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HealthKit Includes Native Bluetooth Support for Some Accessories, Eliminating Need for Companion Apps

cyberkoala said:
Not me mate. Is the law. Read the news:

http://www.news.com.au/finance/smal...ldembracing-idea/story-fn9evb64-1226943793182

http://www.cnet.com/au/news/apple-draws-ire-from-aussie-startup-over-healthkit/

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...accused-stealing-idea-new-HealthKit-tool.html

And if this is not enough, read Wired:

http://www.wired.com/2014/06/apple-healthkit-taken/

So again, is not me "thinking they are in trouble" ... is Apple who have created the problem themselves.
Click to expand...
So, I read it. Doesn't say they are in big trouble or stole the name, concept and idea. It says the name of the API is the same and Apple ought to have known of the Australian startup, and that is what they are upset about. Apple will approach them to try and buy the domain and twitter handle, they will refuse, and Apple will possibly end up changing the name of the API, and that will be it. They might sue Apple, it could drag out for a bit, and they settle out of court, but I bet attorneys will tell them the chance of success is low, and the risk too great.
 
cyberkoala said:
I can't believe you guys don't know that Apple is in BIG trouble because the logo and the idea is already property of an Australia company called HealthKit.
This girl was one of the Young entrepreneur of the year a few years back.
It is all over the news here in Australia because what Apple has done is incredible: steal the idea, the concept and even the logo!
I love apple and I got every single product they have come up with in the last 5 years but this is something else.
Don't believe me? Check this out:

https://www.healthkit.com

I believe that by end of next week this girl will be millionaire because apple will not have any other option that buy her up.
What do you think?
Cheers
Click to expand...

Except the name there is nothing similar at all.
Next........
 
cyberkoala said:
Not me mate. Is the law. Read the news:

http://www.news.com.au/finance/smal...ldembracing-idea/story-fn9evb64-1226943793182

http://www.cnet.com/au/news/apple-draws-ire-from-aussie-startup-over-healthkit/

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...accused-stealing-idea-new-HealthKit-tool.html

And if this is not enough, read Wired:

http://www.wired.com/2014/06/apple-healthkit-taken/

So again, is not me "thinking they are in trouble" ... is Apple who have created the problem themselves.
Click to expand...

Different markets. Apple's HealthKit is just a set of APIs for their app called Health (not HealthKit). Healthkit.com makes software for booking doctor appointments. One's public facing and the other isn't, and they serve completely different purposes. You wouldn't mix them up. As long as that's the case, it's not actually trademark infringement. Healthkit.com is getting a ton of free publicity though.
 
pdaholic said:
Well, I see the name is the same, but the logo isn't the same at all. I guess you are referring to the styling of the letters? But I gotta say, having an app that collects health information is far from being a novel idea...for Apple or this Australian girl.
Click to expand...

Anyway Healthkit is a developer thing, for end users its not called Healthkit. so Healthkit is not even the product but the tools to create the product so I don't se a problem and its probably the reason why the final app is simply called 'Health' and is NOT called 'HealthKit".
 
Funny that mac rumors hasn't covered the story of about Apple pretty much stealing the "HealthKit" name/idea from a small Australian start up. Big news as i fail to see why a company the size of apple hadn't done a bit of googling for 5 mins to find this out.
 
Anyone know if this will work with FutBit Flex? I just want track steps and sleep but I didn't want all the app.
 
cyberkoala said:
I can't believe you guys don't know that Apple is in BIG trouble because the logo and the idea is already property of an Australia company called HealthKit.
This girl was one of the Young entrepreneur of the year a few years back.
It is all over the news here in Australia because what Apple has done is incredible: steal the idea, the concept and even the logo!
I love apple and I got every single product they have come up with in the last 5 years but this is something else.
Don't believe me? Check this out:

https://www.healthkit.com

I believe that by end of next week this girl will be millionaire because apple will not have any other option that buy her up.
What do you think?
Cheers
Click to expand...

This girl was on TV last night with her 'poor me' story and her 'pending' trademark. I thought she came across quite arrogant, making out Apple knew who Healthkit was, saying Apple have 'stolen their idea', 'broken the law' and dented her businesses reputation. She's obviously looking for a conversation with Apple to try and tie-in her business somehow with Health / Healthbook / Healthkit as 'compensation', failing that probably financial gain. Regardless - she made waves, likely got Apple's attention - I doubt anything will come from it.
 
captain kaos said:
Funny that mac rumors hasn't covered the story of about Apple pretty much stealing the "HealthKit" name/idea from a small Australian start up. Big news as i fail to see why a company the size of apple hadn't done a bit of googling for 5 mins to find this out.
Click to expand...

It's a non-story.

