Fitbit
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Fitbit's Aria WiFi scale tracks weight, BMI and body fat percentage (hands-on)
We might never know the untold number of people who bought Withings' WiFi scale for tweeting their daily weigh-ins, but it must have been an impressive enough figure, as Fitbit just announced something very similar. The Aria Wi-Fi Smart Scale tracks weight, BMI and body fat percentage, only instead of sending those nuggets to Twitter, it all goes straight to Fitbit's own site. For people who have never bought any of the company's products, this website will understandably be a revelation, but in fact it's the same place where Fitbit Ultra owners go to see how many calories they've burned. Even if you're a newcomer, the website happens to be quite engaging, though we suspect you'll get the most out of it if you also have a Fitbit tracker to tally your hours spent on the Stairmaster. In any case, we got some hands-on time tonight (sorry, feet-on jokes are lame), and we've got hands-on shots below to prove it.
Dana Wollman01.09.2012
Fitbit releases iPhone app for fitness tracking on the go (Updated)
Since the beginning of October, I've had a constant companion -- a Fitbit Ultra fitness tracker. It's been tracking my activity (or lack thereof), my sleep, and the number of flights of stairs that I go up and down. But until earlier this week, I had to visit the Fitbit website to enter in other information such as what I was eating, how many glasses of water I've had to drink, etc... Now Fitbit has released an iPhone app to give Fitbit owners a way to track or enter fitness and nutrition data on the go. To use the app, you need to have a US$99 Fitbit or Fitbit Ultra registered with the Fitbit service. Unfortunately, the app does not let your iPhone or iPod touch communicate directly with the Fitbit -- for that, you still need to be within 30 feet of the charge/sync dock to have the device transfer information. It would be nice if Fitbit would figure out a way to get the device to communicate directly with the iPhone so traveling users don't have to lug around a laptop and the little dock in order to transfer the fitness info. What I like about the iPhone app is that I'm much more likely to track my food and water intake when I have the app at my fingertips rather than needing to grab a computer to enter the info. You can also see how many steps you've taken, how many calories have been burned so far today, how many calories you can ingest for the rest of the day, and how much water you've had to drink. It's also nice to see a history of your weight, although I prefer using WeightBot ($1.99) for that. %Gallery-137309% This first go at a Fitbit app is quite well done, and it's a must for all Fitbit owners. Be sure to check out the gallery to get an idea of how the app works. Update: According to a Fitbit spokesperson, you don't need to own a Fitbit or Fitbit ultra -- you can also enter in steps, activities, and other health-related items manually.
Steve Sande10.22.2011
Fitbit Ultra: An unobtrusive fitness tracker
I'm a lazy blogger. For most of the day, my exercise consists of clicking and typing, then heading down the stairs for another cup of coffee. Over the years I've blogged about my various attempts and methods of tracking exercise and calorie intake with iOS apps, but I find that I get frustrated with how much work is involved just in tracking what I'm doing. The Fitbit Ultra (US$99.95, announced and available today) might be the unobtrusive fitness buddy I've been looking for. Using my iPhone for tracking fitness walks, I have to remember to start up the app (RunKeeper), pause if I stop for a rest or to chat with someone, stop it when I get home and then type in a tag for the exercise. Since these types of apps use location services, they tends to suck down my battery quickly, which is the reason I've had a Mophie Juick Pack Air installed on the iPhone for the last ten months. Finally, the iPhone and associated fitness apps don't track the work I'm doing around the house. I tend to go up and down the stairs in our house a lot, which is a surprisingly good workout, yet those iPhone apps don't take that into account. The Fitbit Ultra is a tiny device about the size of a flash drive, weighing just .4 ounces and shaped like a small clip. There's a reason for that shape, since you can just clip the Fitbit Ultra onto clothing and let it track your movements throughout the day. The device has just one button, and uses a bright OLED display that is invisible when it's not in use. I found that the best way for me to use the Fitbit Ultra is to just drop it in my front pocket. That's what I love about the Fitbit Ultra -- I don't constantly have to be futzing around with it. I also don't have to do anything to get the data from the Fitbit to the Fitbit website (more about that in a moment) except be within about 25 feet of my computer. It checks to see if the combo charging stand / syncing transmitter is nearby about every 15 minutes, and when it is, the device sends changes to the Fitbit site via a plugin that is installed on your Mac. So, what does it track? To quote the old Police song, "Every step you take, every move you make, I'll be watching you." The Fitbit Ultra uses a MEMS 3D motion sensor to track every step, and unlike the earlier version of the device, it also has an innovative altimeter feature to determine when you've gone up or down a flight of stairs. The motion sensor also senses when you're not moving around, and is used as a sleep tracker as well. The bright blue display is enabled by either picking up the device when it's sitting on a surface or by pushing the button. Picking