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ICYMI: Read your dog's mood swings with tech
try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: A new product out of Japan called Inupathy is giving dogs the Dug treatment, with a light up harness that tracks their heart rate, telling you information about their emotions via changes in color. We've no idea if it works as advertised, but you gotta admit the rainbow pattern signaling 'happy' is the most human expression for happiness in animals we could ever think of. Obviously your dog won't know what it means, since the silly loves are color blind.
Intel should buy Jawbone just for its fitness app
If recent reports are to be believed, Jawbone is in serious trouble after missing a payment to a creditor. Sources close to the company have denied it, but this isn't the first time we've heard such rumors. The Information reported earlier this week that the firm is running out of money and has put itself up for sale. If that's the case, then I can think of the perfect suitor: Intel. After all, the chipmaker has both the money and a smartwatch division in need of a win, while Jawbone has arguably the best fitness app on the market. From the position of an armchair quarterback, it's a match made in heaven -- at least on paper.
ICYMI: Quick launch UAV box, dog translation collar and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-878392{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-878392, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-878392{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-878392").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: A new crowdfunded collar for dogs purports to translate activity levels and temperature into how the animal is feeling, then let you know. The KYON collar is basically the dog from the Pixar movie Up in beta version. A nesting box for storing and charging UAVs between flights aims to get surveillance states a drone on standby. And the Emi by Moodbox wants to be the Amazon Echo-like device you turn to for music selections, since its AI is designed to learn your song preferences and curate according to your mood.
Runtastic shares workout data with Jawbone's Up app
If you fancy Jawbone's line of activity trackers and track your afternoon jog with Runtastic, you can now keep all of your stats in one place. Data gathered by Runtastic during your workout can be sent to Jawbone's Up app where you can store info on nutrition, sleep, goals and more. Of course, Runtastic has its own wearables, including the new Moment analog watch. What's more, Jawbone's Up app no longer requires one of the company's trackers to tally your daily details, just like Runtastic's software, so there's a few gadget/app combos that'll work just fine with both Runtastic and Jawbone's gear. To take advantage of the partnership, you'll need Runtastic 6.3. Once you connect it with the Up app, all of your info will sync automatically.
Wearable data proves what you thought: we're less active when it's cold
It's hard to fight nature. We mammals have an instinctual urge to hibernate when the mercury starts dropping, and thanks to activity trackers we have some data to prove that theory holds true (if we actually get that sleep is another story). By correlating pedometer stats culled from "hundreds of thousands" of Jawbone Up users with weather info from their respective areas, the outfit was able to discern that there's an ideal temperature range for physical activity. Because people typically have to get up and around during the work week, Jawbone instead focused its study on weekends. You know, when we have an actual choice of whether or not we're going to get off the couch.
Jawbone knows how many of its users were roused by the Napa earthquake
Think you could sleep through an earthquake? Probably not, judging by data from Jawbone. The company says that almost everyone using its Jawbone Up device to track their sleep near South Napa was awakened by yesterday's earthquake. About 90 percent of its users were asleep, and the closer you were to the epicenter, the more likely it is you woke up. Farther out, about half the users in San Francisco and Oakland arose; almost nobody was disturbed 75 to 100 miles away in Modesto. Since Jawbone's fitness trackers push data to smartphones and other devices, the company was able to get a quick and detailed look into how the locals felt. The stats are interesting, to be sure, but may give you pause if didn't realize Jawbone could publish your exercise stats at a moment's notice.
Wearable device stats prove it: you're not getting enough sleep
If you've ever groused that you don't get enough sleep, you now know that you're not alone -- far from it, in fact. The Wall Street Journal has provided a rare glimpse at the tracking data from hundreds of thousands of Jawbone Up wearers worldwide, revealing both their collective sleeping habits as well as their activity when they're awake. And... it's not looking good. Even in well-rested cities like Melbourne, the average person slept just over the minimum recommended 7 hours. In Tokyo, many people get less than 6 hours. You don't want to look to your friends for help, then, since they're probably just as groggy as you.
MapMyFitness improves Jawbone UP integration, adds Nike FuelBand support
There are almost as many ways to monitor your fitness these days, as there are ways to get fit. While most hardware trackers come with their own solution to present your (hard-earned) data, some users prefer to keep it elsewhere. If that happens to be MapMyFitness, then good news -- there's full two-way sync for Jawbone UP, as well as Nike FuelBand support. Jawbone's UP has had API hooks with MapMyFitness for a while, but now workouts etc. can be pushed in either direction, so all those steps can be viewed online (though not your sleep, or manually logged workouts). It's a similar story with FuelBand, while the Nike+ app and watch have played nice with the services, the wearable was notably absent -- until now. Set up is easy, just head to the import section of your account and link them up. Sadly, so easy, you won't earn any fuel points.
