Has anyone else found fitbit to be fairly unresponsive to customer problems, and when they do respond, they give answers like "sorry, we can't help you that's just the way it is and we aren't ever going to change it." I have had to contact fitbit several times in the past and each time I receive a less than helpful non answer to my question. - asked about clearing preuse data that came on my fitbit ultra --> led me along for a days until, they "fixed it" but actually didn't do anything because...
Read more →
This device looks awesome! Lower back pain is such an issue in everyday life that magnifies as one gets older. I really think devices like this can allow people to be more pain free and thus happier (later) in life! I realize this is the earliest version and so there will be many issues, but posture is a tough issue to tackle and I like this idea a lot. If executed well, creative ideas like this show that tech is forever improving daily life. Hopefully this can be interwoven or mixed into...
Read more →
Lost it after a late night walk, walked the same usual route the next day and found it in the road, unharmed. Without even really trying I've lost almost 40 pounds. Really meshes well with the withings scale and my GPS unit for hikes, bike rides, etc. Love this thing.
You wear it on an armband and it measures all of the things, as I understand it, that the Fitbit measures. I sync it with their website daily although it will store two weeks of data and the battery lasts for well over a week. I've lost over twenty pounds since I began using the device. Their advertising says it's like "having a personal trainer on your arm." I figured that was over-the-top marketing BS but there's more than a grain of truth to it. When I get lazy and...
Read more →
"Eric Topol: The wireless future of medicine" Eric Topol says we'll soon use our smartphones to monitor our vital signs and chronic conditions. At TEDMED, he highlights several of the most important wireless devices in medicine's future -- all helping to keep more of us out of hospital beds. http://www.ted.com/talks/eric_topol_the_wireless_f...
I really like the Fitbit I just received, and I'm already loving the charts graphs and stats that are generated. What i think they really need to complete the package is an App for iPhone/Android etc. (or at the very least, a more mobile-friendly site). Logging food, for example, is a great way to encourage weight loss and healthy living - and they've built a pretty good system on the site, but waiting until you're back behind your computer instead of quickly logging what you're...
Read more →
So far I've heard a lot of positive things about the Fitbit but one thing I'm a little skeptical about is the sleep tracking capabilities. If I read correctly, the Fitbit uses an accelerometer to track your sleeping activity. However I'm not really sure how my movements in bed correlate to my stages of sleep. I toss and turn in my sleep, and I suppose i'm not positive, but i'm pretty confident when I say that every time I roll over i'm not waking up. I guess i'd just...
I just wanted to speak to the unavailability of this device, so other users could be aware of the problems. I placed my order on December 31st, 2009. Since then, the expected ship date on my order page has changed from "late January" to "mid February" to "February 28th" (which was oddly specific). Guess what: it still says February 28th. With emails and forum postings going completely unanswered (that's just bad customer service) I finally hunted down a phone...
Read more →
I'm not even going to get into the conflict of interest and how it manifested itself in the uncritical love-fest on the podcast. It costs 3x a comparable Omron pedometer (that's all the fitbit is, a pedometer). The Omron comes with local software that you sync to your PC via USB (no massive battery draining wireless). Yes, you can actually keep your data on your very own computer! Because they wanted Fitbit to be "wireless" (ohhhhh), the battery only lasts DAYS(!). And what...
Read more →
Where are you all wearing your Fitbit? I like the idea of throwing it in my pocket, and the accuracy has been decent, but not quite as accurate as when clipped to a belt. I just don't like having something on my belt, you know?
those of you who "liked" the Fitbit on the product page, do you like it from personal use or do you like the idea of it? I'm really curious if this device delivers on all the claims from its website. If so it seems like a pretty valuable little gadget...
I'm not really an active person, but the Fitbit is awesome. I'd love to be able to track my sleep patterns, but the lack of any Linux support is a total dealbreaker for me.
Hi everyone, I had recently gotten my mom a Fitbit Ultra for Mother's Day and we're having trouble setting it up on her Macbook Air. 1. Clicking "Next" on the personal information screen does nothing. 2. Even after that works, I am aware that it will ask her to plug the Fitbit on its base into her computer, which is a problem since it has no USB port. Is there a fix for problem 1 and a workaround for problem 2? Thanks.
I asked this question jokingly on Twitter the other day, but I'm curious as to whether anybody has any real answers. Why do neither the Fitbit or Jawbone Up ship outside the US/Canada? What is it about the technology (if it is the technology that's the problem) that makes it so difficult? All I can guess is that it's the wireless radios that might cause a holdup in international availability. (It's worth noting that since I posted this question, the Jawbone Up has become available in Apple Stores...
