Tech lifestyle vendor Jawbone is preparing to launch Up in Australia; an app-driven fitness wristband for Android and iOS that tracks everything from your sleeping patterns to your day-to-day mood. Pleasingly, it’s targeted at the average consumer rather than fitness freaks.
If you’re a big believer in the gamification/incentivisation of life, Jawbone’s new gizmo is going to fit you like a glove (well, it actually fits like a wristband, but you get the idea). The Jawbone Up essentially turns you into one of those little characters from The Sims, with colourful gauges that monitor your health and well being.
Billed as both “a wearable computer” and “functional jewellery”, the Jawbone Up is a motion-sensing wristband that works in conjunction with your smartphone. It allows you to keep tabs on what you’re eating, how you’re feeling, how much exercise you’re doing and whether you’re getting sufficient sleep — with deep sleep and light sleep tracked separately.
The chief principle behind the device is that it encourages change by tracking your habits, without being overly preachy or controlling about it. In other words, its more about attaining a feeling of wellness, rather than smashing your body to the limit.
“Most [people] aren’t interested in comparing themselves with sports stars and so on. They just want to have better health,” explained Jawbone’s Head of Channel and Partner Development, Jorgen Nordin. “Up is about measuring and getting to grips with the [health] baseline.”
The Up is splash-proof but can’t be worn underwater, which is a bit of a shame if swimming is a major part of your exercise regime. On the plus side, you can cover it with shampoo and other water contaminants without affecting its functionality. Battery life, meanwhile, will last for around ten days in-between charges.
The Up wristband will hit stores in April for a recommended retail price of $149.95. This is roughly the same price as it costs in the US. Perhaps the Australian IT Pricing Inquiry is actually doing some good? You can download the Up Android app and iPhone app now.
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