Jawbone Releases API for Developers, Buys BodyMedia

Nice update to the app. Connected it to 3 other apps (although LoseIt requires a premium account at $39.99/yr to allow it to import your UP data).

I bought an UP this weekend. And returned it in an hour. I use Lose It! to track my calorie intake, nutrients, and exercise so I'm used to being able to track all the calories which the UP app sort of does but it doesn't track calories expended VS the amount you are eating the way Lose It! does so nicely. If Lose It! integrates the UP like they have the Fuel Band and Fitbit I will definitely go for it again. I just don't like the seemingly arbitrary "fuel" of the Fuel Band.

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OldSchoolMacGuy said:

Nice update to the app. Connected it to 3 other apps (although LoseIt requires a premium account at $39.99/yr to allow it to import your UP data).

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Lose It! does integrate now?! Awesome! Forget my last comment!

Here's the link to the announcement. http://blog.loseit.com/2013/04/30/now-featuring-up-by-jawbone/

charliex5 said:

I bought an UP this weekend. And returned it in an hour. I use Lose It! to track my calorie intake, nutrients, and exercise so I'm used to being able to track all the calories which the UP app sort of does but it doesn't track calories expended VS the amount you are eating the way Lose It! does so nicely. If Lose It! integrates the UP like they have the Fuel Band and Fitbit I will definitely go for it again. I just don't like the seemingly arbitrary "fuel" of the Fuel Band.

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Lose It! does integrate now?! Awesome! Forget my last comment!

Here's the link to the announcement. http://blog.loseit.com/2013/04/30/now-featuring-up-by-jawbone/

Click to expand...

Yup, was just about to post and say it now does. Though as I said, you do need their premium account. Still, $40 for a year seems a good deal with all LoseIt! does. I've enjoyed the app for the couple years I've used it.

OldSchoolMacGuy said:

Yup, was just about to post and say it now does. Though as I said, you do need their premium account. Still, $40 for a year seems a good deal with all LoseIt! does. I've enjoyed the app for the couple years I've used it.

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Yeah, Lose It! is awesome. I lost 20lbs about 1.5 years ago and have continued to use it to monitor and make sure I'm getting the nutrients I want and monitor my patterns. My dad used it to lose about 25 pounds a year ago too. Amazing for a free app and even better with the paid version.


The sleep tracking of the UP band is really enticing plus the ability to see throughout the day where I could be moving more. Guess I'm going to Best Buy after work!

I like the Jawbone form factor with two exceptions:

1. The cap is easy to lose
2. It has be plugged in to sync which is more of a hassle if you are like me and have an Otterbox Commuter on my iPhone

I too didn't care for the arbitrary fuelband (I don't think it was accurate either). I have a FitBit One right now and other than the form factor, it works well. I have actually lost it for a while and washed it - either the front load didn't use a lot of water or it survived a bath.

If the Jawbone solved the two problems I have with it I would buy two of them right now.

The upcoming Fitbit Flex was a no brainer, but this changes things

The fitbit ecosystem does seem better though

tomegun said:

I like the Jawbone form factor with two exceptions:

1. The cap is easy to lose
2. It has be plugged in to sync which is more of a hassle if you are like me and have an Otterbox Commuter on my iPhone

I too didn't care for the arbitrary fuelband (I don't think it was accurate either). I have a FitBit One right now and other than the form factor, it works well. I have actually lost it for a while and washed it - either the front load didn't use a lot of water or it survived a bath.

If the Jawbone solved the two problems I have with it I would buy two of them right now.

Click to expand...

After my UP2 lasted only about 40 days, I am replacing my old fitbit with the new one. I stopped using the old fitbit because it wasn't sweat proof and had killed one already wearing while working out. Who would make a fitness track that wasn't sweat proof should have been taken out back and beat... I tried the fuelband and it seams pointless and the body media was way too big.

I used to praise up band. But not anymore. I bought 2 from version 2 release. My wife's has had to be replaced 3 times and mine twice. They have gotten faster at replacing them but a consumer really shouldn't have to know that. At least now I can sync with witherings till fitbit releases flexband and I can change to that.

RuneKeeper integration? I would love that.