Some of us swear by our Fitbits, while others are eagerly waiting for the Up. I know the Jawbone Up doesn't ship until next week, but if you're on the fence about purchasing a fitness / health gadget, what are you leaning toward and why?
Do you already have a Fitbit? Are you going to switch to the Up (or considering getting one and using both)?
I keep my charger base for my fitbit ultra at work. It makes the most sense because I am at my desk 5 days a week when at home I may not use my PC daily. However as the weekend gets closer, I am curious if I can go two days without syncing.
Does anyone know how many days data the fitbit ultra can hold?
I've only had it since last Wednesday, but my Fitbit has been acting strangely. It seems to switch itself in to activity mode without me pressing anything. On Friday, for a while I noticed that when I pressed the button once it wouldn't respond, and if I pressed it a couple more times it would eventually display "Start" and go to activity mode. Pressing once more would display "Stop", even though I was only doing a short press. After doing this for a while, it reset itself (displayed "Fitbit...
Read more →
I'm using my Fitbit to log my activity and whatnot, but I also want to use it for logging my food intake. However, I have no idea how to enter stuff from a restaurant or take-out! Most of the food items that they have in their database are pre-packaged items.
Any suggestions for making sense of food that doesn't come in a box?
My FitBit broke this morning!! *sob* The back cover broke off... so the device itself still works but the cover no longer stays on without something to hold it. I wasn't doing anything unusual with it. I wear it clipped to my bra (TMI maybe but it's true!) and I was clipping it on and the back part just broke off. I have worried about this happening since I got it and try to be careful with it... :\ Did your FitBit break? In what way did it break? Were you able to get it replaced? Here is...
I'm home for the weekend and finally got the Fitbit that I ordered last week. I've set it up and I'm curious to know how much you guys record on your Fitbit accounts. Do you guys input your food intake, water intake, heart rate, mood, etc.? Or do you just let it count your steps and calories? If you input your meals, how do you determine how many calories you took in from homecooked meals?
I live in Denmark, and I absolutely love the idea of fitbit. But going through the hassle of using those "fake" US address services is not appealing at all.
1) When you exercise do you put it in "activity" mode? Why do you (or don't you)? I've just started up the C25K program and I'm indecisive about how important that step is. The first day I did not do it and the second day I did. 2) I've noticed that if I do not sync the fitbit on a daily basis that the markers for when I begin sleep/end sleep are lost. Does that also happen to you? I'm trying to figure out if I'm doing something wrong. Basically, I was...
Read more →
This morning, I woke up early to take advantage of the beautiful weather in San Francisco today and go for a run through the park. Download a podcast? Check. Set up GPS app? Check. Make sure I have my FitBit in my pocket? Check. Alright, let's get those steps in! About 30 minutes later I return home and find that my FitBit won't turn on. What?! I'm really perplexed. I plugged it into the dock and it turned on, showing a full battery charge. After appearing to boot up for a bit, I...
Read more →
Since I received the FitBit for Christmas, I think there's only been a single day I've not worn the device (or forgot it for some reason). I love it! I'm a huge data junky though, so I love checking out how many steps I've walked each day (and comparing that data with other FitBit users.) Anyway, I was looking at some of my stats the other day and noticed I set quite a number of personal records while setting up for gdgt live in Austin. (These events are pretty crazy!) 33,561...
Read more →
This only happens once every few weeks, but on occasion when I unplug the FitBit Base Station from my MacBook Pro (or unplug the USB dock that the base station is connected to), I get the grey screen of death. Anyone else have this issue or can think of a possible solution?
Even if you properly hit the button to START and STOP recording sleep, only your daytime activity results are being synced and Fitbit.com says you didn't track any sleep. Fitbit released a firmware update in early January '11 to fix this issue. Windows users can follow the instructions on this page: http://www.fitbit.com/forums/topic/828PQWL2ZTY8B Mac users need to wait for an update to the firmware updater, because their usual process isn't working with this release.
If so, what has your experience been like with either of these devices? I recently received a FitBit for Christmas and have loved using it to track my daily activity -- I'm much more active than I thought! An added bonus is that the FitBit can track your sleeping patterns and let you know how well you've been sleeping. My opinion on the sleep tracking features of the FitBit so far? Total rubbish. For example, last night, it said I fell asleep in 2 minutes -- I don't think...
Read more →
