[bockersjv]

Well Strava has now appeared in the connected apps, without the need for any updates. Not surprising as the connected apps goes to a web page.

Great news though for us Strava users.

[gadgetrants]

RE: calories, here's a sign that if you wish for something hard enough you might actually get it:

Microsoft Health and Band: New Cycling Partnerships, Health Insights, Strong Updates - Conversations: The Microsoft Devices blog

We are excited to announce that in the coming weeks, customers can track daily steps and calorie burn inside of the Microsoft Health app using the sensors contained in many Android Phones, iPhones and Windows Phones.* Even without a fitness tracking wearable device, customers can just download the Microsoft Health application to their phone and get stepping!

*Step tracking capabilities are supported via apps on:

• iOS: iPhone 5s and later
• Android: Android 4.4+ with support for Step Counter API
• Windows Phone: Lumia devices with Sensor Core V1+ and Cyan FW

How cool that they listed Android Phones (with a capital P no less!) first...or hmm, maybe it's just alphabetical order. I *do* wonder how they plan to estimate calorie burn without a Band and without a HR estimate. The only thing I can think of is that you'd have to put your finger on the camera from time to time to let the app estimate HR.

Well it's a moot point anyway for us Band owners. But you know what? What's cool about that is that I'll go off on a run (or something) and tell the Band I'm running while I won't tell the phone anything -- it'll be interesting to see how much "knowing" I'm running will cause the Band to produce a different estimate from the phone (by that, I mean how much the algorithms differ based on presumed activity). Guess I need to get me to a physiology lab to know for sure.

-Matt

[DrFix82]

I also understood that update was related to firmware too. By now, except for strava integration, I can't see anything new.

[Cornelius Smith II]

Nice, I didn't notice that Strava was already up there on the Connect With Apps page until it was mentioned here. Connected now. :)

[rockstarzzz]

In hindsight that makes sense, especially given the minor recent update. I've been checking my Android app for updates every 15 minutes, but nothing so far! LOL

AH, that reminds me: rockstarzzz, should I PM you with a revised thread title?

​-Matt

Yeah sure, let me know what you want the thread title to be edited to and I'll do it!

[gadgetrants]

Yeah sure, let me know what you want the thread title to be edited to and I'll do it!

Thanks! I'll PM you once we figure out what's happening!

​-Matt

[defante]

How cool that they listed Android Phones (with a capital P no less!) first...or hmm, maybe it's just alphabetical order. I *do* wonder how they plan to estimate calorie burn without a Band and without a HR estimate. The only thing I can think of is that you'd have to put your finger on the camera from time to time to let the app estimate HR.

Well it's a moot point anyway for us Band owners. But you know what? What's cool about that is that I'll go off on a run (or something) and tell the Band I'm running while I won't tell the phone anything -- it'll be interesting to see how much "knowing" I'm running will cause the Band to produce a different estimate from the phone (by that, I mean how much the algorithms differ based on presumed activity). Guess I need to get me to a physiology lab to know for sure.

-Matt

I would guess it would just be an estimate like some of the other trackers out there. My old Fitbit Flex was just a glorified pedometer, but the app showed calorie burns for recorded activities.

[poit57]

I *do* wonder how they plan to estimate calorie burn without a Band and without a HR estimate.

I went for a jog yesterday. I used the running mode of my Band with GPS on as well as using the Adidas miCoach app to track the GPS of my phone.

My phone's GPS is not very precise, showing a lot of zigzagging. Yesterday was actually one of the better days as it tracked 2.21 miles compared to my Band's 2.15 miles. The miCoach app estimates calories based on time and distance (and maybe pace as well). To my surprise, both the Band and the miCoach app recorded that I burned 300 calories.

The calories are not always that close, but there are formulas for various activites that are used to estimate calories burned without heart rate. It probably isn't as accurate as using a heart rate, but it could at least give the user a baseline to compare their own numbers and measure progress.

[Daniel Heinrich]

How do I get the new FW? The Band PC Suite didn't receive anyone when I connect my Band.

[bockersjv]

How do I get the new FW? The Band PC Suite didn't receive anyone when I connect my Band.

There is no new firmware. The title of this thread is misleading. The changes were to the connected apps page on the Microsoft Health App page. The app remains unchanged too.

Looks like the Health app may get some update on the 27th though.

[DroidUser42]

Starting on April 23, Microsoft Band customers will be able to wear their device during rides and compare performance or share routes with other riders using these apps.

Pffffft. That's IT?

[pallentx]

Pffffft. That's IT?

Kind of a big deal to me. I haven't bought one yet - been waiting to see if this gets added. I'm primarily a cyclist. I rarely run.
I will be getting one now. So, this had made at least one sale. Do any other wearables sync with Strava?

[gadgetrants]

How do I get the new FW? The Band PC Suite didn't receive anyone when I connect my Band.

It's not clear at this point. I tend agree with bockersjv that a misunderstanding occurred somewhere, probably in the windowscentral news post that I read first. The article *does* have "Firmware Update" in the tagline (see post #18 above), but I suspect that the author of that report may have misread the blog/announcement from Microsoft. For now most of the updates seem to be focused on the Health phone app and the Health Web Dashboard.

