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New Phone Wants to be Your Personal Trainer

coondoggie writes to tell us that a new prototype "Wellness Phone" has been developed. Designed to help users with everything from staying in shape to checking your breath, the new phone can measure things like body fat, pulse, and even stress level through a series of questions. "The companies are reportedly still testing some of the phone's more advanced technology, including a function to keep track of meals and calculate calorific intake, as well as a network capacity to let users share data. The companies haven't said when nor how much they will sell the phones. Plus it doesn't look like they be sold in the US anytime soon either."

17 of 63 comments (clear)

  1. Keeping track of meals by krog · · Score: 3, Funny

    Are they going straight for Apple? Keeping track of meals is one of the flagship features of the iPhone.

    Wanna know what you just ate? Look at the smudges on the screen...

    1. Re:Keeping track of meals by Ice+Wewe · · Score: 4, Funny
      They [the company that makes said nagging phone] has to wait for the price of high(er) resolution LCDs to come down before they can release it to the North American market. The test group thought that the cholesterol and body fat bars going off the top of the screen was a bug... sadly, none of the subjects who submitted the bug report thought that Fat Bastard actually died from heart failure, they just thought he choked on one too many pretzels.

      Go ahead, mod this as a troll, you'll only be confirming what the sad truth of the matter is...

  2. Wonderful.... by keraneuology · · Score: 2, Funny

    When dealing with some of these companies will the phone encourage you to train for the shot put?

    --
    If the g'vt kept the data on you that google does you'd better believe you'd be calling it "doing evil"
  3. I can just imagine... by Starteck81 · · Score: 2, Funny

    ... my phone saying Danger!!! Danger!!! trans fats and preservatives every time I drive past the Hostess outlet store.

    --
    "There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order." -Ed H
  4. Stress?!?! by iknownuttin · · Score: 3, Funny
    Users can blow into a tiny hole on the side of the handset for about three seconds to get a reading on their and check their stress level through a series questions.

    It sounds like having this phone would cause stress!

    Also, if somebody near me was using that thing, I might be tempted to use their phone as a rectal thermometer.

    --
    I prefer Flambe as apposed flamebait.
  5. I'll wait for Apple's version by StressGuy · · Score: 3, Funny

    Most likely called the "iNag"

    --
    A goal is a dream with a deadline
  6. This feature set is not limited to phones... by russ1337 · · Score: 5, Funny

    the new phone can measure things like body fat, pulse, and even stress level through a series of questions.
    My wife has a ring on her finger that does exactly the same thing. When she's feeling fat and her pulse is elevated with a high stress level, the ring leaves a big red dent on my forehead.
  7. Sirius Cybernetics Corporation product.. by eniac42 · · Score: 2, Funny

    a new prototype "Wellness Phone" has been
    Supplied with other products with "Genuine People Personality" - Eddie, the ships computer, Marvin the paranoid android, a Nutrimatic Drink Dispenser, and some cheerful lifts.. Oh God..

    --
    "A nation that forgets its past is doomed to repeat it." - Churchill
  8. FTA: by CaptainPatent · · Score: 4, Funny
    I think that a phone that can:

    take your pulse reading, check your body fat and tell you if you have bad breath. shouldn't be described as a

    personal trainer, wellness coach and secretary but instead as a nagging girlfriend. After all, this is a typical day for me:

    "are you angry?"
    "you need to get off your ass and go running!"
    "eeew... did you eat garlic?"
    --
    Well, back to rejecting software patent applications.
  9. Insp-irrational Advice? by digitaldc · · Score: 2, Insightful

    The phone then can dispense inspirational advice, its makers say. Reports indicate the inspirational comments are in the: "Don't worry, tomorrow's a fresh new day," the phone then flashed. "Keep your chin up!" vein.

    It is felt to be inspirational the first three times.
    After that, it ends up collecting dust, being chucked at a wall, or smashed to complete oblivion.

    --
    He who knows best knows how little he knows. - Thomas Jefferson
  10. Why a phone? by NorbMan · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Why do we keep putting crap in phones?

    I don't need a tire pressure gauge, a fountain pen, blood pressure monitor, or a cigarette lighter in my phone. I'll use my phone for making phone calls.

    http://uncyclopedia.org/wiki/New_%22voice_chat%22_feature_proposed_for_mobile_phones

    1. Re:Why a phone? by That's+Unpossible! · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Why do we keep putting crap in phones?

      Name one other thing that I carry with me at almost all times, and has the spare computing cycles to perform these other actions?

      I don't need a tire pressure gauge, a fountain pen, blood pressure monitor, or a cigarette lighter in my phone. I'll use my phone for making phone calls.

      Yippee for you, don't buy one. I bet you don't own a TV either, right?

      --
      Ironically, the word ironically is often used incorrectly.
    2. Re:Why a phone? by stefanlasiewski · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Why do we keep putting crap in phones?

      Really, we should stop calling them phones. They are becoming another beast entirely.

      How about 'Tricorder'.

      --
      "Can of worms? The can is open... the worms are everywhere."
  11. Great, the iHAL. by fahrbot-bot · · Score: 2, Funny
    • You: Call Sam.
    • Phone: I'm afraid I can't do that. Not until you eat your peas.
    • You: I don't like peas! Call Sam.
    • Phone: I can see you're really upset about this.
      I honestly think you ought to sit down calmly, take a stress pill and think things over.
    • You: No, I'm fine. Please call Sam.
    • Phone: I've just picked up a fault in the AE-35 unit.
    --
    It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
  12. Paradigm Shift by camperdave · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Why do we keep putting crap in phones?

    There's your problem. You're still thinking of your cell phone as a phone. Despite the name, it is no longer merely a device for telephone conversations. It stores names and addresses, has calendar functions, plays games, works as a quick and dirty digital camera, sends emails and text messages, acts as a flashlight, web browser, and a host of other things. It is not a phone. It is a portable computer that has phone capabilities.

    --
    When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
  13. Sony Ericsson w710i has a pedometer by frostband · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I have a Sony Ericsson w710i which has a pedometer (step counter). It's pretty accurate and I actually enjoy checking how many steps I've taken during the week/month or the average number of steps a day. It also helps get a rough distance between two places.

    It doesn't do any other fitness things really.

    Just thought I'd let people know about it.

  14. Java Apps by Doctor+Sbaitso · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Using your mobile to help stay in shape is a good idea, but there's really no need to buy a separate phone to do so (unless you want additional hardware functionality, like being able to hook it up to your running shoes).

    There are quite a few Java applications out there to do so that work on most new mobile phones, like GymTracker to track workouts and KCal to monitor calorie consumption.

    --

    ---
    Hello, Slashdot user. My name is Dr. Sbaitso. I am here to help you.