Fitness Bands and Smart Watches

[Fallen]

Anyone one the PC have a smart watch and/or a fitness band? If so, what brand? What do you think of it? Do you use it regularly? If so, what metrics do you track? Are you looking to upgrade or waiting for one with the right features?

Lots of questions, I know. I'm trying to see where the PC lies on wearable tech in general.

[Gelston]

Anyone one the PC have a smart watch and/or a fitness band? If so, what brand? What do you think of it? Do you use it regularly? If so, what metrics do you track? Are you looking to upgrade or waiting for one with the right features?

Lots of questions, I know. I'm trying to see where the PC lies on wearable tech in general.

No. We are all fat mountain dew drinking, cheetos eating guys that live in basements.

[Androidpk]

The only metric I track is FPS.

[Fallen]

Guys, you know i'm sensitive and shit. Be nice!

[Wrathbringer]

The only metric I track is PC posts/sec.

I figured.

[Allereli]

I'm strongly considering a Fitbit Charge. some friends have them and I like that they're watches and sync w/ phone to show caller id

[Fallen]

I'm strongly considering a Fitbit Charge. some friends have them and I like that they're watches and sync w/ phone to show caller id

I have the Charge HR and am enjoying it so far. It's only $20 bucks more for the heart rate feature and I find it fairly accurate.

[Gizmo]

I personally like the Jawbone UP3

It has some nice features I look for in any fitband, and is a reliable product.

[Fallen]

I personally like the Jawbone UP3

It has some nice features I look for in any fitband, and is a reliable product.

That was another one I was considering. Looks very comparable to the Charge HR. How long does it last for you per full charge?

[Gizmo]

That was another one I was considering. Looks very comparable to the Charge HR. How long does it last for you per full charge?

I'd say about 7 days I think per full charge?

It's a rather limited battery life compared to others but that's also due in part to the new sensors, sleep monitoring etc it has compared to the other jawbones and stuff

[Fallen]

I'd say about 7 days I think per full charge?

It's a rather limited battery life compared to others but that's also due in part to the new sensors, sleep monitoring etc it has compared to the other jawbones and stuff

7 days is not bad at all. I think the lack of a display is what gives it the edge over the Charge HR in terms of battery life. It only gets 5, and that assumes you're not playing with it all the time.

For anyone that's curious: https://jawbone.com/store/buy/up3




I prefer having a screen on the device, but I imagine most will have their smartphone nearby anyway. It claims to be the most advanced fitness band out there now. From the sound of it, it's pretty damned nice.

[Ker_Thwap]

I'd say about 7 days I think per full charge?

It's a rather limited battery life compared to others but that's also due in part to the new sensors, sleep monitoring etc it has compared to the other jawbones and stuff

7 days would coincide nicely with exactly how long it would take me to hide it in the junk drawer.

[Parkbandit]

I had a Fitbit Charge for about 2 weeks to try it out. It was wildly inaccurate, so I sent it back... like it would say I walked for a couple of miles when I was sitting in my office doing paperwork. The clincher was the day I was out doing inspections of a 3 story apartment complex.. at the end of the day, it said I walked up 10 steps... when in reality I walked up dozens of flights of stairs.

[Fallen]

I had a Fitbit Charge for about 2 weeks to try it out. It was wildly inaccurate, so I sent it back... like it would say I walked for a couple of miles when I was sitting in my office doing paperwork. The clincher was the day I was out doing inspections of a 3 story apartment complex.. at the end of the day, it said I walked up 10 steps... when in reality I walked up dozens of flights of stairs.

Ouch. I wonder why they're so inaccurate for some but work for others. It has nothing to do with signal strength. Stride length, maybe? Movement patterns? Mine is pretty accurate. I used my phone for a pedometer and heart monitor and the two were very close together.

[Buckwheet]

Fitbit Charge, and it doesn't seem terribly inaccurate for me.

[Fallen]

I personally like the Jawbone UP3

It has some nice features I look for in any fitband, and is a reliable product.

Just to clarify, do you have one? I didn't think it was out yet.

[Gizmo]

Just to clarify, do you have one? I didn't think it was out yet.

It's not out to the public yet, should be out in a few months.

I have one myself to product test early though since I am also in the industry

[Fallen]

It's not out to the public yet, should be out in a few months.

I have one myself to product test early though since I am also in the industry

That's awesome. Congrats.

[nindon]

I use a Fitbit One. It's not wrist worn. I keep it in my pocket. Most of the current smart watches and wrist-worn activity trackers would not look very good at work, where nobody even knows I have a Fitbit in my pocket.

The limited usefulness of the current crop of wrist worn smart watches isn't worth the annoyance of having something strapped on my wrist. I'll start wearing a watch again when someone devises an interface that will let a watch do everything my phone can do. I think glasses are more likely the wave of the future than watches. Right now, I just need a pedometer with bluetooth syncing.

