Healthcare is going through a revolution right now. Never have scientists and healthcare professionals had access to the amount of biological data that we do now. Smartwatches, Health Trackers, Smart Scales and more have made it possible for doctors and healthcare professionals to offer even more personalised treatments. Another piece of technology is looking to be part of the revolution – The Ultrahuman Ring.
Source: Ultrahuman
The Ultrahuman Ring brings your regular set of sensors including a heart rate sensors (photoplethysmograph), temperature sensor and also a motion sensor. The ring itself does not come with any display and haptics. Instead, users will have to pair the Ultrahuman Ring with their mobile app to view any of the insights. This apparently was done intentionally to reduce distractions coming from the Ring. Using its sensors, the Ultrahuman Ring allows users to view their heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV) and body temperature. It also is able to track sleep allowing users to track when they were in REM and non-REM sleep.
Source: Ultrahuman
The ring is made from “fighter jet” titanium with a tungsten carbide coating. The coating helps ensure the durability of the ring particularly during activities like weightlifting, grappling activities and even swimming. While Ultrahuman doesn’t outright mention any IP rating, their inclusion of swimming in their website alludes to some form of water resistance. The sensors also come with hypoallergenic contacts which allow users to keep the ring on for long periods.
Ring + M1 – the Ultrahuman combination
That said, Ultrahuman isn’t designing its product to function alone. In fact, the Ultrahuman Ring works better when paired with the Ultrahuman M1 – a patch which continually monitors glucose levels. The M1 comes with a hollow needle which creates a small puncture in the skin to measure the glucose in interstitial fluid. This data is then used to produce a metabolic score based on food intake and exercise.
Source: Ultrahuman
Complementing the M1 with the Ultrahuman Ring will provide users with a more holistic picture of their metabolic health. It allows users to see how their food and exercise interact with their sleep and how this impacts overall health.
Pricing & Availability
The Ultrahuman Ring will be available starting on December 2022 for USD$299 (MYR1,332.8). It’s available in four colours: black, grey, silver and gold.
It’s now available for pre-orders with offer prices starting at USD$199 for the first 3000 orders.
Sleep has become a crucial factor in overall health over the past few years. In fact, doctors and other medical professionals have changed their blanket from 8 hours a night to a more general 6- to 8-hour range. As our understanding of sleep develops, so too has our appreciation of its role in health. This has become so crucial that we have been seeing more and more companies gather data for research and develop ways to measure and monitor the quality of sleep.
Fitbit has been one of the few fitness trackers and smartwatches which allow you to track your sleep in detail and view a breakdown of your sleep quality in a visual way. They’re also upping the ante when it comes to tracking by introducing a new feature for Fitbit Premium users called Sleep Profiles.
After much research and study of over 1,000 features of sleep, the company has determined that there are 10 key metrics that are beneficial to the user. Using these metrics which include pre-existing ones like sleep duration, restfulness and REM sleep, Fitbit has been able to develop a more holistic view of sleep. Additionally, they’ve also identified new metrics such as schedule variability, the time before sound sleep and disrupted sleep that help paint a better, month-long picture of overall sleep quality. Users will have access to a monthly report which breaks down each of these 10 key metrics with their personalised metrics as well as their ideal ranges.
In analysing over 1.87 million sleep logs, Fitbit was able to isolate numerous sleep archetypes. They’ve chosen six major archetypes which describe a vast majority of the profiles studied. To better communicate a user’s sleep pattern, Fitbit has chosen to represent each of the six profiles with an animal. Fitbit Premium users will be able to get their profile each month which will categorise them into one of six chosen animals: Giraffe, Bear, Hedgehog, Turtle, Dolphin and Parrot. These animals share similar traits to the six archetypes that Fitbit has identified.
There is no perfect profile, nor is a sleep profile fixed. Users will see it change from month to month. More importantly, Fitbit is also giving some feedback to help improve sleep quality with their profiles. This feedback can take the form of addressing REM sleep or sleep times to improve sleep quality.
Fitbit users with a Fitbit Premium subscription will begin to see these profiles starting on July 7. After the first report, profiles will be reported on the 1st of each month. However, the feature will only work with the Sense, Versa 3, Versa 2, Charge 5, Luxe or Inspire 2 at launch.
