FitBit is a pioneer in wearable technology. But the company has recently shifted its strategy amid competition from the Apple Watch, and as the wearable market has failed to really see mass adoption. Cheddar's Hope King and Brad Smith explore the company's performance using E*Trade's innovative platform.
Adult wearable technology users in the U.S. is expected to grow nearly 12 percent this year, according to eMarketer. In a survey conducted by Cheddar, 18 percent said they own a FitBit compared to 27 percent who've said they own an Apple Watch. 47 percent of those surveyed by Cheddar say they don't wear any wearable technology.
FitBit has had an up and down year, with shares ranging between $5 and $7 a share. Overall, shares are down 17 percent over the course of the past year. The company did introduce its first smartwatch in 2017, and is looking to directly compete against the Apple Watch at a similar price point. Shares also hit a 52-week high in December during the holiday shopping season.
FitBit reports fourth quarter earnings after the Closing Bell Monday. Analysts expect revenue of nearly $590 Million, and to break even in profit.
The former Microsoft CEO says that regulating how tech companies use data will provide a framework in which to work and actually enable growth. "When you're in a time of uncertainty, and you don't know what the rules are, that's when it's toughest to innovate," Ballmer tells Cheddar's Jon Steinberg.
The social media company announced Monday that it will almost double the amount of video content available on its platform. This will help TV networks "boost the ratings by slowly diversifying," says Kerry Flynn, a media reporter for Digiday.
The two companies tout their deal as necessary for innovation and claim that it doesn't decrease competition in the field. Those arguments will be difficult to prove, says Eleanor Fox, an antitrust expert at NYU Law School. The third and fourth largest mobile networks in the U.S. announced a $26.5 billion merger Sunday that they claim will help develop a 5G network and create jobs. The deal still needs approval from regulators, who have expressed antitrust concerns in the past.
Kroger is trying to streamline the grocery shopping experience and plans to hire 11,000 new employees this year. These two pillars are "complementary" with the retailer's efforts to reboot its business and expand, says Jessica Adelman, Chief Communications Officer at Kroger.
New Jersey could become home to more innovation with hands-on support from lawmakers, says Aaron Price, founder and CEO of Propelify, an innovation festival in Hoboken, NJ.
Sprint and T-Mobile are merging because shared resources help both companies achieve their ambitions, said the Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure. "The world's best partnerships or the best mergers have been formed when the two companies realize that they need each other," he tells Cheddar's
Hope King.
By combining forces, T-Mobile and Sprint can help the United States create a 5G network vital to the country's digital infrastructure, the companies' chief executives say in an interview with Cheddar's Hope King. "Our competitors are not going to stand still. They're also going to invest," says the Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure. He cites a recent study by CTIA, a wireless industry trade group which he also chairs, that said 5G networks could add 3 million jobs to the American economy.
The CEOs of both wireless providers told Cheddar Monday that it's critical the U.S. rolls out 5G technology in order to stay ahead in the global market. "We currently, as a nation, are behind," said T-Mobile CEO John Legere. The carriers announced a plan to merge Sunday, arguing that the combined company will help build out a faster, next-generation network, drive down prices for consumers, and create jobs. They still need the seal of approval from regulators who, in the past, have expressed antitrust concerns over the deal.
The agreed merger of T-Mobile and Sprint aligns with President Trump's policy priorities, the T-Mobile CEO John Legere says in an interview with Cheddar's Hope King. He says the president's tax policies have "added a great amount of value in this deal," and the merged company can help create a fast 5G network vital to the country's digital infrastructure, another priority for Trump.
A recent Survey Monkey poll revealed that 37 percent of working moms say they don't find support on social media, where they are usually shamed or can't find advice. That's what inspired the founder of Pando, Sarah Lacy, to launch "Chairman Mom," a social media platform for mothers.
