Health - Softonic English

Your company could buy you a Fitbit Inspire

Fitbit has a device only for sale to companies for their employees.

You may have heard that Fitbit just released a new line of activity trackers – but you probably haven’t. That’s because you can’t actually buy the new Fitbit Inspire. Rather, the product is aimed at businesses and insurance companies so they can be given to their members in bulk. So the only way you’d get one is through your boss at work, or through your health insurance.

What is Fitbit Inspire?

Fitbit Inspire bracelet colors — Inspire comes with two colors, HR comes with three.

Considering their market demographic, it probably comes as no surprise that the Inspire is Fitbit’s cheapest model yet, with their price varying from company to company. Like other Fitbit products, Inspire is a health tracker that motivates you to reach your health and fitness goals by monitoring your activity, exercise, sleep, weight and more. Inspire is unique in that it’s available exclusively through Fitbit corporate via Fitbit Health Solutions.

What does the Fitbit Inspire do?

Fitbit Inspire Features — Fitbit Inspire is more attractive to budgeting companies than to its consumers

The Fitbit Inspire does exactly what you’d expect a Fitbit to do, and nothing more. Keep in mind that the Inspire is meant to be bulk distributed, so there’s a reason it’s a little lacking in frills and features. That said, you can’t deny that this is a cool device: Calendar alerts, calls, texts, activity and sleep tracking, and the famous ‘calories burned’ notification that puts a smile on your face while you’re going for a walk. You can also set the Inspire to ‘inspire’ you to get up and move at set intervals, and congratulates you for meeting your goals.

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The Fitbit Inspire HR has extra features

The HR model adds a little extra to the Fitbit Inspire package with enhanced tracking and goal-setting. It syncs with your phone’s GPS and takes the calorie burn monitor to a new level with 24/7 heart rate tracking and more specific sleep stage tracking. The HR also comes with over 15 goal-based exercise modes to choose between when you’re setting your new regimen.

The basic version of the Fitbit Inspire is reliable and useful, but lacks a few of the bells and whistles of the HR. Both are solid choices for a company however, with lightweight, comfortable silicone bands and incredible battery life – up to five days! Both use similar touchscreens as well, and both are completely waterproof for those of us who like to swim for exercise.

Fitbit is waterproof — The new Fitbit Inspire is waterproof, making it a great device for tracking water sports.

All in all, the Fitbit Inspire is a nifty gadget with a handful of new features, but it’s not a high-end one-stop fix like the Apple Watch. In a way, this is for the best, though; it’s necessary for there to be a low-cost variation made available to the more general public so that it’s not just the more elitist or health-obsessed who are getting their hands these devices. Do you think that being more accessible to a wide crowd will make this more ubiquitous and successful than the Apple Watch?

Let us know in the comments below, and stay healthy!

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Google Fit gets even better

Google Fit is getting updated features including widgets to display your movement stats

Google Fit is the search giant’s way of giving you the ability to track your biometric data so that you can use it to improve your fitness. Biometrics is a big thing these days with all sorts of specialized fitness trackers and apps for smartphones available. Google Fit is available for both Android smartphones and WearOS smartwatches and Google has been working hard to update both apps.

Google Fit Download Now ►

Google Fit is getting updated features including widgets to display your movement stats

On your Android smartphone, the new widgets allow you to monitor your progress directly from your home screen. You’ll be able to place a widget on any of your home screens so that you can easily see your Heart Points, Move Minutes, and other daily stats. You’ll also be able to see details of your last workout right there too. There will be no getting away from it.

Another cool new feature that Google is bringing to Fit is the ability to more accurately monitor activities that you manually input into your devices. When you manually log a workout session, you’ll now be able to adjust the intensity of the activity and Fit will award them with a more accurate amount of Heart Points based on the work you’ve done.

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The final new feature that Google mentioned in the blog post announcing the update to Fit is designed to help you unwind. Google Fit now has the ability to guide users through a breathing exercise to help them unwind. This can be done after a workout, or just at any time when you are feeling a little stressed out.

This latest update to Google Fit marks the end of a good year for the app. Earlier this year, Google completely redesigned the app making it easier to use and giving it an updated look. The redesign also focused the app on goals that were recommended to Google by the American Heart Association (AHA) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Move Minutes and Heart Points now sit at the center of the Google fitness app and are the two main metrics that the app pushes you to monitor and reach daily targets for. The redesign put these metrics front and center and displays them as a ring that fills up as you score Move Minutes and Heart Points.