When it comes to wearables and health tracking, Withings isn’t necessarily the first name you would think of. However, the company is no stranger to health technology; in fact, they were once known as Nokia Health. They aren’t actually a brand new company and have a legacy in making clinically approved health technologies having launched their first smartwatch, the Withings Activite in 2014. This time around, Withings is flexing their prowess in making good looking, accurate and functional health technologies with their latest smartwatch the Withings ScanWatch Horizon.
Sophisticated Design with More than Meets the Eye
You wouldn’t know the watch was a smart watch if you saw it out in the wild. It’s a chic, well crafted piece of jewellery that looks nothing like a typical smartwatch. In fact, the watch looks like your regular luxury timepiece. At a glance, it could be mistaken for a diver watch from one of the larger luxury watch brands. It comes with a stainless steel rotating bezel with laser engraved markings; the analogue face design comes emblazoned with Luminova watch hands while the sapphire-glass casing adds the last touches for a luxurious feel.
However, when you take a closer look, you will see the technology that Withings has baked into the watch. The Withings ScanWatch Horizon is equipped with some of the latest health monitoring technology available in the market. It comes with with a multi-wavelength photoplethysmogram (PPG). This sensor allows it to detect heart rate and blood oxygenation (SpO2) using specific wavelengths of light. The ScanWatch Horizon is also equipped with three electrodes which allow it to take on demand electrocardiograms (ECGs/EKGs). Of course, it is also able to detect sleep and exercise activities as well.
Pushing the Horizon of Health Tracking
The Horizon does have an edge when it comes to monitoring though. The smartwatch is able to detect anomalies in heart rhythm – known as AFib or Atrial Fibrillation. This anomaly can be a sign of other more severe conditions and is often left undiagnosed. This is accomplished through proactive heart rate monitoring. The ScanWatch Horizon is able to monitor the heart rate of the user via its embedded PPG. If it detects an anomalous reading, it will prompt the user to do an ECG.
In addition to heart monitoring, the ScanWatch Horizon is also able to detect sleep disturbances – a common warning sign of sleep apnoea. Using an exclusive algorithm, the ScanWatch is able to use data from its embedded accelerometer and optical sensors to determine sleep disturbances. It will use blood oxygen levels, heart rate, movement and breathing frequency data as parameters in determining sleep disturbances. It can also monitor and analyse sleep patterns as well as wake its user up during the best time of their sleep cycle.
The ScanWatch also does what all smartwatches do. It is able to recognise 30 exercises automatically and also track steps, calories, elevation and workout routes. Workout routes and elevation are detected through the GPS on the user’s phone. However, it does take things a step further by estimating VO2 Max. This reading is an indication of the efficiency in which the body is able to utilize oxygen during exercise.
Like many other smartwatches, the ScanWatch Horizon doesn’t work alone. It pairs with the Withings Health Mate app where users are able to get insights and analyses of the data that is being collected. It also allows users to schedule activity reminders, set goals and manage achievements. The Health Mate app also plays nice with other health apps in the market. It is compatible with over 100 third-party applications including Apple Health, Google Fit, Strava and MyFitnessPal.
Pricing & Availability
The Withings ScanWatch Horizon is available starting from September 29, 2021. It is priced at €499.95 (MYR2,426.78) or £499.95 (MYR2,816.39).
It is available in Blue or Green with 43mm watch face. The ScanWatch comes with a 5 year guarantee. Users will have a stainless steel wristband and an FKM Strap in the box when purchasing a Withings ScanWatch Horizon.
Android Wear or Wear OS as it was renamed a few years ago has been a little anaemic when it comes to updates; that is until NOW. Google took the stage at I/O 2021 to announce what could be the biggest and most important update to Wear OS: Google and Samsung are partnering to push Wear OS to the next level. The announcement confirms rumours which have been making their rounds for months.
Source: Google
The new partnership sees Samsung bring their know-how, expertise and features from their successful Tizen OS to Wear OS. As the companies put it, they are bringing “the best of their platforms together into one unified experience”. So what does this mean exactly? Well, the biggest change is that Samsung’s next Galaxy Watch will be shipping with Wear OS instead of Tizen OS. While this might seems like Samsung will be leaving their older watches behind, the company reassures its users that Galaxy Watch and other Tizen OS powered wearables will be receiving updates and support for at least 3 years after their launch.
