fitness tracker
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Rip Curl's new watch tallies waves, tracks speed in the surf
Whether you're a runner, swimmer or cyclist, there are plenty of fitness tracking wearables to choose from, ripe with features to help you make the most of a morning run or laps at the YMCA. But what about something for the surfer? Well, Rip Curl aims to let athletes of the ocean "track every wave" and "know every tide" with its new SearchGPS surf watch. Until now, surfers were limited to much more generic (dumb) wristwear preloaded with locational wind, temperature and swell statistics. The SearchGPS brings the watersport into the connected age, allowing users to record top speed, distance traveled and even their wave count. Then, by the time you've shed the wetsuit and hosed off your board, you can re-live your entire run with customized maps and graphic charts on Rip Curl's website or stylish iOS Search app. Convinced you need one? The SearchGPS isn't available just yet, but you can sign up to be notified when it hits shelves at the source link below.
HTC's collaboration with Fitbit isn't the end of activity trackers... yet
When HTC developed the new HTC One (M8) it knew it had a dilemma. If it played it safe, and did a general all-round specification bump, it risked underwhelming the public. Conversely, by over-cooking things, and innovating for innovation's sake, it could saddle the phone with software gimmicks and unnecessary hardware additions. It ultimately attempted to land on that thin strip of middle ground. We've already covered the return of the Ultrapixel, that new duo camera, and the latest version of Sense in our review. Potentially, though, it's the low-profile "Smart Sensor hub" that might prove to be the dark horse -- not just for HTC, but for Android, and smartphones as a whole. The new Smart Sensors are what enable the LG-like tap-to-unlock feature, and all those other fancy wake gestures (covered in the review) while the phone is in standby. The cool part being that HTC has given developers access to these sensors for their own projects. Fitbit was the first app to make deliberate use of it, but who will it benefit in the long run?
Daily Roundup: Garmin Vivofit review, Amazon raises the price of Prime, and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Garmin Vivofit review: a truly fitness-focused activity tracker
Keep moving. That's the message you'll get from anyone offering up fitness advice these days. It's snappy, simple and probably quite valid. The problem is that it can be hard to quantify how much activity is merely part of our basic existential requirements before we get to the part that counts as extra, life-enhancing exercise. As always, technology to the rescue. On this occasion, it's an activity tracker from a company with heritage in this space: Garmin. The product? The Vivofit fitness tracker.
Garmin's Vivofit: hands-on with yet another fitness tracker (video)
We got details for Garmin's Fitbit competitor, the Vivofit, earlier today and now we've had a chance to wrap the thing around our dainty wrists. Garmin tells us the fitness tracker/watch that tells you when you've been lazy has an always-on display with a battery that won't require frequent recharging. With its rubber exterior and simple band design, it's not going to stand out at a glance, but the curved display does offer a bit more screen real estate than most and makes for a comfortable fit. It's relatively inconspicuous, but like just about every other fitness tracker, we wouldn't be caught dead wearing this thing at the opera. While Garmin's promising better battery life than other fitness trackers, a company rep tells us that it won't be compatible with Android or iOS devices to start -- instead allowing "one-touch" uploads of your stats to the online Garmin Community app. Update: Garmin reached out to let us know that compatible Android and iOS apps will be released for the Vivofit.
Razer's Nabu smart band is half fitness tracker and half smart watch (video)
Try as we might, it's hard to predict what a company like Razer might do. The firm has surprised us year after year with overpowered tablets, shockingly thin gaming laptops and OLED-adorned keyboard interfaces. When tasked with predicting what the outfit would come up with next, we never would have guessed it'd be announcing a fitness tracker in 2014. And yet, it did: the Razer Nabu. When company CEO Min-Liang Tan briefed us on the product, he was careful to dance around the word tracker. "It's not a smartwatch," he said. "It's not a fitness band. It's what we're calling a 'smart band.'" Min gave us an introduction to the device at CES 2014: read on a closer look at the band, and a video of the CEO demoing the product for the first time.
