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Smartwatches can tell you're about to get sick days in advance
If you're still on the fence about just how useful a smartwatch can be, a group of researchers at Stanford University have some news for you. The scientists discovered that using algorithms to monitor a combination of vital signs gathered by the Basis B1 and Basis Peak can determine if you're about to catch a cold, days before you actually get sick. Using stats like heart rate and skin temperature, researchers say the smartwatches can indicate the first signs of an impending illness.
RIP Basis Peak: The best wearable you've never heard of
If you don't already own a Basis Peak, then you'll probably never get the opportunity to see one up close and personal. The wearable has barely registered in market-share metrics but has suddenly made a name for itself after being recalled. Which is a shame, because history is likely to remember it as that watch that caught fire and burned its owners. That would be an enormous disservice to a gadget that's one of the most seriously underrated wearables on the market.
Basis halts Peak smartwatch sales due to overheating concerns
When we first reviewed the Basis Peak back in 2014, we noted the wearable's ability to track your activity while lacking some core smartwatch features. The company has continually added new features to the device, but today it announced that sales have been halted. Citing the wrist-worn gadget's tendency to overheat, Basis is putting sales of the Peak on hold until it can issue a software update to remedy the issue. What's more, it's recommending current owners avoid using the device until that patch is released.
Basis Peak gets smarter with music control and activity editing
The Basis Peak fitness tracker just got an update that controls the music playing on an Android or iOS device and lets users manually enter the type and duration of a workout. Good news for music fans that get in shape with activities that might necessarily get tracked like yoga or surfing.
Basis' fitness tracker now comes in titanium, talks to other health apps
As useful as the Basis Peak may be for tracking your fitness, your data has largely been trapped so far -- you couldn't see it outside of Basis' own apps. However, you'll be glad to hear that things are loosening up. An app update rolling out to the Peak today will share the wristwear's activity data with either Apple's Health app or Google Fit, so you get a more complete picture of your health. If you only strap on your Peak when you're running, for instance, you can still merge its info with the walking data your phone collects. It'll also open a "Playground" for testing app features (such as an activity map and a Photo Finish selfie recorder) before they're available to everyone elseShould that not be enough, there's a firmware update coming on May 20th that will add a stopwatch and improve heart rate monitoring.
Basis' Peak fitness watch now gets notifications from your phone
A little later than promised, Basis' Peak fitness tracker behaves more like the smartwatch it arguably should have been all along. Grab a newly released update for the wearable and it'll give you a heads-up on calls, meetings and messages from your Android smartphone or iPhone. It's not as sophisticated as most smartwatches (even less expensive devices like the Pebble will show much more), but it should make sure that you aren't caught unawares when a friend texts you in mid-workout.
Basis Peak to get its smartwatch-like features in December
In our recent review of the Basis Peak, we pointed out its potential to be a pretty good smartwatch, just as it is a fitness tracker. And, thanks to a firmware update set to arrive next month, Basis, which is now owned by Intel, will be making its wearable better than it already is. Around mid-December, the Basis Peak is going to begin supporting notifications from Android and iOS devices, including those that come from your calendar, text messages and phone calls. While you'll have to wait for those smartwatch-like features to come to the Peak, something new that's available now is the ability to share your heart rate data with third-party fitness apps via Bluetooth. What's more, the Basis Peak is expanding availability outside of the US, to Canada and the UK in the middle of December as well -- Basis says international pricing will vary depending on the region.
Basis Peak review: a good fitness tracker, with room to be a good smartwatch
Jawbone. Fitbit. Microsoft. And now... Basis. If you don't know much about the brand, you really should get up to speed: The company quietly put out one of the best fitness trackers, and now it's a part of Intel. Which means, it's officially one of the big names in health gadgets. Like the previous-generation B1 band, the new Basis Peak can automatically detect when you're exercising or asleep, making it one of the most automated fitness trackers around. This time, though, it brings a sharper design, a redesigned app and an improved sensor that can track your heart rate when you're working out, as opposed to when you're just sitting still. What's more, it will eventually be able to display smartwatch-like notifications on its 1.25-inch touchscreen, at which point it'll be way more versatile than your typical fitness band. Like before, the Peak costs $200, meaning it's still one of the more expensive fitness trackers on the market. As you'll see, though, I'm not sure that's a dealbreaker.
Basis unveils its first fitness tracker since getting acquired by Intel
You probably mainly think of Intel as the company trying to make 2-in-1s happen, but lately it's been dabbling in fitness, too. It all started when the chip maker acquired Basis, the creator of what was quite possibly the most sophisticated fitness wearable on the market. Intel promised it'd make it even smarter. Or something. Now, six months later, Basis is introducing the Peak, its first fitness tracker since joining Chipzilla. And it is indeed a bit smarter. Mostly, though, it's just a better-designed device.
