Commentary first. Until now I did not allow myself for this as a mental model, but will start this folder to explore the snip from the cc. This will be a work in progress.o In addition to this design win, we have an EOS S3 evaluation with a world leader in wearable fitness tracking solutionsthat has significant volume potential.This customer has already prepared an evaluation board for our new EOS S3 samples that we are scheduled to deliver later this month. With those samples, we expect the design win process to be completed in Q2.Open q, can this be anyone but Fitbit?others to considerXiaomi,Jawbone,Garmin?none of them fit "world leader" for me.Now this would be a very happy way for things to go.Double tap needed for this sort of device.add in the cc tidbits on SenseMe, Fitbit could port its crown jewel algos, use some of QUIKs, if they want. They could have headroom for evolution to more sensors. They could make use of the FPGA portion perhaps in different ways for different devices?Please help discuss this one as its pretty big as far as upside potentialThanks in advance.
Roadmaps are important and FItbits?FitBit Needs to Integrate More Sensors, Not Sell Watch Bands, Says Sterne Agee CRT By Tiernan RayShares of fitness wearable maker FitBit (FIT) are down 85 cents, or almost 6%, at $13.83, with the broader market, and the stock did receive one mixed view today, from Sterne Agee CRT’sRob Cihra, who cites evidence of a “strong holiday season,” but also cuts his 2016 numbers, and cuts his price target to $18 from $35...............................................The Blaze seems to be about selling accessories, he concludes — thinks like stylish bands for the watch — rather than adding greater capabilities through more sensors:In new products, FIT’s strategy appears to be designed to drive up accessory revenues via bands. But while more fashionable devices and accessory sales are positive, we believe many FIT customers and investors alike are most anxious for core technology advances, particularly in its types of sensors. FIT’s addition of wrist-based heart rate monitoring, for example, was a tremendous driver to 2015 and we think breakthroughs along those lines are what people want most. The reality, however, is coming up with a step-function improvement like wrist-based HR is not something we should probably expect every year. A hoped-for function like blood pressure monitoring, for example, looks on the roadmap/ horizon but likely still requires a lot more work to shrink necessary mechanics. For now, we think FIT can compete well on brand (where it’s #1 by a mile) and technically via leading software platform/engineering (i.e., the long-term key, where we believe FIT is adding value and ahead of competitors), yet with neither seeming enough to sustain its previously-high multiple.
Fitbit cofounder interview sniphttp://www.forbes.com/sites/roberth...-survived-as-a-hardware-startup/#3b55f4a44f42Indeed, it seems that most entrepreneurs still aren’t willing to go the hardware route. Clavier asked the audience of several hundred how many are building a hardware startup. I saw only one hand. To which Park said: “You’re crazy.”Clavier’s parting advice: “Manufacturing is a bitch. Remember that
Why Fitbit Is Still Winning Wearables DECEMBER 10, 2015, 6:07 PM EST E-mail Tweet Facebook Linkedin Share iconsA recent study showing that activity tracker sales continue to outpace smartwatch shipments has Fitbit coming out on top.While the Apple Watch has carved out a sizable chunk of the wearable market share this year, the number-one manufacturer of these devices, Fitbit, remains the same.According to IDC’s latest numbers, in the third quarter, overall wearable device shipments were as high as 21 million units worldwide—a growth of 197.6% year-over-year. And this year’s launch of the Apple Watch has contributed to the increase, with IDC reporting 3.9 million units of the iPhone-connected device shipping in the third quarter. But even though Apple “AAPL” has had significantly more success with its smartwatch than brands like Motorola and Samsung, the company is still taking a back seat to Fibit “FIT” , which is known for its lineup of activity-tracking gadgets from the $60 Zip to the $250 