Microsoft Band Wearable Fitness Tracker Unveiled

Microsoft is releasing a fitness band that also checks your email and even pays for coffee as the software company seeks to challenge Apple and others in the still-infant market for wearable devices.

The Microsoft Band will work with the company's new Microsoft Health system for consolidating health and fitness data from various gadgets and mobile apps. Unlike rival health systems,Microsoft Health will work with competing phones, not just those running Windows.

Thursday's release of the Microsoft Band in the U.S.comes months before the much-anticipated debut of Apple Watch. Microsoft's gadget, however,appears more focused on fitness tracking and isn't meant to be an all-purpose smartwatch.

The company did not say whether or when it would release Microsoft Band in Canada, but said in a statement emailed to CBC News that the U.S. launch is the “beginning of a multi-year vision for Microsoft in the health and fitness and wearable’s category. It added, we want to enter this emerging category in a deliberate and measured fashion.

The $ 199 band is to create previews of incoming e-mails and alerts on calendar events, along with weather and other information requested by Cortana assistant.Cortana virtual enterprise requires a Windows Phone in the area, but also other operations work with i Phones and Android phones also.

The band also have 10 tracking sensors,instead of controlling the typical fitness gadget on such things as heart rate,UV light,sleep and route.In a partnership with Starbucks,the band is able to create stored for purchases through gift cards bar codes.

Showcase For Microsoft Health

The band will serve as a showcase for Microsoft HealthVault,which earlier this week the launch of HealthKit Apple and Google in September Fit follows.

As more and more athletes and recreational athletes monitor and record your fitness activities was a chief frustration was the inability to get a gadget made by an application of a data set of rivals. As a result,the nutrition information may be located in one place,while data on calories burned maybe in another.Consolidating data with the permission of the users are people and health professionals a more complete picture of health.

For example,Microsoft says the information in one place can help assess whether the improvement in race breakfast or if the number of sessions during the day affect quality of sleep.Brand Microsoft Health last foray of the company in the mobile and Internet-based, as demand for its traditional software products decreases.It is particularly notable in the incorporation of devices with iOS and Android systems Apple Google.In the past,Microsoft has been slow in its benefits for non-Windows systems.

This is another example of the more agnostic approach, platforms,it is assumed under the leadership of new CEO of Microsoft,Satya Nadella said Ben Wood,research director at CCS Insight.Two years ago,the support for iOS and Android would have been unthinkable for the launch.

However, the introduction of a third facility with gym, possibly from Samsung could create confusion among consumers.Instead of 12 different applications for your data to visit, you might still need to visit three or four.Microsoft said its health system initially operate with little or Jawbone Up,MapMyFitness, MyFitnessPal Run and Guardian,in addition to his own band device.Golds Gym and training plans for the band.