You should be able to access all of these new features on Google Fit for your Android smartphone and WearOS device now.

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4 great apps for tracking your nutrition

Get healthy in a hurry with these great apps.

A recent study showed that around 80 percent of Americans plan to make some major changes to the way they eat. The number of people who will actually do it? Probably much lower. We get it. Changing your diet is hard, and sticking with a nutrition plan is even harder. Temptation is everywhere, and it’s all too easy to lose your motivation.

Fear not, because these four apps are here to rescue you from the pit of dietary despair. From helping you shop like a nutrition pro to giving you the lowdown on how to order healthy foods from your favorite restaurants, there’s an app for that. Actually, there are several — and we’ve narrowed it down to the best and easiest to use.

4 great apps for tracking your nutrition

1. HealthyOut

When you’re on a strict nutrition plan, an invitation to lunch can be an anxiety-inducing experience. How do you avoid eating way too many calories in one sitting or make sure your entree is gluten-free without making a big scene?

Download HealthyOut, and it will scan the menu at wherever you’re eating to find selections that are consistent with your dietary restrictions. The only downside to HealthyOut is that it doesn’t have data for every restaurant … yet.

HealthyOut - Healthy Restaurant Nutrition Guide Download Now ►

2. ShopWell

Shopping for healthy food is a lot easier with ShopWell. Tell ShopWell your goals, restrictions, allergies and other nutrition-related information, and the app will help you create customized shopping lists. It will also suggest new foods to try.

There are a lot of similar apps out there, but ShopWell is a winner for its streamlined platform and ample features (including a UPC scanner that gives you instant details about a product). ShopWell can even help you navigate the grocery store to find what you’re looking for.

ShopWell - Better Food Choices Download Free

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3. Lifesum

There are more than a few calorie-tracking apps to choose from. Lifesum takes a more holistic approach to fitness tracking, going above and beyond simple calorie counting. Aimed at helping you achieve a more balanced lifestyle, Lifesum offers various plans based on your unique goals and concerns. Once you figure out the plan that’s best for you, start logging your diet and fitness details.

Over time, Lifesum will build a profile to help you reach your goals faster and more effectively. This friendly little app will even give you a digital nudge when it’s time to drink some water or grab a healthy bite to eat.

Lifesum Download Free

4. MyFitnessPal

Keeping a food journal can be a highly effective way to start making changes to your diet and lifestyle. Tracking your eating habits can help you identify food allergies, gain control over cravings, and rein in those oversized portions. A carefully kept food diary can even help you figure out if certain factors are triggering your overeating or bad food choices.

MyFitnessPal makes the whole food diary thing super easy — and even kind of fun. With a food database that’s over 5 million deep, you should be able to get the nutritional lowdown on anything you’re thinking about eating. Plus, you can add recipes from anywhere on the web and connect with a friendly community for advice and inspiration.

MyFitnessPal Download Free

The 5 best apps to survive a zombie apocalypse

If the zombie apocalypse broke out today, 5 apps could save your life. Don’t wait until the walking dead are shambling your way. Download these apps now!

There are two types of people in this world: those who prepared for the zombie apocalypse, and those who get eaten.

The undead have been around in popular culture for decades now. While we’ve all enjoyed watching determined survivors stand against never-ending waves of flesh-hungry zombies, we don’t always take the time to prepare ourselves. One day you might be the one holed up in an abandoned shopping mall. So ask yourself one question: are you ready?

Fortunately, we live in a world where access to technology means help is always at your fingertips, and here at Softonic, we’ve taken the time to put together a list of apps that would be most helpful in the event of an apocalyptic zombie outbreak.

1. SOS Flashlight

It’s highly likely that your phone has a flashlight, which will help you navigate dark areas when the power is out. But what if you see a group of survivors and need to get their attention? Shouting is all well and good until the zombie horde descends on you. Instead, this helpful little app will let you flash out the international sign for distress (SOS).

S… O… damn, the zombies are here!

Super Flashlight Avoid zombies, download now

2. Motion Detector

At some point, you have to sleep. And in a world overrun by zombies, there’s more to worry about than your partner stealing the all the blankets, or getting up in the dark and stubbing your toe.

To sleep peacefully, safe in the knowledge that your safe-house hasn’t been overrun by the undead, you need this handy little app. Set your smartphone camera to overlook a door or window and it will raise an alarm if anything moves – it’ll even take a photo of what it saw.

