fitbit | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Fri, 01 Nov 2019 18:22:41 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-KITGURU-Light-Background-SQUARE2-32x32.png fitbit | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 Google officially acquires Fitbit for $2.1 billion https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/mustafa-mahmoud/google-officially-acquires-fitbit-for-2-1-billion/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/mustafa-mahmoud/google-officially-acquires-fitbit-for-2-1-billion/#respond Fri, 01 Nov 2019 14:56:48 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=433840 Google announced today that it would be purchasing the fitness tracking company Fitbit for $2.1 billion. The move is intended to assist Google in revitalising its Android-based smartwatch OS, ‘Wear OS’ which until now has lagged far behind the Apple Watch in both user experience, and sales. Fitbit was founded in 2007 with the goal …

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Google announced today that it would be purchasing the fitness tracking company Fitbit for $2.1 billion. The move is intended to assist Google in revitalising its Android-based smartwatch OS, ‘Wear OS’ which until now has lagged far behind the Apple Watch in both user experience, and sales.

Fitbit was founded in 2007 with the goal “to make everyone in the world healthier” and gained a loyal following from that, thanks in part to its well designed hardware, and user-friendly software. The company sold 13.9 million Fitbit devices in 2018, and currently holds a market share of just under 10% of the smartwatch market.

Google’s Wear OS has struggled to gain a foothold in the market, ever since its release back in 2014. The company has been unsuccessful in its attempts to steal away any market share from both Apple and Samsung, which hold a 46.4% and 15.9% market share respectively. Google’s attempts have included major revisions of the user interface, and even a complete rebranding – to no avail. It seems like Google has decided the best way forward is to buy its way into the market. 

Furthermore, by acquiring Fitbit, Google will no longer have to rely on its partners to use its software but can instead “introduce Made by Google wearable devices into the market”. This move is similar to how Google bought HTC’s design team, allowing the company to design and manufacture its own Android phones, namely the Pixel line.

(Source: Mashable)

In the blog post, the Senior Vice President of Devices and Services, Rick Osterloh stressed the importance of privacy and security for its users, describing it as being “paramount”. Google, whose entire business relies on collecting user data and ad revenue, put emphasis on the fact that “We (Google) will never sell personal information to anyone”, seemingly following in the footsteps of Apple and Fitbit, who gained its customer loyalty in part due to their commitment to user privacy.

The transaction is expected to close in 2020, and will hopefully bring with it a viable competitor to the Apple Watch, which until now, has dominated the market, thanks to its sleek hardware, and software working together in a cohesive manner. Perhaps now that Google is in control of both hardware and software, it’ll be able to achieve similar success.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What do you think of Google acquiring Fitbit? Will this benefit users in the long run, or has Google simply removed another competitor from the market? Would you trust Google with your activity data? Let us know down below.

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Yet another study claims that Fitbit trackers are inaccurate https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/damien-cox/yet-another-study-claims-that-fitbit-trackers-are-inaccurate/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/damien-cox/yet-another-study-claims-that-fitbit-trackers-are-inaccurate/#respond Wed, 22 Aug 2018 13:10:43 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=384186 Fitbit is the leading brand in the health watch market, offering a variety of premium devices to help track heart rate, sleep and the amount of steps someone takes. Unfortunately, researchers at the University of British Columbia have concluded that the latter in particular is misleading, with tests definitively showing the wearable to register a …

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Fitbit is the leading brand in the health watch market, offering a variety of premium devices to help track heart rate, sleep and the amount of steps someone takes. Unfortunately, researchers at the University of British Columbia have concluded that the latter in particular is misleading, with tests definitively showing the wearable to register a multitude of other daily tasks as steps when they shouldn’t.

“Consistent evidence indicated that Fitbit devices were likely to meet acceptable accuracy for step count approximately half the time, with a tendency to underestimate steps in controlled testing and overestimate steps in free-living settings,” explains the medical journal, published in JIMR Health. This “indicated that Fitbit devices were unlikely to provide accurate measures for energy expenditure in any testing condition.”

Of the 67 separate studies were conducted to examine the accuracy of the tracker, “a few studies also suggested that, compared with research-grade accelerometers, Fitbit devices may provide similar measures for time in bed and time sleeping, while likely markedly overestimating time spent in higher-intensity activities and underestimating distance during faster-paced ambulation.”

Claims of Fitbit inaccuracy come as early as 2014, with a class action lawsuit launched in 2016. The law firm behind the legal action, Lieff Cabraser, commissioned researchers at the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, to conduct a study across 43 healthy adult participants. Although the results showed heart rates miscalculated by up to 20 beats per minute, Fitbit criticised the study for using a consumer-grade electrocardiogram instead of a true clinical device.

A separate study conducted by Ball State University, Indiana, alongside journalists at WTHR also concluded that the average heart rate error of Fitbit devices was 14 percent. This time, Fitbit replied to the study stating that its devices “are designed to provide meaningful data to our users to help them reach their health and fitness goals, and are not intended to be scientific or medical devices.”