Improvements Under the Hood
That aside, the new collaborative Wear OS approach also brings a slew of improvements that will not only be improving the user experience but also making developing for Wear OS a lot easier. The collaboration’s biggest improvement comes in its improved load time. Google is touting a whopping 30% improvement in app load times. In addition, Samsung and Google have made improvements to the lower layer of Wear OS to improve battery life. If you’ve used Wear OS smartwatches, you’d know that battery life can be an issue with them.
Source: Google
Google and Samsung have optimised background processes, making them more efficient and less intensive on the processors. In fact, processor-intensive processes like continuous heart rate monitoring have been optimised to use lower power cores to conserve power. This also opens the doors to more power-efficient features for wearable devices. Samsung has also helped with power efficiency with its bundled sensors which allow them to include more than one sensor in a single module.
More Diverse User Experience
Aside from improvements under the hood, the improvements are also creating a more diverse user experience. Manufacturers are now allowed to skin the operating system to have a more unified look across their devices. This also means that we might see slightly different experiences from manufacturers like Tag Heuer, Fossil and even Samsung will have their own design language when it comes to the user interface for their wearables. Google is expecting that the new customizability will result in a more diverse Wear OS ecosystem.
Google is also opening up more features in the OS to developers. Developers will be able to bring features like tiles to their apps. They have also integrated development for Wear OS into Android’s Development Studio. They are creating a more unified development experience across Android and Wear OS with a single touchpoint for development. Development is also made easier with Google’s Jetpack development suite which allows developers to call and implement API more readily. In addition, they are bringing Kotlin APIs to Wear OS.
Wear OS is also getting more focused on health with help from Samsung. Developers will be able to create new apps and improve their current apps with a more streamlined and simplified work flow. This comes thanks to the new Health Services platform which allows developers to retrieve data without building from scratch. Developers are able to take advantage of continuous data from the sensors and other contextual metrics without impacting the battery life of the device too much.
New Apps, Better Experience
Finally, these improvements directly impact how the OS performs and how accessible apps will be for the platform. The most direct improvements that users will be benefiting from is improved navigation on wearables. Google is bringing simple improvements like a double-tap to jump to your most recent app and even simpler swiping gestures to access your information.
Source: Google / Double Tap for Recent App
Source: Google / Tiles
Google is starting the ball rolling with updates coming to its core apps like Google Maps, Google Pay, Google Assistant and YouTube Music. The first change that will be coming to these apps is the adoption of the new “Material You” design. In addition, Google Maps will be getting better, more visible turn by turn navigation to help with using the app on the go. There are plans to take Google Maps offline. The same applies to YouTube Music as well. Google Assistant and Google Pay will be getting improvements as well. The latter will be making its way to 26 countries in the next few months while the former will become more user friendly on Wear.
It isn’t just Google that is improving its offerings. Spotify has revamped its experience on wearables; allowing users to seamlessly move on the go. The simplified interface allows users to not only control their music but also seamlessly switch between speakers and their Wear OS device. Other companies like Nike, Calm and Adidas have been working on revamping their experiences on OS. Fitbit will also join the Wear OS family. Wear OS apps will also be more visible on the Play Store with a dedicated section and recommendations.
The new Wear OS will be making its way to the market in the coming year. Current Wear OS devices find out if they are getting the big update in the coming months.
Fitbit has always been a company that has focused on being functional wearable; putting fitness and health tracking before form and style. However, with the new Fitbit Luxe, they’re turning that approach on its head. The Fitbit Luxe takes a hard turn left and focuses on marrying style with fitness to bring a chic, functional wearable that stays true to Fitbit’s own fitness first paradigm.
Source: Fitbit
Taking inspiration from a bracelet, the Luxe takes it queues in being a fine piece of jewellery. It comes with a metal unibody with a pristine finish making it seem like you’re wearing a refined, handcrafted bracelet. Within the body, Fitbit is packing the wearable with an abundance of sensors for all the health metrics you’re used to from a Fitbit. The Fitbit Luxe comes in three colours: graphite, platinum and soft gold with a soft, silicone band. The Luxe is also the first tracker from Fitbit which comes with an AMOLED touchscreen with a built-in ambient light sensor. This allows the display to automatically adapt to ensure you’re seeing all the information under all lighting conditions. The Luxe also comes with up to five days battery life on a single charge.
