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Fitbit Surge and Charge HR automatically detect and log exercises
Just in time to entice holiday shoppers, Fibit is updating its Surge and Charge HR fitness trackers with a handful of new features. First, a SmartTrack feature automatically recognizes exercises during your workouts and records them in the Fitbit app along with details on duration, calories burned and heart rate. SmartTrack can determine if you're on the elliptical, outdoor biking, running, walking or doing one of a few aerobic workouts (Zumba, cardio-kickboxing , dance, etc.). It can also detect if you're playing sports like tennis, basketball and soccer. You can personalize the activity recognition too, telling the tech which movements you want logged as exercise and how long you want to be moving before it starts to track them. By default, you'll need to be in motion at least 15 minutes before the recording starts. When it comes to heart-rate tracking, the two wearables are getting improved PurePulse performance for those more intense workout sessions. By using Exercise Mode on the Charge HR and multi-sport modes on the Surge, the gadgets will provide a better "experience" during and after those high-energy activities like Zumba.
Jawbone countersues Fitbit over activity tracker patent 'abuse'
Jawbone isn't letting up on its plan to sue Fitbit into oblivion any time soon. The wearable maker has responded to a Fitbit patent lawsuit (itself meant as a response to Jawbone) with a countering suit of its own, accusing Fitbit of abusing its patents in a "plainly meritless" case. Of course, as we've seen in previous tech lawsuits, the patents are really incidental here -- this is ultimately about pressuring Fitbit into settling a case it might otherwise try to fight in court.
Fossil launches its Android Wear watch and a slew of activity trackers
Fossil has taken its sweet time getting its self-branded smart wearables ready, but they're finally here... well, almost. The fashion brand has unveiled Fossil Q, a wristwear series with Intel's connected tech under the hood. The centerpiece is undoubtedly the Q Founder (above), its long-expected Android Wear smartwatch. The circular, stylish accessory looks much as it did when it first appeared this summer. However, it now ties into a special app that both keeps tabs on fitness and promotes "curiosity" -- basically, reminders to shake up your routine. It arrives this holiday for a not-too-pricey $275.
Runtastic shares workout data with Jawbone's Up app
If you fancy Jawbone's line of activity trackers and track your afternoon jog with Runtastic, you can now keep all of your stats in one place. Data gathered by Runtastic during your workout can be sent to Jawbone's Up app where you can store info on nutrition, sleep, goals and more. Of course, Runtastic has its own wearables, including the new Moment analog watch. What's more, Jawbone's Up app no longer requires one of the company's trackers to tally your daily details, just like Runtastic's software, so there's a few gadget/app combos that'll work just fine with both Runtastic and Jawbone's gear. To take advantage of the partnership, you'll need Runtastic 6.3. Once you connect it with the Up app, all of your info will sync automatically.
Fitbit Surge update delivers running alerts and improves battery life
During his time with the Fitbit Surge, our own Terrence O'Brien was quite pleased with the wearable's tracking abilities. Thanks to a software update, the device aims to get even better. Fitbit is giving Surge users running alerts that'll keep you informed of time and distance marks, helping with pacing and overall training goals. The company has also improved battery life, so you can go a bit longer between charges when keeping tabs on running, hiking, biking and more. There's also a new timer/stopwatch tool when workouts require carefully timed intervals. Even with the new features, the Surge is still a tough sell at $250, especially in a space that's crowded with GPS-packing entries from Garmin, TomTom and others.
Microsoft's next Band looks like something you'd want to wear
Microsoft's original Band is many things to many people, but "fashion item" typically isn't one of them -- it looks less like a fitness device and more like a court-ordered probation tracker. You probably won't say that about the next generation, though. MicrosoftInsider claims to have images of a second-generation Band whose curved design and metal accents (corroborating earlier rumors) give it a sorely needed sense of style. It's an upscale Gear Fit, really. While it's not certain just how much has improved on the inside, this new Band will reportedly track stair climbing and other changes in altitude. There hasn't been much revealed regarding the product's launch. Microsoft conveniently has a hardware event lined up for October 6th, though, so don't be surprised if the folks in Redmond show this off alongside new phones and tablets.
