Hasta La Gadget!

As the world continues to see more and more everyday objects become “hardware” controlled through operating systems and internet connectivity, an ex-Apple engineer called JP Labrosse is hoping to take that principle and combine it with elegant design to transform the prosaic world of office desks. Read More

Sleep is one of the most important factors contributing to our health and happiness. And yet it’s often the most neglected — or at least the most elusive. Now there’s a tool outside of expensive sleep clinics that could help …

LG played up its push into wearable tech earlier this morning, and now it looks like Sony’s turn to do the same. Sony Mobile president and CEO Kuni Suzuki took the stage at the tail end of Sony’s CES press conference to show off what he called “the tiniest gadget Sony has ever made” — the life-tracking Sony Core.

Yes, life-tracking. A considerable chunk of the wearable gizmos currently floating around on the market are centered solely on tracking user activity in a bid to make them more health-conscious. That’s nothing if not a noble goal (not to mention an awfully lucrative one) but Sony’s approach is meant to also fold into your social and entertainment into the mix as well. The Core is indeed capable of tracking your motion in addition how long you sleep, and the ability to keep tabs on the photos you’ve taken, the music you’re listening to, and how often you interact with particular friends. All of that data gets folded into a (presumably non-final) grid-centric app view for easy perusal, though at this point it’s not clear if Sony means to make that companion app available solely for its own devices.

And how does the Core connect to your phone? Bluetooth, naturally. It seems that the Core will occasionally send sensor data updates to the phone at which point it gets mashed together with all that social and entertainment information to complete Sony’s complete lifelogging package. In the event that the connection between the two is lost, the Core will continue to record that data and it’ll vibrate on your wrist as long as you’re within a certain range.

If this all sounds a little vague, know that it’s by design. Suzuki himself admitted that the Core’s time on stage today was little more than a teaser designed to whet wearable nerds’ appetites. And, as if he couldn’t resist the urge to paint a picture of an ambitious wearable future, Suzuki noted that Sony was engaging in talks with other hardware manufacturers so Core adopters will have a sizable array of accessories (like Sony’s own color wristbands) to pair with their tiny trackers.

You’ll have to forgive me for being just a little skeptical, as Sony hasn’t exactly had the best track record with its recent wearable forays. Its original SmartWatch was either ahead of its time or fundamentally flawed depending on who you ask, and the the jury is still out on whether or not that device’s successor will have any real staying power in a market that will soon be flooded with wrist-mounted displays. The Core is perhaps one of the more thoughtful takes on wearable tracker formula I’ve seen in recent months, but we’ll soon see if Sony’s clout and resources will be enough to convince the masses of Core’s value.

This is a developing story, please refresh for updates.

The quantified self movement has grown to the point where you could easily bedeck your limbs with thousands of dollars of tracking gadgets, and the race to measure your movement isn’t going to end any time soon. That’s why Basis — makers of an awfully accurate, wrist-worn health gadget — has rolled out a new version of the device just in time for the nerd hordes at CES to ogle it.

Well, perhaps calling it “new” is overstating things a bit. The updated, $199 Carbon Steel edition is a hair hardier than the original B1 and it’s better looking to boot, but the big draw is the addition of improved sleep analytics that can assign personal Sleep Scores and ultimately tell just how soundly a wearer is sleeping.

Let’s back up for a moment first: the original Basis had a leg up on competitors because of the sheer number of sensors packed into it. Rather than just installing an accelerometer to monitor motion, the Basis team tricked it out with sensors to measure a user’s heart rate and galvanic skin response, all in hopes of providing people with a clearer understanding of how hard they’re working. That array of sensors also means that users didn’t have to manually switch into a discrete sleeping mode, which has honestly always been a pet peeve of mine — I’d love to gain some deeper insight into what few hours of sleep I manage to get, but I tend to pass out before flipping the sleep switch.

Thankfully, owners of that first generation model won’t have to lose sleep over a feature disparity, as those sleep analytics will be available for the original B1 later this month.

