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Bosch rolls out smart-home app on Fitbit

The Home Connect app is now available on Fitbit smartwatches

Fitbit users are now able to turn on their Bosch ovens on their way back from a jog, thanks to a new partnership between the fitness wearable and the German manufacturer.

BSH, the home appliance company behind Bosch and Siemens, has expanded the reach of its Home Connect app; a control centre for Wi-Fi enabled home devices.

The app has been available on phones and tablets for some time, but Fitbit becomes the first wearable to get integration with BSH’s smart-home system.

Users can get notifications about their Home Connect devices via their Fitbit Ionic and Fitbit Versa smartwatches, and can start a variety of appliances, from ovens to coffee machines.

“Having the Home Connect service now available via Fitbit is our first integration of wearables and marks a very exciting time for us,” said James Kington, a manager at BSH Home Appliances UK & Ireland.

“Users are already able to operate their appliances with the Home Connect app or via voice control, and the Fitbit app gives a further option to assist them with their daily tasks whilst on-the-go.”

Home Connect has already partnered with a number of third-party apps, including Google Home and Amazon Alexa.

Whether or not turning your oven via your Fitbit is going to revolutionise your life, it’s the latest step in the creep towards interconnectivity between the many devices we increasingly dot around our lives.

One major problem in the smart home market over recent years has been the rise of different ecosystems, each communicating to a specific list of technology brands. The merging of these ecosystems is inevitably part of how useful smart homes will be in the future, although this merge also raises questions around privacy and data collection. If all our devices can talk to each other, that would make it easier to control them, but it may also make it easier for them to paint a picture of our day to day lives.

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