Saturday, February 28, 2015

Sensitivity Customization Arrived for PlexFit (Pebble app)

Guys,
If you have battery issue on your Pebble and you downloaded version 1.6 when it first came out. Please remove it and go to the Pebble App Store to grab the latest version 1.7. That version has the battery drain bug fixed. I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience.

Hi guys,
I did promise many of you that I would be working on allowing sensitivity to be customizable and today I would like to deliver on that promise. I have release an update to the Pebble App Store (version 1.6) with the following improvements:
  • Full sensitivity customization so that you can customize to fit your walking patterns. 
  • Calibration: I also added an option for users to calibrate their Pebble so that you will have the same experience as I do when developing this app. Hopefully, this will address the issue that many users reported as phantom tracking or very high sensitivity due to the calibration on some Pebble is out of the normal ranges.
  • Pause tracking: to allow the tracking to be paused when you are driving, biking or sitting at your desk typing to prevent false footsteps count. Or you can pause your tracking when going to bed so that PlexFit won't register any steps while you are resting :)

The goal of PlexFit is to empower the users and I have tried my best to listen to all the users feedback and deliver (in the extent of my ability and time allowed). Hope that you guys will enjoy this release. The next thing on my list next is sleep tracking, biking and running and I will work on those next.

What are you still waiting for? Go get your new and shiny PlexFit 1.6 on the Pebble App Store today !!







Saturday, February 21, 2015

New version of PlexFit (both Android version and Pebble version) has been released

Hi guys,
Sorry for the wait but the new updates to fix that dreaded syncing issues many of you have reported are finally here. I have released version 1.1.0 of the Android PlexFit app and version 1.5 of the PlexFit Pebble App to the Google Play Store and Pebble App Store respectively.



Here are a full lists of fixes and changes in Android PlexFit App (version 1.1.0):

  • Background syncing mechanism was completely rewritten
  • Added manual syncing (using pull to refresh). Don't worry you will be greeted with a tutorial to get started
  • Added option to manually restore past license purchase for users who previously bought the app but have to uninstall to get rids of issues.
  • Added version syncing to allow Android app to show the PlexFit version on the Pebble
  • Added new UI elements to show how much battery is left and reminder to charge when the battery is low
  • Fix a bug with the UI causing the alignment to be off when users exceed 10000 steps
  • Other UI refinement. 
  • Bug fixes:
    • Fix crash when user connect/disconnect Pebble
    • Fix crash when user closes the app
    • Other bug fixes caused by the previous syncing codes have been fixed 

Here are a full lists of fixes and changes in the Pebble PlexFit App (version 1.5):

  • Completely rewrote the syncing functions
  • Added more messages to be sent to the PlexFit Android app (battery level and version)
  • Fix a UI bug causing the step count to be cut off when users go beyond 10000 steps
I have uploaded both version but Google Play Store will take sometime to update, version 1.5 is already live on Pebble App Store. You can get them here:



Finally, I would like to use this chance to thank everyone who have sent me feedback and report bugs. Those were very helpful and critical in helping me iron out all the bugs. Without you, I probably would have never found them. Thank you for all your encouragement, your support and your empathy while I was struggling to debug this app. I hope that this release will finally give you the chance to enjoy the app and let me focus on adding more features next: sleep tracking, biking and running support.





Monday, February 16, 2015

PlexFit for Pebble Has Been Released



Today is a really big day for us. After spending a lot of time studying the Pebble platform and the Google Fit API framework, we have managed to create our first smartwatch app and our first Android app that uses Google Fit API. It's probably also the first app on the market right now that offers Pebble integration into the Google Fit platform.

Today we have empowered all the Pebble users worldwide to have more control over their fitness data and where they should be stored. We believe your data should be stored in where it's as open as possible to many smartwatch platforms such as Android Wear and other wearable devices. Your data should not be stored in siloed and proprietary platforms that created by companies to tie you into their platform whether you like it or not. Today is the day you have freedom over your fitness data.

Why Pebble, you ask ? It's probably because it's best smartwatch on the market now, period. It has the best battery life that no other smartwatch can compare. It is also the most stylish and the best looking smartwatch right now on the market. It's not coincident that the Verge and many other news website keep recommending it even though there are a lot of alternatives out there right now and it's a pretty crowded market.

Keeping the Pebble's strengths in mind, we have coded the PlexFit app on Pebble to use as little battery and as little RAM as possible so that it does not degrade the excellent battery life of the Pebble to any noticeable extend. We are pleased to announce that we were able to use the PlexFit app on our Pebble for 6 consecutive days without any charging in between. Your mileage might vary but you should be able to get at least 5 days on your Pebble with PlexFit app continuously running. It's also worth noting that we studied all the latest design trends to make your PlexFit app for Pebble look as stylishly as possible and make you feel as comfortable as possible in any social situation.


For the PlexFit companion app on Android, we have also designed it to be as compliant as possible to the Google Material Design guidelines while being adventurous and try out all the latest design cues for the Google Android platform. The end result is a beautiful, clustered-free design that looks best in Android Lollipop but also looks great on KitKat and any earlier version of Android.

Last but not least, let's not forget about the centerpiece or the main goal this app sets out to do: Google Fit Integration. We were able to develop a reliable background syncing mechanism with Google Fit platform, which is a very big achievement for us. You will definitely notice the seamless integration between the Pebble app with the Google Fit platform using this companion app. Below are some screenshots of this background syncing in action:





Finally, we just want every Pebble owner out there to finally enjoy a solid fitness tracking platform leaning on the strength of Google. No more crappy third party implementation, no more worrying about security issues with your fitness data, no more "siloing" of your health data. Today is the day you finally have total control over your health and fitness data in a central, easy-to-use platform that is Google Fit.

We hope you enjoy this app as much as we did spending the time to make it.
Without further adieu, download away ....

PlexFit Pebble App (now live)

PlexFit Android Companion App (now live)