Wifi scale tracks its users’ weight online

Withings is a French company that develops smart and hyperconnected objects. Their first product is a wifi body scale. Like other high-end personal scales, it not only determines someone’s weight, but also estimates their body fat and lean body mass. What sets this scale apart is that it automatically transmits that data to the web. Next time the user is online, they can access their Withings dashboard, which displays graphs of their data over time, alongside recommended healthy ranges. The dashboard can manage up to eight users and the scale can recognize which person it’s weighing. Users can even opt to automatically broadcast their weight on Twitter, and an iPhone app is available for tracking information on the go. We’ve already seen connected cooking aids and wifi thermostats, but this is barely the beginning. Expect a heavy load of wifi-enabled products in the coming year, including plenty that will socially communicate on behalf of their users. (Related: Wearable device tracks fitness data — To improve employee health, gadget tracks every move — Connecting online and off with RFID for the masses.) Spotted by: Jim Stewart