Wearable Technology

Hi. I’m Debra DiGiovanni, comedian and self-proclaimed anxiety ridden technophobe! Or, I was until recently. You see, the gang at Best Buy came to me and asked if I wanted to be the person who introduces Canada to some new wearable technology. Since I’m not a crazy person, I said, “YES PLEASE!” and then I got to meet the MUSE. Read about this fun new way to get your mind to quiet down.

For the past week, I’ve been rocking a new accessory on my left wrist – the Jaybird Reign Activity Tracker. Introduced earlier this year at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Reign goes above and beyond what other activity trackers offer by encouraging balance and prompting those who wear it to improve their habits. It tells you when you need more sleep, when you need to take it easy, and when you are your optimal self, and I recently got a chance to take one for a test drive. Here’s my take after wearing Reign 24/7 for one week.

Looking for a cool, high tech gift idea? One that can help someone live a healthier lifestyle or make them love their smartphone that much more? Look no further than wearable technology, a category of gear that’s taken off this year, finally living up to the promise of wearing a mini computer instead of carrying one.

I have to start off confessing the first thing I tested on the Jawbone UP Move was the sleep feature. Was my midday nap really that long? It felt like only half an hour. I did quickly progress to using the Jawbone UP Move to track my daily activities and it did motivate me to get off the couch.

Fitness trackers are a great tool for anyone interested in getting the most out of their workout or just adopting some healthy new habits. I’ve tested out a lot of wearable technology and used quite a few different fitness trackers, and although they all have different features that will appeal to a different type of user, the common thread I found with all of them is how incredibly motivating they are. Fitness trackers make great gifts for the holidays too, so if you’d like to choose one for yourself or pick one up to put under the tree this year, here’s a few types you can choose from.  

I’ve been fortunate enough to test out a bunch of fitness trackers and I’ve become the go-to person my friends go to for advice when they want to buy the latest and greatest fitness devices. That’s why yesterday, when Fitbit announced their newest wrist-based activity trackers, my phone was buzzing. And for good reason, because there’s a lot to be excited about. Here’s a quick look at the three new fitness trackers from Fitbit.

Using fitness trackers means I can gauge my progress, keep track of how far I’ve run, and always know how many calories I’ve burnt. Although there are a lot of great fitness trackers on the market now, I don’t always have the time to set up a new system or learn a new app. What I need in a fitness tracker are features like ‘simple’, ‘precise’, and ‘easy to use’, and that’s why I’m seriously impressed with the new Misfit Flash. It ticks all the boxes and, thanks to the app, even gives you info on your sleep patterns.

Introducing Garmin new fitness tracker the Vivosmart. The Vivosmart is a build up from Garmin’s previous activity tracker the Vivofit. I have tested my fair share of fitness bands, and the Vivosmart has all the features that other fitness bands have but with a touch screen, it has various additional features that differentiate it from others that i’ll discuss in this preview.         

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years, you’ve heard of the Pebble (no pun intended). When it comes to the smartwatch category of wearable technology, Pebble is a rock star and with the Pebble Steel, this smartwatch now looks the part too. I just wrapped up a few weeks with the Pebble Steel and here’s what I think of the latest Pebble, from battery life to customization.

We all hold Kickstarter and crowdfunding in such dear light, and one of the early successes of the model was the Cookoo Smartwatch.  Unfortunately, the first watch left a few things to be desired.  A few months later, the second generation is out, adding a lot of the missing pieces from the first and more (like better water resistance) while keeping it all at an afforable price.  Come check out how this watch stacks up!