[macintux]

This reminds me of the discussion where someone asserted that because were capable of taking our own pulse there’s no advantage to a device that tracks it all the time.

I’m not going to throw a chest sensor on every time I leave for lunch just in case I decide to jog there. Or when I get up from my desk to run up and down the stairs.

Nor is a chest sensor going to remind me to stand up every hour. Or allow me to set a reminder to take a bag out of my car when I get home. Or tell me what song is playing.

You’re welcome to choose not to use a smart watch, but to claim they can’t improve someone’s life is willful ignorance of the facts. They’ve already literally saved lives.

[9dl]

>to a device that tracks it all the time

There is the problem with hand devices and quality of measurements they do

Article describe it more properly

If you have heart problems and you need some measurements there are a lot of medical _calibrated_ devices for that

There are 0 devices for that which has only hand wearable part

Also consider such cases when such devices can do a lot of harm https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jan/28/fitness-tracki...

Any tech has pros and cons

[macintux]

You keep moving the goalposts.

First you claimed they weren’t useful. Now they’re simply inaccurate (somewhat valid, but see below) and when used stupidly can be privacy problems.

I can’t argue the latter, but that’s not just a smart watch problem.

Regarding accuracy, though, the Apple Watch is very accurate for heart rate, which is important because it can alert the wearer to dangerous heart conditions.

It’s also best-in-class accurate for calorie expenditure, which is fine for general day-to-day tracking and dietary planning.

https://www.macrumors.com/2017/05/24/apple-watch-heart-rate-...

[9dl]

Not useful - because inaccurate on individual level

Not useful - because algorithms for caloric expenditure are usable now only for group level experiments

>that’s not just a smart watch problem

True

https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4426/7/2/3/htm#jpm-07-00003-f003

>Overall, heart rate error was within the acceptable error range for the majority of task/device combinations, but EE error exceeded the allowed threshold for all tasks and devices.

And I repeat - for group level experiments such devices are good

For individual, without calibration - not

https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4426/7/2/3/htm#fig_body_display_jp...

You can see this on Fig2. That individual dots on image - that may be error on your device on your body

And even more - I do not know what for you need your pulse measurements. Even accurate

You do not need that number when you reach your peak velocity and do not need it when your sitting

>It’s also best-in-class accurate for calorie expenditure, which is fine for general day-to-day tracking and dietary planning.

I know even more accurate device for such purpose

Scales

And btw - scales can be mechanical so they can't send your data