If this proves true, it’s interesting that google has switched from the high to the low end of the wearables market. It also casts a looming shadow over whether Jawbone wearables will ultimately be limited to a single mobile platform (Android). Trackers are useful because they interface with many different devices and platforms although their limited functionality (compared to something like the iWatch of Google Glass) has pigeon-holed them to some degree. Maybe Google has learned something from it’s Glass experiment. Then again, maybe the company just wants to get its hands on your exercise data (or lack their of) which out to raise serious privacy concerns.
Watches, wearables and privacy
“Having more information about yourself also means that other people could potentially have a lot more information about you, too,” says Jeremy Gillula, staff technologist with the Electronic Frontier Foundation (better known as privacy rights watchdog EFF). “And you may not have control over how that information gets used.”
Apple’s Watch was not a big surprise. The wearables market has exploded in recent years and of course a company that prides itself on being a technology innovator and leader will want to get in on the act even if they didn’t “invent” the concept. I mean, let’s face it, Apple didn’t invent the smartphone let alone the cell phone but their iPhone still managed to capture and continues to hold on to a large segment of the market. The wearables market offers similar potential.
Similar but not identical.
The biggest difference is whether the data is medical or not. If it is medical, then the companies collecting it must comply with HIPAA and other laws and rules designed to protect the privacy of individual information. If it isn’t…then the responsibility for protecting the data largely lies with the individual rather than with the organization collecting the data.
This may not sound like a big deal when we’re talking about step counts or how far you biked on a given ride. But what if we’re talking about how much and what you’re eating, whether you have been around cigarettes or information about the medications you take (or don’t take)? Do you really want the world to know that much about you? As much as I love my Fitbit…I don’t. It’s nobody’s business but mine and maybe my doctor’s.
Don’t believe that level of personal information is what’s at stake? Consider this excellent article by Al Sacco for CIO.
I’m not saying fitness trackers are bad. I can’t say they are all good anymore either. Before you buy that Watch or the next generation fitness tracker or that blood pressure cuff that communications with your phone you might want to take a few minutes to think about what you are giving away and whether it’s worth it. It may be. Then again, it may not. Only you can say and you need to speak up, both by providing feedback and with you buying choices, before the decisions are made for you.
Think the sun loves you? Take a closer look!
I confess, I love the sun. And I’m not a big fan of sunblock, mostly because I don’t like what it does to my skin. After watching this video, however, I may need to rethink those positions. How about you?
FItbit’s Fresh Coat of Paint & Dashboard Update
Seems like a lot has been happening at Fitbit.
One of the most noticeable (ok, after the the recall) is the refresh of the Dashboard. Make no mistake. This isn’t just a color swap. There’s some significant new functionality added, too,
The most obvious addition is the This Week’s Activity tile which offers members a detailed look at their progress from the week. The tile has to be added to your Dashboard manually but once it’s there it gives you timely information at a glance…provided you’re setting weekly goals. If you’re not…well, it does have to manually pinned so Fitbit isn’t forcing it down users throats. Yet, anyway.
Digging a little deeper and you’ll find even more Activity details in the expanded view. This really isn’t new information, but it does seem to be better organized and easier to understand.
Overall, the refresh looks great and the added functionality is…there. If you want it. On the one hand, it isn’t likely to annoy long-time users like updates to some web sites are prone to do. On the other hand, it isn’t going to wow anyone either. At least nothing appears to have been broken which is a huge deal in itself.
Find out more at: http://blog.fitbit.com/fitbit-dashboard-updated-with-weekly-activity-and-more/
Automatic Vision-Correcting Displays Could Let You Ditch The Reading Glasses
Fascinating Stuff! As someone who wears contacts/glasses this appeals to me greatly, especially since I am almost at that point where one pair of glasses isn’t going to cut it for me much longer. Something that would allow me to continue to wear my contacts for far vision but still let me read my phone screen while driving, biking or even walking would be a huge plus to my lifestyle, especially because it looks like I wouldn’t have to be constantly fiddling with the display to get the resolution I need.
No Games, Just Transportation
Until I began biking to work, I didn’t really understand this scene.
Now I understand why the Nike representatives were so blown away. Aside from the fact that Mel Gibson’s voice is perfect, the truths he is offering are amazing. They also aren’t things women discuss. At least, not the women I know.
I ride for a purpose: transportation. That’s different than riding for sport or to lose weight. I have to get from point A to B and back. I do care how I look when I get to point B, but I’m willing to carry a change of clothes. I’m still struggling with the make-up thing. I can’t go without but I’ve steadily decreased how much I wear. Still, I hate looking in the mirror at the office. I never look as good as I would like. I pick my clothes for work because I can ride in them or because the fold up well, don’t wrinkle and will fit over my shorts (I really should invest in cycling shorts. I have a drawer full of shoes in my desk, which makes weekends interesting.
I wouldn’t change a thing.
