapped in glitter is still a Misfit Flash
Misfit has teamed up with BaubleBar to create a necklace and bracelet for the Misfit Flash that'll provide the wearable with some much-needed style points. Essentially, the Helena Necklace and Bracelet are glittery lockets that keep the device tucked inside, hanging from either a six or 32-inch chain. According to the company, the pieces are "as smart as they are stunning" and will be available exclusively at Target from November 29th for $69.99 a pop. It's worth mentioning that the devices come with their own $29.99 Flash tucked inside, as well as the traditional rubber strap for workouts.
Fossil buys Misfit for a bigger stake in wearables
After launching an Android smartwatch and a bunch of fitness wearables, Fossil Group announced today that it's also snapping up Misfit, which is best known for its svelte Shine fitness tracker. The deal, which is worth around $260 million, gives Fossil access to an existing market of wearable buyers, a team that's been trying to figure out how to design attractive wearables for years and a cloud platform for health tracking. Basically, you can expect some pretty attractive devices resulting from this union. And it comes just in time for Misfit, which didn't have many upgrades in store for its Shine 2 health tracker. Now that plenty of phones and cheap gadgets can offer the basics of activity tracking, tech companies have to work harder to prove why we need standalone health trackers at all.
Misfit's Shine 2 is a thinner, more colorful activity tracker
Misfit took a roundabout approach towards releasing a sequel for its svelte Shine activity tracker: It announced the cheaper, plastic Shine Flash last year, and it stepped into the connected home with the colorful Bolt smart bulb back at CES. Now, we finally have the Misfit Shine 2, and it should look pretty familiar to Misfit fans. Once again, it's made out of smooth aluminum, but it's a tad thinner and wider than the first Shine, which wasn't exactly a clunker in the first place. In addition to tracking your steps and basic sleep patterns, the Shine 2 now has a 3-axis magnetometer for slightly more accurate activity tracking. Misfit also swapped out the white LEDs on the front of the device with 12 colorful lights, and it now supports capacitive touch, which means it should be more responsive to your taps and swipes. You can nab a Shine 2 in either rose gold or black for $100 later in November.
Misfit teams up with Speedo on a fitness tracker for swimmers
Misfit's Shine activity tracker has been around for a while now, but today the company is giving the wearable new duties. The company has teamed up with Speedo for a new Shine gadget that logs the details for your workout in the water. The duo says that this is "the first device of its kind with swimmers in mind," packing in lap-counting algorithms to tally stats for all stroke types. Keeping its aluminum exterior, the waterproof Speedo Shine sports a lighter shade of silver but it'll still beam all of your lap and distance details to Misfit's Android and iOS software. In the near future, it'll also play nice with the Speedo Fit swim-tracking app. And yes, this Shine still keeps tabs on the rest of your activity and sleep patterns with a watch battery that's said to last six months.
Misfit Link offers activity tracking and more in a $20 wearable
Misfit's Flash activity tracker was already useful for handling stuff other than tallying your sleep and exercise stats. The wearable could already complete automated IF tasks and control connected tech via Logitech Harmony Home Hub. Now, the Misfit Link app will allow users to do things like snap selfies, control music or flip through a slide presentation, too. The new software is available on iOS now, but it won't arrive for Android until next month. There's a new gadget that also carries the Link name too, and the "easy to use activity tracker and smart button" offers an even more affordable option for folks who've been eying Misfit's devices. At $20 (£20) the company touts the Link as the "lowest-priced multifunctional and modular wearable on the market" -- $30 less than the Flash. It's only available directly from Misfit for now, but it's set to hit retail outlets later this quarter.
Misfit's Flash fitness tracker will switch on your lights, shame you for being lazy
Misfit's wearable devices are know for their nice aesthetic, but it's the company's ongoing support, that keeps them joining the rank and file fitness trackers. Today, it's a trio of small, but handy updates to both the Shine and the Flash. Most notably, the introduction of a web interface to view your fitness or sleep data online, so you're no longer tied to the mobile app. Back in January, Misfit announced Flash would join FitBit in working with IFTTT's web automation tools, and also be able to control smart home devices via Logitech's Harmony Home Hub. Both of those features arrive today (though Misfit already had some IFTTT integrations). Last up, one for the iOS users. Misfit already feeds your step-count into Apple's HealthKit, but starting today, your sleep and weight data will (if you wish) be included too. So, we're getting mixed messages here? Misfit's saving you a walk to the light switch, but making it harder to hide from your (now lower) step count. Thanks... we think?
