If you have gadgets attached to your body it might make things easier but for me it will certainly make life annoying. Who wants a couple of gadgets hooked onto themselves 24/7?
"However, broadly speaking I too find it a lot of a hassle to know how much I walked in day or the number of hours that I slept"
@syedzunair: Exactly. To record things like how many steps you walked for and how many minutes you slept every day is something a normal person cannot do. If you have gadgets attached to your body that can measure this, that will make it a lot easier.
@TaimoorZ, I think even with the hassle people who have a goal say for example to loose weight etc might get hooked onto the app. However, broadly speaking I too find it a lot of a hassle to know how much I walked in day or the number of hours that I slept.
"Seriously, is the Fitbit going to catch on and become a mainstay product or will it fizzle out and end up in the buyers' attics?"
@Bolaji: I agree. Fitbit seems like an innovative idea but it seems a bit of a hassle to do all that it asks for. I don't think a lot of people would be up for it.
Looks like an interesting application for people looking to get back into shape or keeping healthy. Though I have my concerns about the sleep pattern monitoring and I don't understand how the alogrithm works.
Overall the app looks good and will gain more popularity provided they can tweak the sleep algorithm a bit.
Definitely looks like an interesting application, some thing to track the number of steps is easy. But some thing that can track our sleep, oh definitely not that easy. But this will gain more traction and in the future there could be many more gizmos in this segment.
I'm not sure I have the energy to even use or monitor the Fitbit. I am no couch potato but just reading what Michell has to go through to get a worthy praise from the machine makes me feel giddy and light headed.
Seriously, is the Fitbit going to catch on and become a mainstay product or will it fizzle out and end up in the buyers' attics?
While reading the analysis on sleep tracking, one thing I noticed was how dramatically the sleep efficiency falls when running in sensitive mode. Someone who really sleeps with 50% efficiency almost everyday must be ill. I think FitBit's interpretation of the word 'efficiency' and the computation algorithms used may be the problem here.
The activity tracking during sleep feature of FitBit also does not make sense. I could not tell the difference between the three average nights in the post either.
On a positive note, FitBit seems to encourage the user to be more active by making him/her feel guilty when daily targets are not met. This is like having a personal trainer who keeps on nagging you to push yourself physically.
I also think connecting with other FitBit users is a good feature. This social aspect creates a synergy between all users who will encourage and motivate each other to reach and exceed targets.
On a different note, I think sportsware companies are in a good position to heat up the competition in this area. If I were to buy a gadget such as FitBit, my preference would be to see what companies such as Nike, Adidas and Reebok have on offer. Although, I love my Jawbone Icon Bluetooth headset, Jawbone is the last place where I would buy something like FitBit.
EBN Dialogue enables and encourages you to participate in live chats with notable leaders and luminaries. Not only editors and journalists, but the entire EBN community is able to comment and ask questions. Listed below are upcoming and archived chats.
Archived Dialogues
Thailand Stages a Comeback Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Euro-Crisis: What It Means for High-Tech Firms Join EBN Editor in Chief Bolaji Ojo and Contributing Editor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday, July 12, at 10:00 a.m. EDT for a Live Chat on high-tech and Europe's economic difficulties.
Microsoft Surface: Potential Winners & Losers What are the implications for the electronics industry supply chain of Microsoft Corp.'s decision to launch its own tablet PC? Join industry veteran and EE Times' systems and OEM expert Rick Merritt on Tuesday, July 3, at 12:00 pm EDT for a Live Chat on this subject.
Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Peter Drucker famously said "Trying to predict the future is like trying to drive down a country road at night with no lights while looking out the back window." Yet in the razor's-edge world of electronics—with a lean supply chain and just-in-time demands—the need to know the future is vital.
While no one really can accurately predict the future, we can take guidance from another Drucker saying which is the best way to predict the future is to create it.
You've heard the saying "the No. 1 supply chain risk is your people." That hasn't always been the case. But today's complex global supply chain requires a new type of multitalented employee. It's one who understands, finance, marketing, economics, is savvy with technology, graceful with relationships and can think analytically.
Where are these people? Are universities properly preparing the next generation supply chain professionals? How do train your existing workforce for these new, demanding positions?
Brian Fuller, editor-in-chief of EBN, will lead a 60-minute Avnet Velocity panel discussion that will ask and answer these and other questions swirling around today's supply-chain talent challenges.
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