Activity Trackers

ACTIVITY TRACKERS

Thursday, May 23, 13









Nike Fuelband - pros• Robust. I’ve been wearing mine pretty much 24/7 for 10 months and it

just works.

• USB contact built right in, no need for extra accessories to charge or sync

• Syncs through USB or Bluetooth (iPhone only though)

• Fuel is a relative score, so you can compare with friends regardless of how athletic you are

• Doubles as a watch

• Social, you can compare and compete with your friends

• You can set your own goal

• Easy to change time zone (when you’re travelling): the Fuelband is set to the computer’s time zone every time you sync


Nike Fuelband - cons• The wrist is not the best place for an activity monitor.

• You can’t export your data,

• Expensive for what you get, compared to other similar devices (Fitbit, Basis, Jawbone UP)

• You can only set a goal in “Fuel Points”, which is hard to translate to any real activity

• No API

• No vibration. This is a huge miss on Nike’s behalf. Having vibration (alarms, reminders) would have made up for a lot of the other cons.

• Annoying sync on desktop – doesn’t sync in the background and launches Nike’s website when it ends


Fitbit - pros• Syncs with your computer through USB

• syncs over Bluetooth to iPhone and Android devices

• Logs steps, distance walked and stairs climbed

• You can set your own goals – on a weekly basis (imho better than daily) based on steps, distance, stairs or weight

• Integrates with Withings wifi body scale

• Has an API so that third parties can develop services, like integration with Microsoft’s Health Vault or visualizations on notch.me

• Tracks your sleep

• Social, you can compare and compete with your friends

• Invisible if you want it to be

• Vibration alarms


http://withings.com/en/bodyscale

http://withings.com/en/bodyscale

http://www.fitbit.com/apps




Fitbit - cons • Requires a separate, proprietary USB device to charge it

• Requires a proprietary USB device, separate from the charger, to sync through USB

• Small and slick – also slippery, especially in dress pants (I lost my One in a cab once after a wedding). Easy to forget in pants when washing them.

• Charges you extra to export your data (you need their Premium service, $49 per year)

• Hassle to track sleep - need the soft wristband

• Confusing process when switching time zones (you have to pair your device again)


Basis - pros • Logs more things than any other of the activity monitors:

• Heart rate

• Perspiration

• Steps

• Skin temperature

• Sleep

• Calories

• Very simple interface, showing only time, date, steps, heart rate and calories – the rest is viewed in the web service after sync

• Very simple to use, no need to push buttons to log sleep for example

• Looks like a pretty low tech watch, so non-geeks needn’t fear it

• Promised an open API so that third parties can build new services for the users

• Syncs with your computer through USB and in the future with your iPhone/Android device over Bluetooth (apps are not out yet though)

• Helps you set new habits, using tricks from games (RPGs) and CBT.

• You can set your own goals in ways you can’t with the other devices, for example “morning walks” or “be active at least two hours every day”


Basis - cons• Needs the proprietary charger/sync cable to charge and sync

through USB

• Must be charged frequently and more often than the other devices (every third-fourth day for me, depending on usage)

• Takes a while to charge (but it can be charged and used if you’re not moving around)

• No vibrations for alerts/reminders/discrete wake up calls

• Bad at logging heart rate

• Placement isn’t optimal

• No use for several sensors yet


Bodymedia - pros• very accurate in terms of steps and calories (heat flux, galvanic skin

response, skin temperature)

• tracks sleep

• tracks everything seamlessly, just power up and go

• syncs via USB to you computer, or through Bluetooth to Android or iPhone

• Open API

• charges through mini USB

• good battery time

• discreet (if you wear baggy clothes)

• recently bought by Jawbone


Bodymedia - cons• Requires subscription to work - expensive in the long run

(~80 USD/year)

• few apps (but integrated with Withings)

• awkward to wear if sleeping with someone

• awkward to wear after workout (wet band)

• awkward to wear if travelling (security)

• awkward if you wear slim fit clothes

• US and Canada only (incl. app store)

• App requires iTunes password each time


Jawbone UP - pros• Great battery time (10 days per charge)

• Tracks steps, activity and sleep

• Timer, nap and reminders

• Vibration

• Sleep phase wake-up

• Simple and intuitive food logging (barcode scanner!)

• Social, can share with friends (can keep certain aspects private too)

• Open API, two-ways (IFTTT integration!)

• withings (in)

• sleepio (out)

• Analyzes data and gives tips and encouragement

• Syncs with both Android and iPhone


Jawbone UP - cons

• Proprietary accessory for charging

• Timeline gets messy when you have 10+ friends

• The button has sharp edges (not cuddle friendly)

• Easy to lose the ‘cap’ on the wrist band

• Placement not optimal for tracking steps

• Other colors than black become dirty

• No display

• Food database sometimes wacky (and support confused)


A look at step accuracy



Heart rate monitoring









Calorie measurement



?Thursday, May 23, 13

Read more about all these trackers and more quantified self at

www.digitalmcgyver.com


http://www.digitalmcgyver.com




Technology

Activity Trackers