Misfit's Apple Watch app is a tiny, fast-paced fitness coach
If you can get a decent workout in just a few minutes, you've got no excuse to be a lazy bum. That's the thinking behind Misfit Minute, a new Apple Watch app launching today from the fitness wearable company Misfit. The app basically takes the place of a fitness coach, leading you through a series of exercises in one, four or seven minute intervals. Every session targets different parts of your body, and the app also keeps track of your progress to keep you extra motivated. It doesn't send your workouts to Misfit's mobile health apps yet, which power its many wearables, but the company says that's coming soon. Sure, it's not as fully featured as a full-fledged fitness app, but Misfit Minute is a good example of the focused experiences we can expect from other Apple Watch apps.
10 high-tech gadgets that will improve your tennis game
The sport of tennis is no stranger to incorporating new technologies -- from the electronic line judges of the early '70s to today's Hawk-Eye system with its multi-camera array. These days, players at all levels have a variety of high-tech tools to help them up their games. We've already taken a look at how modern technology can help if you're training for golf and soccer. Now it's time to check out some options you might want to consider the next time you hit the courts. Below you'll find devices to smarten up your racquet and your shoes, as well as fitness trackers and apps designed to up your game no matter what level you are. Tennis anyone?
Misfit's Flash activity tracker will soon control connected devices
We first heard of Misfit's plans to move beyond activity-tracking with its wearables at CES, and today the company took its first step. With the $50 Flash, you'll soon be able to control a range of connected devices with the unit's Smart Button. As you might expect, Misfit's light bulb, Bolt, is top on the list of supported items. But in March you'll be able to play or pause a Spotify playlist, or even set the perfect bed-time temp with Nest. In addition, the company is working on making Flash play nice with over one hundred behaviors through the automation service IFTTT, Logitech Harmony smart home tech, Yo messaging, the August Smart Lock and others. There isn't an exact arrival date for any of those just yet, but you can catch a glimpse of what the wearable will do on the other side of the break.
CES 2015: The home of the future, available today
We've been hearing about the promise of the connected home, or the "Internet of Things," for years. At this CES, one thing became clear: The connected home of the future is achievable today. Qualcomm's smart home, for example, was a mock-up showing how tech could change the way we live. Unlike past years, however, the vast majority of "things" on show were off-the-shelf products you could buy and install in your apartment right now.
iJustine loves fitness wearables as much as Taco Bell
Digital diva and influencer Justine Ezarik (aka iJustine) thinks CES is a big "tech tease." She's right, of course -- there's just too much technology to cover in a short amount of time (and inevitably, some of it will never be released). But it's fitness wearables that get her the most excited about the show floor this year, like the stuff Misfit showed off. On our CES stage she explains her valentine Taco Bell and how the two keep up over Snapchat. We talk about a whole lot more during our fun conversation, which you can watch after the break.
Here's what you missed on the third day of CES
It's the fourth and final day of CES 2015. You made it. Sure, major announcements like LG's G Flex 2 and Intel's Compute Stick are dwindling, but that doesn't mean the excitement is over. In fact, we just announced our Best of CES winners, and they're pretty dope. For all the details and more -- including a few eye-popping gadgets we found on the show floor -- head on down to the gallery below.
Misfit CEO Sonny Vu on the past, present and future of wearables
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-793988{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-793988, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-793988{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-793988").style.display="none";}catch(e){} There are few people more qualified to talk about the world of wearables than Sonny Vu, the co-founder and CEO of Misfit. Not only does he lead one of the biggest names in activity tracking, but also he's been strapping tech to his body for decades. Ever since he was a wee lad, in fact, and "wearable" meant a vest with embedded speakers and a special pocket where he could plug in his Walkman. He joined us on a journey through time as we looked at the evolution of "wearable" products at CES, from calculator watches, to Bluetooth headsets and even connected onesies. Along the way, he shared his thoughts on the overly masculine design of our gadgets; the importance, but also problem, with building "fashionable" wearables; and how infant monitoring is the next frontier. There's a lot of ground to cover, and it's better to just let the man speak for himself. So check out our chat in the video above.
A connected plant pot meets a smart bulb at CES
You may not realize this yet, but you're probably going to be buying a connected home gadget at some point this year. After endless hype, we're finally beginning to see smart home products that are both affordable and easy to use. Case in point: Parrot's new self-watering smart flower pot ($60) and Misfit's colorful Bolt smart lightbulb ($50). We brought Tim Golnik, Misfit's vice president of product and design, and Jerome Bouvard, Parrot's smart pot product manager, to the Engadget CES stage to chat about their new products and the state of the connected home. And as a bonus, we also got a live demonstration of the Parrot Pot's self-watering mechanism in action. Check out our full conversation below.
