fitness trackers

Walking every day has been shown again and again to be important for staying healthy as you age. But how much do you need to walk to promote a long life?

Millions of Americans use wearable devices to monitor their diet and fitness. Some insurance companies offer incentives to use them, but privacy advocates caution customers not to share too much data.

Tech evangelists say consumer electronics that sense, stream and interpret vital signs will lead to better health and lower costs. But skeptics say reliability and privacy issues still loom.

OK, so they're not using Fitbits. But zoos across America are using software to minutely track the activity, behavior and physiology of captive elephants, and using that data to improve zoo life.

A man shows up in the emergency room with a speedy, irregular heartbeat, but can't say when it first went awry. No problem. The ER doctors just checked the phone records of his fitness tracker.

The Fitnet app uses your phone's camera to analyze your workout and give feedback. Next step is a live trainer on the other end. The hitch: Your Internet speed likely needs to be 40 times faster.

Amid the buzz around wearables, Fitbit heads to the NYSE. The fitness tracking firm faces challenges from smart watches, but it may get a boost from companies that want to keep tabs on workers.