Microsoft is entering its market mobile health with the direct disposal of a relatively low cost, collecting a lot of measurements from the physical function of the person wearing it, forwarding them to Microsoft Health Servers for analysis, and returning suggestions to improve their nutrition, health and well-being .
Microsoft Band is not only for Windows phone owners, but can also communicate with an Android, iPhone or iPad smartphone.
The Microsoft Band it's readily available for now only in the US, instead of $199. Apple announced in early September its SmartWatch, whose functions include those similar to those that will be performed by the Microsoft Band, however, it will be released early next year, in 2015, and will cost $349. However, Apple has already laid out its own plans for mobile health and already has its Healthkit ready.
"The purpose of Microsoft Band is not to be a fashion statement nor to replace your watch," says Quintin Morris, Senior Industrial Designer at Microsoft, "but can be used to track any activity you choose."
The companion app, Microsoft Health collects data from the Microsoft wristband, as well as other health gadgets and apps, such as heart rate (continuously, 24 hours), steps, calories, etc., and its "Intelligence Engine" it will analyze in which fitness exercises the most calories were consumed, it will calculate the recovery time according to the intensity of the exercise as well as the hours of restful sleep. In the future, the company plans to combine exercise-related data with information from the diary and e-mails from Office to see how fitness performance is related to work schedule, whether a good breakfast is related to running speed, or whether the number of meetings is related to sleep quality.
Microsoft's standard all-time heart rate sensor is tasked with accurately measuring calories and sleep quality. However, it's noted that no matter how good a sensor is (the MS Band has ten), if it doesn't fit perfectly against the skin then it won't record anything, so its design was a particular challenge that led to an 18,5mm wristband in three different sizes, for the selection of which Microsoft even refers to a pdf file that will help to accurately measure the wrist of the potential user.
The Microsoft Band also brings so-called "smart" notifications to the wrist, such as incoming calls, messages και ενημερώσεις από τα σάιτ κοινωνικής δικτύωσης. Επίσης, το Microsoft Band θα υποστηρίζει την τεχνολογία επικοινωνίας με φωνητικές εντολές της Microsoft στα Windows 8.1, γνωστή ως Cortana.
Interestingly, Microsoft will provide 10 sensors to those manufacturers who wish to build their own smartband and send their measurements to Microsoft Health, a practice that reveals the strategy of the American giant in the emerging field of mobile health. Microsoft Health already accepts data from Jawbone's UP wristband, as well as the MapMyFitness, MyFitnessPal and RunKeeper apps, and will be able to transfer data from the wrist to
Microsoft HealthVault, a armored health platform of the company that has been linking patients to doctors for a decade.
Source: in.gr