Modified hardware and improved smarts are neat enough, I suppose, but they’re both indicative of a change in how fitness gadget creators have to approach the very process of designing their wares. As Basis CEO Jef Holove recently told PC World, expanding smartphone feature sets means that the feature bar for dedicated activity trackers has just been raised.

“When Apple released the iPhone 5 with the M7 processor, it became even more clear that many of basic functionalities of trackers would be assumed by users’ smartphones, creating a challenge for health trackers to do something more,” he said. He’s got a point: these days we demand that our smartphones do everything, and the companies that craft them are rising to that challenge. Right now we’re seeing plenty of iterative moves by these fitness-focused wearable tech companies — the mildly-refreshed Jawbone UP24 and Nike Fuelband SE spring to mind — but I suspect it won’t be long before the next generation of quantified self hardware begins to pull away from smartphones in earnest.

As a quantified-self junkie and a huge slob, I enjoy attaching all manner of electronics to my body. That’s why I was excited about the LUMOBack. It’s basically a position sensor that you strap around your waist – under your clothes – and use to measure your posture and sleeping positions. It is, in a word, amazifuriating.

First, I think we all honestly need this thing. After years of being hunched over a keyboard, most of us look like Quasimodo’s tanned cousins. We could also try standing up a little more and maybe get out of the house once in a while. The LUMOBack helps on all these fronts. First, it buzzes when you slouch. Then, with the help of an iOS app, it tells you how many steps you’ve walked and how many times you stood up during the day. Future versions of the app will nag you more specifically, reminding you to stand every thirty minutes or so and offer more detailed feedback on your posture. There’s even a posture score that rates you compared to the average LUMOBack user. A little man turns from orange to green on your iPhone screen when you’re sitting up straight, allowing you to fine tune your posture. In short, it’s pretty amazing.

Even though it can do all that, however, I’m about to throw this thing into the East River.

I would, if given the opportunity, love to punch this green guy in the face. He buzzes at me almost constantly. To be fair, my problems with the LUMOBack stem from my own poor posture. See, once you begin using the device you attempt to overcorrect. Move a little too far to the back and the green figure that represents you standing with perfect posture turns sad and orange. Then you get a buzz. Then, 11 seconds later, you get another buzz. Then the LUMOBand forgets about you for a while. And then it buzzes again. It’s like the scene in Ghostbusters when Bill Murray zaps the dude even though he’s getting most of the ESP cards right.

This is wildly annoying after a while and I tend to rip the LUMOBack off my body and, later, sheepishly strap it back on like a cowed Logan’s Run prisoner. Then it buzzes when I’m standing straight. Then it buzzes at me on toilet. Then it buzzes at me when I’m trying to fix a ceiling fan. Boom. Off it goes, into the river.

The LUMOBack means well. If you sit all day – I mostly stand these days, thankfully – then the LUMOBack might be just the thing for you. Seeing the little dude bent over and sad is impetus enough to straighten up and stand up once or twice a day. As an exercise help mate, however, you’re left wanting. I’d love for the device to help me maintain posture during squats, runs, and push ups but for the most part it’s not designed for that. The sleep positions are fun but not as helpful as, say, a Basis band. I’d also love to see a desktop representation of my crooked spine so I don’t have to unlock my phone, but that’s not yet available.

Obviously this is LUMOBack 1.0 and I’m willing to hand it to the creators – they made a very usable, very simple product that addresses a problem that we all have. Will it cure backaches? Probably not, but it will allow far more self-awareness in terms of posture and body positioning while we spend our long hours at keyboards, mice, and consoles. It is frustrating, to be sure, especially if you’re a pre-scoliotic mess like myself. However, it’s important.

If you’re a quantified self fan, the LUMOBack can be another weapon in your probably already impressive arsenal. At $150 it’s kind of a single-use item (until the software gets better) so you’d better really be interested in your lower back if you strap this on. If you’re worried that you’re not standing up enough, however, then you can probably just set a timer or something and just sit up straighter. To paraphrase Dr. Steve Brule, it’s for your health, dummy. It’s not hard! Just please don’t buzz me again, LUMOBack. Please?