Fitbit Data Can Finally Write to Apple Health, Twelve Years Late

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Wearables, Google,

If you wear a Fitbit and carry an iPhone, you've spent the last twelve years running a small, annoying errand. Your steps and sleep lived in one app. Everything else your phone tracked lived in Apple Health. Getting them into the same place meant paying for a third-party bridge and hoping it didn't break. That errand is finally over.

Google Health version 5.05 landed on iOS this week, and buried in the release notes is the thing people have been asking for since 2014: you can now share your exercise records, sleep, vitals, steps, and more from Google Health into Apple Health. It works for Fitbit trackers and the Pixel Watch, since Google Health replaced the old Fitbit app back in May.

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Best Buy launches big gadget sale ahead of Amazon’s Prime Day

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories:

Best Buy has launched a big Tuesday Techday sale, offering a bunch of online-only sales on various gadgets and consumer electronics items. Notable standouts in the sale include:

• $379.99 Sharp 50" 1080p HDTV
• $229.99 iPad mini 2
• $60 gift card with purchase of GoPro HERO4 Silver
• Free extra controller with Xbox One
• 25% off Fitbit Flex

There's plenty more than just those! Head on over to the Best Buy Tuesday Techday site to see all the deals.

Bleeding Edge TV 527: Fitbit Charge activity tracker

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Wearables, Features, Podcasts, Videocasts, Videos,

The Fitbit Charge Activity + Sleep Tracker is the latest casual fitness tracker from Fitbit, and in this episode we open it up and give you a look at all the features that this wearable packs. With the Fitbit Charge, you can monitor your steps, distance walked, flights climbed, calories burned, and even track your sleep automatically. We will be bringing you a look at the Fitbit Charge HR and Fitbit Surge in future episodes!

You can pick up the Fitbit Charge now on Amazon.

Don't forget to subscribe to Gear Live's YouTube channel--also, we are giving away awesome perks for our Patreon backers - thanks for your support!

Click to continue reading Bleeding Edge TV 527: Fitbit Charge activity tracker

Top 10 Gear Live Videos of 2014

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Features, Handhelds, Home Entertainment, Microsoft, Video Games, Videos,

The sun will set on 2014 in just a few hours, and we are just in time with our annual top 10 list of the most-watched Gear Live video episodes. Over the past year, as expected, there was a bunch of Apple gear that made the list, with the release of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. The launch of the WWE Network was also groundbreaking, and our walkthrough proved to be the second most popular video of the year. Other items, like a tutorial on upgrading Xbox One controllers, a look at the Fitbit Force, and a how-to on installing the Nest Protect also proved popular as well.

Oh, and if you wanna be sure to get our new video episodes as they come out in 2015, be sure to subscribe to us on YouTube, in iTunes, or in your RSS reader!

Also, you can check out the top ten videos from 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, and 2007 - and when you're done, be sure to check out the top 10 most popular Gear Live stories of 2013 as well!

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Apple shows off iOS 8 Health app & HealthKit platform

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Wearables, Corporate News, Handhelds, Software,

As rumored, Apple has announced its iOS 8 health initiative during the WWDC 2014 keynote. The new Health app will work with a developer API bundle called HealthKit. In iOS 8, apps will be able to report your health data to a centralized location, allowing you to see all the information and stats from different apps all in the same area. Further, you'll be able to choose if you'd like to share health data from one app to another.

Apple announced that Nike and the Mayo Clinic are two of the first to be working on HealthKit integration, while also picturing a Withings blood pressure monitor. Not much more has been announced about the new Health app for iOS 8 yet, but we're sure we will hear more about it closer to the release of iOS 8 release.

Unboxing Live 130: Fitbit Force

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Features, Videocasts, Wearables,

The Fitbit Force is, in my opinion, the best FitBit to date. All the power of the Fitbit One, but strapped to your wrist with a nice OLED display (unlike the Fitbit Flex.) The Fitbit One is a great fitness tracker, but it's small enough to lose easily. Having the Fitbit Force on your wrist is just super convenient. The battery lasts over a week as well. We give you a look at the package and what's included with the Fitbit Force in this episode.

You can pick up the Fitbit Force now.

Don't forget to subscribe to Gear Live on YouTube!

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Fitbit Force fitness band features iPhone call notifications

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Wearables, Wireless / WiFi,

The Fitbit Force is a new fitness tracking wristband from the company that started this whole quantified self fitness gadget craze. About half a year ago, Fitbit launched its first fitness tracking wristband, the Flex, which was a little feature-barren when compared to its other offerings. The Force changes that, as it does everything that any other Fitbit can do, plus more. That means that it will keep track of your steps, distance traveled, how many minutes you were active, how many floors you've climbed, how well (and how long) you are sleeping, and even call notifications from your iPhone, as long as yo are running iOS 7 on an iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, or iPhone 5s--that last feature will be introduced soon through a software update.

The Fitbit Force should last for about 7-10 days on a charge, thanks to its Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy profile and low-powered OLED display. You can order it now in one of two colors (black and slate blue) for $129.95.

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Read More | Fitbit Force

Fitbit Zip review

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Wearables, Features, Product Reviews,

Wearing a device to track your steps is nothing new, but the Fitbit Zip looks to be the budget solution that brings users into the connected fitness data world. The verdict is still out as far as if wearing fitness gadgets will make you more fit, but it's hard to argue that it doesn't at least make you more aware. The Zip is the least expensive way to start tracking and syncing your steps, calories burned, distance, and other stats, linking easily to your smartphone to give you a pretty look at all the data. The question is, does the Fitbit Zip do enough to take attention away from the more feature-rich Fitbit One, Nike FuelBand, and other competing devices? Join us for our full Fitbit Zip review as we find the answer.

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Will fitness gadgets actually make us fit?

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, CES, CES 2013, Wearables, Features,

Over the past few years, a new category of gadget has emerged with the aim of quantifying our health. You know the ones--Fitbit. Nike FuelBand. JawBone Up. Withings Wi-Fi Scale (and Smart Activity Tracker!). Fitbit Aria Scale. The list goes on. There are trackers and scales from tons of companies that'll sync your details to their servers, share them with services of your choosing, giving you pretty graphs and hopeful motivation from friends and followers to do the right thing as it pertains to diet and exercise. After all, sitting is killing us. Are all of these gadgets actually moving the needle in terms of our fitness levels? Our friend, Dave Taylor, takes a closer look and chimes in with his toughts after the jump.

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Withings Smart Activity Tracker set to take on Fitbit

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, CES, CES 2013, Wearables,

Withings has announced its contender in the wearable fitness tracker battle with its Smart Activity Tracker at CES 2013. As seen in the image, the Smart Activity Tracker is small, similar to a Fitbit, and it nicely packs in Bluetooth 4.0 for low battery consumption. Throw it in a pocket or wear it on your belt or arm, and it'll track steps taken, flights of stairs climbed, calories burned, sleep quality, and running strides. Even cooler, unlike other similar devices, this one can measure your pulse when you press your finger against its built-in heart rate monitor. A small OLED display is on front to provide all of your stats at a glance, and the battery lasts about two weeks per charge, and uses micro USB for recharging. No pricing info is available for the Smart Activity Tracker just yet, but we'll let you know as soon as we know.

Read More | Withings Smart Activity Tracker