
Fitbit Firmware Modifications and Data Extraction [video] - DyslexicAtheist
https://media.ccc.de/v/34c3-8908-doping_your_fitbit
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jimrandomh
Fitbit's software makes it very hard to get logs of heart-rate and step count
data at smaller than a full-day granularity. I think this is because they know
that if people looked at that data, they'd realize it was horribly inaccurate
and complain. That's certainly been my experience when I've tried to spot
check data from my Fitbit Blaze.

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noarchy
I think there's probably something to this. Plenty of people complain about
the HRM, myself among them. Weird things like spikes of 170+ bpm while doing
nothing but walking, while at the same time recording 100 bpm while doing
sprints? Pretty normal on the Fitbit, in my experience.

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phillc73
The step counts are completely inaccurate. I have the flu and haven't left the
house all day. My Charge 2 HR tells me I've done 4,044 steps. Not likely.

What I've always wondered is if it is consistently inaccurate. I really don't
care if it thinks I've done 4,044 steps today, when maybe I've done 200 if I'm
lucky. However, when I do go and do 4,000 steps, does the cumulative total
then show 8,044, or some other figure?

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nimbius
The biggest problem with fitbit is the DRM. If there is a means to prevent the
firmware from encrypting the data it collects from the wearer that would be
fantastic, otherwise we're really just accepting fitbits analytics without
independent verification of the data.

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saguro
It's worse than just having to trust their metrics. Last time I looked, you
can't access your own realtime heart rate no matter what - it was only
available to 'registered partners' or some shit. When I was looking, their
partners page had a demo video of a crowd watching a football match, and had
that overlaid with the heart rates of the fans. So basically, next level
sentiment monitoring and advertising capabilities.

So actually, Fitbit is in the business of collecting high resolution fitness
data which they onsell to 'partners', and they've managed to convince the
public to PAY to have this data collected about them in exchange for really
coarse aggregated statistics which are an order of magnitude less useful than
what Fitbit extracts from the raw data and keeps for themselves.

Fitbit's marketing strategy is the work of evil geniuses.

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mettamage
I just got a fitbit for my birthday and I would like to program apps for it.
I'd like it to know when I meditate, for example. I find it a pity that it's
so locked up as it is. If people know a good alternative instead of fitbit
(i.e. Something more programmable and on your wrist), I'm happy to take
suggestions.

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qualitytime
There once was Pebble.

You could write dev apps in a straightforward easy to program no lock-in no
review workflow.

And then guess who buys them out and flushes all that dev goodness in the
toilet?

Yes, fitbit.

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brlewis
There was once Pebble.

They went out of business and their assets went up for sale.

Then guess who buys some of their assets and keeps some of that dev goodness
alive?

Yes, Fitbit.

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endianswap
"Principal Software Engineer, Fitbit, Inc."

Common practice here is to disclose that when making comments...

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brlewis
You can find many examples in my comment history where I mention that I work
for but don't speak for Fitbit. I don't feel it's necessary to mention it for
extremely basic fact correction as in this case. The details of what was and
wasn't acquired are public and widely known.

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rhcom2
Awesome. All I want is a hackable Fitbit HR.