Surge. Fitbit commanded 22.2% of the wearable market share in the third quarter, continuing its dominance as the segment’s number one vendor.To see why Fitbit and Apple are ahead of the pack in this still-young market, you need only look at their closest competition. Following Fitbit and Apple are Xiaomi, a Chinese manufacturer with an inexpensive activity tracker called the Mi Band; Garmin, known for its GPS fitness watches; and BBK, a Chinese electronics brand that sells a smartwatch for kids. Even though it sells fitness bands such as the Vivosmart, Garmin is best known for its GPS-equipped running watches and wearables that cater to more professional athletes across a number of sports. As for the other two brands, neither has yet to make a splash with worldwide wearables sales,So NOT Xiaomi, NOT Garmin, that leaves NOT Apple, but Fitbit?QUIK can tyou get Fitbit the EOS S3 LP and the new tools and camp out there for any needed support?Thanks in advance. If it should come to pass in the right time frame it would bout make Rick's 2nd half?though Xiaomi’s numbers in particular (3.7 million units shipped in the most recent quarter) are nothing to sneeze at.As to why Fitbit is the most successful vendor when it comes to fitness band sales, IDC research analyst Jitesh Ubrani sees several factors working in the brand’s favor. “They’ve done a great job at spreading awareness and targeting the growing segment of fitness trackers,” he says. “Apart from great devices, Fitbit’s partnerships with fitness- and health-focused companies [like MyFitnessPal and Runkeeper] and their growing distribution network have been key in maintaining their lead.” Ubrani also points to the company’s efforts in the enterprise sector, through corporate wellness programs, as increasing brand awareness for the company.Since it is still early days for smartwatches, which are still negotiating the delicate balance between form and function, wearable shipment data could paint a very different picture a few years down the line. For instance, activity trackers are relatively well established today, but the wider adoption of smartwatches such as the $349-and-up Apple Watch and Android Wear devices may be a longer-term trend. However, with Xiaomi and its sub-$20 Mi Band taking third place according to IDC, it’s fair to wonder whether this Chinese brand, not to mention other manufacturers such as Jawbone, could overtake the reigning champion.“It’s going to take more than just price to be a leader in the market,” says Ubrani, who says that while the Mi Band is already available in the U.S., Xiaomi’s sales volume in the states has been low. “In order for this to change, they have to exponentially increase marketing and distribution.”Fitbit, however, has managed to dominate the wearable market through a combination of marketing savvy and compelling software. Its apps and desktop dashboard provide a comprehensive look at fitness information, along with the option to connect and compete with friends. Incidentally, it is similar features on the Apple Watch—such as its ability to log basic fitness metrics and to communicate with fellow iOS users through the touchscreen—that have also made Apple’s smartwatch such a standout device.Jibrani sums it up thusly: “Fitbit does well because it’s built a community and helped make fitness a more social experience—they’ve created staying power.” But with other wearables continuing to evolve and add new features, there’s no saying that Fitbit—let alone any other fitness band maker—will hold the number-one spot in years to come.For more details on Fitbi
Some other snips to put in here...Bob W says,Momentum at QUIK is acceleratingExpect further acceleration when the EOS S3 samples to customers later this month.When EOS S3 becomes production ready, expect even further acceleration.QUIKs integrated development enviornment will add still further accelerationRick says...He noted that he thinks there will be more good surprises to come over the next several months. And one of those could be Fitbit as an S3 customer. (My inference - Andy P did not say Fitbit at any time.)Good indeed, if it comes to pass?!Fitbit needs a better battery life ASAP IMHO.The new Eos S3 LP would be perfect for them?
