Microsoft Band

[Winjer]

Microsoft Band, powered by Microsoft Health, revealed

Microsoft has unveiled its first modern wearable device. The Microsoft Band is, as you might guess from the name, a wrist worn smart band. Its main purpose is the area of fitness tracking and helping users achieve wellness goals via integration with the new Microsoft Health platform. Microsoft's fitness wearable works with multiple platforms including iOS, Android and Windows Phone. It can also keep you connected via your smartphone by offering 'smart notifications' including calls, texts, emails, calendar and social updates. With Windows Phone you can even interact with Cortana.
The official Microsoft Band reveal came hot on the heels of 'leaks' of the health focussed apps starting to appear in the various app stores last night. The app information snippets included details of the Microsoft fitness band, which was at the time still under wraps.
Microsoft Health is a platform with the purpose of making sense of all the biometric and fitness data people harvest from their wearable devices. The multi-platform software supports UP by Jawbone, MapMyFitness, MyFitnessPal and RunKeeper at launch and will be updated with support for more devices as they arrive on the market. Microsoft Health is said to "unite data like steps, calories, heart rate and more from different health and fitness devices and services to give you powerful insights on the data collected," giving the user a holistic view.

The Microsoft Band also works with Microsoft Health of course. The wristband contains 10 smart sensors and can monitor health aspects such as heart rate, calorie burn, sleep quality and more. Other sensors include a built-in GPS and a UV monitor.

The Microsoft Band has the following specifications:

• Band material: Thermal plastic elastomer with adjustable fit clasp
• Display: Size: 11mm x 33mm, Type: Capacitive 1.4" TFT full color display, Resolution: 320 x 106 pixels
• Sensors: Optical heart rate sensor, 3-axis accelerometer/gyro, Gyrometer, GPS, Ambient light sensor, Skin temperature sensor, UV sensor, Capacitive sensor, Galvanic skin response, Microphone.
• Additional technology: Microphone, Haptic vibration motor
• Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.0 (Low Energy)
• Supported mobile devices: Works with Windows Phone 8.1 update with Bluetooth, iOS 7.1 and later: iPhone 4S, 5, 5C, 5S, 6, 6 Plus and Android 4.3-4.4 phones, with Bluetooth.
• Battery: 48 hours of normal use; advanced functionality like GPS use will impact battery performance, Average charge time: Full charge in less than 1.5 hours, Battery type: Dual 100mAh rechargeable lithium-ion polymer batteries
• Charge cable connector: Magnetically-coupled connector to USB
• Operating temperature ranges: -10°C to 40°C (14°F to 104°F)
• Maximum operating altitude: Approximately 12,000m
• Warranty: 1 year limited warranty for manufacturing defects
• Water resistance: Dust- and splash-resistant
• What's in the box: Microsoft Band, USB magnetic connector cable, Safety & warranty document, Quick Start Guide

Yusulef Mehdi, CVP of Devices & Services Marketing asserts that "Wearables will return people from the tech to the human side of life. We're going to see a lot of passion around these devices".

Até acho que tem bom aspecto, mas parece ser um pouco grosso demais para andar no pulso.

[MAXLD]

What a fck...

Isto já começa a parecer aquela piada de um gajo ir comprar uma pizza e não consegue porque o a sua base de dados refere que tem alto colesterol e o diabo a sete...




A ironia disto tudo é que são as pessoas a aderir as estas merdas por vontade própria... what's the world coming to...

[Jorge-Vieira]

Ha dispositivos bem mais interessantes de marcas, como a Polar, viradas mesmo para o desporto do que este gadjet da MS.

[Winjer]

Reparem que estes dispositivos não podem andar a fazer diagnósticos ou recomendações médicas.
Apenas podem mostrar danos.
Para poderem fazer diagnósticos de saúde e recomendações, têm de ser aprovados pelas organizações de saúde de cada país. Isto dá uma carga de trabalho e custa bastante dinheiro.
Pior ainda, basta uma análise ou recomendação mal feita, ou errada e vai logo processo judicial em cima, especialmente nos EUA.

[Jorge-Vieira]

Microsoft Band Update Adds Tiny Keyboard

Four months after its release, Band, Microsoft’s wearable smart device, has received its first major update. The update, in conjunction with Windows Phones, brings dictation mode, and a virtual QWERTY keyboard.
The dictation mode is powered by Cortana, Microsoft’s voice recognising personal assistant, while the keyboard uses the same Word Flow software as a Windows Phone. Though the keyboard is small, the smart software compensates for any mistakes, but those who struggle to type on the Band can rely on the effective voice recognition of Cortana for dictation instead.

Microsoft has also included a bike mode for avid cyclists that tracks heart rate, ride, elevation, speed, and distance. Plus, third-party apps are now allowed to utilise the fitness tracker.
Source: The Verge

Noticia:
http://www.eteknix.com/microsoft-ban...tiny-keyboard/

[Jorge-Vieira]

Microsoft’s Band Gadget Finally Lands on the UK Market

Having a desk job is extremely stressing and messes with your body, this is why doctors recommend a minimum of 30 minutes workout per day. This helps relieve stress and keep you in shape both physically and mentally. But why not track your activity and health with the latest fitness and health bands on the market?
If you are living in the UK and wanted the Microsoft Band, the company appears to have started to offer it for a price tag of £169.99. The band seems to help keep track of activities such as heart rate, sun exposure, stress levels, calories burned and quality of sleep.
The Band connects to any iOS, Android or Windows Phone device via its companion app and offers customizable workouts. Whether you want to burn a lot of calories or just want to have a balanced diet, the Band and its app are available to help you with that.
Also, Microsoft’s gadget can be controlled with commands sent to Cortana, the company’s personal assistant and Siri’s rival. Is this why Cortana aims to arrive on the iOS and Android markets in the near future? Will Microsoft’s personal assistant squeeze its way into other mobile operating systems and offer integrated support in other applications too? We don’t have the answer for the latter questions, but time is bound to reveal the answer to that.




