Fitness trackers are generally worn on the wrist, which, for many, is a bit inconvenient. Samsung, however, had a brilliant idea: Why not make a smart belt to put around your waist? And why not give it a terrible name? Aside from that last part (it’s a really terrible name), it’s a pretty neat idea.
The Welt (told you), which by the way is also an injury you can inflict with a belt, has a lot to recommend it. It tracks steps using a pedometer, but it also tracks your waist circumference over time. If that’s not enough, it also tracks the expansions and contractions in your abdomen that come from overeating. And to top it all off, it times how long you sit, so it’s tracking both activity and inactivity. It’s also packing a battery that lasts for twenty days, meaning you won’t have to charge your belt. And, of course, it comes with an app.
There are, of course, a few downsides. The most notable is that wearing this thing while you exercise is probably a no-go for most people, and it doesn’t yet seem to pair with any wrist-mounted fitness trackers. Still, as most of us don’t go for a brisk jog at work in a full suit, it looks to be a useful way to track your health without needing to invest in a watch you may not want. The project is already over its Kickstarter goal, so the Welt will begin arriving in January.
(Via Kickstarter)