Technophile: Wired bathroom scales offer World Wide weigh-ins

Curt Brandao reviews web-enabled bathroom scales that can instantly post the cold, heavy truths online.

Withings WiFi Scale

The masses We all know that the first step towards self-improvement is admitting you have a problem, but if it's on the Withings WiFi Scale that first step will be a doozy. You can programme this web-enabled tattletaler to blast your own personal truth, right down to the tenth of a kilogram, to the entire Twitterverse each time you step on it. Sound insane? Well, some attest that there's no better day-to-day weight loss motivator than full public disclosure. If you have doubts, it can also transmit your measurements to a personal, password-protected website.

The heft The Withings WiFi Scale is rather big-boned itself, weighing in at almost 3 kilograms. It measures weight and body mass index (BMI) and is powered by three AAA batteries.

The excess Aside from Twitter feeds, the scale can also automatically report your daily, weekly or monthly measurements in a blog, on Facebook, or to a free iPhone app. It can also keep track of up to eight different users, so it's sure to be "fun" for the whole ignorance-used-to-be-bliss family.

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EatSmart Precision GetFit Digital Body Fat Scale

The masses This EatSmart scale is all about the details - after you input some personal info like gender, height and age, just step up and it will measure your weight, body fat, body water, body muscle and even your bone mass by sending a "harmless" electrical signal through your body.

The heft The scale itself weighs about two kilograms and has a measurement capacity up to about 180 kilograms. It's powered by four AAA batteries.

The excess The Precision GetFit scale has an "instant on" function, meaning you do not need to first tap it with your toes to power it up. It can store data for up to eight individuals, and knows who is stepping on it at any given time based on past measurements.

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LifeSource UC-324THW Wireless Scale

The masses The UC-324THW offers many features for a single user, and its transceiver can send all your biometric data to any computer up to three metres away. However, it can only work for one person at a time.

The heft Though rather heavy at 2.7 kilograms, the UC-324THW packs all its features in a rather slim package. It runs on four AA batteries.

The excess Through its included software, the UC-324THW can measure and store 63 measurements. The scale also comes with a software package (free 30-day trial) that allows you to share your data. However, compared with its rivals, it seems a bit pricey and limited in what it offers.

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