RunKeeper gets into the step-tracking game with Breeze
When it comes to being fit, it's really the small stuff that counts. You can go to the gym as much as you want, run five miles every morning -- but if you eat like crap, drive yourself to the corner store and take the elevator every morning to your 2nd floor office, it'll be all for naught. RunKeeper can already help track each training session as you make your way from couch to 5K, now it's trying to motivate you to keep moving between runs with Breeze. The iOS-only app uses the iPhone 5s' M7 chip to track your movements and count the number of steps you take. Of course, pedometer apps are quickly becoming a dime a dozen. Breeze attempts to set itself apart through simplicity and minimizing user interaction.
The biggest part of the app are its notifications. If you're sedentary for too long a motivating message pops up to get you off your ass. Every morning you'll get a daily goal pushed to your phone and you'll get an occasional status update to let you know how close you're getting. It can even map out when the most active parts of your day are and where you are at those times. It's not all notifications though, there is an actual app that you can launch and poke around in. The UI is stunningly simple, making it easy for the uninitiated to find their way around. But you won't find the same depth of features and reporting here that you would with companion apps designed for wearables like Fitbit and the Jawbone UP.
RunKeeper is already planning for the future as well. The company is promising that its flagship activity tracker will integrate with Breeze. And while only the iPhone 5s is supported at the moment, other devices are on the horizon. Though we have no specifics about what phones will be supported or when.
