Feature Suggestions for Microsoft Band?

gwh34t

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* Joe920 has since created an Unofficial User Voice Page - Here

Please feel free to still post ideas here to share and keep a conversation going.


Am I missing something, or is there a "Feature Suggestions for Microsoft Band" site similar to that of Windows 10 and Windows Phone?
If there isn't one, can we start our own? Just a few I'd like to see:

- Find my phone icon (press it to make your phone ring)
- Reply to texts/calls/e-mails AFTER reading them (When I get a text and it's multiple lines, after reading I can't respond using the preset replies. I need to use Cortana or pull my phone out. Not easy to do in every situation.)
- Battery percent in the home screen scroll
- Leave phone screen locked/turned off when using Cortana
 
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YKinase

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Haven't found such a forum yet. Would add:

- Wrist flick to turn on watch mode; basically keep the display off until you flick your wrist. A feature on the basis B1 that I loved. Would save battery
- show heart rate on main screen (and/or watch)
- option to add seconds to watch mode
- move your *** reminders (haptic feedback if I'm sitting for a designated period of time)


-
 

DroidUser42

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- I'd like to see notification count in watch mode. Right now I have to activate the watch and scroll tiles to see anything.
- If I've read something on my phone, clear the notification about it from the Band. Right now I'm having to read things twice.
- "Forgot something?" - an alert on both phone and band when they get out of range of each other.
- Activate with just a touch. Having to push a button seems a tad clunky.
- Show default "on" screen in watch mode (for example the number of steps, HR or whatever you have set.)
 

Khidr

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I'd like a custom interval timer so if I'm doing hiit training I can set it up for whatever arbitrary interval I'd like to do. This would go under the broader category of allowing custom workouts. It would be nice to get a buzz when it's time to rest or change activity.

The ability to export run maps to runkeeper would be nice.

"auto" mode, where you can set it and forget it, more like the basis peak - fall asleep, and it will figure out you're sleeping, start working out, and it will start tracking that as your heart rate goes up. I know they don't do this so that the heart rate monitor doesn't chew through the battery quickly, but it would be a nice option if your could still get a full 24 hours and leave clock mode off.

Otherwise, I'm prety happy with it - needs some bugs fixed (reporting to myfitnesspal that I did both "aerobics" and general workout thus doubling each workout I do is my most immediately annoying one).
 

gwh34t

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Oh wow. You guys came up with some great ideas. Keep in mind, with the other forms of "Feature Suggestions," you can only submit ideas that Microsoft can implement through current devices (with ideas for future releases, sure). But they can't put curved glass on a band on my wrist. On the same note, other developers are responsible for implementing their apps when/if they get APIs to do so. Just something to keep in mind. Thanks for the responses!
 

DroidUser42

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But they can't put curved glass on a band on my wrist.
Obviously the software guys can't but the hardware people can look into it. I'm fine with the display itself being flat, but if it curved/angled at the edges it would help keep it from looking so "chunky". Or at bare minimum, put a curve on the backside of the display for a better fit to the wrist.
 

cardingtr

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My take:
Configurable watch mode. So you can turn off watch mode from 9 pm to 6 am for example.
An icon in watch mode so you don't have to scroll to check if theres notifications.
Ave lap pace for run
Auto pause if not running- as suggested already.
Able to add more than 1 Starbucks card.
Option for less GPS update for more battery life.
 

gwh34t

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Hi guys, I went nuts and set up a free uservoice page for a hypothetical device called the microstrap. I don't want to use any trademarked device names, but I'm sure we can come up with possible improvements of the microstrap anyway, whatever it is. ;)

The page is here. This free account should stay alive 'forever', but fair warning: I cannot predict if uservoice could ever pull the plug on this page.

Microstrap Suggestions - Customer Feedback

I've added my ideas to your link. Will leave it up to each individual to add their own. Thanks again.
 

mhc48

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I'd really like the timer and alarm to remain at the last used setting without having to go in each time to reset them. I get up at the same time every day and use the timer every morning for the same duration. This doesn't seem as if it would be a difficult thing to do.
 

Joe920

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I'd really like the timer and alarm to remain at the last used setting without having to go in each time to reset them. I get up at the same time every day and use the timer every morning for the same duration. This doesn't seem as if it would be a difficult thing to do.