Those 30 minutes each way are the only part of my day when I just am. I don’t overthink. My imagination stays in check. My goals are simple and achievable: Make it to the next driveway before down shifting, make it up this hill, don’t hit that pothole, don’t get hit by that car. It’s refreshing not to think beyond the moment.
Until I began riding to work, I didn’t understand this scene.
Until I began riding to work, I didn’t understand myself. That journey has only just begun.
7 Reasons Yoga Girls Are The Most Terrifying People At The Gym
This is why I will never do yoga….
Fitbit loses contact magnetism
I love my Fitbit Flex. Lately, however, I’ve been noticing it isn’t charging the way it used to. Needless to say, I panicked.
My Fitbit has been my almost constant companion for the last 3+ months. I wear it everywhere, unless it’s charging. I’ve ordered bands in several colors so it looks more like a fashion accessory than a fitness tracker (ok, that doesn’t exactly work but at least it’s not always this rubbery black thing on my wrist). I even discovered I don’t have to take it off to go through the Security checkpoint at the airport (the fact that I was apparently radioactive is a story for another time and blog). So it crossed my mind that maybe I was just using it too much.
I know, I know, it’s less than four months old and should not be wearing out yet no matter how much I do. And while biking more than 6 miles and walking an average of 12,000 steps a day might sound like a lot, I know folks who do that much in the morning. So I refuse to believe I could have possibly “worn it out”.
Fortunately, I work with one (actually more than one) of those fitness overachievers. Thinking I would verify whether the problem, whatever it was, lay with the Fitbit unit or the charging cord (I do have a tendency to be hard on cords since I carry them everywhere and usually not in their proper cases), I asked to borrow a charging cord.
“I have to use a clip with mine,” my co-worker said casual as he handed over the cord.
“A clip?”
I was puzzled. Normally, I just plugged my cord into my laptop or the wall adapter. What on earth did he clip his to and why?
“Yeah,” he replied. “There’s a magnet inside and if the Fitbit loses contact with it, it won’t charge. Mine’s loose so I put a clip on it to hold it together.”
Wow. Talk about a lightbulb moment.
I went back to my desk and dug a bulldog clip out of a drawer. It took a little bit of experimentation to figure out how to apply the clip so my Fitbit would charge. Eventually I figured out that I didn’t need to hold the tracking device in the charger as much as I needed to keep the magnet inside the charger in contact with the device.
As you can see, it’s charging just fine now.
Clipping your charger may not be a pretty solution, but it works. Best of all, you don’t need to buy another charging cord or another Fitbit. Not yet, anyway. 😉
The Fulltime Travel Weight Loss Miracle
Now this is a diet I could stick to! Just wish I could afford to go on it.
Call it the Tapas and Wine Diet. Or maybe it’s the Stewed Chicken, Rice and Beer Diet. Whatever you call it, whenever we’ve put on backpacks to travel, we always lose weight.
Spain, the legendary land of salted pork, dark red wine, and deep fried tapas was no exception. After a month of traveling around Spain, Shannon and I both lost a noticeable amount of weight – somewhere between five and ten pounds each. We did it without trying. We did it without necessarily needing to. It’s just something that happens with this lifestyle. Maybe we should just call it a side benefit of living well.
In a previous post we discussed why fulltime travel is cheaper than staying at home. Now we’re going to explain why it’s better for your waistline too.
View original post 942 more words
Apple Introduces Healthkit For Tracking Health And Fitness Data
Looks like a new tracker is coming to town. It’s about time Apple launched a fitness tracking app of their own. Without additional details, however, it’s hard to get too excited about the Health app.
Here’s why I’m taking a wait and see approach to Apple’s Healthkit:
- The M7 chip isn’t as accurate as my Fitbit Flex at least for walking (it may be more accurate for biking if I am carrying my phone in a lower pocket on my leg, I’ll have to test that).
- I don’t have my phone “on me” as much as I think I do. This rather surprised me, but it’s true: there are actually times when I am not carrying my phone.
- It’s probably not going to be available for my iPhone 4 which is the phone I carry when walking or biking because, let’s face it, I’m not going to be as upset if it gets broken or damaged as I would be if it was my iPhone 5s.
- No data on cost or impact on battery life. Since I’ve already, arguably, shelled out a few hundred for the device (my iPhone) I really hope this app is free. Even if it is, however, there’s the question of what kind of hit my battery will take to have it running even in the background all the time. My battery life already sucks, I don’t need to make it worse.
- I already have apps which do the same things and potentially more. Further, I’m more comfortable with the security afforded by the SimplyWell mobile website than I am with Apple’s.
- I’m not sure I want Apple to know me and the details of my health to the level of detail this app seems to go to, particularly with all the other data Apple already collects about me. Collecting my personal biometrics on a constant or at least very frequent basis is where I draw the line.
So don’t sign me up to be an early adopter on this one. I need more information before I jump into the fitness pool with Apple though we will probably end up swimming together sooner rather than later.
Wellness Wizardy 