Wellograph is an activity tracker with good looks and fun graphs (hands-on)
One of the latest entrants to the crowded wearables market is an activity tracker that you might actually want to wear on a night out. The Wellograph, a device with a sapphire crystal display, features a heart rate monitor and an activity tracker, and -- gasp -- it's a standalone device, with no smartphone integration to speak of beyond syncing with Bluetooth 4.0. Sarasin Art Booppanon, CEO of Wellograph, told us his product stands out from other activity trackers by displaying information such as steps taken and heartbeats per minute in graph form (rather than simply displaying digits). Another distinguishing feature: the sapphire crystal display, allegedly the first to appear on a moderately priced consumer product. This type of screen is known for its scratch-resistance, and while that's not something we could easily put to the test here at CES Unveiled, we can tell you it looked (and felt) pretty sturdy.
Sensoria is bringing fitness tracking to socks March 15th
Happy 2014! If you had any doubt that the future was here, just check out these socks. It's hard to imagine we've lived through a time in which undergarments with sensors weren't the norm, isn't it? Fear not, because Sensoria's fitness tracking sport socks are set to start shipping March 15th. The wearables feature textile sensors that work with a Bluetooth anklet, tracking your steps, speed, weight distribution, foot landing and cadence. Naturally, they'll run you a tad more than the pair of Gold Toes you just picked up at Target, at $200 for a pair of four, along with the aforementioned anklet. Sensoria's also got textile electrode-laced sports bras and t-shirts coming in January and February, respectively, though you've actually got to pick up a third-party heart monitor from a company like Garmin to make the most of those. So, are fitness socks really that big an improvement over, say, a bracelet? We'll let you know after we see some of these wearbles in action at CES.
LG Lifeband Touch leak suggests fitness wearable could be imminent
We love it when a leak and a rumor come together. LG's Lifeband Touch (as claimed by @evleaks), pictured above, is most likely the wearable that was hinted at just last week. The fitness band is likely an evolution of that which we saw back at CES, and at a guess, we might see again in the next week or so (unless we're made to wait until MWC). The name -- and image -- suggest a touchscreen component making this a swipe-friendly FuelBand competitor. Whether it'll be an LG G2 companion (as rumored) or a standalone device is yet to be known (we're hoping maybe a bit of both). Unless LG has had a change of heart, it's also likely to include an altimeter, some mobile notification features and play nice with the firm's Smart TV fitness/dance apps. What certainly is clear, however, is that there's going to be even more competition for your wrist in 2014.
How the iPhone 5s measures up as a fitness tracker
For the past month, I've been conducting an experiment to see how the iPhone 5s with its M7 motion coprocessor functions as a fitness tracker. I've been in the enviable position of being able to compare the 5s to two of the latest-generation hardware fitness trackers -- a Jawbone Up24 and a Fitbit Force. For a month, I used the iPhone 5s along with these fitness trackers when I was exercising, going about my daily routine and sleeping. As a secondary test, I've also removed all the fitness trackers from my wrist to see how the iPhone would perform alone as my sole fitness tracker. Walking, Running and Other Exercises I have to admit that going into the experiment I expected the iPhone 5s to be sub-par when it came to motion tracking. How could this phone, which is designed to do so many things, be able to compete with a device dedicated to tracking your movement? I'm happy to say that I was pleasantly surprised at how accurately the iPhone tracked my motion. Whether I was walking, running or hiking, the iPhone 5s in an arm band or in my pocket was on par with the Jawbone Up24 and the Fitbit Force. Step counts and calculated mileage on the iPhone 5s were surprisingly close to the fitness trackers. You can see how well the iPhone 5s performed in the tables below. These values are the averages taken from a month of logged exercise sessions. On average, I walk four to five days a week at a treadmill desk and run three to four days a week on a treadmill. When assessing these devices, I have to admit that I'm not a mileage junkie that needs my fitness tracker to be accurate down to a tenth of a mile. I was not upset if my trackers measured 2.8 miles when I actually ran 3.0 miles. I prefer ballpark figures so I can get a general overview of my activity level, I don't need my mileage to be exact. Across the board, all two trackers and the iPhone 5s were great for these ballpark figures, not so great it you wanted accurate measurements. If you want reliable and accurate measurements, especially when you are running outside, you should use a GPS solution like Runkeeper or manually enter in your activities into your fitness app of choice. Daily Routine Whether it's doing yard work, sweeping the floors or getting the laundry