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CES: Withings rethinks blood pressure monitor

French start-up Withings unveils a sleek and lightweight blood pressure monitor, which goes on sale this month for $129 and works with an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch.

Elizabeth Armstrong Moore
Elizabeth Armstrong Moore is based in Portland, Oregon, and has written for Wired, The Christian Science Monitor, and public radio. Her semi-obscure hobbies include climbing, billiards, board games that take up a lot of space, and piano.
Elizabeth Armstrong Moore

A Withings rep demonstrates the new blood pressure monitor at CES today. Elizabeth Armstrong Moore/CNET

The toughest part of covering health and fitness at CES is that the job inherently involves being reminded that, at least as far as this week is concerned, we should be consuming less coffee and junk food and getting more sleep.

Withings

Fortunately, the new Withings Blood Pressure monitor is so sleek and easy to use that my high blood pressure reading this morning didn't get me down.

Just out this month for $129, the monitor wraps around the upper arm like any other, but it can plug directly into an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch, allowing the simple set of results (systolic, diastolic, and bpm) to be shared almost instantly. Put it on, plug it in, and the device self inflates and then deflates as soon as the readings are taken.

For the most accurate results, Withings rep Jessica Darrican says to take three readings spaced one minute apart.