With fitness devices available all over the place, it’s hard not to own one by now. However, once you have one or more of these devices you start to wonder how accurate they are. Most fitness devices come with Bluetooth technology to connect to our smartphones, which helps keep tabs on yourself. If you are like me, you probably spent the first week constantly checking your stats (Steps taken & calories burned).

If you have different devices, say one for running and another for bicycling, you will have noticed that your readings (calories burned & heart rate) may be very different. The reason for this is that some devices have a hard time adjusting their calories or effort metrics for running, since the devices don’t take into account a longer or shorter running stride when compared to walking.

The two new standards by the Bluetooth Special Internet Group (SIG) are approved for measuring elements. For runners, they’ll be measuring running cadence, stride length, total distance. For cycling speed, distance and pedal cadence. Bluetooth-enabled devices like smartphones, sports watches and cycling computers will get a boost in accuracy, overall making the consumer better informed.

Source: Engadget, GigaOm

James Martinez

James likes racing games, puzzle games, and building computers. By day he works as a systems administrator, by night he is a writer. He likes to be comical and open to new ideas and technology.

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