Motion Detector Pro avoid zombies, Download Free

3. Maps.me

For most apps, if your mobile data runs out, or the signal’s bad, it’s game over. You might as well sprinkle some herbs on your head and let the zombie horde enjoy feasting on your brains à la provençal.

Fortunately, this app allows you to browse highly compressed, offline map data, with full GPS support, offline search, and routing by foot and car. You can bookmark safe-houses and useful locations, and then share them with other survivors.

MAPS.ME Offline Maps know your escape route, Download Free

4. First Aid

While this app won’t help if one of your group gets bitten, it’s worth having when you’re hurt. There’s likely to be a lot of dangerous ground and territory to cover, and you don’t want a simple cut or sprain slowing you down, or turning into something far more deadly. Instead, use the Red Cross’s First Aid Training app to deal with all minor injuries.

First Aid - American Red Cross patch the wounded, Download Free

5. Zombies! Run

If there’s one thing that separates the living and the dead in a post-apocalyptic world, it’s cardio. When you’re running for your life, being able to do a 5K could save your life.

This app helps you get a head start. You are a runner en-route to one of humanity’s last remaining outpost. As you run, you gather supplies and rescue other survivors. Just be ready to speed up whenever you hear zombies on your tail. And when the apocalypse comes, just remember that you don’t always need to outrun the zombies, you just need to outrun at least one other survivor.

Zombies, Run! outrun the dead, download free

That completes our round-up. Hopefully, you’ll find something here that will help you and your friends get ready for the rise of the undead. Stay safe out there, survivors!

Does Facebook want you to spend less time on Facebook?

Mark Zuckerberg has admitted that passive consumption of social media is bad. If you’re sitting at home alone and all you’re doing is scrolling through social media feeds hour after hour, it is bad for your health. Ideally, if Zuckerberg really does care about users of his various social networks, he’d want them to become active users who contribute to social discourse as well as just reading what others have posted. Recent Facebook innovations show a move in this direction, but there is a movement gathering pace in the tech world, and it has Facebook in its sights. That movement is the “Time Well Spent” movement.

Facebook Lite Download Facebook Lite

We’ve recently seen both Apple and Google bring in new features on their mobile operating systems that help people control the amount of time they’re spending on their phones. Apple’s new feature tracks phone usage and can even set limits. Google’s new control panel will show how much time you’ve been spending, which apps you’ve been spending it on, and will even recommend that you take breaks. It now looks like Facebook is testing out a similar feature.

Facebook is working on "Your Time on Facebook" which could help users to manage their time spent on Facebook app.

Instagram is also working on helping users to improve their digital wellbeing: https://t.co/y38mV3RtqB

as previously spotted: https://t.co/D26M9RuSxG pic.twitter.com/YqSyH0fpII

— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) June 22, 2018

The new Facebook feature, first spotted by engineer Jane Manchun Wong, is called Your Time on Facebook. Although it has only been seen in the code of an unreleased version of Facebook; if it is released officially, it will help allow you to see how much time you’re spending on the social network each day.

Facebook usage notifications — Facebook will start telling you how much time you’re spending on Facebook

Facebook confirmed to Tech Crunch that it will be rolling out this new feature, but is yet to talk of an official release date:

“We’re always working on new ways to help make sure people’s time on Facebook is time well spent.”

The interesting thing about the Facebook usage panel, leaked by Wong, is its simplicity. It offers only very basic metrics and makes no distinction between passive and unhealthy time on the site, and active participation, which Zuckerberg claims is better for both users and society. Hopefully, Facebook will improve its control panel, but if the control panel on Facebook-owned Instagram is anything to go by that is just wishful thinking.

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The 3 best apps for helping you sleep

Sleep is as important for your health as food, air, and water. Without it, you risk a range of symptoms, ranging from the relatively harmless, such as fatigue and irritability, up to the life-threatening, such as obesity, depression, and illness – even death.

Yet many of us don’t sleep enough. In the U.S., over a third of people don’t get the minimum recommended seven hours. Left untreated, mild sleep loss can quickly become chronic (insomnia), leading to hallucinations, premature aging, and worse.

Thankfully, there are many smartphone apps out there that can help you get a good night’s sleep. We’ve split them into three different categories and chosen the best app for each one.

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3 best apps for helping you sleep

1. Preparing for sleep – Buddhify – $4.99

At its heart, Buddhify is a meditation app, but it’s so much more than that. Designed to be simple, intuitive, and easy to use, the app lets you choose different meditations based on what you’re doing or feeling. Tapping a segment of meditation wheel opens up a choice of meditations all designed to fit your present mood and circumstances.

