Google Fit SDK Preview Now Out For Developers

Announced at Google I/O this year, Google Fit is the search giant's aim at getting users and Developers alike more interested in what wearables can do for our health. they've now made the Software Development Kit (SDK) available for preview, giving us all the first glimpses at just what Fit can do for us.

Like any good SDK, there are a few Application Programming Interface (API)s to get everyone going. The sensor API will take full advantage of things like an accelerometer on your device. A recording API lets an app record data like run time or other pertinent info to the cloud, while a history API lets the app look back on your activity and do things like recognize locations where you may have run to show on a map.

So what does this mean for the user? The Fit SDK preview is just the start, but it's clear Google has big things in mind:

Google Fit provides a single set of APIs for apps and device manufacturers to store and access activity data from fitness apps and sensors on Android and other devices (like wearables, heart rate monitors or connected scales). This means that with the user's permission, you can get access to the user's fitness history — enabling you to provide more interesting features in your app like personalized coaching, better insights, fitness recommendations and more.

This should bring some necessary guidance to the platform, and get Developers thinking critically about their fitness apps. With Fit, Google wants Developers to build more than just run trackers and calorie counters. There's no hard timeframe for Fit's release (though it coming out alongside Android "L" is a safe bet), but this should make it pretty special on launch.

Source: Google