Smart Speaker

A Smart Speaker is a Wi-Fi enabled speaker that often serves as the central hub and control point for other devices in a Smart Home. Smart Speakers remain connected to the internet and have a digital virtual assistant like Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri, etc. installed that can be controlled with voice using the device’s microphone. With access to a virtual assistant, ask a Smart Speaker to provide the weather, put together a shopping list, play or stream music and connect to other devices over the Wi-Fi network.

Smart Lights can be controlled by a Smart Speaker to switch on or off, dim or brighten them and change the colour or hue. A Wi-Fi connected Air Conditioner can be activated and adjusted without having to get up or reach for the remote. The same can be done for some Smart TVs, Smart Ovens, Smart Fridges and more. Virtual assistants can be used for a wide variety of tasks and get better at recognizing a user's voice and anticipating needs over time.

While they can’t do the workouts and exercises for you, a Fitness Tracker can be a great motivational tool to optimise fitness regimens by developing healthy and sustainable habits and showing improvement. Most allow short or long term goals that can be tracked over days, weeks or months.

The most motivating plans are measurable and Fitness Trackers make it easy to track workout times and how many calories are being burnt. This is great to keep motivated as health improvements are not always easy to recognize.

Models with a heart rate monitor are great for cardio as the best results are often achieved when an aerobic heart rate is sustained, which depends on your age and overall fitness. They can also be used to track improvements to a resting heart rate which generally indicates overall cardiovascular health and how fit someone is.

Fitness Trackers can be used to log a wide variety of workout routines including running, jogging, rowing and swimming. For many Fitness Trackers specific types of workout routines or sessions that are not recorded using the Tracker can be manually logged using its app. This can be great for occasions where wearing is less practical, although some of the information like heart rate will be missed that is usually read through wearing the device.

Swimming is a great way to work out, but you maybe understandably hesitant to take Tech in the pool. Fitness Trackers vary quite a lot in terms of waterproofing with some being splashproof whilst other models will allow submerged depths up to 50m. Some models quote the IP rating, with the second number after the P indicating the strength against water ingress aka intrusion. You can find more information on IP ratings linked here.

When shopping for a new Fitness Tracker, keep an idea of what sort of workouts it will track and record. Check the waterproof specifications on our website before buying but if you’re not sure don’t be afraid to ask in store or online, we’re happy to help year round.

Fitness Trackers come in a variety of designs and sizes. Consider how comfortable and secure they are to wear whilst working out as some models have swappable and adjustable bands for style and comfort. A Fitness Tracker with an alarm Clock can be useful for helping to regulate a sleep cycle and prompting activity when still for too long. Models with a silent, moderately buzzing alarm can be highly effective without bothering people around you.

Consider the battery life especially if wearing overnight for sleep tracking. Most models will last for a few days off a full charge with some lasting up to a year, and most models are recharged via USB cables as compared to the docks for Wireless Charging used for Smart Watches.

Some Fitness Trackers offer paid subscription services that can unlock more detailed fitness data, diet tools and a digital personal trainer. These can also give you access to regularly updated video workouts and more specialized content that can be tailored to personal lifestyle and fitness goals.