Fitbit is expanding its developer community in Asia

Harper speaking at the Singapore Developer App-y Hour.

Fitbit wants your apps for its Ionic and Versa smartwatches. At the first meetup for Singapore developers at Fitbit Singapore, the company showed developers how easy it is to create apps for the Fitbit devices, as well as for companion apps that expand device capabiliies via smartphones.

Frederic Harper, Senior Developer Evangelist, introduced the development architecture for the Fitbit operating system (OS) at the Developer App-y Hour, and showed how a clock face - what Fitbit calls the app that is used to display the current date and time - can be created in seconds.

"We try to make life easier," he said. "I just want you to know that (resources are) there and you can use (them) right now."

Harper also emphasised the need to ask for permission for making use of any data collected. "(The devices can) get a lot of data for you for the dashboard," he said. "That data is available to the developer if the user gives permission. You need to ask for access and manage it if they don't give access."

This is what JavaScript code for Fitbit looks like. Fitbit Studio is the company's developer platform. 

While few at the event had tried coding for Fitbit, interest in the product was high. Those who already know CSS, SVG or JavaScript will have a headstart on the standards-based platform that Fitbit uses for the watches. There are examples of code on Github, and rest APIs are available.

Finished apps can be showcased on the Gallery App Manager (GAM), Fitbit's version of an app marketplace, as well as shared on Twitter with the #made4fitbit hashtag. Apps can be showcased publicly or privately, only to those who are given a link to access the app. There is no restriction on who can install an app, even on a private link.

"There is still a lot of opportunity right there so please take it," Harper said. "There are a lot of categories and types of applications that are missing. It is also great to have local types of applications."

The company is building its developer base around the world. Fitbit is recruiting local ambassadors who can organise developer events at the Fitbit premises with Fitbit sponsoring some food and swag. "The most important thing is that you have to have fun," Harper said.

More than 18,000 developers have joined the Fitbit developer community and over 900 apps and clock faces have been built as of June 4, 2018.

Five laptops were set up to let the audience try out making clock faces for themselves.

Details:

Developers can get started online. There is also a community on Discord, and a Twitter account. Prerequisites include:

- A free Fitbit user account. Register

- A Fitbit OS device, or the Fitbit OS Simulator for Windows or macOS. 

- The latest Fitbit mobile application for Android, iOS or Windows Phone, paired with the Fitbit device.

- A computer with access to Fitbit Studio

- A wireless network to provide the Fitbit device with a connection to the Internet.

Developers can leverage on near field communications (NFC) capabilities which are activated for both watches in Singapore - this is not necessarily the case in other countries - and Fitbit already has agreements in place from banks like OCBC and UOB to make payments from the wrist.

Hashtag: #made4fitbit