Jawbone announced today, along with an update to its iPhone app, that it has opened up its UP band/bracelet to third-party vendors and brands through a (currently) closed API.
This addresses some of the band’s biggest flaws, especially when it comes to food and workout tracking, since much of these services are used in conjunction with the UP band anyway. Partners like MyFitnessPal, RunKeeper, Withings, Wello and, perhaps most interesting, IFTTT (If This Then That) are on board.
While the newness is only currently available for iOS, it will eventually come to Android. It took Jawbone a very long time to bring Android support to its band in the first place, so expect to wait a while for this functionality. Nevertheless, this is a great first step by Jawbone to understanding its market and the limitations of its own product.
IFTTT is the most intriguing aspect of this third-party app integration because I often forget to switch my UP to Sleep Mode before I turn off the lights. That means I miss out on a wealth of data just because I’m too tired to remember to press a button. With IFTTT I have set it to remind me, via IFTTT, to press that button at a set time each night. I also have it log my meals by tracking my Foursquare restaurant check-ins, as well as transcribe my sleep patterns to a Google Docs spreadsheet every morning.
Jawbone has also announced its purchase of BodyMedia, creators of fitness armbands Link and Core. These bands have far more sensors than the UP, tracking steps, heart rate, sweat output, skin and external temperature. This technology will likely be integrated into Jawbone’s future fitness products.
The Jawbone UP is available for around $149 in Canada, and the UP app is free to download.
Via: The Verge
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