New Health Gadget: Fitbit Switches The Fridge Off When You Eat Too Much

Fittness Gadget, Fitbit

Doukas Charalampos is so dedicated to his fitness regime that if he doesn’t get enough exercise in a day, his Fitbit switches the fridge off and the food inside starts to go off.

‘I am working too many hours on the computer and I neglect physical activity quite often. I needed some strong motivation,' the 31-year-old Internet researcher told the Huffington Post.

He has hacked his Fitbit so that it interacts with the power supply to his fridge. 

His desperation to achieve his exercise goals highlights the rise of an ever-growing group of  fitness freaks using computers. 

Fitbit designed the first wireless activity-tracking device that syncs with your phone or computer in 2009.

The latest model, The One, can be clipped to a belt or just attached to a keychain fob.

It isn’t any old pedometer – it tracks the distance you travel over the course of a day, the calories burned, the hours slept and even records your weight and how many calories you’ve eaten.

Since 2009 the company, founded by Harvard drop out James Park, has grown by 150 per cent and was recently valued at $300million.

And since the first Fitbit design, the company has branched out into smart weighing scales that monitor up to eight users' weight, Body Mass Index and fat percentage.

Park is open about how Fitbit was inspired after standing in line to buy a Nintendo Wii in 2006. 

‘I [bought a Wii], took it home and I was fascinated with the way they had combined motion sensors with gaming,’ he said.

Indeed the device employs a similar method of monitoring a user's movement, by using a three-dimensional accelerometer.

But the Fitbit isn't safe from competition. New portable fitness devices inspired by it are flooding the market. 

And in addition to the new competitors, a recent study by Florida International University has highlighted the ease with which hackers can access personal information on the device. 

At the moment the worst case scenario is that inquisitive hackers might be able to access information about a person's eating and exercise habits, but there is scope for more serious abuse.

Not only could be security be breached by those wanting to find out personal details of those in the public eye, but insurance fraud could be a problem.

For example Fitbit competitor Fitbug includes discounted health insurance for owners who manage to reach their fitness targets. 

If users are able to manipulate their readings then there could be room for corruption.

To counter potential security problems on the Fitbit system, the American University have developed software called Fitlock, available to download on the university’s website.

Source: Daily Mail