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

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HealthKit supports some medical Bluetooth accessories natively, allowing accessory makers to skip developing apps for iOS and focus on their hardware, according to 9to5Mac.

ios8healthapp

The accessories that will be built-in and supported natively by HealthKit include heart rate and blood pressure monitors, glucose sensors, and health thermometers. Apple is using official standard specs for Bluetooth LE devices from http://Bluetooth.org, which is what allows iOS 8 to automatically establish a connection with the devices listed above without the manufacturers worrying about anything on the software side.

HealthKit can automatically detect these Bluetooth medical devices and gather data from them, syncing them to the new Health app without the user having to do anything in a third-party app, making it easy for users to find health information in a single place. Additionally, device makers won't have to spend resources and time making an app rather than focus on their hardware.

HealthKit and the Health app are available to developers in the iOS 8 now. All three will launch in the fall for the general public.

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Top Rated Comments

T
ThisIsNotMe
157 months ago
Not me mate. Is the law. Read the news:

http://www.news.com.au/finance/small-business/apple-swallows-aussie-startup-companys-name-healthkit-and-their-worldembracing-idea/story-fn9evb64-1226943793182

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

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2649096/Rotten-core-Apple-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.
Please point me to the trademark filing.
Oh, you can't? Well then.
Please elaborate as to how Apple should is suppose to know everything on the planet when this company didn't file anything with the government????

USPTO TESS Trademark search for 'HealthKit' shows 0 results
IPAustraila ATMOSS Trademark search for 'HealthKit' shows 0 results

Lesson learned. File a trademark like a normal company if you want to protect your......trademark......
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
D
DTphonehome
157 months ago
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...

HealthKit is the name of the API. It's not the name of a product. The app is called "Health". Just because there's an entity out there with the name doesn't mean Apple can't use it for an API within their OS. It isn't even trademarked (as another poster pointed out). So this is really much ado about nothing and looks like an attempt by the company HealthKit to drum up some publicity and perhaps some cash from Apple.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
I
iLoveiTunes
157 months ago
I can't believe you guys don't know that Apple is in BIG trouble because the logo...

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
Join date ..June 2014. good way to upp the hits on that URL
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CrazyForApple Avatar
CrazyForApple
157 months ago
That's kind of the point, isn't it?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mad Mac Maniac Avatar
Mad Mac Maniac
157 months ago
Good. I'm starting to live with app overload... if you need apps for health, passbook, home kit, etc it can really start to add up.... Oh yeah and with extensions it's cool to be able to use the multiple app UI's in say the photos app (for example), but it'd be nice not to need to have all the apps on your phone taking up space

I'm still not sure if you need apps for widgets and keyboards...
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
P
paradox00
157 months ago
Not me mate. Is the law. Read the news:

http://www.news.com.au/finance/small-business/apple-swallows-aussie-startup-companys-name-healthkit-and-their-worldembracing-idea/story-fn9evb64-1226943793182

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

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2649096/Rotten-core-Apple-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.

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.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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