Withings makes a device similar to the Fitbit One. It's newer and slightly fancier, except that Fitbit is currently capable of sharing data with more online services than Withings. Many health insurance companies offer rewards to their customers based on activity levels. It's very big brotherish, but it makes sense that insurers would do that. A Fitbit device is more likely to be compatible with online services than other brands.

Finally, a tracker worn on or near the waist will more accurately track steps than a device worn on the wrist.

[Soulance]

I keep hearing a lot of good things about Garmin's. Anyone using one of those? I was just about to buy one, they have them on sale at amazon.com and Groupon for $90.

[Fallen]

I keep hearing a lot of good things about Garmin's. Anyone using one of those? I was just about to buy one, they have them on sale at amazon.com and Groupon for $90.

My co-worker uses one of the super expensive Garmin running watches. She loves it. Haven't heard anything about their cheaper offerings, though.

[Johnny Five]

I use the Polar FT4. Very reasonable price, I use it for all my road bike rides.

[Soulance]

My co-worker uses one of the super expensive Garmin running watches. She loves it. Haven't heard anything about their cheaper offerings, though.
I have an older Garmin Forerunner and it's awesome. Very accurate but kinda large on the wrist. I guess the heart monitor band for it is the same as the Vivo ones which is cool. Now if I could only get rid of this crappy nerve damage in my back so I can start working out again.

[Latrinsorm]

I had a Fitbit Charge for about 2 weeks to try it out. It was wildly inaccurate, so I sent it back... like it would say I walked for a couple of miles when I was sitting in my office doing paperwork. The clincher was the day I was out doing inspections of a 3 story apartment complex.. at the end of the day, it said I walked up 10 steps... when in reality I walked up dozens of flights of stairs.
Ouch. I wonder why they're so inaccurate for some but work for others. It has nothing to do with signal strength. Stride length, maybe? Movement patterns? Mine is pretty accurate. I used my phone for a pedometer and heart monitor and the two were very close together.Just the latest evidence that reality has a liberal bias.

[Allereli]

My boss's fitbit was diseased and installed all sorts of crap/malware onto his computer when it was plugged into the USB. He didn't have it for long before it was compromised. Heads up to anyone who has one.

[Tgo01]

My boss's fitbit was diseased and installed all sorts of crap/malware onto his computer when it was plugged into the USB. He didn't have it for long before it was compromised. Heads up to anyone who has one.

How the heck was his Fitbit infected?

I have a Fitbit one and I just don't see how it can get any sort of viruses on it, unless it somehow got infected from the PC itself.

Fitbits have bluetooth so I suppose it could get infected that way, but that would require someone to be like, what, within 20 feet or so of his Fitbit? Doesn't seem like it would be worth it to a hacker to target someone so specifically like that.

Unless there is some new fangled Fitbit out there these days that have WiFi or something, which I suppose is possible.

[Allereli]

https://thestack.com/security/2015/10/21/fitbits-open-bluetooth-port-enables-rapid-viral-malware-infection/

my boss spends a lot of time in airports and conventions, so it would be easy to catch him in a small range for a long time.

[Tgo01]

Ah, so it is the bluetooth.

[Gelston]

I have a Jawbone UP3. I've lost all the weight, run 20 minute marathons, and deadlift Abrams Tanks.

[Tgo01]

I have a Jawbone UP3. I've lost all the weight, run 20 minute marathons, and deadlift Abrams Tanks.

What, aircraft carriers too heavy for you?

[Gnomad]

For now, keeping my phone in my pocket/running with my phone in a fitness belt is more than enough and very convenient.

I've considered getting a chest strap HRM for a while, but health issues kept me from running regularly, so I put it off.

I'll probably pick up an Apple Watch or another smart watch with an HRM in 3 years or 4 years when it's thin enough to fit under the cuffs of my dress shirts and the things don't apparently run like molasses.

Assuming that ever happens. 3 years feels right.

[Dendum]

I use a misfit....because they are dirt cheap and last 6 months between batteries...

[Gelston]

For now, keeping my phone in my pocket/running with my phone in a fitness belt is more than enough and very convenient.

I've considered getting a chest strap HRM for a while, but health issues kept me from running regularly, so I put it off.

I'll probably pick up an Apple Watch or another smart watch with an HRM in 3 years or 4 years when it's thin enough to fit under the cuffs of my dress shirts and the things don't apparently run like molasses.

Assuming that ever happens. 3 years feels right.

I like my jawbone because it keeps a log of my heart rate and sleep. Well, and that steps thing. I always get well over the 10k it recommends anyways so I don't really pay attention to that. The heart rate and sleep monitor is cool though. You can also set a thing that prods you to do stuff if you are inactive for however long. OSHA recommends getting up and moving around after 50 minutes of sitting, so you can set it for 50, for instance. I do 30.