Misfit enters the colorful smart bulb fray with the $50 Bolt
Misfit's moving beyond health and sleep tracking. With Bolt, a $50 smart lightbulb that can change colors like Philips' Hue bulbs, it's beginning to connect your home. Bolt produces the same amount of light as a typical 60-watt bulb, and you can use Misfit's app to choose from different colors. The app offers a variety of color scenes, which can change the mood of your room by manipulating multiple Bolts at once (as demonstrated below). It also works together with Misfit's Shine wearable and Beddit sleep tracker to wake you up with a simulated sunrise. While it looks like many other smart bulbs on the market (it's powered by Cree's LEDs), Misfit is hoping to differentiate itself by offering something more affordable and easier to use. To get started with Philips color-changing Hue Bulbs, for example, you'd have to throw down $200 for a starter pack with three bulbs and a wireless bridge. With Bolt, which is also available for pre-order today, you can start with just a single $50 bulb that's controlled directly over WiFi.
Misfit and Swarovski team up for the most fashionable health trackers yet
Leave it to Misfit, one of the first companies to deliver some truly attractive health gadgets, to be the first wearable startup to team up with a fashion icon like Swarovski. The two companies unveiled the Swarovski Shine Collection today at CES, a suite of jewelry and accessories that combine Swarovski's iconic crystals and Misfit's svelte Shine health tracker. They're among the first gadgets for tracking your steps, sleep and overall activity that you could actually wear out in the open at a fancy party. The Shine Collection, available in three introductory sets ranging from $170 to $250, offers a health-tracking spin on Swarovski's existing bracelet and pendant designs. In addition to running over six months on a watch battery (just like the original Shine tracker), there's also a violet Swarovski Shine model with integrated solar charging. Technically, that won't ever need a battery replacement (unless you live in a cave). You can pre-order the Swarovski Shine Collection today, and they'll also be available in Swarovski stores this spring.
Misfit eyes the connected home in addition to new wearables
Misfit debuted a new (and more budget-friendly) activity tracker back in the fall, but the company has plans to tackle more than just wearables. The outfit will keeping working on its existing line of gadgets, but in the months to come, the connected home will garner attention as well -- in addition to some "advanced wearables" that move beyond those worn on the wrist. CEO Sonny Vu wasn't ready to offer up specifics, but he did note that a number of products in the household space were on tap for the immediate future. "If you actually have to wear something 24/7 to get data, it's kind of a disadvantage," Vu said during a chat with Re/code. "But if you can just buy something that you plug into the wall, and it works, it can really add value."
Recommended Reading: Winning (and losing) big on a video poker bug
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read. Finding a Video Poker Bug Made These Guys Rich -- Then Vegas Made Them Pay by Kevin Poulsen, Wired In 2009, John Kane discovered a glitch in video poker machines that allowed him to hit multiple jackpots in a single sitting. Then one night, Kane hit seven in an hour and half, earning over $10,000 and setting off some major red flags with the casino's security. That sum was actually quite modest compared to other days. Wired has the story of how finding a bug in the gambling machines lead to earning a load of cash for a pair of men, until the workaround was discovered.
Pebble drops prices by $50 and adds continuous fitness tracking
If you've been thinking about getting a smartwatch but haven't been persuaded to plunk down a lot of cash, Pebble's trying to make the decision a little easier for you. The watch maker is lowering the price of its full lineup by $50, which means you can now get the sporty original model (above, right) for $100 and the fancier Steel (above, left) for $200. Usually significant price drops like these are a reaction to slowing sales, but CEO Eric Migicovsky says that on the contrary, sales are still as strong as ever and the ecosystem is growing. The company wants to offer the "right price for the product" and properly represent Pebble watches in light of the swelling competition in this category, Migicovsky said. Indeed, with the debut (and proliferation) of Android Wear this year and Apple Watch next year, Pebble wants to add cost to its list of competitive advantages alongside battery life and cross-platform functionality -- especially as the holidays approach and smartwatch choices become even tougher.
Misfit's new activity tracker is a cheaper, plastic version of its first
This week, Misfit announced its second wearable activity tracker... or did it? It's called the Flash, and essentially, it's a clone of a product the company already makes: the Shine. Both are small tokens capable of recording steps and sleep, as well as figuring out when you're doing more vigorous activities like cycling, swimming or playing tennis. So, where's the incentive? Well, that lies in the price, as the Flash costs half as much as the Shine at $50 or £50 -- or it will, anyway, when it launches in the US mid-October and in the UK a month later. Catching up with Misfit in London, we had a chance to check out the Flash, which is just that little bit bigger and fatter than the Shine. The front and back are also flat this time 'round, rather than convex, but the main difference is the materials used to make it.