I'm very tempted by Jawbone UP, but i'm also waiting for FitBit Flex to be available..... for me it is a very difficult choice. Some friends i know (my best friend too who live very far from me) have Jawbone Up... and the social features are interesting, so we can compete for fun eachother

tomegun said:

I like the Jawbone form factor with two exceptions:

1. The cap is easy to lose
2. It has be plugged in to sync which is more of a hassle if you are like me and have an Otterbox Commuter on my iPhone

I too didn't care for the arbitrary fuelband (I don't think it was accurate either). I have a FitBit One right now and other than the form factor, it works well. I have actually lost it for a while and washed it - either the front load didn't use a lot of water or it survived a bath.

If the Jawbone solved the two problems I have with it I would buy two of them right now.

Click to expand...

I've had and been using the UP since December of 2011. I have NEVER, not even a single time, had any issues with the cap. It never falls off. When you do take it off to charge it, it's not easy to lose. I set it on my desk (where it is this second actually) and replace it when it's done. Same when I remove it to sync. Never falls off when I'm weight lifting, biking (generally 50 miles a day), playing other sports, and other activities.

Apps won't help it. Even v2.0 is a poor design. Too bad...so much potential. When the Fitbit Flex ships I can't see why anyone would buy a Jawbone. Nike needs to step up it's game. The FuelBand needs a refresh. And of course we're all waiting to see what Apple does. That could be the one that kills 'em all.

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OldSchoolMacGuy said:

I've had and been using the UP since December of 2011.

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Lucky you. It's one of the reasons I returned mine. The band's biggest flaw is that it's not BT and you have to sync it to know what your activity level is at any given point in the day. Maybe if it had a screen like the Fuelband that would be so bad, but it doesn't, so it is.

Chupa Chupa said:

Lucky you. It's one of the reasons I returned mine. The band's biggest flaw is that it's not BT and you have to sync it to know what your activity level is at any given point in the day. Maybe if it had a screen like the Fuelband that would be so bad, but it doesn't, so it is.

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You might see it as a flaw but the lack of Bluetooth means that the UP lasts 10 days on a single charge. The other options can't touch that. When I'm traveling for work all week, I don't have to worry about bringing my charger. Also, time spent charging is time spent that the band isn't able to record your activity. The 10 seconds that it takes to pop the band off my wrist and plug it in to sync is about 3 seconds more than it takes Bluetooth to pair and way quicker than for most that would have to also turn Bluetooth on in their phone's settings first each time.

OldSchoolMacGuy said:

You might see it as a flaw but the lack of Bluetooth means that the UP lasts 10 days on a single charge. The other options can't touch that. When I'm traveling for work all week, I don't have to worry about bringing my charger. Also, time spent charging is time spent that the band isn't able to record your activity. The 10 seconds that it takes to pop the band off my wrist and plug it in to sync is about 3 seconds more than it takes Bluetooth to pair and way quicker than for most that would have to also turn Bluetooth on in their phone's settings first each time.

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I don't want to turn this into a pissing contest, but my FitBit One may last 10 days too; I don't really pay attention to how often I charge it because it isn't much.

As far as the FitBit Flex, I haven't been able to determine for sure if it has the hardware necessary to track flights of stairs like the FitBit One. If it does, it could be the one. If not, it still may be the one, but I'm used to tracking stairs now that I got the capability.

OldSchoolMacGuy said:

You might see it as a flaw but the lack of Bluetooth means that the UP lasts 10 days on a single charge.

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Yes, I see the lack of syncing as a huge flaw because it's suppose to be a tool to help you monitor your daily activity. Hard to do that if you have to physically dock it just to see how you are progressing at any giving time. The fact it might last 10 days on a single charge is really not a huge feature given the purpose of the device.

OTOH my FuelBand does require charging every 3 days. Big deal. I pop it into my laptop before bed and let it charge. Or if I'm OOT and don't have my laptop w/ me I pop it into my iPad or iPhone charger. Slight PITA, but at least I know how many steps I've taken for the day and where I am in regards to my daily goal with the press of a button.

My band broke last week after only four months. I'm awaiting my RMA. I'm worried after after the first generation and I went through 3 replacements in a month. The warranty is only a year....

Shoutout for Bodymedia

Feel like I need to put a plug in here for Bodymedia.

I started with a Fitbit and thought it was cool. Switched to a Fitbit One and was disappointed; I kept losing it - falling off of my belt, getting hooked to my seatbelt, etc. Had to carry it in my pocket, which is OK, I guess.

