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fitbit

Technology is Awesome. Except When It Isn’t.

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I have been struggling with technology lately. I told you about new laptop frustrations. And my ongoing saga with my “easy to use” website developer. And Windows 10.

techwoman
The future!

Then, there’s my Fitbit.

I was dealing with health issues this past fall, and the doctor wanted me to get a heart rate monitor that I could use while exercising. He wanted me to track my heart rate and make sure I didn’t exceed a certain level, so I bought a Fitbit Charge 2.

 About a month ago, the Fitbit just stopped resetting each day. At one point, it thought I’d taken 95,000 steps in a single day. Yeah, about that.

 I tried rebooting it. I tried letting the battery run down to nothing. Not only wouldn’t it restart each day, it stopped syncing to my phone or computer, even if I directly connected it. So it wasn’t a Bluetooth issue.

 Yes, the heart rate monitor still works. And yes, I can put together an Excel spreadsheet to see what my steps were. For $150 and less than six months of use, I shouldn’t have to do that.

 So, I chatted with Fitbit support. They tried everything I’d tried, and several more things. After over an hour, they diagnosed it as a firmware issue, but the Fitbit would NOT accept a firmware update. And we tried. Both through my phone, and through a direct dongle connection to the computer. For an hour.

ITHelpDesk
It was probably more than three.

Finally, the support technician was out of ideas, and he checked to see if the Fitbit was still under warranty. He offered to have Fitbit send me another one, and I agreed.

 It’s currently on its way to me. I was pleasantly surprised that they stood by their product.

 Still, I’m leery now. I haven’t tried to format my book into an ebook yet. I haven’t tried to load it to Createspace.

 I feel like there’s this vortex of bad tech energy surrounding me, and anything I touch is going to go wrong.

Vortex
This looks too calm.

Clearly, I have to get over myself. But I’m still nervous.

How about you? Ever fell like technology has turned against you? Or maybe this is the law of threes and my three bad things have happened?

Lessons from my Fitbit

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Like so many people, (over 20 million devices sold as of May 2015) I, too, have succumbed to the Fitbit craze.

After wearing the device for a couple months, there are several things I’ve learned.

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Desk Job Does NOT Equal Steps – During the work day, I get most of my steps walking to and from my car. Other than that, there’s a lot of sitting. Maybe the occasional walk to the bathroom (where I then sit). Or the stroll to a meeting. Where I then sit.

Buzzing me every hour because I haven’t hit the minimum hourly steps is annoying. Yes, I know I’ve been sitting here for an hour and a half. I also wish I wasn’t trapped in this meeting.

Not so sure about the whole treadmill desk thing. And, looking at the price tag on them, I don’t see my company springing for one anytime soon. Unless, of course, we can justify it with some sort of cost savings initiative. Maybe they’ll link my laptop’s power supply to the treadmill.

Of course, there is also the human hamster ball, complete with plans on how to make one yourself. I can see that going over well with corporate America.

 

Reading and Writing are Not the Most Athletic Hobbies – Not trading my home desk or my comfy reading recliner for the human hamster ball, however.

 

Owning a Fitbit Does Not Magically Make One Love Athletic Hobbies – How I wish it did! Still hate jogging, still love reading.

 

Simply Owning a Fitbit Does Not Confer Fitness – Not that I thought it would, but it would’ve been nice.

 

One Cannot Log Steps When One Forgets – Their Fitbit in the bathroom, at the charging station, in the bottom of their drawer. Although, sometimes I wonder if it’s my subconscious at work. Trying to trick me into thinking I took more steps than I did. The weekly e-mail telling you your “progress” however, never forgets how few steps you took. And that day I forgot to wear it isn’t going to make up for the 30,000 steps I’m missing this week.

 

Amazing How few “steps” that 30 minutes on the elliptical produces. – I guess you’re supposed to be concentrating on the workout and trying to go fast, rather than concentrating on the story on your Kindle or how you can jam a book in the book holder and turn the pages while your arms go back and forth.

 

None of Your Friends Will “Friend” You on the Fitbit App – Because they’re all working the same desk job and enjoying the same recliner and aren’t ready to admit to you how few steps they’re taking. Not that you want them to friend you, because then they’ll see how little you’re doing!