Withings pretty much nailed the activity tracker with the Pulse activity tracker, which features a built-in heart rate sensor that uses pulse oximetry (just like the Galaxy S5). Now, it has updated that product with new sensor capabilities with the Pulse O2. The O2 can also measure blood oxygen level (hence the name) and offers a new bracelet mount for improved wrist-borne wearing. Existing Pulse… Read More
Fitbit issued a voluntary recall of its Fitbit Force after discovering that prolonged use could lead to skin irritation likely due to allergy to some of the materials used in its construction, but now the recall is official with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, making it illegal to resell (like on eBay) the existing Force at all, and revealing some details about the scope of the… Read More
At $250, TomTom’s Multisport HRM GPS watch is more expensive than its competitors, but that’s because it does so much more.
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With the release of version 3.1 of the Up’s companion smartphone app, Jawbone is really moving ahead in terms of crunching user data.
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An activity tracker is not something that everyone would want to get, or think that they need it, but when you pass one to them for them to use, they might ask themselves why didn’t they pick one up all this time before? Of course, once a particular device gets more and more famous and commonplace, functionality is just as important as its aesthetics. The £99.99 Misfit Shine Activity Tracker that comes in black and grey shades has been touted to be the “world’s most stylish physical activity monitor”, where it has been precision-crafted from aerospace grade aluminium and boasts the capability of measuring your walking, running, swimming, cycling and sleep patterns.
Don’t be put off by its name though, as this is definitely not a misfit at all in the larger scheme of things. It is capable of synchronizing sans wires with your iPhone to track steps, calories, distance, and is also water resistant up to 50 metres, so fret not if you are going to go swimming or just frolicking around the beach. All that is required to chart your progress in a day would be to give it a simple tap, where a circle of a dozen small lights will glow gently, letting you know how you’re getting on. You can place the Misfit Shine Activity Tracker on your iPhone display in order to have its data synchronized via Bluetooth, while the app would let you set goals and access data such as your own performance stats, trends and insights. A single standard replaceable CR2032 battery ought to be able to last you up to 4 months.
[ Misfit Shine Activity Tracker tracks your activity in style copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
Fitness device maker Fitbit is offering up an honest deal to customers who are reporting that their Fitbit Force is causing them skin irritation: you can either get a full refund, or swap out your tracker for a different one from the Fitbit line, the assumption being that you’ll likely opt for one that won’t continually touch your epidermis.
The Fitbit Force is admittedly designed to be worn all the time (it even tracks sleep while worn in bed), so it isn’t surprising that people are doing just that. But it’s also not surprising that such behavior results in irritated skin and rashes. Think about it: what else do you wear on your body all the time without any breaks for at all for days on end?
For those who haven’t ever had the extreme pleasure of breaking a bone, wearing a cast produces similar results. It’s impossible to have one enrobing any of your limbs and escape without some kind of skin irritation, simply because skin isn’t designed to be encased by anything for any significant length of time.
I don’t doubt that people are getting rashes from the Fitbit Force, and multiple news reports now depict the effects, but I also honestly think this is much more of a “well what did you expect” situation than an “OMG FITBIT POISONS PEOPLE WTF!!!1!!” scenario. Kudos to Fitbit for stepping up and offering a full refund, or a replacement from its lineup complete with free shipping and a restoration of any difference in final purchase price.
Here’s the full statement from Fitbit on the issue, updated as of this morning:
We are looking into reports from a very limited number of Fitbit Force users who have been experiencing skin irritation, possibly as a result of an allergy to nickel, an element of surgical-grade stainless steel used in the device.
We suggest that consumers experiencing any irritation discontinue using the product and contact Fitbit atforce@fitbit.com if they have additional questions. Customers may also contact Fitbit for an immediate refund or replacement with a different Fitbit product.
We are sorry that even a few consumers have experienced these problems and assure you that we are looking at ways to modify the product so that anyone can wear the Fitbit Force comfortably. We will continue to update our customers with the latest information.
Bluetooth and sport headset company JayBird is venturing a little outside of its comfort zone with the new JayBird Reign fitness tracking wristband, a device unveiled earlier this week at CES 2014. The JayBird Reign goes beyond most existing devices like those from Fitbit, Withings, and Jawbone, tracking different types of fitness differently instead of just lumping them all in together.
