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Fitbit steps up its game with Aria Wi-Fi scale

The maker of a wireless clip-on activity tracker unveils a $129-scale due out in April that recognizes as many as eight different users for personal weight and body fat tracking.

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

LAS VEGAS--Fitbit, maker of a wireless clip-on activity tracker, is adding the Aria Wi-Fi scale to its lineup this April due, according to the company, to user requests.

Fitbit's first Wi-Fi scale is now available for pre-order and will cost $129.99. Corinne Schulze/CNET

The Aria has competition in the "smart" scale department, with the Withings booth and its very similar scales for adults and yes, even babies, just a few yards away.

But Fitbit has introduced a multiple-user feature that recognizes--out of as many as eight different users--who is standing on the scale. Think large households, dorm quads, sports teams, etc.

Priced at $129.99, Fitbit's first Wi-Fi scale can tally weight, body fat, and body mass index, and automatically uploads that info with every step on the scale to an online tool with graphs that perhaps too-handily track one's progress (or lack thereof). The online and mobile tools are free and also include weight goals and a food and exercise log.

A Fitbit rep says the scale relies on differences in weight to distinguish users, so this may not be the ideal solution for, say, identical twins. Each unique user's info is uploaded to a unique and private account for those who may not want the world watching.

Rafe Needleman gave it a look at the Pepcom event; check out his video below.