fitbit

Fitbit recalls 1.7 million smartwatches with a battery that can overheat and burn you

11:03am March 02, 2022

by Joe Hernandez

The recall was issued Wednesday following a slew of reports of the watch battery overheating, including at least 115 incidents in the U.S. and another 59 internationally.

Fitbit, a pioneer in wearable fitness trackers, is being acquired by Google for $2.1 billion.

Health & Safety

Google Buys Fitbit For $2.1 Billion, Pledges To Protect Health Data

4:20pm November 01, 2019

by Paolo Zialcita

In a Friday announcement, the two companies told wary customers that fitness-tracker data would not be used to target ads at customers.

It's one thing to track your heart rate, pulse or other movements with a smart watch or other consumer electronics, researchers say, but quite another to rely on the device to diagnose a disease.

Like It Or Not, Personal Health Technology Is Getting Smarter

5:52am March 05, 2018

by Angus Chen

Tech evangelists say consumer electronics that sense, stream and interpret vital signs will lead to better health and lower costs. But skeptics say reliability and privacy issues still loom.

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Researchers had participants wear the fitness trackers while walking or running on a treadmill and while riding an exercise bike to determine how well the trackers measured heart rate and energy expenditure.

Fitness Trackers: Good at Measuring Heart Rate, Not So Good At Measuring Calories

4:30pm May 24, 2017

by Patti Neighmond

A study of seven popular fitness trackers found they are generally good at measuring heart rate, but may mislead consumers about how many calories they have burned.

The Text4Baby app sends free, periodic text messages in Spanish or English to pregnant women and new moms about prenatal care, labor and delivery, breastfeeding, developmental milestones and immunizations.

The Challenge Of Taking Health Apps Beyond The Well-Heeled

9:03am June 23, 2016

by Barbara Feder Ostrov

A nutrition app may not be the top priority for someone who struggles to pay for groceries. But cellphones have the potential to improve the health of people with low incomes, if they can get them.

One version of the Fitbit, a popular fitness tracker.

A Fitbit Saved His Life? Well, Maybe

4:56pm April 11, 2016

by Alison Kodjak

A man shows up in the emergency room with a speedy, irregular heartbeat, but can't say when it first went awry. No problem. The ER doctors just checked the phone records of his fitness tracker.

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In the current version of the Fitnet App, the camera of an exerciser's smartphone captures data from him (upper left), while a prerecorded trainer guides him through a workout. A clock (bottom center) shows elapsed time. The orange dots (upper left) indic

Fitness App Aims To Deliver Live Feedback From A Personal Trainer 24/7

7:31am June 23, 2015

by Alison Bruzek

The Fitnet app uses your phone's camera to analyze your workout and give feedback. Next step is a live trainer on the other end. The hitch: Your Internet speed likely needs to be 40 times faster.

Fitbit stock begins trading publicly Thursday. The Fitbit Force is shown at the 2014 International CES, the consumer technology trade show, in Las Vegas.

National

As Fitbit Goes Public, It Will Have To Outrun Competition

2:29pm June 18, 2015

by Aarti Shahani

Amid the buzz around wearables, Fitbit heads to the NYSE. The fitness tracking firm faces challenges from smart watches, but it may get a boost from companies that want to keep tabs on workers.

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