Wellness and technology, the quantified self movement

Just started tracking heart rate variability with app Elite HRV on android, will report back with findings

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-37417018

"'No proof' fitness trackers promote weight loss"

No great surprise there. It's like the people that buy Fit-Flops in the hope that just wearing a slightly different pair of shoes is going to make the weight fall off...

Anyone used a Xiaomi mi band 2? Only £30 so tempted to have a play, but slightly worried by reviews of the rubbish app

Is it the same app as the first one? That's pretty crap

I've got a mi band. The original one. Cost pennies.

The app...is basic but easy to use. Steps. Sleep. HR when you ask it to do HR. I'm not sure what people expect of it?

FWIW the step tracking aligns with the built in step tracking on the Fenix III.

Have pushed the button, it's only £30 so worth a try, have a Jawbone Up, but just annoying having to plug it in to sync and the fact there is no display, so got to be better than that.

Is there anything out yet that mimics that Vivosmart by vibrating every hour or so if you've been lazy? I liked the Garmin Vivosmart but it shat itself after 6 months so I'm not buying another one.

Don't most have the ability to do that? My Jawbone does, and the cheap Xiaomi does as well

Not when I was looking at them. The Vivosmart was the only one that vibrated when you'd sat idle for a while.

Which model Jawbone do you have and what is the Xiaomi ?

Seems Jawbone fails at it a bit: http://www.poweredbypeanutbutter.com/tag/jawbone-up-vibrate-not-working/

Plus looks ridic. The Vivo was just a black band which had a watch which was nice.

this is the Xiaomi review here mentions that
"Passing a particular goal triggers a notification, as does sitting idle for too long – the Mi Band 2 kindly reminds you to get up from your seat and walk around for a bit."

I had the basic Jawbone Up, definitely had the ability to vibrate if you didn't move, think you configured length of time.

Yep, wouldn't recommend the Jawbone, well not the first one anyway, much better things out there now.

£30-odd is about where these things should be priced. £100 for the Vivosmart that dies after 6-months can do one.

Cheers!

Agreed...

Mine gets delivered today, will let you know how I get on.

I have one of these these in black I would part with for £30, including all original packaging/cable. Doesn't look anything like as ridiculous as the one above! Does idle alerts, apparently, though I never used those.

Your band tracks both your active and idle time, providing a complete view of your daily movement. The Idle Alert feature was designed to keep you active during the workweek—Monday through Friday—by sending a gentle vibration to your tracker whenever you’re idle for the period of time you specify.

The Fenix III has the 'move' alarm.

Just in case, you know, you want to keep putting Garmin's kids through college in the most expensive way you can think of.

Thankyou but no thankyou.

Thanks but I can get that Xia new for the same price and if it fails after 6 months return it to Amazon in disgust. :)

It's less necessary now anyway since I'm on anticoag full time.

If anyone is wondering why their fancy devices don't sync properly. Google fucked it made it more secure with Android 6 so that you need Location turned on in order for the Bluetooth device to chat to your phone...

https://developer.android.com/about/versions/marshmallow/android-6.0-changes.html#behavior-hardware-id

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Android-App/Syncing-on-Android-6-0-Marshmallow-official-release/m-p/979191#M17456

So, yeah, if your HR monitor or sleep tracker or whatever is struggling to connect to your Android phone, check your Location services are enabled.

Google location services or just gps?

Not GPS, but the Location services icon, which I think will use coarse location and only GPS if the app in question requests it.

This image shows Location = off. This needs to be On for it to work.

Ta! Gf is having issues syncing her new fitbit so this might help

It took me ages to notice. I would have Location enabled when I'd been checking in beers to untappd but leave it disabled much of the rest of the time so it seemed intermittent. Cue much fucking with bluetooth device.

Getting a fitbit blaze, shame that you can't share hr data to your phone directly for use in other apps (strava) but looking forward to putting some time into using it

Anyone interested in a Beddit sleep tracker?
I have one that was used for a bit, still has the tape on the sensor.

http://www.beddit.com/
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/beddit-automatic-sleep-and-wellness-tracker#/