How an insurance company is trying to craft eyewear of the future
I had just driven 85 miles north of San Francisco when I finally reached my destination: a bright red building with large floor-to-ceiling windows in downtown Sacramento. The structure's high ceilings and spacious interior gave a subtle reminder that it used to be a former Chevrolet dealership. But instead of Camaros and Corvettes, the space was filled with desks, project boards adorned with Post-it notes and temporary work spaces separated by flexible cardboard walls. A hanging pirate flag and a Rubik's Cube sculpture lent the office a startup vibe.
Runtastic takes on Withings with 'Moment' analog fitness watch
Runtastic may have started as a training log app, but it soon progressed to putting its badge on running watches and accessories. The Orbit was possibly the company's most confident step into the world of wearables, and today it's making another with the "proper watch" Moment activity tracker. The Moment logs all the basics you'd expect from a fitness tracker: steps, distance, time active, calories burned and sleep patterns, along with a dial on the watch face showing progress towards your goal. Like Withings' Activité and Pop devices, the Moment's analog styling extends to running on a regular watch battery, so it won't need daily/weekly charging. This means no annoying ports, too, which helps keep things nice and sealed -- waterproof to 300 feet by Runtastic's reckoning.
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.
Garmin's latest low-cost running watch gives you live tracking
If you've been jonesing for a Garmin running watch that will talk to your smartphone without trashing your bank balance, you're in luck. Garmin has rolled out the Forerunner 25, a follow-up to the 15 (but not a replacement) that's much more at home in a connected world. If you link the newer wristwear to your phone, you can share live workout tracking with your friends, get important notifications and automatically upload brag-worthy results to the company's Connect service. It's easier to gauge your progress mid-run, too, since the active display space is 32 percent bigger than before. Both small and large versions go on sale later this summer at $170 for the core model, and $200 if you want an external heart rate monitor at the same time.
Oaxis' health devices track your water, weight and workouts
You may not have heard of Oaxis, but it's determined to get on your radar if you're a health maven. The young firm is crowdfunding a Wellness Suite that includes not just the obligatory fitness bands (the O2 and Ji Cheng), but also a smart water bottle (the Vita) and a scale (the Glo). To us, the highlights are the non-wearables. The Vita helps track your hydration levels, and will tell you whether or not your water is both chilly and safe to drink. The Glo, meanwhile, keeps tabs on everything from your total weight to subtle factors like your body fat index and metabolic rate. Ironically, the bands are the most humdrum items here -- the Ji Cheng is a "fashion" band that measures daily activity, while the O2 is built for exercise with real-time heart rate updates.
Withings' fitness watches automatically track your swimming
Most activity trackers and smartwatches won't monitor your swimming, and those that do usually require that you kick in a swimming mode before you dive in. Withings doesn't think you should have to switch things up just because you've left dry land, though. The health tech firm has added automatic swim detection to its Activité and Activité Pop watches, so you only need to start that breast stroke for it to register as a workout. You probably won't want to take your tracker on a deep scuba dive (both wearables are resistant down to 164 feet), but this could be very helpful if you'd rather hit the beach this summer than roast during a run.
Microsoft Band will track your golf game from start to finish
You won't have to worry about buying a dedicated golf watch to track every nuance of your next trip to the links -- a Microsoft Band will soon do the job. The folks in Redmond are partnering with TaylorMade to add golfing support to both the Band and the Health app in the weeks ahead. Health will help you find your tee and compile stats, but the wearable should be the real star of the show. The Band will use GPS to detect your hole and give you distance estimates, and it'll be smart enough to keep track of your score based on your swings. It will even tell when you're making practice shots. Should that not be enough, TaylorMade's myRoundPro app will draw on the Band to give you detailed data about your round, such as how often you stayed on the fairway. Although these impending updates aren't going to improve your swing, they should help you spend more time sinking the ball and less time marking scorecards.
