jules.ca

telecom, technology and the occasional floobergeist

I’ve got an abundance of bits and pieces of canadian telecom and internet experience, and I am thrilled to be in a place in time when all is changing, technology is developing, and the status quo is being disrupted. 

Floobergeist is a word that is beginning to defy definition.  The more I roll that smooth pebble around, the more it becomes to mean. Floobergeist started out as the magic dust that turns dreams into ideas.  And then it began to encompass the zing that happens when you have conversations about those ideas. And now, it’s the whole evolution from dream to conversation, with each step improving the later and the former along the way.

Everyone aspires to good conversations. They can lead you to adventures you’ve never imagined, and to people you can twig with.

Let’s have a good conversation…

welcome.

Fitbit Flex Review

I was one of those early, pre-release adopters of the Fitbit Flex, and because of that luck, I've been able to enjoy my Fitbit for over a month now. It's been enough time that I feel comfy about a review. 

Screen Shot 2013-06-29 at 7.54.13 AM.png

First off: I had no idea how much a slug I am as a remote tele-worker. If I'm not paying attention, I can walk less than 2000 steps in a day. That glaring realization in itself is enough to justify the Fitbit. :-D

I chose the Flex because I wanted a device that never had to come off. No clipping, no pocketing, no remembering. As a bracelet, it's always on. It was a no-brainer.

The setup was a piece of cake, and the Fitbit Dashboard is a really neat way to see your stats and the status of your goals on a daily, weekly, monthly basis. 

Screen Shot 2013-06-29 at 8.21.47 AM.png

My goal is 10,000 steps a day. In a month, I think I've been able to hit that goal about 5 times, so it's not as easy as you think.  I mostly average about 8000 steps. The motivation hits when I realize I'm only at 5000 steps, and I get off the couch to get up to 8000. Soon I will be averaging 10,000 --- but it's hard.

One of the neater features is that the Flex can tell if you are lightly active, moderately active or vigorously active. I don't know how it does it - but it can tell the difference between me walking around the house, and me walking the dog vs cutting the grass with a push mower. I think it's magic. :-D

Screen Shot 2013-06-29 at 8.22.12 AM.png

The sleep monitor is neat, but I'm not sure how accurate it is. That being said, it *does* give you a good indication of whether you are a restless sleeper, or a nice, deep sleeper... :-D

I don't use the calorie tracker/food input options, and I probably should. I'm just not good at tracking food intake, and I'm not sure that's important for me.

I wish the Flex tracked stairs, but it looks like the Fitbit One is the only device that does that right now. I also wish it had a GPS, since I love seeing my walks on a map. 

Overall --- it IS motivational. I am looking forward to more friends getting the Fitbit, so we can compete against each other --- and I think that's where the real value is going to come in. Fitness mixed with social media is going to be the motivator for me!