I love gadgets. I can’t count the number of ‘clever’ things I have bought that were going to enhance/change my life, so these days I’m a skeptic… but I still love gadgets.

So when Jawbone bought out the UP I read about it, quite a few times.  This little band keeps track of your sleep patterns, your movement, reminds you to track your eating… it doesn’t change anything, but is meant to make you more aware of what you are doing, thus leading to change (I guess)

This weekend I was given up UP band as a gift and so am trying it out (I have kept all the packaging so I can return it if necessary). I don’t quite understand it yet, but will use it all week and see if it makes a difference. It’s meant to be able to wake you (without disturbing anyone else) at the optimum point of your sleep cycle, help you stay active by reminding you to move and a host of other things. I think it may have potential, or at least the potential to have potential eventually. I’m not sure it’s there yet. It syncs with my iphone through an UP app, but I have to plug it in each time to sync it, that feels a little clumsy, and so does the rest of the hoopla around this bracelet.

It sounds clever, but clever only happens when something works. We’ll see.

UPDATE: This went back to the store. It’s full of potential but just not there yet. Good company – I just bought a jawbone bluetooth for talking on my phone and it works smoothly and well.