Normally responsible for some ultra cool gaming devices, Razer is this year cooking up a storm, encouraging people to get up and moving with a “smart band” that will do more than your regular fitness band.
Set to join the fitness gadget market currently occupied by Jawbone and Fitbit, Razer’s Nabu hopes to change the game this year not just by providing something similar to the other fitness bands out there, but by also making it possible to turn exercise into a game.
First, though, there are things which make it like other fitness products, such as the wearable band including sensors for tracking location, the steps you’ve walked via the pedometer, how high you’ve climbed, and even how much sleep you’re getting.
The information will be shown on one of the two small OLED screens on the band, with either an icon showing what you’re doing on the top of the band, and the private message screen on the inside of the wrist showing more information.
But the “more information” able to be shown here is more than just the fitness info, with communication to your phone also showing you who is calling, emails, texts, flight information, and more as and when more apps are released, essentially removing the need for a smart watch like the Pebble Steel or Samsung Galaxy Gear.
“Smart watches in their current form are too bulky and fitness trackers are easily forgotten after the initial novelty wears off,” said Razer co-founder Min-Liang Tan, adding “we have fixed all of that.”
“The Razer Nabu provides a revolutionary new platform that bridges the divide between so-called smart watches and fitness bands,” said Tan. “It delivers only the information you need, collects data that you want, and deepens your social interactions.
“Most excitingly, with our open platform, developers can utilize data collected by the Nabu to deliver incredible experiences to individuals via mobile or desktop apps—social or otherwise.”
Information from the band could also be used by developers to turn exercise into a game, essentially encouraging typical gamers to get up from the couch and do more, with social tracking a likely possibility.
The band will be splash-proof, rain-resistant, and feature around a week’s worth of charge, with support for iOS and Android, with Razer anticipating a worldwide release within the next few months.
