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Philips Accuses Fitbit and Garmin, Its More Successful Competitors, of Stealing Its Wearable Tech – Gizmodo

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Philips is accusing two leading wearables players, Fitbit and Garmin, of stealing its intellectual property.
Photo: Richard Drew (AP Photo)

Philips is accusing two of the highest profile players in the wearables market, Fitbit and Garmin, of stealing its propriety technology, and it wants the companies to be brought to justice. Specifically, it is asking for Fitbit and Garmin, along with three other companies, to pay tariffs or be subjected to an import ban.

The U.S. International Trade Commission announced on Friday that it was investigating specific “wearable monitoring devices, systems and components” in light of a complaint filed by Philips’ parent company and its North American subsidiary. The complaint alleges that certain companies have infringed on Philips’ patents or misappropriated its intellectual property.

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In addition to Fitbit and Garmin, the complaint also accuses Ingram Micro Inc., Maintek Computer and Inventec Appliances of violating Philips’ intellectual property rights.

According to The Verge, the case is based on four patents owned by Philips related to smartwatch and fitness tracker functions like motion tracking and alarm reporting, among others. Philips claims that it has tried to negotiate licensing agreements with Fitbit and Garmin for three years, but that the talks had ultimately broken down.

“Philips expects third parties to respect Philips’ intellectual property in the same way as Philips respects the intellectual property rights of third parties,” a company spokesperson told The Verge.

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If you scratched your head when you began reading this article and tried to remember exactly what wearables Philips makes, you’re not alone. Fitbit and Garmin are household names because they’ve been major players in the worldwide wearables market since 2014, according to data published by Statista. Additionally, in December, the market research firm IDC designated Fitbit as one of the top five wearable companies worldwide by shipment volume in the third quarter of 2019.

Nonetheless, Philips did indeed launch its own smartwatch in 2016, the Health Watch. Contrary to smartwatches and fitness trackers, Philips positioned its wearable as primarily a health device. The Health Watch, which has a $249.99 price tag, has a simple design that is not necessarily what I would consider sleek. It also offers limited features, all of which are focused on health, that are also available in other wearables.

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The Health Watch lets users monitor their heart rate, get insights on their breathing, track their steps, monitor their sleeping habits and control calories. The watch also comes with an app, which Philips claims offers users the opportunity to monitor their vitals and get “personalized feedback and advice” on their health.

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Currently, the Health Watch is not available for purchase on the Philips USA website, which features a message that says, “Unfortunately, this product is no longer available.” Besides the Health Watch, Philips also offers more specialized wearable devices for the healthcare sector.

A screenshot of the Philips Health Watch on the Philips USA website. The product is listed as “no longer available.”
Screenshot: Philips

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Fitbit has rejected Philips’ accusations and said that the complaint is related to Philips’ failure in the wearables market. In a statement to Reuters, it said that it would defend itself vigorously against all accusations made in the complaint. Fitbit was acquired by Google for $2.1 billion at the end of last year.

“We believe these claims are without merit and a result of Philips’ failure to succeed in the wearables market,” Fitbit said.

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Gizmodo has reached out to Philips to ask whether the company had any response to Fitbit’s characterization of its complaint. We also asked whether the company could confirm if the Health Watch was still available or whether it had been discontinued. Gizmodo will update this article if we hear back.

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Downhill Bikes of Sea Otter – Part 2

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@juanhall: I gotta say, this was the most interesting bike in this post….love that Intense is experimenting with gearboxes…I can see it have a huge effect on DH bikes….thank god there’s still people pushing things. Now, they need to make an Enduro bike with the Pinion MGU!

 

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Important updates regarding the Bob-Birnie Arena

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The City of Pointe-Claire would like to inform you that the Bob-Birnie arena will be closed for its annual maintenance as of Monday, April 29. The Annex rink will reopen to the public on Monday, May 13, and the arena’s Main rink will be accessible as of Monday, June 3.

Public skating will resume on May 13, and the summer public activities programming will begin on June 3 when both rinks have reopened to the public.

In addition to the annual maintenance of the facility, two renovation projects are also scheduled to start at the same time:

Installation of new sound systems

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The City will be replacing its current sound systems in both the Main rink and Annex rink, to offer arena visitors a better overall experience, whether watching from the stands or participating in on-ice activities. This project is expected to be conducted throughout the month of May.

Renovation of locker rooms in the Main Rink

The City will also be renovating the five locker rooms located in the Main rink, to bring up to date the amenities currently available to participants. These renovations are expected to begin in early May and will be completed by mid-August.

For all information about the Bob-Birnie arena, visit the arena’s page on our website.

 

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Surprise Apple Event Hints at First New iPads in Years – CNET

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We haven’t seen a new iPad in years, but Apple seems likely to change that in just a few weeks. All signs point to the release of new iPad models in the first week of May.

Apple CEO Tim Cook posted this GIF for the virtual event to X on Tuesday morning.

Apple/Amy Kim/CNET

This morning, I received an email invite for a virtual Apple event, scheduled for May 7 at 7 a.m. PT (10 a.m. ET). The invite, which says “Let Loose,” shows a drawing of a hand holding an Apple Pencil. Considering the iPad is the only device that uses the Pencil — that doesn’t leave much to the imagination.

Apple’s been expected to release new OLED-screened iPad Pros with newly designed Pencils and Magic Keyboard cases. New iPad Airs are also expected, including a larger-screened 12.9-inch model. Apple’s iPad Air lineup tends to be slightly redesigned versions of previous-model iPad Pros, so just look to the M2 iPad Pro lineup for a sense of what the next Airs could be. These would be the first new iPads since the iPad Pro M2 model arrived in late 2022.

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Watch this: What to Expect at Apple’s May 7 iPad Event

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