By David Ponce
Now that the technology is maturing (read: getting small enough), more and more gadgets are being conceived with the goal to track our health and make it more fun and interactive to stay fit. I reviewed the Fitbit Ultra and came away reasonably impressed. But at Digital Experience here in Vegas I saw something that could knock it out of the water. It’s a wristwatch and it’s called the Basis. The reason it’s cool is that it tracks more than elevantion and steps taken (the Fitbit’s two metrics). Being a wristwatch, it’s able to keep tabs on your heartrate, your temprature, your sleeping patterns and your galvanic skin response, as well as the number of steps taken. These five metrics are then fed into the company’s algorithm and spit out a more accurate, more granular picture of your overall health. We didn’t get down into the nitty gritty of what exactly they mean by “health”, but the fact that they track five metrics as opposed to two (three if you actually bother to put the Fitbit on your wrist to sleep), makes the Basis a more compelling product in my eyes.
It doesn’t currently connect to the cloud through Bluetooth, though that’s in the works. It’s a USB affair for now. And it’s $200 on pre-order, with shpping sometime in Q2.
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I did do some research. And I think you misunderstood Fitbit. The “metrics” they give you are inferred from only two data streams: altimeter and accelerometer. The Basis has that as well as a thermometer, a galvanometer and a heart sensor. This is possible because unlike the Fitbit, the Basis wristwatch rests against your skin.