Fitbit’s activity tracking app comes to Windows Phone

If you’ve wanted to use activity-tracking wearables that pair with your phone, you’ve typically had to use Android or iOS. Windows Phone has some third-party apps that can fill in, but they’re imperfect at best. As of today, though, an official solution is at hand — Fitbit has released its own Windows Phone 8.1 app. You can now sync trackers like the Flex, One and Zip to your Microsoft-powered device to get real-time step and sleep monitoring, complete with a step counter on your home screen if you set up the Live Tile. Other Fitbit fundamentals are also here, including food logging, leaderboards and messaging.

The app is free, and it doesn’t require a peripheral if you just want some basic tracking; getting Windows Phone 8.1 is the biggest hurdle. You’ll need Bluetooth 4.0 support to make use of any Fitbit gear, however, so double-check that your particular Windows Phone is good to go (many of them are) before you start planning your fitness regimen.

Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals, Wearables, Mobile

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Belkin WeMO light switch on sale at Newegg – 2 Pack 69.98

Newegg has dropped the price of the 2 pack Wemo light switch to $69.98, 20 dollars cheaper than other websites.  If you’re looking to automate lights in your home this is an easy and quick way to start.  The two pack is perfect for boosting home security while away from home, one can be used… Read more »

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PantryChic’s Bluetooth ingredient dispenser is for lazy, type-A bakers

Earlier this summer, we showed you a smart kitchen scale that worked with an iPad app to make sure you were adding the right amount of each ingredient to your recipe. At the time, it seemed like the Internet of Things had reached its peak. Jumped the shark, even. Well, apparently even that requires too much effort. Meet PantryChic, an airtight food canister that dispenses ingredients into a digital scale, so that you never even have to break out a measuring cup. All told, if you were serious about your baking (and seriously OCD), you could buy any number of these stackable canisters, and fill each with a different ingredient, like baking soda or brown sugar. Then, when you need one, you attach it to the digital scale, which is pre-programmed to dispense 50 ingredients (meaning, it knows how to convert volume to weight). Oh, and don’t worry about pushing any buttons: You can connect over Bluetooth using the PantryChic app, at which point the machine can “see” what recipe you’re using and know, for instance, that you need three cups of flour.

Obviously, this doesn’t remove all the work — only one canister can attach to the scale at once, so you’d still have to swap in different containers as you proceed with your recipe. Still, it’s definitely less messy than a normal baking workflow; without any measuring spoons or cups, and with little risk of spillage, you’re looking at way less cleanup. Additionally, as a standalone scale, it’s capable of measuring meats and liquids in addition to dry goods, so you could use it that way too, if you were so inclined.

Nik of Time, PantryChic’s parent company, just launched a Kickstarter campaign, with a fundraising goal of $50,000. If you order now, it’ll cost $199 with two canisters, though the company says the price will be $249 when it finally hits retail stores. Meanwhile, canisters come in packs of two for $59 (the price will later be raised to $69). All told, the pricing seems sounds about right, considering both the “smarts” inside the main scale, as well as the premium brushed stainless steel construction. Also, let’s be real: A gadget like this would be catnip for upscale shoppers at places like Williams Sonoma, where folks routinely pay hundreds of dollars for whiz-bang kitchen appliances. Tentatively, Nik of Time is saying shipments will begin in February of next year, with retail availability coming later. In the future, too, the outfit might add WiFi integration, along with substitution suggestions, “recipe walkthroughs” (whatever that means) and a 100-calorie brownie pan, cookie scoop and cupcake tin. First things first, though: The project needs to achieve funding and then, you know, get made.

Filed under: Household

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Source: PantryChic, Kickstarter

Hilton will let you use your phone as a hotel room key

Starwood isn’t the only hotel chain that wants you to use your smartphone as a hotel room key; Hilton is launching an initiative that lets you use your Android or iOS device to control virtually every aspect of your stay. Later this summer, a Hilton app will let you choose your preferred room, make special requests, check in and check out. You’ll only have to speak to staff when it’s time to pick up or return your keys. And in 2015, you won’t even need to do that much — your phone will also unlock your room, letting you make a beeline for your bed after a long flight.

The rollout will take some time, but it should trump Starwood in terms of sheer scale. Room selection should be available in over 4,000 Hilton-affiliated hotels by the end of the year, including DoubleTree and Embassy Suites. Marriott will have check-in and check-out features at a similar number of locations by the end of the year, but Hilton’s room selection and key features might give it an edge. Whichever hotel chain you prefer, the advancements are good news if you’re a globetrotter — you can spend more time sleeping, and less time waiting in line.

Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Mobile

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Via: Wall Street Journal

Source: Hilton

Try these awesome abstract wallpapers from Xiaomi’s Mi 4

You guys all know how much we here at AndroidGuys love helping you customize your Android experience, so why not you start off your Monday with a new wallpaper? Xiaomi’s recently announced Mi 4 smartphone isn’t available yet, and won’t be coming to the U.S. anytime soon, but the company just released the wallpapers on… Read more »

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