More recently, in January 2017, the University of Galway expanded the study to include more than just Fitbit watches, bringing an ActivPAL micro, NL-2000 pedometer, Withings Smart Activity Monitor Tracker (Pulse O2), and Jawbone UP into the mix. All of them were found to be over or underestimating steps to varying degrees, with the ActivPAL micro identifying the least false positives.

Image: Samsung Galaxy Watch

Considering Fitbit isn’t the only company being scrutinised for the potential inaccuracy within its devices, it prompts thoughts as to just how well Samsun’s Galaxy Watch will do with its newly introduced health functionality. Google is also attempting to bolster its health efforts with its Google Fit tracking platform developed alongside the American Heart Association (AHA), but there’s no guarantee that the devices have become more accurate until further testing.

Either way, the University of British Columbia says that “discretion should be used when considering the use of Fitbit devices as an outcome measurement tool in research or to inform health care decisions, as there are seemingly a limited number of situations where the device is likely to provide accurate measurement,” and that should go for any health-focused wearable.

KitGuru Says: Considering the price of some of the health watches, I’m surprised that Fitbit could so easily brush off remarks about its inaccuracy. Still, technology is always advancing, meaning that these discrepancies will likely be addressed moving forward.

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Fitbit is buying the company behind the Pebble smartwatch https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/fitbit-is-buying-the-company-behind-the-pebble-smartwatch/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/fitbit-is-buying-the-company-behind-the-pebble-smartwatch/#respond Wed, 07 Dec 2016 20:06:50 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=314069 The wearable/smartwatch market may be in a bit of a weird spot right now but as we learned earlier this week, lower-cost solutions like the Fitbit are still thriving. In fact, Fitbit is doing so well that it can now afford to buy up the competition. This week, Fitbit announced that it would be acquiring …

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The wearable/smartwatch market may be in a bit of a weird spot right now but as we learned earlier this week, lower-cost solutions like the Fitbit are still thriving. In fact, Fitbit is doing so well that it can now afford to buy up the competition. This week, Fitbit announced that it would be acquiring Pebble, the company behind the hugely successful Pebble smartwatches, which were largely crowdfunded. Unfortunately, this buyout means the watch is being killed off and some of those who backed products won't be getting their watches after all.

Fitbit will be taking on key staff members within its own company, including those behind the software and firmware within the Pebble Watch. However, Pebble itself will be closing down and the manufacturing, promotion and sale of all Pebble Watches will eventually cease.

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By acquiring the team behind Pebble and all of its intellectual property, Fitbit will be able to bring new products to market and make some bigger improvements to the ones it currently sells. Around 40 percent of employees at Pebble will be given the opportunity to transfer to Fitbit, though we don't know how many of them will take up the offer.

Pebble was largely a crowd-funded company, and some of those who backed the Pebble Time 2, Pebble Core and Pebble Time Round have not yet received their watches. The Kickstarter editions for these watches will not go through another production phase, so all backers who didn't end up with one will be getting a refund.

KitGuru Says: This is actually a pretty sad outcome for Pebble. While I'm not big on smartwatches myself, I always admired the Pebble specifically and it seemed to be a shining example of Kickstarter done right. Unfortunately, with Fitbit buying them out, a lot of those backers will no longer be getting the product they invested in, which is a huge shame.

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Judge gives approval for Fitbit class action suit https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/jon-martindale/judge-gives-approval-for-fitbit-class-action-suit/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/jon-martindale/judge-gives-approval-for-fitbit-class-action-suit/#respond Wed, 20 Jul 2016 10:08:27 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=300024 A judge has given the thumbs up for a class action lawsuit against fitness tracking wearable maker, Fitbit. The suit claims that Fitbit grossly over sold the ability of its Flex wearable to track users' sleep patterns, including its length, quality and depth. Fitbit's defence since the plaintiffs came forward with the accusation has been …

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A judge has given the thumbs up for a class action lawsuit against fitness tracking wearable maker, Fitbit. The suit claims that Fitbit grossly over sold the ability of its Flex wearable to track users' sleep patterns, including its length, quality and depth.

Fitbit's defence since the plaintiffs came forward with the accusation has been to deny that its evidence is scientifically valid. It claims that the plaintiffs are wrong and has provided the judge in question with a number of scientific studies which it says back up the viability of its product as a sleep tracker.

However it seems that the judge would rather see where this trial goes, as for now he's refused to deny it. Although as Ars points out, Fitbit now has an opportunity to mount a different defence – which could see another judge deny the case at a later date – for now at least it can proceed as planned.

fitbitflex

The reason he saw fit to give the case approval to go ahead, was because while Fitbit claims that the plaintiffs' science is off, the dispute isn't necessarily over the ability of accelerometers and other hardware to help track sleep patterns, it's in how Fitbit advertised its product and its capabilities, that the lawsuit is targeting.

Fitbit has pledged to continue defending its Flex product and the company's advertising practices as a whole and maintains its position that the case has no merit.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Until I lost my Misfit Shine during a Tough Mudder, I used it for a bit of sleep tracking. It was kind of useful, but I didn't find it life changing by any means. Have any of you guys tried sleep tracking with a Fitbit device?