in the basement, you'd be surprised at how much activity you perform during your daily routine. Because the fitness trackers are always strapped to your wrist, they do an excellent job of capturing the motion that contributes to your activity level, but is not dedicated exercise. It's in this area that the iPhone 5s is lacking. Even though it will track this "around the house" motion, you have to remember to strap on your iPhone all the time. Though I remember to place my iPhone in an arm band when I run, I don't always remember to drop it in my pocket when I go downstairs to grab a load of laundry from the dryer. The same applies to housework or yard work -- when I am mopping the floors or raking the leaves, my iPhone is often at my desk sitting idly (and thinking that I am idle, too) while I work. Because I wasn't wearing my iPhone 24/7, my daily step counts on the 5s were significantly less than those recorded by the Jawbone or the Fitbit. These values are the average daily miles and step counts from a month of wearing a Fitbit Force and a Jawbone UP on my wrists 24/7 and using my iPhone 5s for exercise session and as usual when I was not running or walking. If you want to capture all the activity you do throughout the day, you either have to cough up the cash for a fitness tracker or find a way to attach your iPhone to your waist or your arm for most of your waking hours. Sleep Tracking One thing fitness trackers add to the mix is sleep monitoring. These little devices on your wrist track your movement while you sleep and give you an overview of the quality of your sleep. You can achieve the same level of tracking on the iPhone 5s using an app like MotionX 24/7. MotionX tracks your movement and records your snoring so you can listen to sleep sounds and possibly pick up on the signs of sleep apnea. Though the Jawbone and Fitbit data was easier to interpret, I preferred the MotionX for its recording feature and its sensitivity, which pick up the slightest disturbances to your sleep. I don't talk or snore in my sleep, but my two-year-old sneaks into our bed every night. MotionX picks up his arrival, allowing me some insight into his sleep patterns as well. The biggest drawback to using the iPhone 5s for sleep is that you have to use a separate app. MotionX does track your walking, but it's not nearly as polished as an app like Runkeeper. Unlike the Fitbit app or the Up app that serves as a repository for everything fitness-related, you may find yourself using multiple apps to accomplish the same thing on the iPhone 5s. [Many users swear by the $1.99 Sleep Cycle alarm clock app. –Ed.] Using the iPhone 5s alone Though the iPhone 5s holds its own as a fitness tracker from a step counting point of view, I find that it misses the mark in the motivation department. When you have a fitness tracker slapped on your wrist, you are constantly reminded of your need to move. Just a glance at the Fitbit Force, and I am tapping on the button to check my step count for the day. If I see that I am below my goal, then I will take the time to hop on the treadmill for a quick run. This experience does not carry over well to the iPhone 5s. When I look at my iPhone, I don't think "What's my step count?," I think "Gotta check my email." Even with excellent apps like Moves and Nike Move+, I still find that the fitness tracking gets lost among all the other things that I do on my phone. I respond to a few emails, check my calendar, send out a tweet, read a few posts on Facebook and then stick my phone back in my pocket. Step count, what's that? In the two weeks that I've used only my iPhone 5s as a tracker, I've noticed that my activity level has gone down and my overall interest in tracking my steps is waning. Though the iPhone can keep pace with the Up24 and Force, I'm going back to my Fitbit as I prefer the "no effort" tracking offered by a device that always stays on your wrist. I can't wait to put on the Fitbit Force and get back on the exercising bandwagon. Conclusion If you are like me and need some extra motivation or want to track all your activity, then grab a fitness tracker like the Fitbit Force (which we reviewed) or the UP24, or the many other entries in this up and coming category of wearable devices. You won't be disappointed by their all-in-one approach to tracking your activity, sleep and food. If you are disciplined enough to keep your iPhone with you or are already accustomed to tracking your exercise using your iPhone, then the iPhone 5s with its M7 motion coprocessor is a wonderful replacement for a fitness tracker. You stand to lose some of the non-exercise movement like housework, but when exercising, step counts and mileage are as accurate as a dedicated fitness tracker. Using the iPhone 5s is a no-brainer if you already use an app like Runkeeper. The latest version of Runkeeper allows you to track your activities via GPS and will pull in the M7 data when you are walking. Walk briskly enough while shopping in the mall and you will get some extra mileage in the app. The combination of GPS when you need it and the M7 when you don't is wonderful. It's also easy on the battery. Through all my testing of the M7, I never noticed any difference in battery consumption on the 5s.