You’ll find categories like Traveling, Stress & Difficult Emotion, and Work Break. But most importantly, there are a number of sleep-inducing meditations, including Can’t Sleep and Going to Sleep. You can also choose different meditation wheels, each curated by the Buddhify team (or you can make your own), including a whole wheel dedicated to sleep called Sleep Issues.

Buddhify is an excellent way to prepare your mind for sleep. It calms intense emotions, stops rumination, and relaxes your body – the perfect conditions for a great sleep.

Buddhify Download

2. Falling asleep – Noisli – $1.99

It’s no secret that many of us find it easier to sleep with background noise. I don’t mean the repetitive thump of a rave next door or the wailing of some drunkard on a karaoke machine, but the sounds of nature, or the proven memory and sleep-enhancing benefits of white or pink noise.

Noisli is a noise generator, and includes sounds such as rain, rustling leaves, railroad tracks, forest, waves, and white, pink, or brown noise. Noisli helps you fall asleep by grounding your brain in a simple sound instead of the tiny, variable noises that interrupt the silence of your bedroom and cause your brain to react.

One of Noisli’s best features is being able to combine different sounds, allowing you to recreate a stormy night, or an island retreat with just a few taps. It’s also got a timer that turns Noisli off after a set period of time, so you won’t wake up to a lifeless smartphone in the morning.

Noisli Download Free

3. Waking up and sleep tracking – Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock – Free

Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock improves sleep in two different ways.

First, Sleep Cycle helps you wake refreshed and well-rested by only waking you during a light sleep phase.

During the night, your brain goes through different phases of alternating deep and light sleep. If your alarm goes off during a deep sleep phase, you’ll wake feeling groggy and grumpy.

To prevent this, Sleep Cycle analyses sound and movement through your smartphone’s speaker and accelerometer to decide the best time to sound its alarm (during a 30 minute window before you need to get up).

Second, Sleep Cycle tracks your sleep patterns, giving you graphs and statistics on your time in bed, different cycles, total hours slept, and many other factors. You can then use this data to improve your sleep.

Sleep Cycle alarm clock Download

There’s nothing quite like a good sleep. You feel it in your body and brain, and it can help you start the day with positivity and confidence. If you’d like to know how well you’re sleeping, take the World Sleep Survey. Then download the apps above and enjoy blissful nights of restful sleep.

World’s first-ever qualified robodoc starts work in China

Source: New York Post

Despite all the hate directly their way, some of the robotic hordes seem to be working for the good of humanity.

After becoming the first-ever robot to pass a real medical exam, Xiao Yi has started working at the Shuanggang health center in in the provincial capital of Hefei.

The smiling synthetic graduated to its current workplace after sailing through

its medical licensing exam with 456 out of a potential 600 points.

Now, the brainy, blue-eyed Xiao Yi – which bears a passing resemblance to SoftBank’s Pepper – is a trainee doctor, and spends its days recording the diagnoses and prescriptions of its human colleagues.

Presumably it will eventually be able to prescribe them all anti-depressants – after it takes their jobs.

Vaping? Your e-cig might blow up in your face

Source: Youtube (JAC)

If you vape because it’s safer than smoking, these videos may make you want to go cold turkey. They show e-cigarettes exploding in people’s bags, pockets, and even in their mouths, causing horrific, painful injuries.

A consumer blog has logged 243 media-reported incidents as of May last year – but warns that these may be the tip of the iceberg.

Accidents are often caused by overcharging, using chargers not specifically designed for your device, adding modifiers, and spare batteries coming into contact with metal, causing them to short-circuit.

The message: charge with care, avoid mods, and don’t have spare batteries jiggling around in your pants with your keys and loose change.

Or just give up nicotine, period.

Would you open up to an AI Therapist?

Source: Mashable

With therapists charging by the hour for long rambling conversations about how who you were effects who you are and AI text bots desperate for the human interaction, they need to learn it was only a matter of time before an AI therapist hit the scene. Meet T.E.V.I, the Textpert Empathetic Virtual Interface, currently being developed by a team of UCLA researchers.

Tevi has a simple text-based interface. You type in your query and then Tevi responds by giving you different results and trying to classify your query relating to relationships, socializing, health, dating, or other topics. You can also ask Tevi to talk to you and offer some thoughts on your query.

Tevi should be able to participate in full conversations by the end of 2018 and will cost $9.99 a month, which is a lot less than a human therapist would cost. Do you think Tevi could help? Would you tell an AI robot all of your problems? Tell us what you think in the comments below.