|
lostleaf posted:Are you guys with the band 2 using it with android or windows phones? Android. MC Hawking posted:Okay so I understand the basic specs of the device but I'm really wondering about two specific things: Cycling tracking and Can Music Playback off the device. are there curated cycling workouts on it? Can I sideload tunes to the device and playback music off it via bluetooth? No, there are no speakers. You can control your music on your phone with the band but that's about it.
|
#
?
Mar 4, 2016 15:11
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 15, 2024 16:57 |
|
|
Syrinxx posted:I would be happy to answer any questions about the Band 2; I replaced my Charge HR with it a few months back. As a follow-up have they updated the weightlifting app at all? When it first can out out was impossible to skip back and forward between activities. It seemed like a massive oversight when considering how most people actually use the gym.
|
|
#
?
Mar 4, 2016 16:33
|
|
|
Rurutia posted:Android. Is the general notification system reliable? What I mean is do you consistently receive notification? Does it work with Google maps or HERE maps for directions? Do you have any experience with Android wear watch for comparison? I tried it in at the Microsoft store at the mall and it seems like a very nice device.
|
|
#
?
Mar 5, 2016 06:42
|
|
|
Does anyone have a Misfit Shine 2 and a Pebble? It seems like the Shine 2 is what I'm looking for (why is not-just-splash-proof and vibration so rare?  ), but the reviews keep mentioning that the vibration is weak. I want to use it as a vibration alarm clock, and the Pebble did well for me when I had one - is the Shine 2 relatively the same as a Pebble or weaker?I REALLY wanted to love the vivofit 2 since it seems perfect, but it lacks vibration... I may just end up getting another OG Pebble (or Steel) as long as you can still put the non-timeline OS on it. Hell, anyone have a Pebble to sell for a decent price? (Yes, I'm fine with just a SAMart link to keep things kosher)
|
|
#
?
Mar 5, 2016 08:16
|
|
|
I'm thinking of getting the Samsung Gear S2 for free with an S7 edge. I don't need a data plan for a god damned watch do I? It can just do poo poo from wifi? Or am I completely off base?
|
|
#
?
Mar 5, 2016 08:30
|
|
|
Zotix posted:I'm thinking of getting the Samsung Gear S2 for free with an S7 edge. I don't need a data plan for a god damned watch do I? It can just do poo poo from wifi? Or am I completely off base? Yeah that or Bluetooth; it syncs with your phone if you pair it through those two protocols.
|
|
#
?
Mar 5, 2016 08:45
|
|
|
Zotix posted:I'm thinking of getting the Samsung Gear S2 for free with an S7 edge. I don't need a data plan for a god damned watch do I? It can just do poo poo from wifi? Or am I completely off base? All through bluetooth while connected to your phone, pretty much. No data plans for your watch needed.
|
|
#
?
Mar 5, 2016 17:24
|
|
|
I tried out an S2 today at the Samsung store, very slick, even compared to my Huawei Watch. Not sure about the UI layout, but the screen looks great and everything was silky smooth.
|
|
|
#
?
Mar 13, 2016 06:35
|
|
|
lostleaf posted:Is the general notification system reliable? What I mean is do you consistently receive notification? Yes, when I'm at home I now keep my phone in my room plugged in because I get the notifications anyways. No, it doesn't have GPS direction support. I think that's going too far into smartwatch territory whereas the band 2 is a full featured fitness band. I don't have any experience with Android wear if only because after doing a lot of research on them, they really didn't do everything I wanted whereas the MS band does.
|
|
#
?
Mar 13, 2016 12:46
|
|
|
Do you folks use bluetooth headsets? For some reason when I have Band 2 nearby and the Microsoft Health app running (on Android), bluetooth connection to my headsets (I tried different kind) would be interrupted and I need to press the button on the headset to activate google voice command and then cancel google voice in order for the bluetooth connection to the headsets to "reconnect" otherwise the headsets will be disconnected... This has been happening on Galalxy S6 and S7. What's going on!?
|
|
#
?
Mar 14, 2016 13:46
|
|
|
Rurutia posted:Yes, when I'm at home I now keep my phone in my room plugged in because I get the notifications anyways. Thanks for the info. If it had direction support and mp3 ability, it would be perfect for me.
|
|
#
?