There’s also a little bit of intuitive prognostication built into the Reign; JayBird says that it can actually recognize when your body is ready to get active, even if you can’t. It can then prompt you to get up and get moving even when you might not feel like it, to help you make the most of those times your body is ready to go for the most possible return on your workout investment.
Conversely, it also tells you when you need more rest thanks to built-in sleep tracking. The sleep tracking not only tells you when you’re sleeping heavily and when you’re sleeping light, like many other trackers, but also provides advice about how much sleep you should get the next night in order to feel as rested as is possible.
The Reign uses Bluetooth to communicate data with a companion app for iOS and Android, and should be available sometime this spring for $199. That’s pricier than many entry-level fitness trackers on the market, but Jaybird is hoping people are willing to pay more for a device that automatically recognizes what kind of sport or activity you’re doing and switches its tracking rhythm accordingly. It’s also light and comfortable with a highly flexible band, an a simple LED notification light for communicating basic info.
Few device categories are growing faster than the health and fitness tracking gizmo market, and an increasingly crowded space means more companies competing for the same pool of potential buyers. At least JayBird hasn’t just thrown its brand on something that simply matches what’s already out there, but we’ll still have to wait and see what kind of tolerance consumer demand has for a growing number of suppliers.
The Basis B1 band was already the brainiest fitness tracker out there. It would track your pulse, temperature, how much you sweat, and it was even smart enough to tell when you’ve gone to sleep and when you’ve woken up without you having to manually set anything. That’s a feature we loved when we tested it, so we’re psyched to see the watch bring that same kind of intelligence to working out.
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There’s an app for just about everything these days, so when we talk about a device like the Fitbug Orb, it would certainly be quite an interesting topic. While there are dime a dozen of activity trackers that are already available in the market, the Fitbug Orb might stand out from the rest of the crowd in terms of value, wearability and personalized content. It is said to retail for less than half of what the likes of the Jawbone Up, Nike FuelBand SE and Fitbit Flex would cost, and yet offers some pretty decent performance that accompanies it.
We are talking about a $49.95 price tag for the Fitbug Orb, making it the most affordable, feature and service-rich tracker that is available at the moment. Specially designed to expand the health tracking trend without breaking the bank, the Fitbug Orb would be able to advise folks when it comes to achieving their fitness or weight loss goals by merging technology which tracks movement as well as sleep patterns, alongside KiK, a proprietary digital coach which will enable one to set, monitor and where necessary, actually prompt the wearer to act (mostly in a physical manner) to achieve their intended goals.
It will be different from wrist-bound activity trackers, as this discreet button-sized Fitbug Orb can be worn in a variety of ways to suit your existing style or social settings that you are involved in. It does not matter whether it is placed on a belt, wrist, or lanyard, or clipped on or beneath clothing, the Fitbug Orb is small and sophisticated enough to track a wealth of information that range from steps to aerobic steps/time, distance, calories burned, speed and even sleep.
Apart from that, there is also the Bluetooth Smart Orb which will synchronize such information to compatible mobile devices and the KiK digital coach platform. The free Fitbug app will play nice with iOS-powered and select Android-powered handsets, so you know what to do if you are running on Windows Phone or BlackBerry OS!
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[ Fitbug Orb offers great value for money for an activity tracker copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
I kind of like tracking all of my activities, especially since I tend to run alone so I need the motivation to stay on target. While apps like RunKeeper and others work well to track runs, a simple pedometer is something good to keep track of every single move you make in a day.
Moves is a simple app that works in the background of your phone’s OS. It will track your movements automatically. There’s no need for any external devices or plug-ins.
Unlike pedometers, or fitness tracker bands, the Moves app doesn’t require anything but a smartphone to make it work. The app will also track your movements in cars, motorcycles, and public transport. From time to time, it mislabels my movements on my motorcycle as cycling, but otherwise it’s been pretty awesome. Keep in mind that with Moves running in the background, it will consume some added battery, though its makers claim you can still get a full day of usage of your phone with the app enabled. Of course, your mileage may vary.
It can be quite motivating, at least in my experience, when you realize how much you can walk, run or cycle in a day. I’ve found that I want to beat my previous day’s movements almost every single day, or at least keep it at the same level.
There’s an iOS version that’s been around a bit longer, and the Android version was released just a few weeks ago. The best part is that it’s free.
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