"Must-Have" for gadget and technology fans - but not expect miracles!

2 days ago I have the Jawbone Up band brought me in a Telekom shop, because it was important to me to test the bracelet size beforehand. Since I use the tape every day and every night and can here give some feedback on the most popular features:

EXTERNAL
- Appearance is stylish and the metal cap over the plug looks good. Has not been addressed to it because it is considered obvious to a normal bracelet.
- The hard rubber tape is flexible, even if it falls off no damage will occur. It is easy to keep clean (abschwischen, facilitate rinsing) and in general there is no fragile impression.
- The tape is operated via a button. By pressing and holding it up by day to night mode (which is confirmed by the pretty flashing a small LED sun or a blue LED-moon). In addition, you can start by repeatedly pressing a stopwatch function or a nap function. More on this below.

Synchronization
- I was surprised that Jack and just not Bluetooth is used. A look at the battery life of the band, but it soon becomes clear that this would not have been reached by a Bluetooth data transmission. I had the tape so far only once charge, although I'll wake me up every day from him (which causes vibrations and costs of course battery). It also reminds me in the office after 1.5 hours rest period (ie sitting still) by slight vibration because even have to go a few steps back. Also joins me regularly what the battery but also join in easily. Battery life is specified correctly with 10 days. Recharging takes only 1-2 hours.

The app - the heart
- The tape itself is only a recording device of the movements that I make day or night. Funny, is all only through the app. After connecting via jack synchronizes the belt immediately and in a few seconds. I always synchronize the morning and the evening, this is absolutely unstressful. Directly it is a display about the beautiful graphics day-step course or night-movement pattern. There you will find then (in day mode) kilometers information and degree of achievement of self-imposed target step number. About the calibration function I checked whether the measured steps actually match real-kilometer data, and could hardly believe it possible that there was a distance of 750 meters there is no deviation between the real distance and recorded distance. The tape measure really accurately. Properly assess this can of course only for the day mode, just leave as the deep and light sleep phases during night mode dividing lines, would probably check a sleep laboratory. Here one must not expect miracles accuracy, it is quite nice to look at as the alternate phases, for me remains a little the question "so what?" - So, what exactly I can influence here or how I can change the whole for the better. However, it can target a number of hours of sleep at night and here define a target achievement is recognized.
- On a Home screen, these two objectives are achieved (night / day) that constantly appear and present. Third, can still find the meals consumed and calories are "tracked". From my perspective, the acquisition of the meals is probably the thickest minus the app. The serving sizes are unrealistic (1g / 100g) or have no Realiätsbezug to package sizes, but also can be found on the preset list and classification of meals while some pretty pictures, in more complex dishes quickly no longer what one is looking. Nevertheless, this is not a clear shortcoming KO criterion: Some capture their meals namely well anyway, because it is too cumbersome and other soft easy on apps, which can be combined with the JAWBONE UP app. I do this example on MyFitnessPal -. Is available for free and everything is what there scanned at meals and entered, synchronized directly with the Band App. This works even reversed. If I have more than 100% achievement of my goal step, I get at MyFitnessPal calorie "credited". This is really strong!
- The app offers other nice features, here in brief:
(1) Trends: Here you can compare any readings over certain periods of time (weeks, months) with one another. For example. Steps to deep sleep / active time to total sleep time and (if you diligently recorded meals) for example also take steps to protein intake, etc.
(2) alarm: I use daily. You can enter a wake and a tolerance of 10-30 minutes prior to this time. Then awakens a tape with a vibration that is exactly when I'm in a light sleep phase, which should then allow for easier getting up. Wakes me the tape consistently about 20 minutes before the wake up time, so I'll think about it if necessary in the future to limit the tolerance (on 10 minutes) or completely switch off and let me wake up to the actual date. But to be awakened in itself is very pleasant and better than a loud alarm clock. You can set many alarms for different days of the week.
(3) stopwatch function: You can set a button on a stop watch in motion and so distinguish periods when daily measurements to define later on the app, what sports you've done in that time. I do not use, however, because ... I do not need.
(4) napping: That's very funny. You press the button again in a certain way and then you can take a nap (eg in the car). The band evokes a by a define total duration (eg 45 minutes), but even if I recovered in "optimally" (eg. 27 minutes of deep sleep). Does one have to believe in it probably, it is always fun and I know at least that I am awakened safely after 45 minutes and the exit not miss.
(5) "Mood Tracking": Jawbone advertises "Mood Tracking", which is measured something. Defacto I can, whenever I'm funny, enter my current mood about smileys and so my constant "Lifeline" Add. With Mood-tracking that has not much to do, we see it as a diary entry.

Finally, one aspect on which I did not go into, because I do not use it and I also can not imagine, for whom is supposed to be important: The whole app is designed for social-connecting. I can almost everything I eat over, sleep, mood-track etc. Any share in a Jawbone Team World. But I can also leave, and I do.

Conclusion:

For people who want to create as well as play with technique really a focus on their lifestyle, a real must-have. I notice that I am interested to go alone by the presence of the tape more on walking and the balanced food and am always pleased when I have more than 100% of my goal achievement :-)