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Fitbit syncing on Android is constantly broken. Don't have this issue with other BLE devices. Anyway, I have a bunch of wearables collecting dust (Basis, Amiig

by kolev 12y ago

Fitbit syncing on Android is constantly broken. Don't have this issue with other BLE devices. Anyway, I have a bunch of wearables collecting dust (Basis, Amiigo, Alpha). They need to be worn tight to have a precise HR measuring and this always causes dermatological problems. I stopped wearing them as although I don't have allergies and always clean the band with alcohol and shower daily, yet, I still get redness, and it slowly damages your skin. If I loosen this a bit, then HR monitor stops working. I was wearing this fanatically 24x7, but even alternating arms every day didn't show improvement, so, I quit using any. They might be great devices, but the bands are poorly made, and non-breathable.

mahyarm 12y ago
I would just give up on the continuous HR monitoring. I'm not sure of the actual value after having a basis watch for over a year now. Basis is far worse than fitbit. No API still, and their bluetooth syncing has always been unreliable. I find I don't look at the data because it's locked into their platform, and I don't like how they organize the data in their own app. I want to get a new watch tracker soon, but so much new stuff is coming out now, I'm in a wait and see mode. Just go for automatic sleep tracking and movement tracking. You wont have your phone with you all the time, so a wrist tracker is ideal.
- kolev 12y ago
  Apple's watch doesn't have continuous, only on-demand HR, correct? I think they have better options and I would trust them much more than anybody else regarding choices of materials and so on. And, yeah, Basis doesn't have an API and that's another reason not to waste money into it. It's been years and they still keep our data for themselves! As a beta tester, I told them that I don't mind paying an annual fee to get access to an API, they told me they are working on it (2 years ago), and, yet, there's nothing to date!
- mikestew 12y ago
  > I would just give up on the continuous HR monitoring. I'm not sure of the actual value after having a basis watch for over a year now. It strikes me as a "because we can" feature. Frankly, step counters almost fall into that category: "what can we do with solid-state accelerometers and gyros now that they're $2 in lots of 10K?" But beyond counting steps, not a lot has been done. (The exception were the Nike+ shoes, but I can't even find them on the Nike site anymore. Pity, too, as they were actually pretty cool.) I fail to see the value of continuous HR monitoring. For starters, as others have pointed out, it's a PITA to get it working and keep working. I'm a scrawny guy with single-digit body fat % (I assume that the monitor has less to have to look through), and I still have to clamp a Samsung Gear Fit to my wrist to get it to work consistently. Second, what does it tell you? Your resting HR? You can do that without having to turn your hand blue from lack of blood flow. HR during exercise? Doesn't work that well, if at all, and is a HR strap that much of a burden? That your HR rises when you get pissed off in that meeting with your boss? Duh. Maybe it's a useful metric, but I haven't seen any information on how it's useful...other than "because we can".

by kolev 12y ago

mahyarm 12y ago

I would just give up on the continuous HR monitoring. I'm not sure of the actual value after having a basis watch for over a year now. Basis is far worse than fitbit. No API still, and their bluetooth syncing has always been unreliable. I find I don't look at the data because it's locked into their platform, and I don't like how they organize the data in their own app. I want to get a new watch tracker soon, but so much new stuff is coming out now, I'm in a wait and see mode. Just go for automatic sleep tracking and movement tracking. You wont have your phone with you all the time, so a wrist tracker is ideal.

kolev 12y ago
Apple's watch doesn't have continuous, only on-demand HR, correct? I think they have better options and I would trust them much more than anybody else regarding choices of materials and so on. And, yeah, Basis doesn't have an API and that's another reason not to waste money into it. It's been years and they still keep our data for themselves! As a beta tester, I told them that I don't mind paying an annual fee to get access to an API, they told me they are working on it (2 years ago), and, yet, there's nothing to date!
mikestew 12y ago
> I would just give up on the continuous HR monitoring. I'm not sure of the actual value after having a basis watch for over a year now. It strikes me as a "because we can" feature. Frankly, step counters almost fall into that category: "what can we do with solid-state accelerometers and gyros now that they're $2 in lots of 10K?" But beyond counting steps, not a lot has been done. (The exception were the Nike+ shoes, but I can't even find them on the Nike site anymore. Pity, too, as they were actually pretty cool.) I fail to see the value of continuous HR monitoring. For starters, as others have pointed out, it's a PITA to get it working and keep working. I'm a scrawny guy with single-digit body fat % (I assume that the monitor has less to have to look through), and I still have to clamp a Samsung Gear Fit to my wrist to get it to work consistently. Second, what does it tell you? Your resting HR? You can do that without having to turn your hand blue from lack of blood flow. HR during exercise? Doesn't work that well, if at all, and is a HR strap that much of a burden? That your HR rises when you get pissed off in that meeting with your boss? Duh. Maybe it's a useful metric, but I haven't seen any information on how it's useful...other than "because we can".