By Jonah Comstock and Brian Dolan
Self-tracking, self-monitoring, and using smartphone peripherals to encourage health habits are emerging as big themes at this year's CES, getting coverage not just in the tech press, but also in mainstream outlets like CNN and the Wall Street Journal. While the big companies focus on filling in holes in their product lines and staying competitive with one another, smaller companies are looking for entirely new niches to fill. Here are more than 15 consumer health gadgets generating buzz in Las Vegas this week.
Following the lead of Nike Fuelband and the re-launched Jawbone UP, Fitbit is embracing the growing popularity of the bracelet form-factor, while keeping the tracker inside very similar to the Fitbit One.
“We’re aware that there is no ‘one size fits all’ option in fitness, so Fitbit wants to offer the widest variety on the market,” James Park, CEO and co-founder of Fitbit said in a statement. ”When we saw that we could bring our knowledge to a wristband format done right, we had to create the new Flex.”
Withings Smart Activity Tracker
The size and shape of Withing's new activity tracker has invited some comparisons to Fitbit, which released a smart scale to rival Withing's core product at last year's CES. But Withing's tracker has a few tricks up its sleeve, including a built-in heart rate monitor and a touchscreen.
