Autodesk had some nice give-aways at Autodesk University for the media. At a VIP luncheon, they handed out Nike Fuel bands (worth $150). This is a fat rubber band that you wear around your wrist; it keeps track of your physical activity.
It does not work until you plug it into a Windows or OS X computer. I plugged it into my computer and downloaded the Nike software for it. It takes the date and time from the computer, and then asks me for my age, height, and weight. Also, I needed to input the number of calories I want to burn each day.
As I wear it, it keeps track of my motions through an accelerometer (electronics that sense motion in all three directions). This it translates into calories burned. The band is water resistant, so it will withstand rain and going into the shower; it cannot, unfortunately, be used while swimming.
Spare links are included to make the band bigger. Or, you can order smaller ones, as well as ones in White or Seethru Black color.
It has a single button. When I push the button, it reports the number of calories burned. Pushing the button more times also reports the number of steps I've taken, the current time (so it can be used as an ultra cool watch), and "Fuel," which are points you collect for being active.
There are two displays. One is an array made of 100 white LEDs that report the time, calories, etc. The other is a strip of 20 colored LEDs that act like a bar chart, showing how far in the day you have attained your goal. In the morning, naturally, there is one red dot; by the end of the day, the line of dots are red, yellow and green -- if you've exercised enough!
When the band is snapped apart, one end is a USB connector. Plugging it into any computer or USB charger charges the battery. The battery apparently lasts 4 days, so we'll see.
Bluetooth is built in, to communicate with Nike software running on iPhones and iPads; no support for Androids yet.
http://www.nike.com/us/en_us/lp/nikeplusfuelband
Link to the user manual: http://support-en-ca.nikeplus.com/ci/fattach/get/254456/0/filename/FuelBand_Manual_Online_ENGv4.pdf
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