Whilst checking out all these proposed and often silly phone extension wrist fads and smart watches I came across a very different sort of smart watch – and OK I accept it’s not really the conventional watch, but is anything these days when considering this so called “smart” stuff?
This one is actually both interesting and also one that might just get you fitter – but only if you want to. No forcing yourself off to a gym or anything like that, but a system that tracks your daily activity, so giving you the opportunity to maybe gently improve your fitness – whatever your age. Now that should be smart, maybe, and the item is the Fitbit FLEX wrist band.
Just a plain flexible 19.2mm wide band with a few electronic gizmos inside that can monitor your activity – such as the number of steps you take, calories used, stairs climbed, distance you walk or jog (the former for me 😉 ) and an indication of your sleep quality and of course it also tells you the Time. It also can indicate if your goal (yes you can set such a thing) is being met or otherwise with little lights on the screen. It also has a chargeable battery – Lithium Ion no less that manages around 5 days at full charge and a Bluetooth connection to automatically download or is it upload your data to graphical display software on whatever device you happen to have, PC, Mac, Tablet and a whole range of smart phones too.
It has quite a sophisticated 3-axis MEMS accelerometer that measures your motion patterns to determine the calories burned, distance travelled, steps taken, sleep quality and all that and also has a smart vibration motor, that vibrates when alarms are set to go off.
So, it seems smarter and more useful than a so called smart watch that simply means you don’t have to reach into your other pocket to get your phone out! I mean is that unfit and lazy or what?
This FLEX watch should make you think – and might make you just that little bit fitter too!
On the face of it, this appears to be a smart watch I can should to and although it’s not billed as such (smart watch) to me this is far more worthy of such a title and at around £79 (UK) not that unreasonable either. Assuming it continues to work of course – and it’s Water Resistant to 10m.
For me, it could be the “smart” thing to buy – so watch this space! Find out all about it HERE. that is, if I do decide to get one.
Addendum – Well in the event I decided not to get one – basically as at my age “fitness” has sort of morphed into old age – and I’ll just have to accept it!
Categories: Spotlight
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