Lycos is making a comeback with a suite of connected devices
Lycos is synonymous with the '90s. It was once the internet's favored portal, long before Google, Bing and other search engines. Nowadays, we're living in an era ruled by Silicon Valley giants and hungry startups, and Lycos wants to be a part of that. The company's plan to get into the connected world begins with Lycos Life, a data-driven ecosystem of products for consumers. This includes, but isn't limited to, wearables and home security devices -- all designed to work in conjunction with each other, based on your personal data. To start, Lycos is launching an activity tracker and a "smart" ring, both scheduled to be available on June 8th.
Basis' fitness tracker now comes in titanium, talks to other health apps
As useful as the Basis Peak may be for tracking your fitness, your data has largely been trapped so far -- you couldn't see it outside of Basis' own apps. However, you'll be glad to hear that things are loosening up. An app update rolling out to the Peak today will share the wristwear's activity data with either Apple's Health app or Google Fit, so you get a more complete picture of your health. If you only strap on your Peak when you're running, for instance, you can still merge its info with the walking data your phone collects. It'll also open a "Playground" for testing app features (such as an activity map and a Photo Finish selfie recorder) before they're available to everyone elseShould that not be enough, there's a firmware update coming on May 20th that will add a stopwatch and improve heart rate monitoring.
Google Fit finally estimates how many calories you've burned
No, you're not wrong: Google's activity tracking app, Fit, didn't have a means to estimate burned calories -- or kilojoules -- before today. As Mountain View tells it, all you need to do to activate it is add in your height and gender (weight monitoring already existed) and Fit'll project calories shed and distance traveled in addition to time spent active. How it displays activity history's gotten a bit of a refresh too in addition to a new widget for Android Wear and Android itself that keeps any fitness goal close at hand. The numbers still give a complete picture since heart rate isn't involved, but at least we know Google hasn't forgotten about the app, right?
Microsoft's Health app won't need a tracker to get your fitness data
When Microsoft said its Health platform was open to everyone, it wasn't kidding around. The company has revealed that its mobile Health app will soon get step counts and calorie burns from the sensors built into your phone -- you won't need a Band (or any wearable tracker, for that matter) to put fitness data in Microsoft's cloud. The update is due for Android, iOS and Windows Phone in the "coming weeks." Don't worry if you do like the Band, though, as it has a few upgrades in store as well.
Jawbone and AmEx want you to pay for stuff with your fitness band
If you're looking to get a little more mileage out of that fitness tracker, Jawbone and American Express are about to lend a hand. The duo is teaming up to bring a payment feature to the former company's line of gadgets. Of course, Apple's new wearable sorts payments too, and now a similar function will be on an upcoming Jawbone device. This means that the Up3 that's set to ship next week won't help you pay for a burrito, and neither will it's predecessors. Instead, the collaboration with AmEx will arrive on wearable that we've yet to hear about, so it's unclear if it'll be another band or a smartwatch. If your go-to credit or debit card is Visa or MasterCard, there's no indication if Jawbone's mystery tech will handle payments from those either. However, when it does arrive, it'll wrangle those payments via NFC -- just like the Apple Watch.
This adorable desk gadget motivates you like Pavlov's bell
We're almost halfway into April and chances are your self-improvement-minded New Year's Resolutions bit the dust sometime between Valentine's Day and Easter. Whereas our day-to-day habits are pretty ingrained into our minds, establishing new ones is the hard part, and that's where MOTI comes in. It's a cute little gizmo that you place in plain sight (this is key) that acts as a motivator, hence the name, for your menial tasks. How it works seems pretty simple, too. Just put it on your desk or wherever else you might see it on the daily and press its face when you do the task you're having trouble keeping up with.
Emvio's smartwatch will tell you when you're stressing out
Smartwatches are growing ever more capable by the day. Sometimes, though, there's no harm in a little focus. Enter Emvio, a watch with one core goal: to help you manage stress. There are no message notifications or apps, instead, Emvio monitors variations in your heart rate (HRV), only bothering you (ironically) once your stress levels start to rise. Your daily data is also fed to an app which can help you spot trends or individual stress triggering events, helping you better plan to manage them in the future. Can a single-focus connected watch cut it against growing competition? Its creators certainly think so, and they're hoping enough people on Kickstarter will, too.
