jamespark
Latest
Fitbit's CEO explains why his company isn't making a smartwatch
International CES may as well be called the International Smartwatch Show. There are so many wearables on display here, I've had trouble keeping track of them all. And yet, there's one company that in theory should be making a smartwatch, but isn't. That would be Fitbit, whose name is about as synonymous with "fitness tracker" as "Kleenex" is with tissues. Though the company recently released the Surge, a GPS-enabled sports band, CEO and founder James Park insists he'll never build a smartwatch, per se. He also won't be coating his fitness trackers in tacky Swarovski crystals, but really, anyone with good sense should know not to do that. Check out the video below to see my full interview with Mr. Park and to hear what's next for the company (hint: It involves a lot of data scientists).
Fitbit: skin irritations were allergies, new wristbands have a warning
Fitbit recalled its Force wearable back in February after owners reported skin irritation, but after an investigation, says it will not do the same for the Fitbit Flex. The New York Times reports that the company and the Consumer Product Safety Commission decided a recall was not necessary, as long as the company makes a few changes. New wristbands will ship with a warning that it contains nickel, a common allergy, as well as a sizing guide to keep users from making it too tight. In a just-posted (at such a convenient time) letter to customers, CEO & co-founder James Park said "we are now confident that our users who experienced allergic contact dermatitis likely reacted either to very small levels of methacrylates...or, to a lesser degree, nickel in the stainless steel casing." He goes on to say that Fitbit is taking this experience into account in the design for its next-generation trackers, which should include the new Charge and ChargeHR devices that recently surfaced.
Live from the Engadget CES Stage: Fitbit CEO James Park
Fitness hardware is once again set to be all the rage at this year's CES, and Fitbit's wrist-worn wearables continue to lead the pack. Join us as we speak with the company's co-founder James Park about the ways consumer technology is helping get us in shape. January 8, 2014 4:00:00 PM EST Follow all the latest CES 2014 news at our event hub, and check out our full stage schedule here.
