fitness

Sony revamps Vaio line with new Fit series

After years of juggling laptops with names such as the Vaio S, Vaio Z, and Vaio E, Sony is starting to simplify its lineup with the newly announced Vaio Fit line.

The Fit laptops appear to be Sony's new mainstream line, and the company says they are for "students and business users who are looking for a step up and want more of a premium design but still at an entry-level price point."

In person, the Vaio Fit 14 (reviewed here) looks very upscale for an inexpensive laptop, and it starts at $649. That includes an aluminum … Read more

The $99.95 Fitbit Flex is feature-packed, powerful, and comfortable

The $99.95 Fitbit Flex is the newest personal fitness tracker in the company’s lineup. While the Flex isn’t without some flaws, the gadget is the most complete product of its kind you can buy. It can track steps taken, sleep quality, and it syncs data wirelessly with PCs and Macs automatically. Comfortable to wear, the Flex can communicate directly with iPhones and select Android smartphones, and is water-resistant as well. Going head-to-head with other wristband-style exercise products such as the Nike FuelBand and Jawbone Up, the Flex offers more features and convenience at a lower price than … Read more

The $99.95 Fitbit Flex is feature-packed, powerful, and comfortable

Google, Nike, Jawbone and the fight to win wearable computing

When wireless headset company Jawbone announced plans Tuesday to buy wearable sensor maker BodyMedia for what a source said was more than $100 million, it may well have marked a turning point for wearable computing.

The technology, which includes everything from Google Glass eyewear to heart-rate monitors to sensors that slip into running shoes, has come of age. It's moving past the niche gizmos that only appeal to geeks and gearheads.

As a real business materializes around the technology, a battle is brewing among companies that want to put themselves at the heart of it, and profit from its … Read more

Powerful fitness tracker saddled with a subpar design

The $99.95 Fitbit One is one of the most advanced fitness trackers money can buy. Besides measuring steps, this gadget can record how many stairs you climb, the calories you burn, and even the quality of your sleep. Its clippable design, however, isn't as convenient or secure as competing wrist-style devices such as the Jawbone Up, Nike FuelBand, and even Fitbit's own Flex. And unlike the Fitbit One, those devices are made to be worn around the clock, not just clipped to clothing when you hit the gym or head out for a run. So for those … Read more

FitBark, a kind of Fitbit for dogs, launches on Kickstarter

NEW YORK--Worried about Fido getting a little too chunky? Now you can track how active your dog is by using FitBark, a sort of Fitbit for pets.

FitBark, a New York-based startup, launched the product Thursday on Kickstarter and at the NY Tech Day tech show in Manhattan, seeking funding to produce its wearable fitness tracker for pets.

For a $99 pledge, people receive a wearable bone-shaped device, a home base that collects data, and a three-month subscription to the service. The FitBark mobile app itself is free. (FitBark is not affiliated with Fitbit.)

"We all wondered how we … Read more

Hooked Up: A backstage pass at the tech behind Cee Lo Green's stage show

Welcome to the start of a new franchise here at CNET -- the first episode of Hooked Up! It's the only show where the world of celebrity and technology collide.

This week, Kevin Frazier checks out Cee Lo Green's Las Vegas show "Loberace" and the technology that's involved in creating a massive production that only Las Vegas can do. Cee Lo also talks about his personal health goals, Goodie Mob's comeback, and their search for the next big music artist.

I'll also break down some of the best ways to bring the biggest … Read more

The 404 1,255: Where we don't know what to do with our hands (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Order a slice of 'za from Da Hut with your Xbox.

- Is it possible to lose weight playing video games?

- Has anyone ever taken a good photo of a live band?

- Michael Bay apologizes for Armageddon.

Bathroom break video: Dodgeball: White Goodman's necklace does magic.… Read more

TomTom dives deeper into the GPS sport watch business

This may not be TomTom's first foray into the GPS sport watch business (that distinction came with the Nike+ SportWatch), but the announcement of the TomTom Runner and Multi-Sport are proof that the GPS hardware provider is getting serious about the fitness tech segment.

The Runner and Multi-Sport are based on identical core hardware but feature different software, wristbands, and accessories. The core unit uses a large, high-contrast, monochrome LCD display covered with Gorilla glass, so it should be up to being knocked around a bit. TomTom tells us that the display is not e-ink, but has been … Read more

Early tech blogger and entrepreneur Allen Stern dies

Allen Stern, a respected tech blogger and entrepreneur who shifted his attention to helping others improve their health, has died, prompting an outpouring of condolences and tributes on the Internet.

Stern, who founded tech blog CenterNetworks and startup CloudContacts, died last week, according to a message posted yesterday to his Facebook page by his sister Sari Rosenberger.

She did not discuss the cause of death, but Stern had struggled with his weight for many years and had recently lost more than 125 pounds through diet and exercise, according to friend Louis Gray. His age was not immediately clear.

Stern began … Read more