Apple is NOT releasing any product called "Health Kit" or "HealthKit".

Many of Apple's APIs have the name "kit" in them, like SceneKit, SpriteKit, etc. It's just an API name for developers writing for Apple's "Health" App.

The App is called "Health".

The Australian start up has no claim. They fundamentally didn't understand what was being said to the Developers at WWDC.

The WWDC address was not meant for lay-persons. It was meant for programmers. They were announcing API's for upcoming products.

This Australian company is just trying to get some free publicity. (or they are totally ignorant of what software development toolkits are.)
 
cyberkoala said:
I can't believe you guys don't know that Apple is in BIG trouble because the logo and the idea is already property of an Australia company called HealthKit.
This girl was one of the Young entrepreneur of the year a few years back.
It is all over the news here in Australia because what Apple has done is incredible: steal the idea, the concept and even the logo!
I love apple and I got every single product they have come up with in the last 5 years but this is something else.
Don't believe me? Check this out:

https://www.healthkit.com

I believe that by end of next week this girl will be millionaire because apple will not have any other option that buy her up.
What do you think?
Cheers
Click to expand...

You seriously think Apple did not check the website before choosing "Healthkit"?

It is likely that the name of healthbook leaked out and companies register that healthbook just to sue Apple. Hence, it is much cheaper for Apple to name of Healthkit.
 
So does this work with products that already exist? Like Fuelband and Fitbit? Or is it something we're gonna have to wait on?
 
dspalton said:
Does that mean it should already be able to pick up devices over bluetooth?

Dave
Click to expand...

I've just tried it with my Withings blood pressure monitor, but it didn't seem to "see" it (there doesn't even yet seem to be a specific part of the app that will let you add devices anyway - apart from it saying "discoverable")

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ikir said:
Anyone know if this will work with FutBit Flex? I just want track steps and sleep but I didn't want all the app.
Click to expand...

Well in the article below it looks like Tim Cook is wearing a FitBit, so I guess the answer will be yes... though it doesn't look like this beta version can yet be connected to anything at all from my (limited) testing.
 
This means that, unless the Nike FuelBand team has secretly joined forces with Apple in development of the iBand, Nike made a huge strategic mistake in continuing Fuel software but discontinuing the hardware.
 
cyberkoala said:
I can't believe you guys don't know that Apple is in BIG trouble because the logo and the idea is already property of an Australia company called HealthKit.
This girl was one of the Young entrepreneur of the year a few years back.
It is all over the news here in Australia because what Apple has done is incredible: steal the idea, the concept and even the logo!
I love apple and I got every single product they have come up with in the last 5 years but this is something else.
Don't believe me? Check this out:

https://www.healthkit.com

I believe that by end of next week this girl will be millionaire because apple will not have any other option that buy her up.
What do you think?
Cheers
Click to expand...

I dunno, all I see is a website with a horrendous UX. Closed it within 30 seconds because it was so stupidly unintuitive and over designed!
 
thetechnologist said:
This means that, unless the Nike FuelBand team has secretly joined forces with Apple in development of the iBand, Nike made a huge strategic mistake in continuing Fuel software but discontinuing the hardware.
Click to expand...

I don't think Apple's health aggregator app is going to provide anything near the detail that the whole Nike+ web service currently offers - but that aside I suspect the long standing relationship between Nike and Apple is going to continue in one form or another
 
I already use a BTLE HRM and a bike speed and cadence sensor and the variation amongst the apps in how they interpret the data is startling.

The OS itself already does the pairing (part of BT stack), the apps just interpret the data and provide a display for it.

I have the Polar C7 HRM, but can use the Wahoo app, Digifit, MotionX, Strava... and I find that Polar and then Wahoo provide the most accurate metric for calorie burn compared to the others, but Polar has been doing this for years so probably have their algorithm as pretty solid, so I tend to use their app, though I like the convergence of digitfit as it supports a power, speed and cadence sensors all in one.

Aside from that the polar app also is the only one that displays battery status, which might be proprietary information.

All of that to say, I am not sure what HealthKit adds, though the convergence aspect is neat, the expertise behind interpretation of the raw data will be important.
 
cyberkoala said:
So just answer me this: Is it legally correct to use the idea, the concept, the name of somebody else just because you want it?
Do you think that a multi billion company don't have money to have staff dedicated to find out over the internet with a simple "search" if something like this is already in existence?
Rest my case...
Click to expand...

Rest what case? The concepts are nowhere similar; one is a backend for medical offices, the other a backend for iOS developers & device makers. The biggest factors in trademark infringement are 1) registration & 2) likelihood of consumer confusion. Neither are true here. But even if there was infringement found, Apple gives Healthkit away free & invisible to end users (consumers) so it would be difficult to figure out damages.