Mar 14, 2016 16:32
|
|
|
lethial posted:Do you folks use bluetooth headsets? For some reason when I have Band 2 nearby and the Microsoft Health app running (on Android), bluetooth connection to my headsets (I tried different kind) would be interrupted and I need to press the button on the headset to activate google voice command and then cancel google voice in order for the bluetooth connection to the headsets to "reconnect" otherwise the headsets will be disconnected... Are you on wifi that's 2.4 ghz too? Try turning off wifi or at least connecting to a 5ghz network wifi and try again. Bluetooth uses 2.4 ghz and even though they're not supposed to interfere with each other, my crappy laptop can't handle multiple bluetooth plus 2.4ghz wifi at the same time without dropping at least one connection.
|
|
#
?
Mar 14, 2016 16:36
|
|
|
Sri.Theo posted:As a follow-up have they updated the weightlifting app at all? When it first can out out was impossible to skip back and forward between activities.
|
|
#
?
Mar 14, 2016 18:06
|
|
|
lostleaf posted:Are you on wifi that's 2.4 ghz too? Try turning off wifi or at least connecting to a 5ghz network wifi and try again. Bluetooth uses 2.4 ghz and even though they're not supposed to interfere with each other, my crappy laptop can't handle multiple bluetooth plus 2.4ghz wifi at the same time without dropping at least one connection. Hmm, I already set my phone to use 5ghz wifi band. Is 2.4ghz interference really a thing for Bluetooth headset though? Honest question, since pretty much everywhere I go someone will be running a wifi network at 2.4ghz band...  I also have had similar issue with my hexoskin device too... Is there an app that I can use to sniff bluetooth connections? This is a pretty annoying issue that rendered most of my headsets useless... Strangely though, bluetooth speaker is fine, so is bluetooth connection to my car. Could this be related to headsets' ability to activate google voice or that the headsets are trying to connect to the Band 2? Anyone else use bluetooth headsets? Thanks.
|
|
#
?
Mar 14, 2016 23:48
|
|
|
I'm starting to look into fitness trackers because I'm thinking about getting one in the next couple months. Does anyone know how durable fitbits are? I work in a popcorn factory so oil, sugars, caramel, melted chocolates and cheeses, and high temperatures are all things I deal with on a daily basis. I would like to get one I can wear to work so I'm looking to make sure whatever brand I start thinking about would be able to stand up to work.
|
|
#
?
Mar 31, 2016 15:40
|
|
|
Len posted:Does anyone know how durable fitbits are? very
|
|
#
?
Mar 31, 2016 15:58
|
|
|
Len posted:I'm starting to look into fitness trackers because I'm thinking about getting one in the next couple months. Does anyone know how durable fitbits are? I had a Fitbit Charge HR for almost a year and I used to shower with it everyday. I also took it out swimming in the ocean a bunch of times and didn't have any problems. It's not advertised as waterproof but mine sure as hell was. edit: I got a Sony Smartwatch 3 (android wear) for $100 so I gave the Fitbit to a friend and it's still working just fine
|
|
#
?
Mar 31, 2016 17:08
|
|
|
A post on the confusing world of activity trackers. Just updated our fitness trackers from fitbit to Garmin because Garmin have got their act together since the last time I checked, and also because there is a new vivofit coming out and the prices have dropped on the other models, especially in amazon warehouse as people are dumping them for the new one. The Vivofit 3 essentially replaces the Vivosmart without HR, but without notifications and has a battery which lasts a year. We have the Vivofit 2 which tracks all the usual but has no altimeter so not stairs, can be worn swimming and has a battery which lasts a year. Other is the Vivosmart HR which does everything but GPS, is waterproof, has phone notifications and you have minimal control over your phone's music players. There has also been a update which means you can turn the HR monitor on and off, battery life has gone from 5 days to 11 days if you just turn it on when doing activities, it also means that your friends and family can't see your heart rate suddenly increase at times when you are clearly not out for a jog. Both devices set your step goals for you and nag you if you are being a lazy bugger. The biggest update is to Garmin connect and bluetooth syncing which works properly now. Garmin Connect is just better than the fitbit app so far as information goes, and gives you more than fitbit premium which has the gall to charge you another 50 a year to see all your information. They have also added groups so you can attempt to beat that complete stranger again next week. "Which activity tracker should I get?" Not Fitbit. They have a new model coming out which is a very odd downgrade, they still have problems with straps gunking up or randomly falling off, and issues with not being waterproof. There is no real difference between step and heart rate accuracy between fitbit and Garmin at the mid range level, but the build quality difference is massive and the garmins are cheaper. Best value for money, Vivofit 2. Best heart rate, Garmin Vivosmart HR. Best without heart rate, Vivofit 3. The best app for information is garmin connect, but if your friends and family have fitbits and you are invested, then you have to make the choice between getting a worse activity tracker or getting everyone to switch to Garmin.
|
|
#
?
