Fitbit Flex 2 review – CNET
The Good The Flex 2 is slim and swim-proof, can track basic fitness data and supports a variety of accessories, including pendants.
The Bad It lacks a display and the more advanced features of other Fitbit trackers. Lacks heart rate tracking. The LED lights can be confusing; battery life should be better.
The Bottom Line The Fitbit Flex 2 doesn’t have all of the bells and whistles of other trackers, but it’s finally swim-proof, and it does the basics and it does them well.
At last, there’s a Fitbit that’s swim-proof!
But in exchange for that long-overdue swim-friendliness, other features are lost. There’s no heart rate tracking, and it doesn’t have a display. Are you okay with that compromise?
The Flex 2 looks, in many ways, like the perfect slim tracker from Fitbit that we’d wanted for a while: It’s like Fitbit’s version of the Jawbone Up2. It’s $100 (£80, AU$130) and will begin shipping in early October. It comes with a rubber strap in both large and small sizes, but the beauty of the Flex 2 is its customization.
You can pop out the tracker and pop it into a different color wristband, a metal bangle or even a necklace. It’s the most versatile Fitbit, and much like the older Flex, it comes with a variety of fashion-branded accessories from Tory Burch and others. It’s an overdue upgrade, and the water resistance and swim racking on the Flex 2 might be reason enough to get it for some.
I do like the Flex 2. It’s the tracker to get if you want something that can be both discreet and stylish. It’s a sleeker tracker than the bulkier Fitbit Alta released earlier this year. It’s priced well. But yes, there are sacrifices to be made.
Swim-proof (finally!)
The Flex 2 is the first Fitbit you can wear in the shower and while swimming. It’s waterproof down to 50 meters (about 164 feet) and can be used in both fresh water and salt water. I love not having to take the tracker off when it’s time to shower, which also means I am less likely to forget it on my dresser.
Like the Charge 2, the Flex 2 can also automatically recognize and record workouts. This includes walking, running, biking, aerobic exercise and others. Due to the new swim-proof design, it’s also the only Fitbit that can track swimming. Now that Fitbits are effectively automatic trackers, it’s a little easier to swallow the fact that this doesn’t have a display.
View full gallery Sarah Tew/CNET
It’s all about accessories
The Flex 2 is 30 percent smaller than its predecessor, the Fitbit Flex. It’s slim and discreet, which is what appeals to me, and it could even be worn next to a traditional watch (if you have the wrist room). My only complaint is with the strap. It’s secure and never fell off my wrist, but you have to swap out the two-prong connector when switching to a new strap, which was actually pretty difficult.
Besides the two different-sized bands in the box, there are a variety of accessory straps in multiple colors and designs. There are rubber ones, leather ones, and gold and silver bangles and pendants. The accessories start at $15 (£10, AU$20) for rubber straps, all the way to $100 (£75, AU$130) for the gold bangle.
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The Fitbit Flex 2 pod and necklace (left) and Misfit Shine pod and necklace (right)
Sarah Tew/CNET
A quick poll of my female colleagues found that these designs, mainly the pendant, were appealing, especially compared with the nearest fitness-accessory equivalent, the Misfit Shine necklace (pictured above). One colleague complained that the bangle was “lacking pizzazz” and another said the Fitbit pendant was a little “too long,” but both liked these options better than the rubber strap.
Everyone agreed that having these accessory options is a good thing. They help keep the Flex 2’s design fresh, and help it not feel like a fitness tracker. While some complained about them being too expensive, most agreed they would make nice gifts.
In addition to the bangles and pendants mentioned above, Fitbit said we can expect more luxurious bands from designers like Tory Burch and Vera Wang.
Garmin Vivofit Jr Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
Garmin
Garmin is entering new territory with its first fitness tracker designed for kids.
The company on Thursday announced the Vivofit Jr, a swim-proof fitness tracker with one year of battery life. The tracker is a child-size version of the Vivofit 3, and can measure steps, distance, calories burned, active minutes and sleep. Other features include an always-on and sunlight-readable display and a move bar to remind kids when they have been sitting for too long.
The tracker is also compatible with a task management app that parents can use to assign chores and responsibilities and give kids recognition for completing certain tasks, such as making their bed or setting the table. You can also set a timer from the app that will count down on the tracker, which could come in handy for limiting television watching or as a study timer.
The Vivofit Jr is designed for kids ages four to nine. The one-piece band is available in black, broken-lava, digi-camo, purple-strike and “real flower” band patterns and fits wrists up to 145 millimeters (5.7 inches). Garmin is offering larger bands for wrists between 146 to 170 millimeters (up to 6.7 inches), but you can also use accessory bands from the Vivofit 3.
The Vivofit Jr is available now from Garmin and at Target and Best Buy for $80 (£80, AU$130). It will arrive at Toys R Us, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Walmart and additional retailers later this fall.
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Livestream Mevo review – CNET
The Good The Livestream Mevo camera uses a 4K-resolution sensor to digitally reproduce the look of a multicamera shoot. The iOS app is well designed, making it a breeze for anyone to pick up and use. The app lets you create camera cuts on the fly, so your end result is a fully edited video. You can live-stream video to Livestream’s site or Facebook Live and/or record to a microSD card.
The Bad Battery life taps out at about an hour. Video quality is best suited for mobile-device viewing. Can’t control multiple cameras at once to capture different angles. No Android support.
The Bottom Line The Livestream Mevo and an iPhone put the power of multicamera storytelling in your pocket.
Visit manufacturer site for details.
Single, static camera shots can make for some pretty boring storytelling. But you probably don’t have access to a bunch of cameras, people to operate them, or a team of editors when it comes time to capture your kid’s school play, little league game or your garage band.
With the Livestream Mevo camera and its intuitive iOS app, though, you can create videos with a variety of shots using just one camera and your iPhone. The camera has a 4K-resolution image sensor and some very smart software, so you can digitally pan and zoom in and out — creating everything from wide shots to close-ups while still capturing at 720p HD resolution — with nothing but your fingers on your iPhone screen.
On top of that, the $400 2.5-inch tall camera (about £300 or AU$520) can record to its microSD card slot (a 16GB card is included) and live-stream to Livestream’s service or Facebook Live. That’s done by connecting your phone and the camera to the same Wi-Fi network, or you can do a direct Wi-Fi connection to your phone and use its mobile broadband to stream. Basically, with nothing more than your iPhone and a Mevo, you can set up a live shoot with the look of multiple cameras.
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Multiple shots at your fingertips
Let’s say you want to capture a live band performance. You set up the Mevo to take advantage of its wide 150-degree field of view. Then, you wirelessly connect to the Mevo with an iPhone (it’ll work with an iPad too, but is optimized for the iPhone) and using the app you can create different shots to cut between. Start with a shot of the whole band and then pinch to zoom in for a tight shot on the singer or get a two-shot of the bass and drums.
Once the performance starts you cut between the shots you’ve created just by tapping on them, giving your video the look of a multiple-camera shoot. The camera’s intelligent face detection and movement tracking capabilities allow it to stay on subjects and can even be used to let the camera automatically create shots.
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You can also zoom in and out on the fly at different speeds determined by how long you hold your fingers on the screen. The same goes for panning: drag your finger from one subject to another and hold your finger down for however long you want the pan to take. This is all done live while you’re recording or live-streaming the event, so you have a finished, fully edited movie as soon as it’s over.
The app gives you a few filter options, exposure compensation and you can change white balance for your lighting. For audio, you can use the built-in stereo mic, which are good if your subjects are close to the camera or are loud, or use your iPhone’s mic jack to mix in audio if you want better results.
AIVAnet 