The fact that most developers release iOS versions of their software much before coming out with their Android versions, is well established. One such app happens to be ‘Human’, which is an activity tracker that was launched on iOS back in September 2013, but has only now gotten an Android counterpart, after remaining iOS-exclusive for the best part of two and a half years. However, now that it is finally available on Android, the app has brought along an all-new feature that’s yet to be rolled out to the iOS version of the software. The feature is called ‘Pulse’, and it helps users compare their daily activity with that of other users of the app.
The company says that by introducing the new feature, it is encouraging “casual competition” as a means of motivating users to challenge themselves further to be fitter and healthier. The feature, however, will only be available in urban areas, as remote rural locations with lower population are unlikely to have too many users of the app. While ‘Pulse’ is only available on Android right now, The Next Web is quoting an official spokesperson for the company behind the app, to report that the iOS version of the software is in line to get a new update later this week, which will most likely introduce the latest feature to Human on iOS. The app, now available on the Google Play Store, helps users become ‘healthier and happier’ by encouraging ‘humans’ to move for at least thirty minutes each day, in blocks of ten minutes each.
While the app started out tracking only outdoor activity, a subsequent update now allows the software to track indoor activity as well, whereby users need to move more than one minute while stationary (like using a treadmill or an exercise bike). The app also tracks activities like walking, running, jogging or cycling for several minutes at a stretch, rather than just arbitrarily counting the number of steps taken in a day, which doesn’t provide the amount of exercise required for a healthy lifestyle. The ‘Daily 30’, which is how the company describes the daily target for its users, doesn’t only refer to traditional exercise at the gym only. A night out dancing will also count towards a user’s ‘Daily 30’, provided he/she is carrying the smartphone on their person rather than tucking it away somewhere else.