Our readers of Android Headlines might have seen me around Google+ advocating the smartwatch and wearable tech in general. I wrote our SmartWatch 2 review, and I’m “patiently” waiting for this big update that brings much more functionality to my wrist. Now, I’ve been a watch wearer all my adult life, as such wearing a smartwatch like Sony’s offering is just a logical step. I think it looks good, it reminds me of a Braun classic, and thanks to notifications coming through to my wrist, my phone is silent all the time. No longer do I need to check my phone to see who that email jingle was from. It’s bliss. There’s a new wearable on its way from Sony however, their SmartBand, which you can see in the above photo. You’re probably thinking there’s nothing weird about the SmartBand at all, but really there is, and it excites me.
The SmartBand is a little weird, because it goes further than any other wearables out there, and literally stalks you and follows you all over the place. At least, that’s what it does in conjunction with the LifeLog app. It uses your phone, your SmartBand and such to tell you how active you were, where you took those photos and when, where you went, who you were with and more. It even watches you sleep. That’s creepy. Or is it? At first this concept sounded completely bizarre to me, but when I thought about it a little longer, it’s pretty cool. Here’s my reasoning; I’m not very active, but I’m not a complete hermit either, I just need a little more of a push to get myself motivated. Shame is more of a motivator than anything else, and with the SmartBand collecting your every move, I will be shamed into being more active. Looking at 24 hours of activity will reveal how truly lazy I can be, and after a few days I’m fairly certain that I will get off my ass and get moving.
The SmartBand tracks all of your activity, it’s essentially a small nugget wrapped in a band of your choosing and it’s supposed to be worn 24/7. It’s even supposed to be worn in bed, as the Smartband tracks and gives you info on your sleep. I used to love shooting hoops with my friends and we still get together from time-to-time, but with the SmartBand I feel like I will be more willing to play more often, as it’ll show in LifeLog and I will have a record that I bothered to go and do something. As well as all of the “let’s get fit” stuff I have floating through my head like a sweet smell, I will admit that it just seems plain cool to me. It’s a gadget you tie to your wrist, that you can show your friends, that’s “the future” and more! What’s not to love, seriously?
Okay, so I know what you’re all saying – I’m just gonna take it off, and still do nothing. That’s a very real possibility, and I sincerely hope that I don’t have the urge to just “forget about it”, I’m genuinely looking forward to Sony’s approach of fitness tracking and the like. In my eyes, Sony has gotten things right with the SmartBand and LifeLog, other bands and such that have even the slightest mentality of “take it or leave it” are no good for me, because I will simple leave it. LifeLog however, is a 24/7 affair and I guarantee that my girlfriend will be asking me to show her my previous day’s log to laugh at my laziness. I’m sure that I won’t be a reformed person thanks to a simple piece of technology, but my smartwatch has changed how I approach notifications, I’m no longer grumpy or irritated when I get a ton of emails or texts, because I can simply glance and see what I care about. As a result, work stuff I need to take care of gets taken care of with a calmer mind and my friends and loved ones get the attention they deserve. I also answer my phone a lot more, a vibrating wrist is nowhere as fun as it sounds. So, why can’t the SmartBand change my attitude to staying active? I can’t say for sure it will, I hope it will, and I’m looking forward to getting my wrist around one.