There are bad idea , and then there is Amazon ’s attempt to get into the wellness tracker market place with a new wellness subscription military service and companion tracker , Amazon Halo and Amazon Halo Band .
The pitch here is that Halo Band is a more holistic health tracker . In itspress releaseannouncing the gimmick and service , Amazon says that the Halo Band is “ purpose - make to focus on your health and wellness — unlike smartwatches and fittingness trackers , it does n’t have a screen or invariant notifications . ” In that sense , it ’s like theWhoop tracker — and candidly , it front a whole lot like it too . The sensor lay out itself contains an accelerometer , temperature detector , warmness rate monitor , two microphones , go index number light , and a push button you could use to turn microphones on or off . Amazon claims the Halo Band will last about a week on a explosive charge . There ’s also a companion app that measures thing like activity and sleep , and like Fitbit , offer “ Labs ” for data-based apps with collaborator . Oh , and also the ability to scan your body fat percentage using your phone , as well as analyse the tone you ’re speaking in .
When this newsworthiness broke , I had to blink at my screen a few fourth dimension because I could not believe this launch was real after theAmazon Echo Lookwent tothe big technical school graveyard in the skyearlier this year . But no , this is a $ 65 equipment and $ 4 monthly subscription platform that encourages you to scan a 3D epitome of yourself in your undies with your phone so it can make a render of your consistence . Some “ new innovations in computer visual sensation and machine acquisition ” then allow Amazon Halo to count your physical structure fat percentage . Perthe Verge , once the calculating is done , “ the app will give you a small slider you could drop back your digit on to have it show what you would look like with more or less trunk rich . ”
Photo: Amazon
https://gizmodo.com/this-smart-tape-measure-is-an-asshole-1842412617
There are obvious concerns right off the bat with soundbox dysmorphia and eating disorders . In an article discover the eubstance scan feature , Amazon say it does n’t advocate people to scan their bodies more than once every two week , as it takes a long time to reduce body blubber . In an electronic mail , a spokesperson also told Gizmodo that there is “ education throughout the feature in the app that helps customers empathise the linguistic context of their body rich percentage range , what body blubber percentage mean value and more . ” They also suppose that the Pseudemys scripta cock would not “ go below the healthy body fat percentage for the client ’s sexual urge and age . ” Amazon also tell the Verge that the feature would only be approachable for people 18 or older .
It ’s nice that Amazon has put safeguard in place , but consistence dysmorphia and eating disorder are not rational . Being 18 years old or older does not intend you ’re less likely to develop physical structure image issues or bulimia . Being develop about your wellness on multiple point , knowing what is the sound matter to do — that does n’t end a soul from engaging in unhealthful eating behaviour . A recommendation to only measure out yourself once every two weeks does n’t deter someone from obsessively tracking their data and re - scanning their body , or hyper - obsessively fixating on what a “ thinner ” version of themselves would count like . Body dysmorphic disorderliness affect somewhere between5 to 10 million the great unwashed in the U.S. , and this NIHstudysays it ’s not only relatively vulgar but likely underreported . The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders also state thatat least 30 million people of all eld and genderscurrently suffers from an run through upset in the U.S. Even with safeguards , you ’re place a potentially dangerous and affordable tool in the hands of millions of vulnerable people .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjQZ5TyGJng
But torso dysmorphia by , there are also dissimilar eccentric of fat . The spongy form you’re able to pilfer ? That ’s subcutaneous fat , and it ’s relatively harmless even if it might make you experience ego - witting due to bon ton ’s garbage beauty standard . The kind that ’s dangerous is intuitive fat , which dwell underneath the abdominal wall and between your organs . Visceral fat , according toHarvard Medical School , is linked to cardiovascular disease , diabetes , and other health risk of exposure . nonrational fatness also is n’t always well-off to observe , either . you’re able to be someone who on the exterior appears “ normal ” or “ thin ” but on the inside , sway a lot of visceral fatness . There are non - invasive ways to estimate your visceral fat , but the only real foolproof method is expensive mental imagery tryout like MRI or CT scans .
Amazon also told Gizmodo that the Body feature “ provides an accurate estimate of full body fat ” and currently does n’t distinguish between subcutaneous or intuitive blubber . So if you were someone who was thin with a disproportionately high spirit level of visceral blubber , this would not help you . It might lead you to think you ’re tidy when in reality you need to make life style changes . Conversely , if you have some extra jiggle but are otherwise metabolically healthy , you might be led to think you have to mislay system of weights … even if you ’re normal and fine . Amazon says its Body feature is as accurate as the tests your doc would give you , but your Dr. also can give you lively circumstance about your personal health that an app just ca n’t .
Body - scanning is n’t necessary to reduce fat or improve your wellness . It ’s trite , but if you have a physical health goal in mind , no gizmo or high - tech scan will supervene upon consulting a nutritionist , personal trainer , or doctor to do so in a healthy , sustainable path over a reasonable period of time .
While I have serious business organisation about this body scan feature of speech , Amazon really is rubbing salt in the wound with its Tone feature . Granted , this is an optional feature . You could just not prefer in . But if you do , the microphones on the Halo Band will occasionally listen in on your voice and judge it based on “ energy ” and “ positivity ” so you could “ well read how [ you ] may sound to others . ” purportedly , this feature is pitch toward improving accent and emotional well - being .
“ There are many ways that you could employ timbre , but I will portion out an representative of my own , ” write Maulik Majmudar , a cardiologist and primary aesculapian officeholder for Amazon Halo , in ablogabout the Tone feature . “ I have been working from home with three tike under the geezerhood of four , so I use Tone to gut check that I am not taking any stress out on my family or friends . I delay my Tone results so that I can be more intentional about how I communicate in these strange time — and have noticed it have a burden off my wife , as she does n’t have to be the one to tell me I am to a fault accent . ”
I do n’t know what to say about the state of order if we involve to measure tone to understand how we speak to others . Are societal relationships crucial ? Yes , but most people do n’t need microphones and a voice algorithm to recite you when you sound snippy or fast-growing or happy . Measuring your tone is not a refilling for being an grownup and , I do n’t bang , seeking out therapy if you struggle to express yourself in your relationships or at work . Tone - tracking — a phrase I shudder writing — shouldn’t be used to avoid stressing your screw single in a misguided attempt to improve your relationships . Negative emotion have a purpose and can act as a signal to loved ones that you might need some attention and attending . It sounds like Amazon might have good intentions but could use some time to re - look on Pixar ’s Inside Out .
To be dependable , this feels like Amazon trying to stand out in a crowded health tech space . The sad affair is there ’s a lot about Halo and Halo Band that are good . A simple $ 65 ( $ 100 after the other memory access period expires ) screenless tracker with a comparatively inexpensive $ 4 subscription plan would be an attractive selection for many effortless users just endeavor to improve their activity degree . Some of the features Amazon ’s integrate into the Halo platform , like a weekly focus on action as fight to day by day , are in reality pretty thoughtful . It ’s a shame , then , that Amazon ’s decided to curve into this ego - quantify dystopia without ask if anyone really , really needed this .
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