Apr 9, 2016 17:58
|
|
|
I'm still waiting on my Rufus Cuff. Not long now, surely. I NEED it.
|
|
#
?
Apr 10, 2016 07:52
|
|
|
I started using Sleep As Android on a whim, and after using it throughout it's trial period, I realized how little sleep I was getting. I initially started looking for a cheap band to use in conjunction with the app, but after reading this article, I now want to go all out and track 24x7 continuous HR. After doing some research, it's clear that some bands (Mio Fuse) are better at activity tracking than continuous tracking, and vice versa. I already have a Polar strap for workouts and cardio (via Wahoo app), so I'm only focused on continuous HR monitoring. I've narrowed my options down to the Fitbit Charge HR and the VivosmartHR, but saw the Band 2 get thrown around as well. The Vivo and Band seem to have some notification options that the ChargeHR doesn't, but has anyone used two or more of these units? Is one significantly better when it comes to HR monitoring? I don't think any of them will tie into Sleep As Android, so would probably have to use their own app to track that. So I guess the strength of their own app would be a selling point as well.
|
|
#
?
Apr 11, 2016 00:12
|
|
|
i can only give you the Vivosmart HR information right not, but the fitbit and garmin's have very little between them when it comes to accuracy since the latest updates, it's more to do with how well the sensor behaves on your own wrist. I had the HR monitor on last night so it recorded sleep, kind of odd posting this but this is a real example of the information garmin connect gives you. iirc the deep/light stats are fitbit premium subscription.   
|
|
#
?
Apr 11, 2016 07:27
|
|
|
Does that app maker explain anywhere what "light/deep/awake" are, or how they're calculated? I assume the second picture is basically a step counter-based graph.
|
|
#
?
Apr 11, 2016 12:39
|
|
|
learnincurve posted:i can only give you the Vivosmart HR information right not, but the fitbit and garmin's have very little between them when it comes to accuracy since the latest updates, it's more to do with how well the sensor behaves on your own wrist. I had the HR monitor on last night so it recorded sleep, kind of odd posting this but this is a real example of the information garmin connect gives you. iirc the deep/light stats are fitbit premium subscription. Thanks for the feedback. How do you find the Garmin Connect web/app for tracking data and everything? A lot of the more popular apps seem to focus on step goals, gps tracking of runs ect, which are relatively useless to me. As I mentioned, I currently use a Polar Bluetooth chest strap for my workouts, which is recorded on my phone via the Whahoo fitness app. The app itself keeps a history of my workouts, but that's about it. It's main function is to record output from the HR monitor. So I manual enter the data points into a spreadsheet. Works great, and I'll probably keep doing that moving forward. But tracking patterns in sleep and continuous heart rate would probably require a standalone app to be useful. Edit: I've been leaning towards the VivosmartHR purely for aesthetic reasons, but have just read that it only polls heart rate on an hourly basis. So I will probably have to go with the Fitbit Charge HR. Reggie Died fucked around with this message at 15:35 on Apr 11, 2016 |
|
#
?
Apr 11, 2016 15:30
|
|
|
There is a ludicrous amount of data and data fields, I've only found half of them so far. I'm not sure where you read the hourly poll thing, On the watch you have the option to start timing activities (holding down the button locks screen now), you have run, cardio and other, then you stop and save and it goes to connect as an activity. This is me doing the housework yesterday: this is the garmin connect browser dashboard heartbeat thingie for today.  edit: what I cant show you is that if you swipe up on the watch heartbeat screen it shows you the last four hours in a graph. learnincurve fucked around with this message at 17:47 on Apr 11, 2016 |
|
#
?