up the Fitbit Ultra displays a short motivational message ("LOVE YA," "GO," "LETS GO") and optionally your name as well. Pressing the button repeatedly shows the number of steps taken so far in the day, how far you've walked in miles, the number of calories burned, the number of flights of stairs climbed, a flower that "grows" as you get closer to your daily goal, and the current time. You can also use the Fitbit to time workouts, runs, or your nightly sleep with a built-in stopwatch. Of course, the tracked data is worthless without being analyzed and stored. That's where Fitbit.com comes in. The website, which works perfectly with Safari on both Mac and iOS devices, displays a dashboard full of information. At any time, I can see exactly how many steps I've taken (with a goal of 10,000 per day), how many floors I've climbed stairs to, how many miles I've walked, the calories burned, and an "active score." If I choose to, I can enter in calories consumed, set a weight goal, or calibrate my stride to get a more accurate reading of distance walked. Right now, this is all accomplished through the Fitbit.com website, but the company expects to release an iPhone app this month for those users who want to enter or view information on the go. For me, I'll probably just use the regular website when I can to enter the caloric information -- the reason I like the Fitbit, after all, is that it's unobtrusive and I don't have to physically enter information on a small device or start and stop an app. Some of the data that can be displayed on the Fitbit dashboard page can come from other sources or be sent out to your favorite exercise tracking or social networking service. At the present time, the Fitbit site will accept weight and fat mass from the Withings Connected Scale. It would be nice if the site could also bring in blood pressure readings from the Withings Blood Pressure Monitor, as that would supply one more piece of important health monitoring information to the dashboard. The docking station that is used to charge the Fitbit Ultra's battery and receive the updates wirelessly is plugged into a USB port. The battery lasts from 5 to 7 days, and the device charges quickly -- in about an hour -- when it needs to be topped off. I plan to write an update to this post when the iPhone app becomes available later in the month, and in late December I expect to write a follow-up on how successful the Fitbit was in helping to make me aware of my lack of exercise and motivate me to step it up a bit.
Steve Sande10.03.2011
Fitbit Ultra review
Oh, hey, Fitbit. Nice to see you again. Although we thought the original fitness tracker did too little for a $100 gadget, enough people apparently begged to differ, as the the outfit just trotted out a second-gen model, dubbed the Fitbit Ultra. Like its predecessor, this little guy analyzes eating, exercise and sleep patterns (largely with the help of an accompanying website). If you've been following along, you know that design hasn't changed much, while that website and hundred-buck price should be mighty familiar, too. This time around the company is adding a few new features, including Foursquare-esque badges and an altimeter for counting how many steps you've climbed. But does this series of minor enhancements add up to a significant improvement? Time to lace up your running shoes, kids, and meet us after the break. %Gallery-135129% %Gallery-135381%
Dana Wollman10.03.2011
Fitbit review
It wasn't that long ago that a bathroom scale was the only gadget you needed to track weight loss. Today even videogame consoles, once the bane of the fitness industry, are trying to help you recycle that spare tire, and of course there's no shortage of specialty doo-dads getting in on the action. The Fitbit is one of those, a little accelerometer that pledges to keep an eye on what you do so that you can just go ahead and do it, reporting back at the end of the day on how well you did at staying active. It sounds nice, but it's not quite that self-sufficient. Read on to see if it's worth the commitment. %Gallery-75475%
Tim Stevens10.15.2009
Fitbit tracker starts shipping, ready to monitor your fitness, sleep, piety
Better (a year) late than never, eh Fitbit? This time last year, there was quite a bit of buzz stirred up by a little gadget promising to monitor exercise intensity, distances traveled, sleep patterns, and calorie consumption. This pedometer with a degree and a 3D motion sensor has been incubating a lot longer than initially projected, but the first few units have finally trickled out to their eager users today. The entire device is essentially one big clip, attaching to any bit of clothing you have on you, while its base station can wirelessly collect data and upload it, via a pc, to a free online tracking dashboard. Add in the OLED display and a quoted battery autonomy of 10+ days, and the $99 price starts to appear pretty reasonable.[Via medGadget]
Vlad Savov09.29.2009
Wearable Fitbit automatically tracks your exercise routines
Although the world already has a set of headphones that encourages you to work out, the newly announced Fitbit is just a hair more sophisticated. Designed to be worn or carried around in a spare pocket, the personal tracker is about the size of a standard flash drive and includes a built-in motion sensor to keep tabs on "exercise intensity levels, calories burned, sleep quality, steps and distance traveled." When it ships in late December / early January for $99, the unit will reportedly boast a fancy OLED display for quick readouts, and hey, it should even arrive just in time to complement your entirely meaningless New Year's Resolution.[Via Gearlog]
Darren Murph09.10.2008