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)

20 comments:

  1. Thanks for finally providing this bridge into GFit I've been after this for a long time. A couple of comments though which I hope you accept as constructive.
    The Companion app is a 7 day trial with a comparatively expensive in app purchase to unlock it after that. I don't doubt that you have spent a long time developing the app and you've done a great job but you may want to make it clearer on the store page that the app is a 7 day trial. I would also personally consider a price drop but that's not a huge deal for me, maybe for others.

    Also I notice the watch app counts a lot of wrist movements which increases the step count a fair bit, is it possible you are already aware of this and maybe working on it? I notice that just typing for example doesn't affect the count but if I scratch my cheek it does. I'm sure it's a tough thing to get the calibration set for something like a watch as it's getting a lot of movement.

    Overall great job, I'm a fan and I'll be telling folks about the app.

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    1. It also seems to take a fair bit of arm swinging for it to register when you're walking. If you're not a big arm swinger, it may register one out of every 5 steps or so.

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    2. Hi Shaun, I tried the same thing on other activity tracking hardware (F.... and M... ) and they are all like that. I think any step tracking algorithm does have their fair share of false positives. One can try to minimize them but you can never completely get rid of them. With that being said, I just released a new version of the Pebble app with tweaked sensitivity while I spend a bit more time to optimize the current algorithm further. Please give it a try and let me know if it works better for you. Thanks.

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  2. I currently load into Google Fit using On11, but it don't appear to load sleep data. However, it does track it.

    I also see users claiming this is a 7 day trial. Why should I pay to use it, especially since there is no mention of a fee?

    ReplyDelete
  3. I currently load into Google Fit using On11, but it don't appear to load sleep data. However, it does track it.

    I also see users claiming this is a 7 day trial. Why should I pay to use it, especially since there is no mention of a fee?

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    Replies
    1. Hi Roger, you can give the app a try. I have extended the trial period to 15 days, which should be plenty for you to decide if this app is for you or not. Please at least give it a try, you might like it a lot that you will not even consider any other apps after this.

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  4. Purchased app and wanted to commend you on making this app. My only question is do you need to do anything in google fit to make sure your not getting double steps (counted from phone and from watch)?

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    1. Hi Bradley,
      You bought up a very good point. Make sure you disable "Activity Detection" in Google Fit settings to avoid having Google Fit count your steps beside PlexFit.
      You will also get some improvement in your phone battery life as well :)

      Delete
  5. Now it stopped syncing completely (version 1.4),still no forced/manual sync. Only shows data from version 1.3 that I uninstalled.

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    1. Hi Thomas,
      Thanks for letting me know. I have finally completed my testing and release new versions of both apps to the Pebble App Store and to the Google Play Store. Could you please try out the new versions and check back ? Thanks.

      Delete
  6. It synchronized only one day out of for I'm trying, no more sync, how are we supposed to test it?

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  7. It synchronized only one day out of for I'm trying, no more sync, how are we supposed to test it?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Matt,
      Sorry for the late reply. I was busying fixing both apps. I have released both new version of the apps to the Google Play Store and to the Pebble App Store now. That sync issue is completely gone now. Sorry for the hassle and I really appreciate your understanding.

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  8. The pebble app is constantly counting steps when it's taken off and layer down to charge for the night. (even if I hold the watch face level while on my wrist it counts) had over 10m steps registered before I even woke up.

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    Replies
    1. Are you sure you are telling the truth ? 10 millions step ? The watch face has a limit of 99,999 steps and it will not display any number beyond that. Please take a picture of where it says 10 millions and I can help you troubleshoot this further.

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    2. I am observing the same issue. You place your watch on a table and observe the counter to run like hell. The counter will reset at some point so you don't get 10mil but that is not the point. The issue is there and it's not in the hardware. We can help you to troubleshoot and find out where the problem is, just let me know if there is anything I can try. Thank you.

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  9. After the 15 day trial, what is the cost for the app?

    ReplyDelete
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    ReplyDelete