As far as the Band is concerned, you can order one from retailers such as Amazon, Harrods, Currys, O2 or even Microsoft’s Store itself. How do you find Microsoft’s health and fitness gadget? Are you planning on acquiring one yourself?
Thank you TheNextWeb for providing us with this information
Video courtesy of TheNextWeb and image courtesy of Digital Trends

Noticia:
http://www.eteknix.com/microsofts-ba...the-uk-market/

[Jorge-Vieira]

Microsoft Band Fitness Wearable Receives $20 Price Cut, Next Gen Version In Development

If you're a fitness guru or otherwise looking to "live healthier and be more productive," as Microsoft pitches its Band accessory, you have options. Lots of them. Fitness has become a huge point of focus for the wearables category, and speaking of the aforementioned Microsoft Band, the Redmond outfit sliced $20 off the price of its wrist band today.

It now sells for $180, down from its original retail cost of $200. With it you can "achieve your wellness goals and stay more productive with email. previews, and calendar alerts at a glance," Microsoft says. It offers guided workouts, can track your reps, and give you a detailed summary of your effort, number of calories burned, and more. And when it comes time to hit the sack, the Microsoft Band can track the length and quality of your sleep, taking note of how often you wake up, the length of light and restful sleep, and your average heart rate per hour.

The price cut comes as Microsoft prepares a second generation Band. Microsoft COO Kevin Turner confirmed as much during a keynote at WPC, though he didn't tease any details whatsoever. All he was willing to say about the Microsoft Band 2 is that "we're working on it," according to Windows Central.

Might Microsoft also make a smartwatch? Anything is possible with Windows 10 around the bend, though there hasn't been much to indicate Microsoft is interested in the smartwatch category. Just the opposite, Microsoft killed off Nokia's Moonraker smartwatch project after it acquired the company's Devices and Services division in 2014. To be fair, Moonraker was an Android-based smartwatch project, not Windows Phone.

Getting back to the Band and its $20 price cut, the fitness wearable is available in three sizes -- small, medium, and large, which you can purchase at the Microsoft Store. To figure out which is the right size for you, print out this PDF at 100 percent.

Noticia:
http://hothardware.com/news/microsof...in-development

[Jorge-Vieira]

Microsoft Band Fitness Wearable Again Falls Below $150 As Next Gen Model Looms

Microsoft introduced its “fitness” Band late last year in an attempt to tap into the growing wearables market. Supplies were incredibly constrained at launch and it took Microsoft a few months to get production numbers up to a comfortable level.
Once production was humming along, the discounts started piling on. Microsoft struck the first blow with a meager $20 discount of its own, while Target countered with a $50 discount, making for a pretty sweet 25 percent savings off the MSRP. In the month since Target temporarily slashed the price on the Band, things have been relatively quiet…. until now.

Amazon is now trying its hand on Band discounts, matching the limited time Target price of $149.99. That price covers all three Microsoft Band sizes: small, medium, and large. If previous Band “flash sales” are any indication, we have the feeling that this current sale won’t last for very long. Microsoft offered a similar promotion late last week that was quickly snuffed out.
The generous discounts shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise considering that Microsoft revealed last month that it was currently developing the second generation Band wearable. And we learned late last week that Microsoft has plans to launch the presumed “Band 2” in October at an event that will also feature the Surface Pro 4 tablet and two flagship Lumia smartphones.
As Microsoft clears out Band inventory, expect to see more limited time discounts like this current one from Amazon. $150 is definitely a very palatable price point for the versatile Band, but $125 sounds like a price that will push Band pricing from “great deal” to “impulse buy.”

Noticia:
http://hothardware.com/news/microsof...en-model-looms

[Jorge-Vieira]

First Generation Microsoft Band Wearable Falls To $79, Vastly Undercutting Its Successor

The second generation Microsoft Band is an impressive fitness wearable, packing in 11 sensors and a curved, AMOLED touch screen display. However, it is priced at $249, which puts it $50 above the debut price of its predecessor.
That brings us back to the original Band. Just last month, Microsoft had the wearable on sale for a low, low price of $99. At the level, we figured that stocks would deplete relatively quickly and fitness gurus would be forced to pony up for the more expensive second generation Band. That’s obviously not the case, as retail partner Best Buy still has plenty available, and has dropped the price by another $20, taking the original Band down to just $79.99.

image: http://hothardware.com/ContentImages...osoft_Band.jpg

Don’t get us wrong, the second generation Band does look snazzier, it’s a lot more comfortable to wear and it includes an additional sensor: a barometer. But is all of that worth $170 more than its predecessor? You be the judge, but I’d personally suck up wearing a chunkier device along with the less advanced 1.4-inch TFT display and pocket the rest of the money.
We have no idea how long Best Buy plans on keeping pricing this low; Microsoft’s previous low price of $99 has already shot back up to $129.99.

Noticia:
http://hothardware.com/news/first-ge...OsVceLs3KVd.99