Definitely a good idea, thanks for adding it to the uservoice page.
 

gwh34t

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I'd really like the timer and alarm to remain at the last used setting without having to go in each time to reset them. I get up at the same time every day and use the timer every morning for the same duration. This doesn't seem as if it would be a difficult thing to do.

Not sure if you have the same alarm on your phone, but the Band will vibrate with phone alarms. If that would be something you wanted to look into.

I would like the ability to have it still save though as you mentioned. I also think it would be nice to have the ability to change what shows by default - Alarm, Timer or Stopwatch.
 

Joe920

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Just added a new idea: allow the microsoft band to connect to bluetooth compatible heart rate straps. I love this device, but the heart rate monitoring is not accurate enough for my needs. Since the band already has bluetooth, it should be doable to have it talk to existing bluetooth enabled heart rate straps for more accurate HR readings. That way we have the best of both worlds: a lightweight unobtrusive sports watch, with more accurate heart rate when we need it.

Hardware: bluetooth connection to heart rate strap
 

jfdavis17

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I would like for it to not count steps while in run mode.(I keep track of total distance traveled while exercising, this causes a double count.)
Integration with Endomondo would be awesome.
Fix integration with MFP, so that steps, or the calories burned from steps are accurately imported.

I love my Band, this would just make me love it more.
 

gadgetrants

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Super guys, this is awesome.

cardingtr mentioned average lap pace while running, which reminds me: add a manual lap function to running (unless I missed it???). It's nice that the Band tries to estimate our non-GPS pace and distance while running, but if we have a reliable indicator (e.g., treadmill display) it would be a lot more convenient to tap the Band and have it mark the timepoint as a lap/split.

Also, am I the only one who finds the display goes haywire after a run? I assumed it was a sweaty finger, but I swear I've wiped that finger bone dry and the display still goes wonky. I'm pretty sure it's a conduction issue caused by sweat on the inside of the band making contact with the sensors.

As has been mentioned elsewhere, there should be a GPS-calibrated run mode where you go and, say, run at 4 or 5 different speeds so the Band can learn the function between arm/wrist movements and stride length over a range of speeds. It might already do that, but if so, it would be awesome to get a user manual that explicitly describes the calibration process.

User-accessible body temp and GSR sensors. And more generally for ALL SENSORS: create/expose an XML (or text) file with sensor data that can be downloaded to the phone, and then exported, displayed, and analyzed as the user wishes.

User-adjustable HR zones when viewing HR on the Exercise charts. Also: HR zone training that alerts when the target zone is entered/exited.

And FINALLY: an option on the phone app (Android in my case) that lets the user choose which apps can generate notifications on the Band. For me, if the Band tells me ONE MORE TIME to "choose an input method" when my phone keyboard opens, or that "an open wifi network is available" I think I'll scream! :angry:

​-Matt
 

cardingtr

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Super guys, this is awesome.

Also, am I the only one who finds the display goes haywire after a run? I assumed it was a sweaty finger, but I swear I've wiped that finger bone dry and the display still goes wonky. I'm pretty sure it's a conduction issue caused by sweat on the inside of the band making contact with the sensors.
​-Matt
I happened to be today too. I was sweaty at mile 11 when I looked at the not so reliable instantaneous pace, the display seems to scroll down halfway between 2 pages. I tried to scroll it in place but it was unresponsive. Then the Band ended the run by itself. I have to restart a Run again.
 

gadgetrants

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I happened to be today too. I was sweaty at mile 11 when I looked at the not so reliable instantaneous pace, the display seems to scroll down halfway between 2 pages. I tried to scroll it in place but it was unresponsive. Then the Band ended the run by itself. I have to restart a Run again.

ARGH! Something similar happened on Monday -- I've never tried "pause" while running, but I noticed my shoelace was untied, so I tapped the Action button and of course, the End/Resume menu popped up. I crossed my fingers, chose no response, and hoped, "presumably the run stopwatch is paused, and after I tie my shoe I'll hit Resume and go on my merry way." It was a great plan, but when I stood up the run had closed out!

The first thing I thought was, "hmmm, I guess it's not a 'pause' function -- it must kill the run if no response is received." Long story short, I tested it several times after and my guess was wrong...typically it remains on that screen with the run paused until you pick a choice. Quite a bummer to break one run into two episodes!

-Matt
 

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