Source: Gorjana
Of course, Fitbit, being Fitbit, ups the ante with a collaboration with Gorjana. The new Fitbit Luxe Special Edition comes with a gold stainless steel Parker Link Bracelet designed exclusively for the Luxe. The link bracelet is also adjustable to fit most wrists. It also comes with a soft peony band for an additional look in your pocket. The bands are, of course, available as separate accessories.
The Luxe is only half the equation. Like other Fitbit wearables, the tracker works in tandem with the Fitbit app. The app brings a unified, accessible dashboard where the data collected by the Luxe is displayed in an easy to understand format. Everything from sleep tracking, steps tracking and active zone minutes can be viewed on the app. If you need additional metrics, the Luxe comes with a 6-month trial of Fitbit Premium which gives you access to more personalised data.
Pricing & Availability
The Fitbit Luxe will be available in Malaysia starting from June 2021 for MYR648 (USD$157.40). Pre-orders are open today in the U.S. where the Luxe is being sold at USD$149.95 (MYR617.31).
Fitbit’s health-centric devices have been some of the best fitness devices on the market to date. The company has successfully developed sensors and an intuitive interface that allows users to not only collect data but view them in a way that is easy to understand. However, in 2019, Fitbit saw the opportunity to bring even more insights to their users at a premium.
Fitbit Premium has been up and running since late 2019. It provides deeper insights into the data that is already collected by your Fitbit device – some of which could even be used to detect COVID-19 without the PCR test. Just recently, the company extended the availability of a limited version of Fitbit Premium available to users of the Versa 3 and Inspire 2. Now, it seems like that may be more behind that.
Source: Fitbit
Fitbit has recently sent out a customer survey which asks users to consider an cheaper tier of their Fitbit Premium service. According to Android Central, the theoretical new tier would be priced at USD$2.99 (MYR12.09); less than half the price of the current plan at USD$9.99 (MYR40.38). However, it seems like the offerings would be significantly less than the current Premium plan which offers not only user data but also guided workouts and more. The new plan would allow users to “see your activity, sleep, stress, and health metrics for the last month, year, forever with unlimited historical data.”
It seems like this may be Google gauging users’ valuation of the data and insights they get from Fitbit devices. This comes as no surprise as the sale of Fitbit to Google essentially limited what Google could do with the data collected from Fitbit devices. Senior Vice President of Devices and Services, Rick Osterloh, mentions the issue of data privacy and Google’s acquisition of Fitbit stating that the acquisition was about hardware and never the data.
PR asset of Fitbit Premium on Android, showing Today screen with insights. For placement into renders or lifestyle imagery only.
This deal has always been about devices, not data, and we’ve been clear since the beginning that we will protect Fitbit users’ privacy. We worked with global regulators on an approach which safeguards consumers’ privacy expectations, including a series of binding commitments that confirm Fitbit users’ health and wellness data won’t be used for Google ads and this data will be separated from other Google ads data.
Rick Osterloh, Senior Vice President, Devices & Services at Google
However, Google being a data company understands that there is an inherent value to all the data being collected. Hence, this straw poll to see if users are willing to spend to get access to their data and insights is just an exercise of how much value users place in the data collected by their Fitbits.
That said, we have always been in the camp where users should be given access to their data regardless of a “Premium” fee – the other goodies in the premium subscription are definitely worth the investment, if you see the need or want to make better sense of the data that’s being collected.
CES 2021 is well under way. But we are not talking about CES at this point. No, we are talking about the merging of giants.
Google is undoubtedly one of the most successful tech companies you will ever see in your lifetime, beside Amazon, Microsoft, and Apple. They started out in the Search Engine industry in the midst of the MSN and Yahoo! boom. They bloomed and grew to surpass two of their biggest competition at the time and now they are in everything. They are in applied sciences, corporate backend solutions, automotive, smartphones, computing, and even your homes.
They are also on your wrists with the guise of Android Wear. They do not make any watch hardware on their own though. They have always relied on their partners like Fossil, Motorola, OPPO, and even Vivo to design and create their own iteration of what an Android Wear watch should look like. This situation might change soon though.