I then moved to the Bodymedia Link. Yes, it's bigger but you get used to it pretty quickly. The bluetooth lets me see where I am anytime during the day. No perceptible drain on the phone battery since the connection is "on demand" and connects within seconds. I charge my Bodymedia once every 2 weeks. And the constant measurements and data points means it measures ALL activites quite accurately - no stair counts, but that's not a big deal for me. I'm more concerned with my calorie burn through the day.

Integrates with MyFitnessPal beautifully (no "premium" account needed like LoseIt!).

The one con is that they charge for access to their website where the data is housed. They've recently changed the pricing structure to make it cheaper. A con, but the benefits of the device, the website, and the MFP integration has got me addicted to this thing.

I wonder what Jawbone will do with them once they put their focus on them. I hope nothing. Don't want to see future versions of the Bodymedia device turn into the Up. The Bodymedia Link just flat out works.

Great API I am sure developers will enhance it and create more health and fitness related apps in the coming time. Though I seriously doubt the measuring ability of some of these apps like the blood pressure measuring app.

Chupa Chupa said:

Yes, I see the lack of syncing as a huge flaw because it's suppose to be a tool to help you monitor your daily activity. Hard to do that if you have to physically dock it just to see how you are progressing at any giving time. The fact it might last 10 days on a single charge is really not a huge feature given the purpose of the device.

OTOH my FuelBand does require charging every 3 days. Big deal. I pop it into my laptop before bed and let it charge. Or if I'm OOT and don't have my laptop w/ me I pop it into my iPad or iPhone charger. Slight PITA, but at least I know how many steps I've taken for the day and where I am in regards to my daily goal with the press of a button.

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Charging overnight isn't something you want to do with the UP since it also monitors sleep patterns and acts as an alarm. FuelBand doesn't give any real numbers on anything. Arbitrary Fuel Points mean nothing.

OldSchoolMacGuy said:

Charging overnight isn't something you want to do with the UP since it also monitors sleep patterns and acts as an alarm. FuelBand doesn't give any real numbers on anything. Arbitrary Fuel Points mean nothing.

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None of these sport bands are 100% accurate. If you think the UP is more accurate then you are naive. Just saying. (I've tried out the the UP, Fitbit, and Fuelband simultaneously so I'm talking from experience).

As for sleep, I always thought that was a supreme gimmick. I know if I sleep thought the night and with quality. I don't need a band to tell me this "news." And I wake up naturally at 5:30-6. I don't believe a machine can predict when I need to wake up, but my body usually does a good job of that task.

But back to the point of battery... you have to charge the UP sometime, so at some point you won't be able to track activity for a few hours. If the UP charged of of kinetic energy maybe you'd have a point. I'd rather just charge 2-3x a week at night and always be able to wear in the day.

Agree Nike's fuel points is an arbitrary measurement, but it is a useful way to compare day to day, month to month, etc activity. Like other bands, it also measures steps taken which is more normalized. I say "more," because when I've worn all 3 bands simultaneously none reported the same # of steps as the next one, but all were w/i 5%.

Feature for feature, the Fitbit is the best out there, but the current form factor is inconvenient for me, apparently others. I lost two of them and said forget it. I'm anxious to try out the Flex when it ships though.

I have to figure out what is more important: counting flights of stairs and a screen or the wristband form factor and measuring sleep without pulling out a wristband.

I'm thinking I will give the Flex a try and go from there.

OldSchoolMacGuy said:

I've had and been using the UP since December of 2011. I have NEVER, not even a single time, had any issues with the cap. It never falls off. When you do take it off to charge it, it's not easy to lose. I set it on my desk (where it is this second actually) and replace it when it's done. Same when I remove it to sync. Never falls off when I'm weight lifting, biking (generally 50 miles a day), playing other sports, and other activities.

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So, what is the solution for those of us that have cases on our phones? I have an Otterbox Commuter - not the biggest case by any means. I can't plug the Up into my phone with the case on. That means I would have to get an extension or something and carry that with me...or wait until I get home to sync. Also, do you think the existence of bluetooth in a device uses extra power? My Fitbit One only connects to my iPhone via bluetooth maybe 30 seconds a day. I have owned an Up, the Fuelband and the Fitbit. The Fuelband has be recharged the most and I don't remember that being an issue.