We all know Jawbone best for their small things that make sound – Bluetooth headsets and speakers. But their newest concoction doesn’t make any noise at all – it’s a bracelet. The Up band will keep tabs on your body, 24/7.
Jawbone’s claims about the Up are pretty ambitious: they expect the embedded accelerometer to not only monitor your movements and sleeping habits (though remain vague on the details of what kind), but to actually make you healthier. Used in conjunction with a smartphone app (expect iOS and Android) with browser access, you’ll be able to chart your physical habits and correct the bad ones. This means knowing which meals you eat correspond to feeling like shit (or wonderful!) during the day, whether you’re getting enough exercise, or when exactly you get rest at night. How much this will actually matter (or work at all) will depend largely on how well they pull off things on the software side.
Unfortunately, it won’t have any wireless chatter with your phone – rather, it’ll plug-in via headphone jack. This is a drag in terms of usability, and sort of surprising given the company’s Bluetooth pedigree. But we’re hoping the compromise will keep it on the cheaper, lighter side, with good battery life (a must for anything you’re expected to wear around the clock). We’ll report back when we get a chance to slap it on ourselves later this year. [Jawbone]