A mental model.The R & D bench at Fitbit has an evaluation boardfor our new EOS S3 samplesLP? I would think so.They will also get a copy of the new tools at the same time.Why?They need to get their algos on the Eos ASAP and may use a few of the QUIK algos.Like what one?Use B Faith last blog entry with this mental model...Why Enhanced Gesture Detection Is A Big Deal For WearablesBy BrianFeb. 11, 2016 @ 1:50 pm | Leave a commentAccording to a May, 2015 IHS iSuppli market research report, smart watches, activity trackers, fitness/sports monitors, and Bluetooth® headsets will total more than 150 million units by 2018. OEMs building these wearable devices know that their customers have the same basic desires: intuitive interactivity, high reliability, long battery life, and fashionable stylishness.Think Fitbit bout here....Choosing the right hardware (sensors and processing platform) is an important step towards delivering a market-beating wearable, but going forward we will all come to realize that choosing the right algorithms to complement the hardware is becoming an even more important step. For example, we recently delivered an enhanced Double-Tap gesture detection algorithm as part of its comprehensive SenseMe™ library.You might be tempted to shrug your shoulders and say “big deal”. However, it’s actually a very big deal. Enhanced gesture detection has the potential to directly affect all four of the key customer “care abouts” we listed earlier. Touch and movement are highly intuitive ways of interacting with a wearable device. Enhancing this capability allows OEMs to remove mechanical buttons, improving device reliability by eliminating potential dust and moisture intrusion points. Improved algorithms reduce overall device power consumption and extend battery life. Finally, devices become sleeker and more stylish as their user interactivity becomes focused on a touchscreen or internalized by a motion-based sensor.So there you have it. One small step for an algorithm. One giant leap for wearable OEMs and their customers.- See more at: http://blog.quicklogic.com/senseme/...-big-deal-for-wearables/#sthash.LkEDEyBY.dpufThis double tap is almost a requirement for a Fitbit. They use it now. Hopefully QUIKs is a little better.If you own part of the QUIK biz use this as a very good allocation of the precious $$ they have?
FItbit will compete with Apple. Apple will has some SiRi audio on their watch now.Imagine how they can cover this base with the Eos, now without any major redesign when they have a device that hasthe same as Apple only better. Sensory is pretty awesome ( reading only).I like to read jobs as it tells you where the puck will be in the future…Fitbit R&D SEE ALL OPEN POSITIONS Research Scientist, Biosensors and Signal ProcessingSan Francisco, CAFitbit is the leader in the explosive market of health and fitness wearables. We empower and inspire our users to lead healthier and more active lifestyles with simple and delightful products.Fitbit Research is world-class team of hacker-scientist-types who dream up, prototype, and deliver shipping products. We investigate a big set of problems from hardware development to embedded signal processing algorithms to data mining. Experimentation is critical. We work in a dynamic and collaborative environment where the goal is to learn things quickly, iterate fast, and make awesome products.Your RoleYou will push the boundaries of what can be measured or extracted from measurements using wearable and mobile sensors. You will have large responsibilities in generating or taking ideas and growing them into a final product. You will help prototype new hardware, perform analysis to determine what is interesting and useful in sensor data, design experiments to collect that data, and design extremely robust but lightweight algorithms that will run on mobile hardware. You will do a lot of experiments, often involving hardware and humans. You will work with a diverse group of technical experts in the research team to figure out hard problems and, ultimately, help ship products with the other engineering teams at Fitbit.Qualifications Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Applied Physics, or a related field, or equivalent experience Research expertise in at least several of the following: Experience with experimental design and human data collection. Familiarity with prototyping devices and algorithms. 3 or more years of work experience preferred Experience with programming and scientific computation (Matlab, Python, and/or other C/C++ languages). Numerical programming on embedded targets a big plus. Motivated, independent, efficient and able to handle several projects Friendly, articulate, and interested in working in a fun, small team environment Biosensor signal processing and sensor fusion. For example, extracting or reconstructing weak signals from noise in systems such as EEG, ECG, PPG, BIA, ballistocardiography, bio-acoustics, or medical imaging Hardware and sensor design. For example, prototyping new sensors and development platforms to find novel and interesting pieces of information for our users Time-domain and frequency domain discrete-time signal processing algorithms Parameter estimation and tracking algorithms such as HMM, Kalman Filter, etc. Knowledge of human physiology and bioelectric or optical sensing techniques. Biometric identification or quantification technologies Physiological modeling of circulatory system, nervous system, sleep, or emotions they could like the idea of headroom? Meaning the compute power they might need next yr?Mix and match algos. Use QUIK if its better, use their own if theirs is better. I can see an evolution of an UIFitbit needs to be able to go for a swim, i.e. it needs to be waterproof next gen. Get rid of the buttons!
