Feb 27
Any Netflix user will know there are times you doze off mid-show or movie, leaving it to continue playing after you’ve stopped watching — an annoying reality that results in … Continue reading
Feb 24
Back in January at CES, we got a very brief look at Sony’s first activity tracker, dubbed The Core. It’s a tiny little pod that can be worn on your wrist in its SmartBand, or tucked discreetly into your pocket. The CES announcement was really just a tease, but finally a few more details have been unloosed, including its rapidly-approaching availability.
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Feb 21
Earlier this year we reported that there were a handful of Fitbit users who were reporting skin irritations after a period of using their Fitbit fitness tracking wristbands. These skin irritations included blisters and peeling skin, and while there could be a number of factors that contributed to these irritations, it was found that despite wiping down the device, those irritations kept reappearing. Most noticeably it was under the portion of the device where the sensors, battery, display, and charging ports are found. At that time Fitbit offered customers either a refund or an exchange of the product, but now it looks like Fitbit has decided to recall the fitness band entirely.
In a recent post by the company’s CEO, James Park, “Recently, some Force users have reported skin irritation. While only 1.7% of Force users have reported any type of skin irritation, we care about every one of our customers. On behalf of the entire Fitbit team, I want to apologize to anyone affected.” He also adds that the company had done additional testing of their own and found that while there was nothing wrong, they have decided to perform a voluntary recall anyway. “We have stopped selling Force and have decided to conduct a voluntary recall. We are offering a refund directly to consumers for full retail price.” For those who have been affected or who would prefer to avoid risking it, you can head on over to Fitbit’s website for the details.
Fitbit Force Fitness Bands Being Recalled original content from Ubergizmo. 
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Feb 21
Fitbit is halting sales of its Force flagship fitness tracker, and recalling all existing units already on users’ wrists, after a spate of skin irritation issues. The issue – which … Continue reading
Feb 21
Fitbit announced today that it will recall its new Force
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Feb 06
The Fitbit Flex, which we reviewed nearly a year ago, is a fitness band that tracks users body stats day and night, competing with some of the wristbands in the … Continue reading
Jan 28
You can shell out between $100-150 for standalone fitness trackers like the FitBit Flex and Jawbone Up24. But chances are, you already own one of the most powerful activity trackers around: your smartphone. All you need are the right apps.
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Jan 26
Fly Or Die: Fitbit Force
Posted in: Today's Chili
Personal fitness trackers and sleep trackers are officially mainstream, but deciding between the various devices out there can be tough.
That said, let me direct your attention to the Fitbit Force, the latest and most full-featured product from the quantified-self makers.
The Fitbit Force, unlike the lower-end Flex, has a nice little display on it that shows steps taken, flights climbed, calories burned, as well as sleep information.
It even shows the time of day.
Even better, the Force pairs with Fitbit’s nutrition app, letting you input food-intake information to track your health over time.
In our experience, there’s nothing on the market that is more accurate or robust.
However, the band isn’t my favorite. It’s caused skin irritation for some users, whom Fitbit refunded. Plus, it’s simply not as well-designed as something like the FuelBand.
But hey, you win some and you lose some.
The Fitbit Force goes for $129 and comes in slate blue and black.
Jan 21
Atlas Wearables, A Hardware Battlefield Finalist, Sails Past Its Crowdfunding Goal
Posted in: Today's Chili
You get funding, you get funding, everyone gets funding!
Just two short weeks after launching, Atlas Wearables joins The Pocket Drone as the latest Hardware Battlefield company to hit its fundraising goal.
The company initially asked for a lofty $125,000 to build its uber-smart fitness wearable. As of today, with 17 days left in the campaign, Atlas Wearables has collected north of $196,000 on Indiegogo with the vast majority of its pledging ringing in as pre-orders.
Rather than just counting your steps for the day, the Atlas — which was shown off for the first time on stage at our Hardware Battlefield — is capable of determining exactly what exercises you’re doing to give you a better sense of both your fitness level and your form. The creators likened it to creating dots of paint in a 3D space. Then, along with other sorts of tracking, the device learns different exercises.
The company made it to the final round of the inaugural Hardware Battlefield at CES 2014. The judges questioned the device’s ability to track different exercises that were very similar. Apparently the masses on Indiegogo do not share in this concern or rather trust that the company can make good on its word.
Atlas Wearables’ Hardware Battlefield presentation
Jan 15
Fitbit Offering Refunds Or Device Swaps To Owners Of Force Wristband With Skin Irritation
Posted in: Today's Chili
Fitness device maker Fitbit is offering up an honest deal to customers who are reporting that their Fitbit Force is causing them skin irritation: you can either get a full refund, or swap out your tracker for a different one from the Fitbit line, the assumption being that you’ll likely opt for one that won’t continually touch your epidermis.
The Fitbit Force is admittedly designed to be worn all the time (it even tracks sleep while worn in bed), so it isn’t surprising that people are doing just that. But it’s also not surprising that such behavior results in irritated skin and rashes. Think about it: what else do you wear on your body all the time without any breaks for at all for days on end?
For those who haven’t ever had the extreme pleasure of breaking a bone, wearing a cast produces similar results. It’s impossible to have one enrobing any of your limbs and escape without some kind of skin irritation, simply because skin isn’t designed to be encased by anything for any significant length of time.
I don’t doubt that people are getting rashes from the Fitbit Force, and multiple news reports now depict the effects, but I also honestly think this is much more of a “well what did you expect” situation than an “OMG FITBIT POISONS PEOPLE WTF!!!1!!” scenario. Kudos to Fitbit for stepping up and offering a full refund, or a replacement from its lineup complete with free shipping and a restoration of any difference in final purchase price.
Here’s the full statement from Fitbit on the issue, updated as of this morning:
We are looking into reports from a very limited number of Fitbit Force users who have been experiencing skin irritation, possibly as a result of an allergy to nickel, an element of surgical-grade stainless steel used in the device.
We suggest that consumers experiencing any irritation discontinue using the product and contact Fitbit atforce@fitbit.com if they have additional questions. Customers may also contact Fitbit for an immediate refund or replacement with a different Fitbit product.
We are sorry that even a few consumers have experienced these problems and assure you that we are looking at ways to modify the product so that anyone can wear the Fitbit Force comfortably. We will continue to update our customers with the latest information.
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