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Apple shipped over 11 million Apple Watches last year https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/apple/matthew-wilson/apple-shipped-over-11-million-apple-watches-last-year/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/apple/matthew-wilson/apple-shipped-over-11-million-apple-watches-last-year/#comments Thu, 25 Feb 2016 15:12:51 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=285363 The Apple Watch is approaching one-year-old and while the smartwatch didn't blow people away in the same way the iPhone did back in 2007, it has sold very well indeed. According to reports surfacing this week, Apple has shipped 11.6 million watches since launch, making it the third most popular wearable in the world right now. …

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The Apple Watch is approaching one-year-old and while the smartwatch didn't blow people away in the same way the iPhone did back in 2007, it has sold very well indeed. According to reports surfacing this week, Apple has shipped 11.6 million watches since launch, making it the third most popular wearable in the world right now.

According to a report from IDC, Apple holds 14.9 percent of the wearable market, while Xiaomi just edges it out. FitBit is the market leader right now with 21 million shipments in 2015.

apple_watch-600x48111

Throughout 2015, the report shows that fitness trackers and smartwatches grew by 172 percent with 78.1 million units shipped in total across multiple brands. A lot of this growth is driven by both low-cost solutions like the FitBit as well as big names like Apple getting on board with higher-end options.

The report ends off by noting that it looks like wearables are finally entering the mainstream which means they will likely continue to grow over the next few years until they become commonplace.

KitGuru Says: While several smartphone makers may have beat Apple to the initial punch with smartwatches of their own, the Apple Watch has swiftly become much more popular than all of the Android Wear watches combined. Do any of you own a wearable yet? Do you find it useful? 

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Apple is now the second biggest wearable maker, behind Fitbit https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/apple/matthew-wilson/apple-is-now-the-second-biggest-wearable-maker-behind-fitbit/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/apple/matthew-wilson/apple-is-now-the-second-biggest-wearable-maker-behind-fitbit/#respond Fri, 28 Aug 2015 11:43:06 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=265296 Apple has managed to climb its way up to the second biggest wearable maker in the world, right behind Fitbit. According to market analysis from IDC, Apple's quarterly numbers show that the company managed to ship 3.6 million Apple Watch units following its launch in the second quarter. On the other hand, Fitbit, the market …

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Apple has managed to climb its way up to the second biggest wearable maker in the world, right behind Fitbit. According to market analysis from IDC, Apple's quarterly numbers show that the company managed to ship 3.6 million Apple Watch units following its launch in the second quarter.

On the other hand, Fitbit, the market leader, managed to ship 4.4 million devices, giving it a nice lead over Apple. These figures are currently estimates as neither company has revealed their internal figures as of yet but still, this would be quite the achievement for Apple, particularly since it was fairly late to the smart watch trend.

apple_watch-600x48111

According to IDC, Apple's arrival in the smart watch market boosted the industry, with total shipments up by 223.2 per cent over the same quarter in 2014. Aside from Apple, other big names in the wearable market include Xiaomi in third place and Samsung in fifth place.

Of course Apple still has some work to do with the Apple Watch, the company is currently working on its Watch OS 2, which will allow for natively run apps and should provide a smoother overall experience for users. On top of that, Apple has a new iPhone event scheduled for the 9th of September, so it will be interesting to see if the watch makes an appearance there next month.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Apple has already outsold every Android Wear smartwatch. However, the Apple's entry in to the market should provide a boost for pretty much everyone, as more people will be aware of smart wearables, which means more potential customers for all of the companies to fight over. Do any of you own a smartwatch already? Do you use it often?

Via: Business Wire

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Fantastic FitBit fitness fun for, well, everyone https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/featured-tech-news/faith/fantastic-fitbit-fitness-fun-for-well-everyone/ https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/featured-tech-news/faith/fantastic-fitbit-fitness-fun-for-well-everyone/#respond Thu, 12 Jan 2012 07:47:46 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=73584 Give the average Nigel or Nigella a bunch of extra days off at Xmas and, with almost 100% certainty, they will be able to show you an extra inch around the waist, the ability to live in the same clothes for a week without the need to wash or shave and – possibly – a …

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Give the average Nigel or Nigella a bunch of extra days off at Xmas and, with almost 100% certainty, they will be able to show you an extra inch around the waist, the ability to live in the same clothes for a week without the need to wash or shave and – possibly – a way to make soup from the dry-picked carcass of a 5 day old turkey. At that point, it's time to hit them with fitness info-mercials.

Just as the Earth moves around the sun to create seasons, so Western society moves from Xmas glutony to the need for a 6-pack and a tan, roughly once every six months.

Right now, we've at intestinal overload and looking for the ‘cool new gadgety thingy' that will enthuse us to find lettuce more attractive and ‘run not walk' where possible. If that's the case for you, then the inventing chaps/chapesses over at FitBit have exactly what you need. We fire up the VideoScope so you can watch without moving.

KitGuru says: Well, there you have it. A cool, affordable and rather intriguing gadget to encourage you to eat, breathe, walk and even sleep in a more active way – cos it will burn more calories. Good luck with that, we're off to release Ben & Jerry from the freezer – armed with nothing by a spoon.

Comment below or in the KitGuru forums.

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