In any case, check out post #24 above for a comment on updating. AFAIK, the *only* way to update the Band is through receiving the file on your phone, which then syncs it to the Band. I couldn't find a comparable way of doing it through the MS Band Sync app.

​-Matt

[Nate Silver]

Kind of a big deal to me. I haven't bought one yet - been waiting to see if this gets added. I'm primarily a cyclist. I rarely run.
I will be getting one now. So, this had made at least one sale. Do any other wearables sync with Strava?

Any Garmin device will sync with Strava, Endomondo, Training Peaks, etc., through something like https://tapiriik.com/ . Basis won't sync with anything, unless they changed something in the last few weeks. Fitbit syncs with some other apps...don't remember which, there's probably a list on their site somewhere. Not sure about the Jawbone products, I've never used them.

[DroidUser42]

Kind of a big deal to me. I haven't bought one yet - been waiting to see if this gets added. I'm primarily a cyclist. I rarely run.
I will be getting one now. So, this had made at least one sale. Do any other wearables sync with Strava?

You might want to check and see which way the sync goes - it appears to sync Strava to MS Health. I'm not sure as it goes the other way around. The Band had the cycling tile added previously. So I think the main thing this gives is to import data from bicycle-mounted devices into MS Health.

I'm not sure what that brings to the table, but I would expect to see MS wanting to add more devices. Their game plan is the back-end, not hardware sales. I'd think the way to win that game is to suck up any and all data that can be had. (Hey, MS, what about weight scales???)

So while this may benefit some users, I think it falls short of benefiting most users. Hence the "Pffffft."

[pallentx]

You might want to check and see which way the sync goes - it appears to sync Strava to MS Health. I'm not sure as it goes the other way around. The Band had the cycling tile added previously. So I think the main thing this gives is to import data from bicycle-mounted devices into MS Health.

I'm not sure what that brings to the table, but I would expect to see MS wanting to add more devices. Their game plan is the back-end, not hardware sales. I'd think the way to win that game is to suck up any and all data that can be had. (Hey, MS, what about weight scales???)

So while this may benefit some users, I think it falls short of benefiting most users. Hence the "Pffffft."

"Microsoft Band customers will be able to wear their device during rides and compare performance or share routes with other riders using these apps."
That is obviously syncing data from the band to Strava. Strava to Health doesn't need a band to exist in the picture and makes no sense.

It brings the ability for me to replace my old Garmin with something I'm already wearing. That is exactly the benefit to this user I've been looking for. I was considering the Fitbit with GPS, but its more expensive and does have as many features (though it does have better battery life).

I'm already syncing my Fitbit Aria scale to MS Health Vault - been doing that for a while. Hopefully Health and Fitness can pick up Health Vault data. I'm really confused with the weird separation of MSN Health and Fitness, Health for the Band and Health Vault. MS needs to get all that crap in order - its a confusing mess how you're supposed to use all of this right now.

[DroidUser42]

I'm already syncing my Fitbit Aria scale to MS Health Vault - been doing that for a while. Hopefully Health and Fitness can pick up Health Vault data.

I think the MS Health and HealthVault is strickly one way: From Health to HealthVault. MS Health seems to be more about your activity and HealthVault seems to be more about doctor-type medical records. So the Health data gets summarized and fed to HealthVault. But I'd sure like to see some of the Stuff in HealthVault come back down to MS Health - after all HealthVault has a lot more devices that sync - like weight scales. But MS Health has no way to even input/track that. At this point it seems to be strictly a data aggregator for the Band.

I'm not sure where MSN Health and Fitness fits in. I've not played with it. In my mind it really should merge with MS Health.

[anon(8555314)]

I went on a ride yesterday and the Band synced to Strava.

[Teeceman]

"Sleep Recovery: Good sleep is the foundation of health, and something everybody does and needs. Microsoft Band tracks the length and quality of sleep. Use the Microsoft Health web dashboard to analyze sleep restoration, sleep efficiency, and wake-ups, to find out how well the body restores its resources during sleep."

Can't wait to see this in action in the web app come Monday, as at the moment the sleep data is all about comparison now this will at least bring some deeper insight.
The comparative insights for benchmarking against other users may also help with that extra bit of motivation, hopefully this will be enhanced more challenges and achievements for people trying to improve their fitness.

[DrFix82]

What is the difference with what is already in dashboard? All that sleep data is already there...

Does export to strava include gps data too? Because runkeeper export does not.

[pallentx]

Graphic shows the direction of sync with various services. The Fitbit Aria scale also syncs to Myfitness Pal, so that data may be able to come to health through that account.

[bockersjv]

What is the difference with what is already in dashboard? All that sleep data is already there...

Does export to strava include gps data too? Because runkeeper export does not.

Yes strata has the full GPS and HR info, as does map my ride.

Note that this was NOT an a firmware update, it was just addition of Strata to connected apps and adding Bike rides to the data shared with them (was running only last week).

[DrFix82]

I noticed the observations tab under sleep and run only today... was it already there or I noticed it only today?

[Teeceman]

What is the difference with what is already in dashboard? All that sleep data is already there...

There is no analysis of sleep 'recovery' in the dashboard...

[Teeceman]

I noticed the observations tab under sleep and run only today... was it already there or I noticed it only today?

Already there since the launch of the dashboard.