Fitbit, Microsoft are next to challenge Apple Watch
Culture
It's almost time for new smart watches from Fitbit and Microsoft.
I'm Bridget Carey and this is your CNET update.
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There are plenty of choices for smart watches.
There is the Moto 360, the LG G Watch R, and Apple's watch coming out next year.
And Samsung already made six types of gear watches.
Don't forget about the simpler pedal watch or Intel's fitness focus Peak.
But it's time to add another two model to the list.
It looks like Fitbit is going after Apple and making a watch that's also and activity tracker.
GPS.
Leaked marketing materials published by the Verge reveal that its name is the Fitband Surge and it will cost $250.
It's said to give you notifications for call and text messages and control music.
The FitBit Surge could be a strong competitor to the Apple watch, because these companies are not playing nice with each other.
FitBit will not work with Apple's Health Kit app, and Apple is no longer selling FitBit products.
Microsoft could also launch a smartwatch very soon, Forbes reports that in a mater of weeks Microsoft will launch on with health tracking features.
And it'll work with iPhones and Android Phones.
It's said to be available in time for the holiday shopping season.
Also in Microsoft news the company is finally phasing out the Nokia brand name from its phones and tablets.
We knew this was coming when Microsoft bought Nokia's mobile division.
But now it's finally happening.
The French Facebook page for Nokia is renaming itself to Microsoft Lumia, and other countries will soon also drop the Nokia name.
But don't get confused with the Nokia here [UNKNOWN].
You see that app doesn't belong to Microsoft.
It's still part of the original Nokia company.
I know it's messy.
The Nokia Here app just became available for all Android devices and downloading it is also messy because you can't get it in the Google Play store you have to download it from a Nokia website.
Back to smart watches and activity trackers it's hard for a company to stand out these days with so many options.
But one company called Pivotal has a very different approach.
Its tracker is free and you pay $12 a year as a subscription to the app.
Now most trackers cost around $100 to $200 so this is a crazy good deal.
The band is called the Life Tracker One and it's actually built pretty decent.
It has similar features to other trackers.
And finally.
Staples office supply chain says it's investigating a potential data breach of customer credit and debit cards.
I'm sure Staples wishes there was actually an easy button to fix this mess.
That's your tech news update and you can get more details at cnet.com.
From our studios in New York, I'm Bridget Carey.
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