Fitbit has added to its catalog of activity and well-being trackers with the Flex – a wireless wristband monitor which made its debut at the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this month.
Similar in all but form to Fitbit's previous activity monitor offerings, the bracelet is designed to be comfortable enough to wear around-the-clock. It tracks your steps, distance traveled, steps climbed and calories burned. Then when your day is done it also monitors your hours slept, sleep quality (including how many times you wake) and will rouse you by vibrating when it’s time to get going again.
As with its previous products, all the information the device gathers about your lifestyle can be automatically synced, compiled and viewed on your PC or Mac computer, or with select Bluetooth 4.0 mobile devices.
The ability to view your collated personal data means that once you have signed up to an online account, you can use the software to gain insight into your health in real-time. Using the online service is free. The software lets you set goals and challenges that reward you with badges and achievements as you go, which are indicated by LEDs on the device itself and also viewable by your friends. There’s even a leader board for the ultra-competitive folks.
Fitbit has fine-tuned the product in the development and testing phase by making it more accurately able to distinguish what it is you’re actually doing, thereby cancelling out any misleading exercise movements. “We wanted to make sure we captured actual steps taken without capturing ‘steps’ from everyday hand motions, like typing, gesturing, or even eating,” says the company blog.
The Fitbit Flex is priced at US$99.95.
Source: Fitbit
