(2011-11-07) Jawbone Up Bracelet

The Up, JawBone’s first foray into devices that aren’t Bluetooth headsets or speakers, goes on sale Nov. 6 for $99 at all Apple, AT&T, Target and Best Buy stores. It syncs with Jawbone’s Up app for iPhone (an Android version is in the works) via an audio jack hidden under that silver cap at the end. (That’s my first problem with the device — it has a small removable part. I hope Jawbone has prepared plenty of spares.) It also charges via the audio jack, which you’ll need to plug into a USB connector every ten days or so. What is the wristband tracking, exactly? In short: sleep (sleep tracking) and exercise. Much like the Lark, which we reviewed back in June, it looks for micro-movements at bedtime and can tell when you’ve fallen asleep. Like the Lark, it will wake you with gentle vibrations in the morning instead of music or noise, so your partner can go on sleeping. Unlike the Lark, it can track whether you’re in light or deep sleep, and will wake you within a certain window of time, when your sleep is at its lightest. The Up, which Jawbone’s CEO first talked about at TED, will also track your movements throughout the day.

Interesting/tempting Quantified Self device. Tricky trade-offs with $200 Zeo Sleeping And Snoring monitor (which is recommended in Four Hour Body).

Nov28 update:

• over half the reviews at Amazon are 1-star!
• the Zeo bedside unit is down to $150, and the mobile system (which uses your Mobile for its brains) is only $100.