By Jared DiPane
Tracking fitness is something that many people are interested in these days. With the New Year having just rolled in many resolutions are back in full swing and people want to move towards a healthier them. Luckily for us there are many gadgets that will help us along the journey, keeping track of our data and pushing us to do better.
Jawbone had a rough start with their fitness bands, and the original UP had to be pulled from the shelves and later went back on sale. They have rolled out a successor to the original UP, the UP24, which adds some great new features in addition to refining some of the old.
One of the biggest differences with the UP24 is wireless sync. On the original UP devices you had to remove the cap from the end of the device which would expose a headphone jack that you plugged into your phone to sync. This method, while not terrible, was far from the best, and Jawbone realized that people want their information easier.
While the wireless sync was a great addition Jawbone has also added some more functionality behind the Bluetooth connectivity. Now that the band is able to talk to your smartphone wirelessly, Jawbone can help keep you even more active.
Through sending movement reminders, and push notifications to get moving Jawbone can see what you are doing, compare it to a bunch of information they already have, and help push you to the next limit.
The movement reminders were extremely helpful, and very subtle. Once an hour the band would vibrate, reminding you to get up and do something. What you had to do was up to you, but whether it be walk around the office, take a jog, or just stand up and stretch it got you to do a little something more than you would have previously.
All of the information that Jawbone collects, your movements, steps, calories burned, amount of sleep, etc., is all beautifully displayed in their revamped mobile application.
They give you all the information you need quickly and easily, along with some motivational tips and more. In addition you can connect your Jawbone UP24 with various other services from the application, so that it can communicate with your food tracker to let it know how many calories you've burned that day.
Overall the UP24 is a great follow up to the somewhat flawed original UP fitness band. Coming in at $149 it is on the higher end of the spectrum for these devices, but the feature set that comes with it definitely justifies the price tag.