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Fitbit Flex: The New Activity Tracker in Town

There is a fast growing market for activity and sleep tracking devices, especially for wearable ones, but this little gadget is something else: Fitbit Flex is actually a rubber wristband that is very comfortable to wear and you will never have to take off.

The Fitbit Flex is the latest in Fitbit’s range of wireless activity trackers. It is similar to its predecessor, the Fitbit One, but is not provided with a display. And while previous Fitbit trackers were easy to misplace because of their small size and the fact that they had to be attached to your clothing, you won’t have to worry about that with the Flex.

Fitbit Flex activity tracker

At a first glance, the Flex looks like any ordinary rubber wristband. It is very simple and slim and the only element distinguishing it from other wristbands is the LED lights that give the wearers feedback about their activity stats.

The five LED lights turn on gradually, as the wearer gets closer to their set goals. For instance, if the wearer has set the goal of 10,000 steps in a day, the lights will turn one by one as soon as you complete 20 percent of the task. So as soon as you have made 2,000 steps, the first LED will light up and so on.

The Fitbit Flex can be worn in the shower and it also monitors your sleep, which is yet another reason for not taking it off. The device monitors the duration and quality of sleep and will record how many times you woke up or moved during the night. It is also equipped with a silent alarm feature that vibrates to wake you up at the set time.

Fitbit Flex: The New Activity Tracker in Town

Given that it does not have a display, the Fitbit Flex will not show you statistics for your daily activity like traditional tracking gadgets do. Instead, it will wirelessly communicate these data via Bluetooth 4.0 to iOS devices and a limited number of Android operated systems. So far, only the Samsung Galaxy Note II and the Samsung Galaxy S III are compatible with the Flex. The tracker will be sold together with a USB device to sync with a computer, for all those who do not own compatible phones.

The Fitbit Flex is available in five colors: black, navy, tangerine, teal and slate and can be purchased for $100. Since the tracker can be removed from the wristband, you can purchase a set of bands in various colors for an extra $30.

[Images via uncrate & thrillist]

The post Fitbit Flex: The New Activity Tracker in Town appeared first on TechBeat.

via TechBeat http://techbeat.com/2013/05/fitbit-flex-the-new-activity-tracker-in-town/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=fitbit-flex-the-new-activity-tracker-in-town

Microsoft to Roll out Free Windows 8 Update Later This Year

Microsoft has had to face criticism like never before because of Windows 8. Even though the company has released some products that flopped in the past, like Windows Vista, the criticism wasn’t as intense as it has been for Windows 8. The sales continue to plod along, having reached 100 million in six months. This puts the operating system at par with Windows 7, the version Windows 8 was intended to replace. At present, it is finding it tough to carve a niche for itself, let alone replace Windows 7.

Microsoft to Roll out Free Windows 8 Update Later This Year

Even the people seem to have rejected Windows 8. There have been numerous instances of people downgrading their PCs from Windows 8 to Windows 7. Needless to say, the backlash has been strong. So, it comes as no surprise that Microsoft is trying to change the situation as much as it can. For this purpose, the company had announced they were going to release a Windows 8 update before the end of the year. Initially titled Windows Blue the update was intended to rectify the problems Windows 8 was receiving criticism for.

Since then, the name for the update has been changed to Windows 8.1. The purpose will remain the same, which is improving the Windows 8 user experience. However, what this does not show is whether the update will actually contribute towards stronger Windows 8 sales. Microsoft further added to the intrigue by announcing recently that they intend to roll out Windows 8.1 as a free update rather than with strings attached. This means there is little chance it would boost the Windows 8 sales.

Microsoft has been trying to project optimism as far as Windows 8 is concerned. The 100 million licenses sold, as an umbrella figure, have contributed immensely towards alleviating some of the doubts. However, some reports are showing that the number of licenses sold doesn’t represent the number of people actually using Windows 8 on their PCs. That number is close to 60 million if the reports are to be believed. This means that Microsoft has been banking its future chances on hope rather than solid performance.

Yet, one cannot help but say that 58 million is a huge number. If that many people are actually using Windows 8, there must be something good about it. As things stand, Windows 8.1 will be available to Windows 8 users as a free update. They simply need to download and install the update to upgrade their version of Windows 8. However, there are no certainties regarding whether people will actually want to download it, even if it is available for free. After all, there are not many changes which are being spoken of before the update is actually revealed.

Microsoft wants to get more people to use Windows 8. That much is clear from the actions the company has taken over the past few months. Providing an update free of cost, and that too Windows 8.1, seems like a desperate measure to get people to use their operating system.

[Image via windows8keys]

The post Microsoft to Roll out Free Windows 8 Update Later This Year appeared first on TechBeat.

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