Jawbone Up extends social feed with Facebook Open Graph integration for iOS
There's no better motivation than public humiliation, err, community support. Which is why Jawbone's extending its Up band's social circle to encompass the likes of Facebook. Previously, Up users could only share their dietary, exercise and sleep habits with other registered users, but now that feed will also extend to a user's Facebook Timeline. The company's also ushered in a few tweaks for its Sleep alarm, now offering the ability to set specific wakeup alerts or configure Smart Sleep timers for 30, 20 and 10 minute windows. The update's live in the App Store today. So, if you've been dying to share your physically fit and / or gluttonous ways with a much larger audience, well, now's your time to shine.
Jawbone buys Massive Health and Visere to boost app design for wearables
Jawbone has been making real progress on the software for its tentative steps into wearable technology like the Up bracelet, but it's safe to say there's some room to grow. The company might just feel the same way in the wake of two key acquisitions centered on app interfaces and design. It just bought Massive Health, best known for its crowdsourced food app The Eatery, and Visere, a design house recognized for its work on both hardware and software. While Jawbone hasn't yet outlined its plans beyond scooping up the "best talent" for app development, Massive Health expects to maintain its namesake focus -- it doesn't see much work on Bluetooth audio in its future. However things shake out, it's clear software is about to play a larger role for our ears, wrists and beyond.
Jawbone Up review (2012): a reboot and a shot at redemption
Second chances are rare in the tech world. Unless you're one of the big boys -- say a Samsung or an Apple -- one spectacular failure is enough to doom a product line or even an entire company. Just ask Gizmondo, 3D Realms, Helio, Palm, Netscape, DivX, Sega... the list goes on and on. All it takes is one mistake and a hyped device or marquee company can end up as little more than a nostalgic Wikipedia entry. After last year's debacle with the Up, we thought Jawbone might give up on the fitness market entirely. In case you missed the drama last holiday season, here's a quick recap: within weeks of launching, the Yves Behar-designed motion-tracking bracelet simply stopped working for many customers. We even had two units fail during the course of writing our original review. It quickly became apparent that the problems were not just widespread, but near ubiquitous. Up was pulled from the shelves, customers were issued refunds and Jawbone went back to the drawing board. We have to hand it to the company for quickly taking ownership of the problem and cutting checks to the unfortunate souls who ponied up $100 to buy one. But, while seeing a company readily admit failure was a pleasant surprise, we were even more shocked when Jawbone didn't simply cancel Up entirely and cut its losses. Instead it tracked down the root issues -- water permeability, flexibility and a barebones app -- and redesigned the bracelet from the ground up. The basic functionality and aesthetic choices are the same, but the materials, the iOS data logger and actual internal assembly are all completely different. Unfortunately, all these upgrades mean last year's $100 bust is this year's $130 shot at redemption. And the real question is, even if it works, is the Up something you'll want or need?
How would you change the Jawbone Up?
Ordinarily, we'd be dismissive if you answered that question with "Doy, make it work!" but in the special case of the Jawbone Up, it's entirely apt. The wristband promised plenty of technological advances that would track your sleep, calories burned and diarize your food intake, all within the confines of a slender cord wrapped around your wrist. The downside? A significant proportion of the units conked out days after being opened, forcing the company to offer no-questions-asked refunds and halt production. So, what we want to know is: do you have a working Up? Does it still work? Do you like it? If Hosain Rahman was reading the comments below, how would you suggest he goes about fixing things?
Kinect Rush: A Disney Pixar Adventure CES screens are new, recycled
Kinect Rush: A Disney Pixar Adventure brings five modern-classic animated films into real, still-animated life this March. The following screens offer a glimpse of each movie -- Cars, Toy Story, The Incredibles, Up and Ratatouille -- and how they'll transfer to motion controls. We're not entirely sure which full-body gesture is required for "riding sewage like it's a boat," but it appears we'll get the chance to find out with Kinect Rush. Thanks, Pixar. %Gallery-144735%
Jawbone offers 'no questions asked' refund for troubled Up band, even if you keep it
While Jawbone attempts to fix the handful of substantial issues plaguing its new Up fitness band, it's now announced that it will begin giving free refunds to dissatisfied customers -- and you can even keep hold of the band afterwards. Production of it has been put on pause, but the company is continuing to roll out software tweaks for existing lifestyle metric obsessives. The new guarantee starts on December 9th, and will only cover Up bands purchased this year. You can read up on all the refund specifics -- along with Jawbone CEO Hosain Rahman's apology -- at the source links below.
