Fitbit Won't Abandon Fitness Trackers for Smartwatches, VP Says
*By Christian Smith*
Fitbit doesn't plan to exit the fitness-tracker space for smartwatches anytime soon, said VP of product marketing Melanie Chase.
"A lot of the buzz and conversation has been about the growth in the smartwatch industry, and it's easy to get distracted from the fact the tracker market is still huge," Chase said Tuesday in an interview on Cheddar.
Fitbit on Monday unveiled the Charge 3, what it calls its most technologically advanced fitness tracker to date. The device features a swim-proof design and improved health and sleep trackers.
The Charge family of products is the company's most successful line of trackers. According to company data, Fitbit has sold 35 million in the line so far. Fitbit made its first venture into the smartwatch market earlier this year when it launched the Versa.
While the wearable market has had its ups and downs, research firm IDC predicts that consumers will buy 43 million smartwatches and 46 million fitness trackers this year ー and Fitbit wants in on the action.
"As the leader in the tracker category it's important for us to continue to invest in people who love trackers while also growing in the smartwatch space with introductions like Versa," Chase said.
The Fitbit Charge 3 retails for $149.95. It's already available for pre-order on Fitbit's [website](https://www.fitbit.com/home) and will be sold in stores this October.
For full interview [click here] (https://cheddar.com/videos/fitbit-gives-first-look-at-most-technologically-advanced-fitness-tracker-yet).
Wealthfront’s CFO Alan Iberman talks the $2.05B IPO and the major moment for robo banking as the company bets on AI, automation, and “self-driving money."
A rare magnum of Dom Pérignon Vintage 1961 champagne that was specially produced for the 1981 wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana has failed to sell during an auction. Danish auction house Bruun Rasmussen handled the bidding Thursday. The auction's house website lists the bottle as not sold. It was expected to fetch up to around $93,000. It is one of 12 bottles made to celebrate the royal wedding. Little was revealed about the seller. The auction house says the bids did not receive the desired minimum price.
The New York Times and President Donald Trump are fighting again. The news outlet said Wednesday it won't be deterred by Trump's “false and inflammatory language” from writing about the 79-year-old president's health. The Times has done a handful of stories on that topic recently, including an opinion column that said Trump is “starting to give President Joe Biden vibes.” In a Truth Social post, Trump said it might be treasonous for outlets like the Times to do “FAKE” reports about his health and "we should do something about it.” The Republican president already has a pending lawsuit against the newspaper for its past reports on his finances.
OpenAI has appointed Slack CEO Denise Dresser as its first chief of revenue. Dresser will oversee global revenue strategy and help businesses integrate AI into daily operations. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently emphasized improving ChatGPT, which now has over 800 million weekly users. Despite its success, OpenAI faces competition from companies like Google and concerns about profitability. The company earns money from premium ChatGPT subscriptions but hasn't ventured into advertising. Altman had recently announced delays in developing new products like AI agents and a personal assistant.
President Donald Trump says he will allow Nvidia to sell its H200 computer chip used in the development of artificial intelligence to “approved customers” in China. Trump said Monday on his social media site that he had informed China’s leader Xi Jinping and “President Xi responded positively!” There had been concerns about allowing advanced computer chips into China as it could help them to compete against the U.S. in building out AI capabilities. But there has also been a desire to develop the AI ecosystem with American companies such as chipmaker Nvidia.