Daily iPhone App: Argus fitness app uses the M7 to track your steps
The iPhone 5s and its M7 motion coprocessor are opening the doors to a new wave of fitness apps that take advantage of the low-power motion processing available with the motion chip. One of the first apps to use the data from the M7 is the Argus - Motion and Fitness Tracker from Azumio. The big draw of Argus for many people will be the step tracking, which is pulled from the M7 on the iPhone 5s and from GPS with older devices. I've tested the Argus step data on the iPhone 5s, and it compares favorably with the data from the Fitbit Flex -- with one caveat. For the step tracking on the iPhone to be accurate, you have to always have your phone on your person, which can be a big problem for some folks. Besides steps, Argus also tracks your weight, workouts, water consumption, coffee consumption, sleep and more. If there is a parameter that is now shown, you can search for it and add it to your profile. I do a lot of kayaking, so it was very convenient to find that rowing was included in the database, even if it wasn't on the main screen. The app is designed to automate your data collection by tying into your Withings scale and other apps that monitor your sleep, heart rate and so on. You can also enter in your data manually, As you enter data, you can view all your stats at once in a timeline view that has a honeycomb layout. There is also a "Trends" option in the settings that allow you to view any two items that you track. You can compare your steps with your weight or your cups of coffee with your sleep duration, for example. You can also view the history of an individual item by tapping on it in the Timeline view. Argus manages to pack a lot of information into the app, but you have to get accustomed to the UI before you can take advantage of the data that is being stored. I am used to the Jawbone Up and the Fitbit Flex and prefer those apps to Argus. If you've never used a fitness tracker, though, you may be able to jump right into Argus without a second thought. Regardless, it's worth a look for iPhone 5s owners who want to use the M7 to track their steps and overall fitness. Argus is available from the iOS App store for free.
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.
Using IFTTT with the Jawbone UP
The Jawbone UP fitness tracker is a lot more useful now that Jawbone has opened the API to third-party developers. One of the most exciting companies tapping into the UP platform is online automation tool, IFTTT. In the article below, I will talk a little bit about connecting your UP to IFTTT and then list some of my favorite recipes. IFTTT is an automation tool that allows you to setup tasks that happen at a certain time or in response to a certain event. It uses a trigger event ("If this happens") to initiate an action ("then do that"). Within the IFTTT framework, you create what are called recipes to select the trigger event and its resulting action. For example, you can create a recipe that uses a date/time trigger to send you an email at the same time each day. IFTTT is extremely useful because it ties into services, called channels, like Dropbox, Google Calendar and, of course, the topic of this post, the Jawbone UP. With IFTTT and an UP, you can do a myriad things like update your UP mood to exhausted when you get less than 6 hours of sleep, automatically add your morning coffee to your UP food list and log the daily weather. Configuring the UP within IFTTT is extremely easy. Just login to the IFTTT dashboard and click on the UP channel to activate your Jawbone account. You have to login to your Jawbone account and authorize Jawbone to share info with IFTTT. You can share your moods, moves, meals, events, sleep info, weight and more between IFTTT and UP. It's a bi-directional connection so you can pull down info from UP and send new information back to the fitness tracker. As you can imagine, there are a lot of ways to interact with the Jawbone fitness tracker using IFTTT. Below are some of my favorite IFTTT recipes for the UP. See the big picture of how you sleep. Track your Zzz's with a spreadsheet! If I get more than X hours of sleep, set my mood to 'energized' in my Jawbone UP feed Share Foursquare gym check-ins to your Jawbone UP feed Log my UP meals and their nutritional content into a Google spreadsheet Send your spouse a friendly email when you get below 7 hours of sleep Tweet when I walk more than 10,000 steps Remind me if I don't work out for 3 days If I get less than 5 hours of sleep, put on a pot o' coffee with WeMo #sunshine brings better #mood Tag an Instagram photo with #UP to share it with your team There are now 110 recipes on IFTTT for the UP and this number is climbing. If you have an UP, let us know in the comments if you use it with IFTTT.
