Fitbit has unveiled a new fashionable fitness band today called the Alta . Set to launch in March and cost $130, the tracker is available to preorder now and is arguably Fitbit’s most aesthetically pleasing device yet.
Unlike the Blaze or the Surge bands, the Alta’s design is purposely discreet. It offers the same SmartTrack instant exercise recognition as its siblings, as well as pairing with the Fitbit app to manage weekly goals and monitor daily activity and sleep tracking.
And this one will vibrate to tell you when to get off your butt if you’ve been sitting down for too long as well.
However, it won’t help you monitor your heart rate as it’s lacking the sensors and if you’re lost, it hasn’t got GPS either.
The battery is set to last five days, according to Fitbit. As expected, it works with any Android, iOS or Windows phone and will alert you to calls and texts on its rectangular OLED screen.
The stainless steel band comes in silver and will soon be available in gold, with a black, blue, teal or plum strap. If you want something more fashionable, you can get a leather version for $60 more and a stainless steel or gold bangle for $100.
The Alta isn’t breaking any boundaries with its tech specs, but Fitbit is clearly aiming to do what few functional wearables have managed so far and actually look fashionable.
➤ Fitbit Unveils New Fashion-Forward Fitness Wristband, Fitbit Alta [Business Wire]
Microsoft releases Xbox One TV tuner in the US and Canada today
Microsoft has revealed the Xbox One Digital TV Tuner, which is available in the US and Canada from today.
The add-on, manufactured by Hauppage, costs $59.99 and can be linked up with any HDTV broadcast antenna to give you access to over-the-air TV.
If you don’t have an antenna, Microsoft is offering a package that includes one for $100.
With the TV tuner, you can also pause live TV for up to 3o minutes or have TV shows playing on one side of your screen with Snap .
You can also change channels using Kinect voice controls and stream to other devices using the Xbox One SmartGlass app. Streams you cast will keep playing even when the Xbox is being used for gaming.
You can connect cable and satellite feeds to the console now as well, but there is no over-the-air support for DVR, so recording isn’t possible at the moment. That being said, it could always be introduced as an update at a later stage.
Microsoft said in its statement that live TV features were “one of the most requested” things on Xbox Feedback .”
➤ Over-the-Air TV Tuner Available Now for Xbox One in the U.S. and Canada [Major Nelson]
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Fitbit will now track your workouts automatically
Fitbit is getting smarter about tracking your exercise. An update rolling out today keeps better track of your hear rate and automatically springs into action when you start a workout.
SmartTrack is an entirely new feature that senses when you’ve exercised, narrowing down to the type of activity. It only recognizes continuous movement, though; walks, runs or a pickup basketball game will register, but pushups on your lunch break may not.
PurePulse improves heart rate tracking when you use Fitbit’s exercise mode or multi-sport modes. It’s not new — just improved.
Finally, Fitbit added weekly progress tracking to the app. You can decide how many days you’d like to be active, and Fitbit will encourage your progress. The company says all exercise counts toward your goal, too.
SmartTrack and PurePulse are rolling to all Fitbit Charge HR and Fitbit Surge users across all platforms. The exercise tracker is coming to iOS and Windows ( but won’t write to your Health app ); Android users will have access to that feature “soon.”
➤ 3 New Features Make Exercising with Fitbit Better than Ever [Fitbit]