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View Full Version : Wanted: Windows Mobile 2003 - Pedometer Edition


Darren Garyson
10-04-2004, 02:59 PM
Why hasn't someone integrated a pedometer with a Pocket PC device yet? Or maybe not even the device, but how about combining a Pocket PC case with a pedometer in the bottom. Consider how many people walk around with a Pocket PC attached to their belts. It just seems like a natural progression to add a way to monitor how many steps you've walked. I'd even settle for a pedometer that would synch with my desktop.

This isn't really a new idea. It has been done before, albeit in a somewhat different manner. Once upon a time consumers could purchase the "Step Keeper Pedometer Module for the Handspring Visor." (read a review of this clever concept at The Gadgeteer (http://www.the-gadgeteer.com/stepkeeper-review.html)) Even Sharp integrated a pedometer into their YO-P20H PDA (http://www.sharpusa.com/products/ModelLanding/0,1058,1403,00.html).

The reality check here is that in any given work day, my walking consists of going to get coffee, visiting the restroom, then back to my desk again. I may not want to know how little really walk.

Would crossing a Pocket PC with a pedometer make any sense? Or would it only interest a small segment of the Pocket PC community? What do you think?

adamz
10-05-2004, 11:59 AM
Just use your GPS reciever. :) Haha!
I guess that won't work indoors.

How 'bout a bluetooth pedometer and heart rate monitor? I wouldn't mind a bluetooth enabled cyclocomputer either.

Pony99CA
10-05-2004, 02:02 PM
For a second, I thought this might be an early April Fools post. :D

Pedometers are interesting, but seem fairly unreliable. While they can count steps reasonably well, they may miss some. If they try to compute distance, though, that's a much more complicated process, requiring you to compute the average length of your stride and program that in.

Even if somebody did this, I suspect it would be much more expensive that the current pedometers, which cost less than $20, and are fairly small. McDonald's was even giving one away with an Adult Happy Meal for a while.

Steve

Darren Garyson
10-05-2004, 04:13 PM
Well, those pedometers that came in the Adult Happy Meal were of pretty poor quality, from what I've heard.

Maybe it is just me, but the entire concept of an Adult Happy Meal just seems wrong.

adamz
10-05-2004, 04:56 PM
A salad and a bottle of water??

There's nothing happy about that.