Smartwatches promise all kinds of quality of life-5 things that users should remember

Smartwatches and other wearing devices may seem almost magical. Past on Fitbit, Apple Watch or Samsung Gear, and suddenly you have a stream of data generated by – and about – your body: number of step, heart rate, oxygen level in the blood, calories burned and many others.

Wearing devices offer tools that support people monitor and understand their bodies, so the promise goes, improve their lives. Tim Cook, General Director of Apple, even said that the technology company is striving for Save your life.

As A professor who studies technologyI spent the last decade studying smartwatches and other wearing devices. My novel book: “Renas of order: wearing technologies and production of everyday life“He considers the gap between what these products promise and what they actually do.

Wearing devices rely on complicated sets of sensors and computer systems to create data for each user. Because these devices become more common – and more complicated – I’m worried that people may be tempted to think less about how they work. As a result, they can accept the data according to the nominal value without considering their generation, regardless of whether it is right or even if it can expose them.

To get a maximum value from wearing technology, it is worth considering the differences between what these devices seem to do and what actually happens behind the screen. Here are some key points to remember.

1. Steps are not really steps

At the beginning of 2010, at the beginning of 2010, at the beginning of 2010, they gained popularity for the ability to count steps and measure things such as distance, calories burned and climbed stairs flights. Although it is tempting to think that the so -called numbers of steps reflect the number of times when the user’s feet have finished the action of taking a step, it is not.

In fact, a combination of sensors and algorithms works to create a data point called “step. “In most cases, the accelerometer changes in wearing speeds.

2. Some shades of the skin do not “work”, just like others

Oxygen sensors in the blood have been included in many smartwatches. Employ the process called Photopletysmographywhich uses minuscule green LED lights on the bottom of the smartwatch to follow the blood flows through the wrist.

In 2022 The claim allegedly consolidated racial prejudiceBecause his oxygen sensors in the blood did not work so well on darker skin. The case was distant, partly because the restrictions on oxygen sensors in the blood were Known to researchers and doctors for years. In other words, it is assumed that some functions will not work so well for some people.

3. Your location may not be a secret

The entire industry consisting of called people Data brokers who buy vast sets of data from technology companies, and then sell them to advertisers, market analysts or other groups that may be interested in acquiring them.

While some companies have taken more steps to Reduce or eliminate data sharing to third partiesand government agencies offered strategies for Users to limit the location sharingother It can continue to share data Among associate entities and service providers.

It is critical to check all options settings to reduce or eliminate data sharing. Otherwise, your private information may not remain private for long. For example, in 2018, the Strava exercise application published a “heat map” showing and bicycle routes of all its users through the collected location data – and accidentally revealed the location Many secret military bases around the world.

4. Wearing devices for consumers are not a medical class

With wearing devices, as in the case of other technologies, it is critical To carefully look at the conditions of use.

Most devices include the language of the boiler plate on how the data they provide should be used recreationally and do not replace formal diagnostics from doctors. Although Apple received the FDA briefing for Some of his health testing functions And they can be very useful for monitoring, if you rely on data for health purposes, it is critical to consult a doctor.

5. Wearing devices cannot predict the future

Ok, it may seem obvious. But this is not the case.

The Oura ring, which was a pioneer Measurements such as “rest” which are trying to measure how well you sleep, I have recently added “Symptom radar” Try to detect when you can get ailing.

These technologies utilize sensors such as heart rate monitors and thermometers to detect changes based on the starting user. Although these disease forecasts can be helpful, they are like weather reports for the body, detecting changes in the internal atmosphere of the body using available sensors and algorithms. Any claim about the anticipation of the future is based on the search for information patterns from the past.

Although wearing technology can offer powerful observations, understanding how the devices work are crucial for understanding the data they produce. A bit of skepticism goes a long way: it can challenge inflated promises and protect users. After all, wearing devices are best understood as captivating but imperfect tools – not magical wands.