CES: BodyMedia introduces a new Core 2 fitness tracker, with some other interesting ideas
BodyMedia has become a regular stop on our annual CES tour -- the company introduced its first Bluetooth-enabled, smartphone-connected fitness tracker a few years ago -- and since then, they told us this year here in Las Vegas, the smartphone versions of the tracker are outselling more traditional versions "by far." As a result, the company's latest tracker, called the Core 2, is of course designed to sync up almost completely through your iPhone. The device is smaller than ever -- over 40 percent smaller than the current model, and so small, says the company rep, that "the main element is really the strap." The Core 2 isn't only thin, but it also ditches the micro USB port, which means the unit is now essentially waterproof. It comes with a separate Bluetooth dongle (to be used in a computer, in case the user doesn't have a Bluetooth-enabled phone), and can be synced up and charged by being placed in that dongle. Just like all of the other BodyMedia trackers, the Core 2 keeps track of a number of different fitness statistics, including steps taken, calories burned and the duration and potency of whatever activity you undertake. The company has always used a web app called the Activity Monitor to track users' input, but as smartphones became more and more prevalent, the free iOS app has been updated to track more features and even sync live with the device directly. The Core 2 isn't yet priced, but it should be "comparable" to the company's current US$149 offering, according to the rep, when it's finally released in August of this year. By the end of the year, BodyMedia also wants to add in one of the most requested features of its devices, and set it up to also record a user's heart rate. There will need to be an extra accessory for that, as it's not possible to pick up a heart rate with just an upper armband. But the Core 2 has that functionality ready to go, and when the other accessory is ready, the Core 2 should already be compatible with it. The company's also planning to update the app for Android. And before I left the booth here at CES, BodyMedia showed me one other idea they're working on: A disposable version of the fitness tracker, basically a stick-on bandage with a chip stitched inside of it. The stick-on strip is designed to be worn 24 hours a day (including through showers and in the pool) for seven days, at which point users can cut open the bandage, plug the chip into a PC via USB, and then transfer all of the stats off of it. There's no price or release date yet planned for the disposable version, and it's basically not much more than a prototype at this point. But it is a very interesting take on the growing fitness tracker market, and it could convince a lot of people who don't want to deal with pulling a tracker on and off all the time to take the plunge. BodyMedia's plenty busy these days, and these products should move the company forward even more when they hit later on this year. We'll keep an eye out for the Core 2 when it finally reaches store shelves in August.
Fitbit introduces Flex wristband at CES 2013
Fitbit is one of the oldest names in fitness tracking these days, though given how new the industry actually is, the company's not really that old at all. But they have been around for a few years now, and this year at CES, the company introduced one more addition to its line of motion-based trackers. The Fitbit Flex is a wristband-style tracker (similar to the popular Nike FuelBand) that's designed to sit up near the higher end of the Fitbit line. At US$99.95, it's not very cheap, but Fitbit obviously wants this to be one of their most popular of trackers, making it easy to strap to your wrist, and from there track all sorts of stats, including steps taken, calories burned, time active, and even sleep time and quality. The Flex comes in five different colors, and each one has five different LED lights that are designed to let you know how close you are to your goal for the day, whatever that is. The device looks very smooth, and while the $99.95 price might be a tougher sell for those not yet on board the fitness tracker train, it definitely gives Fitbit one more excellent option in a market that's quickly filling up. Our good friends over at Engadget have more on the device, including a full gallery and a video with hands-on footage. The Flex is coming later on this spring, though you can pre-order it from Fitbit starting right now.