As per Google’s Blog post alongside Fitbit’s one in their own blogs too, Fitbit is now a part of Google. As of the 14th of January 2021, Google and Fitbit finally concludes their deal. Google has officially acquired Fitbit.
As we mentioned also, Fitbit is also a giant. They are a giant in their field, the fitness tracker and smart wear field. They have revolutionised the smart wearable devices market in more ways than one.
They are, technically, the largest standalone smartwatch making company in the world currently. They have a more complete product range than any other smartwatch maker in the world right now too. They have simple fitness trackers that look like wristbands and can be easily hidden. They also have full on smartwatches now in their Fitbit Versa line-up. The Versa and Sense watches are clearly also a side effect of them acquiring Pebble a while ago.
Now though, they are a part of Google. What does this mean for you Fitbit users?
On the surface, Google says that this acquisition has always been more about hardware instead of software. They want Fitbit watches and wrist bands. They basically wanted to experiment making their own smart wearable in the future, like how they experimented with smartphone manufacturing when they acquired HTC years ago. They are still making their own hardware today with the Pixel line-up. They have an amazing line-up of Chromebooks too.
The only thing they have not been making on their own then, are smart watches and smart wearables. With Fitbit as part of Google, now they can. So, according to Google, it is not about software and data.
In terms of software though, Google has a thing or two to learn from Fitbit and vice versa. We at techENT love our Fitbit Versa devices because they are so simple to work with. Their interface is easy to understand and navigate it becomes second nature when you acclimatise with them.
We also think that the Fitbit line-up could use a little bit of Google’s magic touch. In that case, they will be easier to pair with Android smartphones, faster too, and probably even more intuitive to connect. We find that these are our biggest pain points using the Fitbit devices. Of course, there is the subject of software integration too. Currently Fitbit’s collected data does not sync to Google’s own fitness app. Maybe we might see a merging of the two apps. At the same time, we doubt we will see that integration happening too soon because Fitbit also has the premium subscription segment.
Source: TechPP
Google has ensured that they will not touch Fitbit’s data pool at this time. They also confirmed that Fitbit’s user data will not be used for Google Ads purposes at this time. From the blog posts from both sides too, it seems that Fitbit will continue business as usual at this time. Which also means that Fitbit devices will remain Fitbit devices for a little longer.
In Google’s blog post, Rick Osterloh’s statement also reads, “the combination of Fitbit’s leading technology, product expertise and health and wellness innovation with the best of Google’s AI, software and hardware will drive more competition in wearables and make the next generation of devices better and more affordable”. We are more excited about this than anything. It means that you can start expecting Google smartwatches soon. You might want to expect some changes in Fitbit’s software approach now too. We hope that it is for the better on both parties. You might even get an Android Wear update for your Fitbit Sense.
Still, we see this as a win-win situation. At this time anyway, the acquisition and merging of the two giants in their space may prove to be just what both companies needed for the uncertain times ahead. For us consumers, we only care about their upcoming devices, and we are expecting them to be miles better than what we have now. Google Watch anyone?
Fitness is a journey of a thousand steps and it usually begins with the first one. If you’re like me, that journey usually gets started and then quickly falls by the sidelines when visible results begin to plateau. I was pretty adamant in losing weight this round and then came a little angel who told me to try using the new Fitbit Charge 4 and passed me one for review.
The Fitbit Charge 4 was released not too long ago and comes with a very minor, but significant update to the Charge 3 – GPS tracking. This isn’t the first time I was using fitness bands or smartwatches; in fact, I use a Galaxy Watch daily and was using the Charge 3 before. But after a while, they became watches more than fitness trackers; a problem I’m pretty sure many others face. That brings up the question – why not buy a regular analogue watch? So, this time, I decided to pay closer attention to the features that the Fitbit Charge 4 offers and figure out how to effectively use them to help achieve my goals.
Setting up the Fitbit Charge 4 & Making Sense of Metrics
As always, the first thing you do with a new fitness tracker is to pair it with your phone. Like all other Fitbit devices, I plugged in the Charge 4 to get things powered up and started. I was pleasantly greeted by a smile and a prompt to continue the setup process on my smartphone – a Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G. The setup process was pretty straight forward but I was more impressed with the ease of setup. In the past, with the Charge 3 and even the Versa before, the setup process was rather painful with the devices not being detected and even disconnecting midway. The Charge 4 was a breeze, no issues at all.
