Nike will give partial refunds or gift cards to people who bought FuelBand fitness trackers in the last 3 1/2 years, resolving a lawsuit that says the products can't accurately tally how many steps a user is taking or how many calories they've burned.
A website maintained by Gilardi & Co., a firm that administers settlements, says Nike Inc. will give $15 payments or $25 gift cards to people who bought FuelBands between Jan. 19, 2012 and June 17, 2015.
Nike and collaborator Apple deny the allegations in the lawsuit but agreed to settle to avoid a continued legal tussle, according to court documents.
Nike launched the FuelBand in 2012. It's a wrist band that tracks movement and translates it into what Nike calls "Fuel." Users can set daily goals for how much movement that they want to achieve. The band can connect wirelessly to a smartphone app and its features include a pedometer and a clock. Nike hasn't disclosed sales figures. Last year, it laid off some employees who worked on the devices but said it would continue to make them.
The lawsuit said the companies engaged in false advertising because they knew the devices could not track steps, calories or NikeFuel as accurately as they claimed. The lawsuit also alleged breaches of the terms of the devices' warranty.
Apple Inc. and Nike did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
SMPTE elects board officers, regional governors
SMPTE®,the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, has revealed the board officers and regional governors who will serve terms beginning in January 2025.
Three new officers--Richard Welsh as SMPTE president, Eric Gsell as SMPTE executive VP, and Polly Hickling as SMPTE Education VP--have been elected for a two-year term from Jan. 1, 2025, to Dec. 31, 2026. One SMPTE officer, Lisa Hobbs, will be continuing her service as SMPTE secretary and treasurer for another two-year term. Additionally, Raymond Yeung will be stepping into the role of standards VP on Jan. 1, 2025.
“SMPTE’s membership has spoken,” said SMPTE interim executive director Sally-Ann D’Amato. “These officers have been tasked with an important responsibility, one each of them is prepared to tackle head-on. These next two years are looking bright for SMPTE!”
In addition to the officers, 10 regional governors were elected by the Society to serve two-year 2025-2026 terms.
These include the following regional governors, re-elected to continue their service:
Asia-Pacific Region Governor
Tony Ngai, Society of Motion Imaging Ltd.
EMEA - Central & South America Region Governor
Fernando Bittencourt, FB Consultant
United Kingdom Region Governor
Chris Johns, Sky UK.
USA - Central Region Governor
William T. Hayes, Consultant
USA - Eastern Region Governor
Dover Jeanne Mundt, Riedel Communications
USA - Western Region Governor
Jeffrey F. Way, Open Drives
Also elected were four newcomers to the SMPTE Board:
Canada Region Governor
Jonathan Jobin, Grass Valley
USA - Hollywood Region Governor
Allan Schollnick, Voxx... Read More