Fitbit Has Taken A Lead In The Holiday Sales RaceDec. 4, 2015 5:41 PM ET|Research firm IDC published a report showing Fitbit has a commanding lead in the wearable device market.With global wearable device use expected to reach 500 million units by 2019, Fitbit's healthy market share should generate strong revenue and profit growth.Fitbit is successfully growing its Asia/Pacific market presence, which represents the fastest growing region for wearable devices.I expect analysts to increase 2016 estimates to $1.35 per share, and investors to pay a 40X multiple for shares. This leads to a $54 target price for FIT.The 2015 holiday season is shaping up to be "the year of the wearable tech device", according to a new research report from IDC. And Fitbit (NYSE:FIT) has emerged as the clear leader among device makers.The report from IDC tallied 21 million wearable devices shipped during the third quarter, which represents an increase of 197%. "Demand for wearables has been particularly strong within China, now the fastest-growing market for these devices", the report noted.Of those devices shipped, Fitbit (FIT) took a market share lead over Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) Watch.With demand for Fitbit devices giving the company a significant edge over its nearest competitor, it is looking like the company's fitness devices are here to stay, and not just an exercise fad.Long-Term Growth Projections Point To Strong DemandLooking forward, the wearable device industry is set to continue to grow by leaps and bounds. The quarterly report from IDC noted that Cisco (NASDAQ:CSCO) analysts expect 500 million devices to be in use across the world by 2019.For Fitbit, this industry growth could have a dramatic effect on overall sales. Consider what would happen if Fitbit were to control just 20% of this market in 2019. This would represent 100 million Fitbit devices in use if Cisco's projections are correct.will track along….
yes, a friend of mine mentioned his fitbit on facebook when he cleared a lot of snow lately.i didn't know many folks using wearables so this is like new market terrains.
Fitbit is winning at fitness trackers. According to the latest IDC estimates, it sold 4.7 million devices between July and September this year, beating Apple, Xiaomi and Garmin to the top spot.Even the Charge HR, Wareable's recommendation, isn't perfect, though, and Fitbit's CEO and co-founder has just let slip what we can expect in 2016. Speaking to Time, James Park said that Fitbit fans can look forward to more advanced sensors such as stress and blood pressure monitoring, as well as more coaching and insights and further fashion partnerships.Read this: The best fitness trackers you can buyFirst up, the sensors. Fitbit has had a lot of success with its step and activity trackers but added HRM to the Charge HR in late 2014. What's next?"We're definitely going to be releasing devices with advanced sensors that help people track not only more accurate metrics on what we're doing today, but additional metrics as well," said Park. "I can't talk specifically, but things people are going to be interested in in the future are blood pressure, or stress, or more stats about their athletic performance. Those are all things that we're working on and we'll continue to release over time."That's all quite vague - and obvious - but it's good to get a sense of which direction Fitbit is heading in. Stress and recovery is something that comes up time and again, everyone from Sony to TomTom is interested in it.Coaching and collaborationsNext, the coaching. Fitbit has a great app and community but it's fallen behind close rival Jawbone and the upstarts like Moov here in terms of making data useful to actually improving users' health and fitness."Up to this point it's been about gathering as much data as we can and the presentation and the visualisation of that data," Fitbit's CEO said. "Now I think a lot of that effort is going to go into making that data actionable, whether it's through coaching, insights, or guidance."Third party apps and fashion collaborations, similar to the Tory Burch Fitbit Flex ranges, are also on the cards for 2016 and beyond."We're going to allow third parties in some ways to tap into the power of having an always-on device on someone's wrist," said Park.Fitbit is already doing pretty damn well selling both beginner and mid-level trackers from the Fitbit Zip to the Fitbit Surge. We haven't seen a new device launch since early 2015 but Fitbit has done a good job of pushing out updates to keep users happy, from battery life improvements to the recent auto exercise detection update for the Charge HR and Surge.Even if we have to wait until spring or summer 2016 for a new, advanced, stress tracking Fitbit, it's more important to get it spot on.We can track this along and see how the commentary goes around this.In the past we had only one or at most 2 things that the $$ hinged on, now while some, like a Fitbit would be HUGE there are several evals for slots in the 10s of millions of units/yr.
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