The reality is the Aussie media created a sensationalistic story for locals because it sells papers & generates clicks. Healthkit, the company, is better off now b/c of the free publicity. They could only hope people thought they were connected to Apple.
 
Crzyrio said:
I take it then the manufacturer would need to follow the Guidelines Apple provides them for sending/receiving data?
Click to expand...

BuddyRich already covered the basics of how this stuff is used. I just wanted to chime in with some more detail on the standards. There's a presentation at www.fruct.org/sites/default/files/files/conference13/11.pdf with some more info, but Bluetooth 4.0 defines standards for:

  • thermometers
  • blood pressure sensors
  • heart rate monitors
  • blood glucose sensors

These are listed as "non-standard":

  • pedometers (footpods)
  • ECGs
  • oximeters
  • scales

[edit: an updated list of approved standards can be found at https://developer.bluetooth.org/gatt/services/Pages/ServicesHome.aspx -- pedometers are part of the standard now]

Right now, it's up to the individual iOS apps if they'll support these devices. From my understanding, HealthKit moves all the pairing and data collection to the operating system. Apps are then able to ask HealthKit for historical or real-time data, in their preferred units (km instead of miles, for example).
 
Last edited:
Alenore said:
I kinda doubt it'll prevent them from making an app, since it'll permit them to show the datas in their own way and make computation, propose services, and have their logo on the phone/app. HealthKit will be nice to have all these datas at the same place, but companies will want to have a bit more on people phones.



I guess how it's sent follows standard rules, but what is sent is personal to each app.
Click to expand...

Except device manufacturers want to sell devices so they will likely follow the standard and make the standardized information available for the particular device type.

https://www.bluetooth.org/en-us/specification/assigned-numbers/health-device-profile

----------
cyberkoala said:
I can't believe you guys don't know that Apple is in BIG trouble because the logo and the idea is already property of an Australia company called HealthKit.
This girl was one of the Young entrepreneur of the year a few years back.
It is all over the news here in Australia because what Apple has done is incredible: steal the idea, the concept and even the logo!
I love apple and I got every single product they have come up with in the last 5 years but this is something else.
Don't believe me? Check this out:

https://www.healthkit.com

I believe that by end of next week this girl will be millionaire because apple will not have any other option that buy her up.
What do you think?
Cheers
Click to expand...

Big trouble and Australia don't really mesh.

----------
cyberkoala said:
Not me mate. Is the law. Read the news:

http://www.news.com.au/finance/smal...ldembracing-idea/story-fn9evb64-1226943793182

http://www.cnet.com/au/news/apple-draws-ire-from-aussie-startup-over-healthkit/

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...accused-stealing-idea-new-HealthKit-tool.html

And if this is not enough, read Wired:

http://www.wired.com/2014/06/apple-healthkit-taken/

So again, is not me "thinking they are in trouble" ... is Apple who have created the problem themselves.
Click to expand...

Something tells me you are this girl, or her little brother.
 
cyberkoala said:
So just answer me this: Is it legally correct to use the idea, the concept, the name of somebody else just because you want it?
Click to expand...
Yes it is. And the idea stolen at WWDC 2014 was Alfred. Which itself was a variation of an idea called Sherlock. And will now be the new face of Spotlight. Which is another implementation of the same concept.

steal.png

Your aussie girl, she never had an idea to begin with.
Sorry, you wanted to know what I think.
 
wizard said:
That is a very good question to which I have no answer. I'm still frustrated with Apples stingy way in which they handle Bluetooth connections to common things like RS232 adapters. Developers should be free to use such adapters anyway they see fit.

----------



I think the point here is how far do those standards go. I really don't know but I'd find it very odd if they had a data format standard for every potential device out there.
Click to expand...

I listed the page at Bluetooth.org above. There are many device types approved and as others get standardized and ratified they would be added.
 
This is going to be a problem. My wife and I both use glucose sensors. We are required to enter a code on our individual receivers right now to distinguish whose is whose, but if our phones just pair with the sensors, there will be a problem.
 
urbanslaughter said:
This is going to be a problem. My wife and I both use glucose sensors. We are required to enter a code on our individual receivers right now to distinguish whose is whose, but if our phones just pair with the sensors, there will be a problem.
Click to expand...

Only if you both use the same phone. Bluetooth biosensors work like most other Bluetooth device, they need to be paired to a receiver. Otherwise, your phone would be connecting to everybody else's Bluetooth headsets and I'd be getting heart rate data from everybody else on the track.

HealthKit actually makes this easier, because it sounds like you'll be pairing the device to the OS once instead of inside each app that talks to it.
 
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