Apr 11, 2016 17:37
|
|
|
I read the hourly polling thing on the DC rainmaker review. But I think that's for just passive HR monitoring, whereas you are actively telling it to track your workout? I guess I could tell it I'm working out 24/7, but that'd probably kill the battery life. If Im wrong and passive polling is done at shorter intervals I'll be all over the vivosmart as I think it looks a lot sleeker than the charge HR. http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2016/02/understanding-continual-optical.html Finally, youve got companies like Garmin which vary the update frequency by device. This is likely due to battery constraints on certain models. For example, the Vivosmart HR (a band) has a relatively poor/infrequent update frequency potentially spanning hours in my testing. http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2016/01/garmin-vivosmarthr-review.html I suspect thats because Garmin has reduced their sampling rate, especially while theres a lack of movement effectively ignoring the most critical times for RHR sampling. Still, its disappointing since the FR235 did a much better job there where I routinely got 39-41bpm, as seen below (as well as higher levels of data capturing): Reggie Died fucked around with this message at 18:22 on Apr 11, 2016 |
|
#
?
Apr 11, 2016 18:14
|
|
|
I've been searching the apple app and have come to the conclusion that the old hourly thing has been removed because I can't find it anywhere, probably because you can see four hours worth of HR on the E: Watch now so it's not needed. The device records HR constantly, I don't know what firmware the reviewers were using but mine is the new one from march. I posted the internet dashboard shot but here is the graph: Line slides to when your heartbeat changes, as you can see I have been sat on my arse most of the day or been stood around gossiping so my heartrate has been pretty constant. learnincurve fucked around with this message at 19:33 on Apr 11, 2016 |
|
#
?
Apr 11, 2016 19:15
|
|
|
Just to add, the sensor and recording on the vivosmart HR is the same as on the sports watches with built in sensor so upgrading to an expensive one won't make a difference to accuracy. I read an article once that said fitbits and vivos are perfect for enthusiastic amateurs but if you are a serious athlete or doing something like tri then it's worth investing in a proper sports watch with chest strap as an activity tracker will never be up to par for you and you will end up selling it in months at a loss. Also reminder that the detailed fitbit heart rate data is an extra 50 a year for premium as well. Just to confuse the issue even more 
|
|
#
?
Apr 11, 2016 19:43
|
|
|
learnincurve posted:Also reminder that the detailed fitbit heart rate data is an extra 50 a year for premium as well. Just to confuse the issue even more Excellent point that I never knew/considered/ Again, most of my findings were from various reviews; I have no experience with either band myself. But from what your saying, it sounds like the VivosmartHR would fit my needs. It must have been a firmware upgrade or something, because as you mentioned it has the same sensors as their other watches. And there was quite a bit of backlash over the poor polling times. But if all things are equal, I think the Vivosmart looks a lot better!
|
|
#
?
Apr 11, 2016 20:45
|
|
|
If I'm honest what I really like the most about it is that the resident tween, who like totally thought the idea of wearing an activity tracker sucked, has been running up and down the stairs to get rid of the "you are a lazy bastard, get up and move" line and seems to be secretly thinking that it does not totally suck after all. Also pro-tip, doing the time warp is good for about 400 steps.
|
|
#
?
Apr 11, 2016 21:55
|
|
|
Also remember that, AFAICT, these HR sensors are kind of lovely in that they don't work well for some not-insubstantial portion of people. I have just normal white dude arms and neither a Charge HR nor a Moto 360 can reliably read heartrate data.
|
|
#
?
Apr 12, 2016 00:02
|
|
|
Thermopyle posted:Also remember that, AFAICT, these HR sensors are kind of lovely in that they don't work well for some not-insubstantial portion of people. I have just normal white dude arms and neither a Charge HR nor a Moto 360 can reliably read heartrate data. Very valid point. I've had good success with the scosche rhythm armband, so hoping that success transfers to the wrist bands. I'm also a ginger with pale skin and light thin arm hair, which helps a ton.
|
|
#
?
Apr 12, 2016 00:43
|
|
|
My Charge HR is starting to piss me off since they have not come up with a fix for the battery life issue. I have to charge it once daily and at least once a week it decides not to save any data for a chunk of the day. I want to get something new that will- A)Record HR round the clock and calculate RHR. For workouts I have a Polar with a strap B)Reasonably accurate C)Data I can look at D)Will dip below 35bpm unlike the Charge HR which recalibrates at 35 I dont give a poo poo about steps or the time. Is the Mio Fuse worth it?
|
|
#
?