Larklife fitness band jogs into retail stores, nags you about exercise and sleep patterns
Sure, your iPhone already keeps track of your work schedules, lunch meetings and Lego creations -- isn't it about time you let it tell you when to go to bed, too? It can, if you're so inclined -- at least when paired with a Larklife fitness band. This wearable pedometer peripheral tracks your activity, sleep patterns and diet with a companion app, nagging you with suggestions on how to eat, sleep and exercise. It'll even gently buzz you awake with a vibrating alarm, should you try to shirk its suggestions. The $149 Bluetooth band promises to sync with your device in real time, removing the burden of syncing and updating exercise data. It's also an iOS exclusive, and is fittingly available at Apple retail locations. Determined to do your holiday shopping from your armchair? No worries -- Lark's own website is offering free shipping through December 25th. Read on to scope out the company's official press release.
Larklife fitness tracker syncs your data over Bluetooth, knows when you're running instead of walking
In case you haven't noticed, fitness gadgets are having something of a moment right now. The past year alone has seen the launch of Nike's FuelBand, the ill-fated Jawbone Up and a refreshed line of Fitbit trackers. Now another product is arriving that promises to do basically the same thing -- namely, track your activity, sleep patterns and food intake using a wearable gadget and mobile app. That thing you see up there is called Larklife and for now, at least, it works exclusively with iOS devices. It's a splash-resistant (but not waterproof) band that has a pedometer inside, counting your steps throughout the day. It can also tell how long you sleep each night, as well as how long it takes you to nod off. There's even a vibrating alarm built into the band -- something we first saw on the Up earlier this year. (As it happens, Lark's earlier products were sleep aids, so the inclusion of this feature actually makes a lot of sense.) As for monitoring your dietary habits, Larklife doesn't automatically track your food intake, but the app does include a food diary where you can manually enter your meals. Additionally, Larklife uses Bluetooth Smart to automatically sync with your iPhone so that you don't have to plug the band into a PC just to update your fitness stats. (The new Fitbit trackers work this way this too.) Additionally, the band uses a proprietary technology that can discern when you're running or walking, which means the app will log workouts even if you forget to enter them. The last intriguing bit is that the app dishes out smart, contextually aware advice. Didn't get much sleep last night? Larklife will remind you to eat more protein than usual at breakfast, so that you have enough energy to get you through the day. The app also rewards good behavior in the form of iOS notifications and colorful on-screen badges, though competing products admittedly take a very similar approach when it comes to keeping users motivated. Larklife is up for pre-order starting today, and is priced at $150 -- a rather large premium over the new Fitbit One, which will sell for $100. As for precise availability, all we know is that retailers will start stocking Larklife "before the holidays." Whether that means Halloween, Thanksgiving or some gift-giving celebration will be revealed some other day.
Fitbit announces two new fitness trackers: the Fitbit One with a vibrating alarm, and the $60 Fitbit Zip
It was about a year ago this time that Fitbit released a new fitness tracker, the Fitbit Ultra, so now would seem like as good a time as any for a refresh. Indeed, the company just announced the Fitbit One, which will replace the Ultra, and which adds a "silent" vibrating alarm to wake you up in the morning. (Hmm, where have we seen that before?) Though the alarm is clearly the marquee feature here, the One also steps up to Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity, allowing the data to sync to your phone automatically. Additionally, it sports a slimmer, flatter design (read: it looks less like a clothespin). The tracker is also splash-resistant, though not water-proof, so don't even think of taking it in the pool with you. Other than that, it does the same thing as the last-gen model: it counts steps, flights climbed, calories burned and tracks your total mileage. And, of course, the device syncs with a personalized website, where you can log your meals and view all your stats in easy-to-read graphs. The Fitbit One will arrive in mid-October for $100. If that's too pricey for you, the company also introduced the Fitbit Zip, a dumbed-down tracker that's available now for $60. Though it's every bit as water-resistant as the One, it offers just basic functionality (i.e., tracking steps taken, distance traveled and calories burned). Meaning, if the silent alarm or even the altimeter is of interest, you'll want to shell out for the pricier Fitbit One. Oh, and one other big distinction: the Zip has a replaceable battery, rated for up to six months of use. As we said, the One won't be around until later in the fall, but for now we've got a few publicity photos for your perusal.
