Fitness Technology Works Out CES 2011 (Feel The Burn)

Jean Francois Kitten of WithThings spoke to David also about a number of devices that wirelessly transmit data about you and others. The company showed a $169 scale that communicates with apps on smartphones, letting you see how your weight trends. Newer products it showed was a baby monitor due in March.

Unlike current two-piece baby monitor sets, this one has one piece – the one with a camera and mike that records what's going on with the baby, including the noise and room temperature. The device sends data to any smartphone or the web so you can spy on that baby sitter. Or just check out your baby. It'll cost about $200.

Due later this month from the same company is a $129 blood pressure band which, like the scale, sends data to the web or your smart phone so you can share your blood pressure data with your friends and doctors. And finally, there's POM. President Ajit Pendse described it as a photo frame-like gizmo that essentially monitors the patterns of the elderly and texts you via SMS when something is off kilter. "It essentially keeps those (elderly) who live independently of their family connected every day," he told Fritz, who looked alarmed at the notion of spying on his parents. Ajit told Fritz: "No, we tell elders it does not spy on you, you can ignore it, it sits there like a photo frame."

But really it does monitor the regular routine of the elderly (when they make coffee and, presumably, urinate) and texts interested parties if something is amiss. It also helps notify the owner when to take prescribed drugs and has an easy interface to tell people on its network whether they're doing well. So, how is this not like spying on your mom again? Pendse said to look at this way: "I feel guilty as a caregiver not calling my parents enough, my parents feel guilty not imposing on me, that's what this thing is all about." Guilt. And AI.

The system learns over time what grandma is up to -- so if she waits an hour to make coffee, you hear about it. I'm a little scared imagining what other applications the younger geek set is going to come up with for this, but for now, I'm just trying to recover. Watch the video below.

In San Francisco for the upcoming BYTE.com launch, I'm Gina Smith.