Apr 12, 2016 07:21
|
|
|
rear end is my canvas posted:My Charge HR is starting to piss me off since they have not come up with a fix for the battery life issue. I have to charge it once daily and at least once a week it decides not to save any data for a chunk of the day. I've got the same issue and it really is annoying. It's put me off getting another Fitbit for the foreseeable future, I reckon I'm going to pick up a vivoactive HR when they come out next month.
|
|
#
?
Apr 13, 2016 01:38
|
|
|
Reggie Died posted:I started using Sleep As Android on a whim, and after using it throughout it's trial period, I realized how little sleep I was getting. I initially started looking for a cheap band to use in conjunction with the app, but after reading this article, I now want to go all out and track 24x7 continuous HR. Just as a counter point to the rest of this page, I went from a Charge HR to a Band 2 and have been super happy. I like the sensors and metrics that the band puts out way better than the Fitbit, only thing I miss about the Fitbit is that the app did decent food tracking of you were into that. The sleep tracking on the band 2 provides a lot more data and nothing is paywalled behind a premium offering. I'd say it's worth a look!
|
|
#
?
Apr 13, 2016 05:26
|
|
|
I also went from the HR to a Band 2 after fitbit released the poo poo update, and I love my Band 2. I don't know the answer to your < 35bpm question but it does the other stuff you asked. You do need to charge it more frequently than the pre-broken-firmware HR (every 2 days) but it does a hell of a lot more and Microsoft health is very nice, open platform for your data.
|
|
#
?
Apr 14, 2016 22:17
|
|
|
Syrinxx posted:I also went from the HR to a Band 2 after fitbit released the poo poo update, and I love my Band 2. I decided to give the Charge HR a trial run (14 day return period at BB), and I'm actually impressed with it's relative accuracy during workouts. Used it in conjunction with my Polar Chest Strap (H7?). Cardio: H7=748, ChargeHR = 721 Workout:H7=1118, CHargeHR = 1101 Not sure how accurate the 24x7 is though (main reason I bought it).
|
|
#
?
Apr 15, 2016 03:33
|
|
|
Thats a hell of a heart rate. (I'm unaware of a Polar HR sensor plus step counter in chest strap form. They have one?) WithoutTheFezOn fucked around with this message at 04:17 on Apr 15, 2016 |
|
#
?
Apr 15, 2016 04:15
|
|
|
WithoutTheFezOn posted:Thats a hell of a heart rate. Ha, sorry, those numbers are neither HR or steps. Just calories burned. I checked HR readings a few times throughout; sometimes they were similar, sometimes greatly different and a few times I got no reading from the watch. I too, have never seen a step count on a chest strap.
|
|
#
?
Apr 15, 2016 04:54
|
|
|
Reggie Died posted:I decided to give the Charge HR a trial run (14 day return period at BB), and I'm actually impressed with it's relative accuracy during workouts. I do the same. The Charge HR is a bit generous concerning calorie count compared to my RS 100 but thats ok I can get an idea of what work I've done. On the Charge HR be on the lookout for reduced battery life and hours long chunks of missing data that occur randomly after syncing. This thing would be great if not for the defect. Edit- You see, it just finished doing it... 4 hours gone. 
ass is my canvas fucked around with this message at 07:18 on Apr 15, 2016 |
|
#
?
Apr 15, 2016 06:53
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 15, 2024 16:57 |
|
|
What alternatives have you looked at? Mio Link/Fuse seem to have the most accurate optical HR monitor, but only do activities. VivosmartHR initially had long gaps between polling HR (for 24x7/RHR) I might start looking at the Basis Peak, but that's alot bigger than I was looking to get. My biggest gripe with the Fitbit thus far is the dashboard/app. I think I'll still need to manually log everything (as I previously did with my workouts with the chest strap). I can easily upload my workout's into Garmin Connect, so might give the Vivosmart a shot before the return window of the Fitbit runs out, to do a comparison. Is there a concensus on the best app/web platform for tracking this kind of thing? Everything seems to be focused on run distances or bike rides, whereas all my cardio is HIIT jump rope and workouts at home. I just want the basic HR info (activities and daily), sleep log, and calories burned, or a platform that I can delete everything else.
|
|
#
?
Apr 16, 2016 02:13
|
|