Once it was setup, I glanced through the app looking at the many features which come in the Charge 4. You’ve got everything from the basic tracking of steps to sleep tracking and even GPS tracking. Fitbit has put a lot into making sure that you have everything you need to quantify your fitness journey in the Charge 4. However, it was quite daunting to be facing metric after metric after metric after metric. It wouldn’t be too farfetched to say that many people wouldn’t be able to make heads or tail of the many metrics that the Charge 4 can track. After some research and looking into the metrics, I realised that the biggest challenge any fitness newbie would face is the eventual plateau which I mentioned in the beginning. So, looking at the metrics that the Charge 4 could give me, I decided that the best thing to do is work towards overcoming that plateau.
The Charge 4 is able to track sleep, steps taken, distance travelled while walking, heart rate, calories burnt and a new metric called the Active Zone minutes. Other metrics such as weight, calories consumed, and hydration can also be measured but involve manually inputting the data into the app. With all of these available, I looked into creating a baseline for myself before I decide to make changes. After monitoring my metrics for about three days, I realised that I may not need to use all the metrics available – at least not initially. I looked at which areas I need to improve and realised that, for me at least, I needed to start looking into getting better sleep, being less sedentary and getting enough hydration.
The Fitbit App’s heart rate monitor screen helps you monitor your fitness level with you resting heart rate
Fitbit’s new Active Zone minutes feature allows you to set how many active minutes you want to cover a day
The Fitbit App also gives you weekly summaries and suggestions which can help you do better
This narrowed down my focus to three main metrics: sleep, steps taken or active zone and hydration. With my main focus set, I had the trusty Charge 4 to help me make small changes that can help me with my fitness.
Using the Charge 4 to Make Small, Meaningful Changes for Better Health
Using the Fitbit Charge 4 to track your steps, sleep and active zone is pretty straight forward – just wear the Fitbit. So, wear the Charge 4 I did. Keeping up with the metrics is a lot of work. You have to open the app to check up on yourself on a daily basis. However, the array of widgets that the Fitbit app helps ever so much in helping you keep track and making changes.
Setting Goals within the app will help with making meaningful changes to help you achieve your fitness goals
The multiple widgets on my home screen for Fitbit’s app. There isn’t a compact, integrated one. You have to place each toggle on its own.
For me, because one of my goals was to get enough sleep, the daily reminders and nudges to prepare for bed were a godsend. It has allowed me to get into a wind-down routine and put away my tech when the nudges come. This has actually translated into better sleep overall. However, – and this is a BIG one – the sleep tracking has been hit or miss for me. So, I’ve been using my smartwatch to get a more accurate picture of how I’ve been sleeping on a daily basis.
The Fitbit Charge 4 has also been breaking up my daily 10,000 steps into smaller, more achievable goals throughout the day. To help me achieve this goal, it nudges me every hour to get up and get some steps in. Believe it or not? This small adjustment also helps me get more productive throughout the day. I’ve been able to get more done in a day than before without feeling drained midway.
Fitbit’s sleep monitoring screen gives you a lot of useful information when it works. Otherwise it’s just a missed opportunity
Monitoring is easy with the overview the app gives you but you have to open the app to get it.
The hardest adjustment for me is the monitoring of my water intake. Since it’s done manually, I have to remember to turn on the phone and record the amount of water I’m consuming. As you can tell, this also means that I might miss recording a few glasses of water here and there. But, more hydration is a good thing.
Fitness Isn’t Just about the Aesthetics
Overall, my first week with the Charge 4 has thought me one big lesson – fitness isn’t just about looking good. It’s about the small changes that eventually lead to being more “fit” overall; aesthetics is just a result of you feeling better about yourself and overall, your body coping better with the stresses you face on a day to day basis. As the Malay saying goes, “sikit-sikit, lama-lama menjadi bukit” ; roughly translated: bit by bit, over time it will become a hill.
While the Charge 4 isn’t a magically genie that grants wishes, it’s given a health-science degree holding, obese person a new, quantifiable approach to dealing with the extra kilos. If you’re looking at the scale continuously, you’ll get demotivated over time especially when the reading starts to nag the same digits over and over again. Start with small changes like getting enough sleep and drinking enough water – the rest will come naturally. Getting the Charge 4 or something similar that fits your needs and budget will also help you get there.
