http://mashable.com/2011/11/03/jawbone-up-99-wristband-rule-life/
The device above is called an Up, made by Jawbone. It releases Nov. 6th and will retail for about $99 and be readily available at a variety of popular stores. It will do a number of things including tracking exercise and sleep and will send the information to an app on your smartphone. The developers have hopes that the wristband will also become a social tool.
I find this application of mobile health technology fascinating from the perspective of informatics. Providing that people actually buy this device and use it, the volume of information that could be obtained about the population of user's health habits would be staggering. Geography, environment, age, gender, and numerous other parameters could be factored in; all thanks to a simple bracelet and an app on your phone.
This is the beginning of a new and inevitable trend in which the technology we wear interacts and records our health. Given that technology will only get smaller, more ergonomic (as opposed to a flashy bracelet), and less expensive (under $99 is quite affordable), it seems that our imminent future is going to be inundated by devices such as these with fewer glitches and more functionality.
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