My growing interest obsession of tracking my workout activity recently pushed me to look for wearable exercise gear. I pre-ordered the Fitbit Flex in early February but it had not shipped. When my Ironman watch died a couple of weeks ago, I searched for a device that could display time and I settled on the Nike+ FuelBand.
The Nike FuelBand is simply a fancy pedometer. Like the Fitbit Flex and Jawbone Up, it tracks your movement using an accelerometer. It also dispenses “fuel” points based on your activity using a proprietary algorithm. No — it isn’t about how often you shake your wrist — but the more active you are, the more fuel points you earn! I’ve worn the Nike FuelBand now for two weeks and I’ve rarely taken it off. In comparison, I would take my watch off and lay it on my desk at the beginning of each day alongside my iPhone.
We tend to buy based on the recommendations of close friends — and social media plays a critical role in this process. According to a recent survey by Market Force, 81% of consumers indicated that friends’ social media posts directly influenced their purchase decision. In looking at the various social networks,