Jawbone Up review
Back in July, Jawbone did something surprising. The company, best known for its Bluetooth headsets, announced it was cooking up a wristband called "Up" -- a wearable device that would track the wearer's sleeping, eating and exercise habits. At the time, we didn't know much more than that, but given the company's expertise in wearable tech, we assumed it would at least have a Bluetooth radio, tying it together with all the other products Jawbone sells. As it turns out, the wristband doesn't sync your vitals wirelessly and for better or worse, it doesn't work quite the way we thought it would. To use the wristband, you'll need an iOS device -- no other platform is supported, and there isn't even a mobile website to which you can upload all your data. Then again, it does things other fitness trackers don't: it monitors when you're in deep or light sleep, so that it can wake you when you're just dozing. And because it's waterproof up to one meter and promises up to 10 days of battery life, it's low-maintenance enough that you can wear it every day, which could be key to making some healthy lifestyle changes. So how did Jawbone do, stepping so far outside its comfort zone? And should you consider this over identically priced fitness trackers such as the new Fitbit Ultra? Let's see. %Gallery-141101%
Jawbone Up detailed: tracks activity, food intake and sleep cycles, available November 6 for $100 (video)
Back in July, Jawbone did something puzzling. The company, best known for its Bluetooth headsets, teased a photo of a colorful wristband called the Up -- a deceptively simple thing that could purportedly track your eating, sleeping and exercise habits. The outfit left out a few teensy details: the price, shipping date and, the biggest riddle of all, how it works. At last, the company's ready to talk specifics. We just got word the Up will be available in the US November 6th for $100, and will continue its world tour on the 17th. With that price, it's well-matched against the clip-on Fitbit Ultra tracker, and indeed, they have some key features in common -- namely, a step counter and a few requisite social networking features. But with a sensor that knows when you're in deep sleep and a mobile app that can identify photos of food, it has a few unexpected tricks that could give devices like Fitbit a run for their money. We'll be getting one to test very soon, but in the meantime, join us past the break to learn more. %Gallery-138250%
Jawbone's Up wristband warms up at AT&T store, wants you faster, stronger
Jawbone's fitness-obsessed wristband appears to be closing in on the retail finish line. The Up pairs with what appears to be an iOS app, (no news on whether an Android version is in the pipeline), and will pile on the guilt about your disgustingly sedentary lifestyle. You can have the luxury of feeling like a weight loss reality show contestant by scheduling "get up and move" reminders when you've succumbed to watching back-to-back mediocre sitcoms with a Doritos family bag chaser. There's also a sleep tracker and a challenge tab to plot your amazing weight loss journey (or descent to an early demise) against friends and family. It'll monitor what you eat, and even tell you which foods "help you feel your best." (We think it's cake.) No word on price or arrival date just yet, so you'll just have to put up with Autom until we hear more. [Thanks, Luke]
Jawbone branches out from audio products, teases "Up" wristband that keeps tabs on your bad habits
According to our calendar, this is one of the least timely days of the year for us to harp on New Year's Resolutions, but that's no matter to Jawbone. The company, best-known for crafting those high-end headsets, is at TED talking up its first non-audio product: a wristband dubbed "Up" that tracks and analyzes your eating, sleeping, and exercise habits -- kind of like a bare-bones Fitbit or Nike+. As you can see in that photo up there, it's about the size of those ubiquitous rubber Livestrong bands and lacks a display (not to mention, wireless radios) -- all concessions made in the name of keeping the cost down, says Travis Bogard, VP of product marketing and strategy. So, this is a good 'ol wired product, with a bundled adapter connecting the band to your phone via the 3.5mm jack. Once you connect, you can view all your data on a website or through a mobile app. Or, if you thrive on public shaming, you can challenge people to fitness duels to the death (our phrasing, not Jawbone's). All told, this falls outside the outfit's comfort zone, but then again, it does know a thing or two about wearable tech. For now, the company's keeping mum on pricing and availability, though it says Up will be available in the states later this year. As for compatibility, well, Bogard tells us it's going to work with "all the relevant" mobile platforms. Make of that what you will, folks.
Sony PSN 'Welcome Back' promotion extended... for one more day
Welcome back. Again. Chances are, anyone planning to grab those PSN freebies took their share when the promotion launched last month, but just in case you've been holding out, Sony's giving you another 24 hours (from now) to download your pair of free PS3 and PSP games, 100 virtual items from PlayStation Home, and 30 days of PlayStation Plus. After then, you better be prepared to pay up for your copy of Dead Nation or LittleBigPlanet. The whole gratis shebang goes offline for good at 9AM Pacific Time tomorrow -- just before the PlayStation Store is set to open for business in Japan.
Sony rolls up the PSN 'Welcome Back' mat this Sunday, takes free entertainment with it
Four weeks ago today, Sony announced its 'Welcome Back' campaign following the weeks-long PSN outage that began in April. Now, the program is entering its final weekend, giving you just two more days to download your pair of free PS3 or PSP games, along with 100 virtual items from PlayStation Home and 30 days of PlayStation Plus. To claim your gratis package from the PlayStation Store, click on the "Welcome Back" tab and make your pick. Sure, a few handouts may not make up for those countless days you spent offline, contemplating a switch to other networks, but free stuff is free stuff, so head over to PSN to claim what's rightfully yours before the clock strikes midnight on July 3rd.