Fitbit has become a brand synonymous with health and fitness. While the company has recently been acquired by Google, it doesn’t seem to have slowed them down. In fact, Fitbit has just announced a new entry to their Charge line up, the Charge 4.
The new Fitbit Charge 4 comes with all the features that made everyone fall in love with the previous Charge devices. However, it has a few upgrades. The Charge 4 is the first tracker in the line up to have GPS. This allows you to track where and how far you’ve gone on your runs. This comes as an enhancement to the now essential features of any fitness tracker including customisable watch faces, notifications and even sleep tracking.
The Fitbit Charge 4 introduces Active Zone Minutes. This is developed based on the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Heart Association. Both organisations recommend that everyone should have 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigourous activity weekly. Based on this recommendation, the Charge 4 will track your heart rate with Fitbit’s PurePulse 24/7 heart tracking. Using personalised data, it will determine how much effort you are exerting for an activity. This will allow for better tracking. In fact, the Charge 4 will be able to notify you each time you enter or exit zones. This will allow you to better optimise your workouts. If you want to get more detailed data, it’s accessible via the Fitbit App.
The Charge 4 comes with a promised 7 days battery life or 5 hours if you’re continuously using GPS. It is water resistant up to 50 metres and is swimproof. According to Fitbit the Charge 4 is able to operate between -20° to 60° C and up to an altitude of 8,535m.
Pricing & Availability
The Charge 4 will be available in stores starting late April. The regular version will retail for MYR 698. It will be available in black, rosewood and storm blue/black. The Special Edition will be available at MYR 798 in granite reflective/black wooven band. It will also come with a classic band for when you workout.
Smart Bands and Smartwatches are becoming some of the most essential fitness accessories nowadays. However, they always need manual input of meals, caloric intake and hydration. That’s where the HEALBE GoBe3 sets itself apart from the competition. The new smart band from HEALBE is touting the first ever commercially available smartband which tracks caloric intake automatically.
The HEALBE GoBe3 is a smartband which comes with sensors designed to monitor nine key vitals. This is done non-invasively through the surface of the skin and, according to its manufacturer, with real time accuracy. The vitals tracked include sleep, stress, energy balance, heart rate, and steps taken. It does all this tracking through the hypo allergenic titanium sensor contacts on the back of the device.
Monitoring Calories Through Your Own Electrical Impulses
The new HEALBE GoBe3 uses the company’s proprietary HEALBE Flow technology to monitor caloric intake. It does this by monitoring the bio-electrical impedance of skin cells. This method of monitoring caloric intake is backed by an understanding of the human digestive system and nutrient absorption.
Our body digests different foods at different intervals after we consume it. When the nutrients are absorbed, cells create a differential gradient to assist. Essentially, the cell pump water out to allow nutrients in. HEALBE Flow uses this movement to detect the caloric value and nutrient breakdown of foods. In essence, it monitors the differences in bio-electric charges in skin cells to derive the caloric value of foods. The impedance is then used to calculate the caloric value of foods and their nutrient content.
This method was recently verified by researchers at the University of California Davis. Their research found that the technology that HEALBE uses in the GoBe3 is as accurate as manually tracking caloric input. This research is supported by another piece of independent research by the Red Cross Hospital in Guangzhou, China. Both pieces of research found the HEALBE Flow to have 89% accuracy in its reporting.
Taking On the competition with Cutting Edge Technology
Aside from the groundbreaking HEALBE Flow technology, the GoBe3 is equipped with an always-on MIP display. The display is touted to be glare free. The GoBe 3 is also lighter and sleeker than its predecessor. In addition, the smart band has interchangeable straps which come in many colours and designs. The new design is also touted to increase the accuracy of tracking. This paired with a new optical pulse sensor allows more accurate and more frequent data collection. The GoBe3 also has WiFi capabilities which speeds up data processing.
Pricing & Availability
There’s no official price for the GoBe3 announced just yet. However, we expect that the smart band will continue to hover around the USD$169 of the GoBe2.
Keep an eye on healbe.com for the GoBe3’s availability.
