Activity trackers have been good at keeping the calories and miles for many consumers who want non-intrusive data tracking on their wrists, but few activity trackers go far enough. There are actions that many wearable devices don't track, such as swim strokes, and many that do assume that swim strokes are "steps walked" (if you've ever seen your step count rise after putting some books on your shelf or on your bed, or talking on the phone while holding the phone in your hand, you've experienced the "I didn't want it to record that" feeling).
The Mio Slice fitness tracker was designed to do away with the usual 10,000 step count and measure exercise based on individual body composition and other physical factors, but it is one of very few. Other fitness trackers and bands maintain the 10,000 step count but include sports tracking for non-walking and non-running exercises. It'll be interesting to see what New Balance has in store for runners and athletes this Christmas season. The Misfit Shine 2 has the usual sleep and fitness tracking capabilities but also lets you control smart home capabilities -- and yet, while this is somewhat normal for new fitness bands and activity trackers (even the Microsoft Band 2 will start your car in the coming months), few are changing the game with regard to fitness and tracking.
Misfit, now a Fossil company, hasn't left the wearables market. The company responsible for the first cylindrical fitness and activity tracker that can be worn around the neck is introducing a new device alongside swim company Speedo that proves to be a swimmer's dream. Called the Misfit Speedo Shine 2, this device is designed with swimmers in mind. While it allows you to text your friends, take a selfie, turn the lights on, and select music, as well as track your cycling, walking, and running (the typical exercises), it also allows swimmers to track their swim strokes and count their swim laps in the pool. The device is made of aircraft-grade aluminum, Misfit and Speedo say, having a water resistance up to 50 meters that makes it the perfect device to go swimming. We wish all smartwatches had this kind of water resistance.
The Misfit Speedo Shine 2 features a 6-month coin cell battery that runs half a year before requiring a new battery, but it runs for six months without needing a recharge (which can't be said for current smartwatches, though the Withings Activite Pop can last up to 8 months without needing a recharge).
The Misfit Speedo Shine 2 carries a price tag of $119.99, which [makes it slightly more expensive in price than the Fossil Q Motion][8] (though well worth the extra cost for swimmers). Misfit 2 and Misfit Shine 2 customers who want to have the Misfit Speedo Shine 2's swim tracking can do so with a $9.99 in-app purchase within the Misfit app.
