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Samsung S5 Reports Stress Levels Through Heart Rate Variability Measure
oztechmuse (2323576) writes "Samsung has just released an updated version of its health software for the Samsung Galaxy S5 that measures stress levels. Using the heart rate sensor on the back of the phone, the S5 will calculate a measure of stress from low to high. Although this may seem far-fetched to some, the phone is actually using a measure of the heart rate to calculate something called 'heart rate variability' or HRV. HRV has been shown to be related to a range of clinical conditions that include problems with the heart but also mental issues of stress and anxiety. Athletes have also used HRV as a measure of over-training and so use heart rate monitors to check if they need rest days. Samsung seems to be claiming the ground in terms of innovation in health-related sensor technology. In addition to the built-in pulse oximeter sensor used for the HRV measurements, Samsung phones now support direct connections to heart rate straps using the Ant+ protocol as well as through Bluetooth. Apple and others have a long way to go to catch up."
And of course, we all know that this incredible breakthrough means that any health monitoring capabilities in future devices from a certain American company from Cupertino will only be late copies of awesome Samsung technologies like the Galaxy Gear and so many other wonderful innovations from this wonderful leader in consumer electronics.
use it to get you black listed
Or will Samsung try to monetize it?
What happens when your insurance carrier demands Samsung hand over this information?
Sorry, but, there comes a point where I think having your phone have more and more of this information is going to become more of a problem than a benefit.
And this is one of them.
Lost at C:>. Found at C.
So, now I can see exactly how much stress the bloatware apps on my Samsung phone are causing me. Thanks!
But will it be able to tell you the difference between a heart attack and a panick attack?
Would you be interested in a device that links to your smartphone and lets you know, even before it happens, whether you're having a panic attack - or a heart attack?
- Yeah, yeah.
OK, here's how Panic-A-Tech works.
You wear this on your finger all day and it tracks your vitals.
Or if that's too embarrassing, there's also a Bluetooth suppository and that goes right where you think it goes.
And that comes with a retrieval kit.
Nouvelles de jeux et technologies en français. TC
Reports to whom?
You are welcome on my lawn.
It's not insurance if everyone is "insured"
Wait, what? I suppose it's not housing if everyone is "housed", and it's not food if everyone is "fed" as well?
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
The comments in the summary "Samsung phones now support direct connections to heart rate straps using the Ant+ protocol as well as through Bluetooth. Apple and others have a long way to go to catch up." imply that Apple does not support third-party heart-rate sensors. The opposite is true. Apple has supported third-party heart-rate sensors for a while; see, for example:
http://www.heartratemonitorsus...
My former phone was a Galaxy S3. When I went hunting for heart rate sensors about 1.5 years ago, I could find plenty of heart-rate sensors that supported iphones, but none for Android. A newer release of Android (4.3, IIRC) got support for Bluetooth heart-rate monitors.
I'd rather have the FM radio back, thanks.
So you have a specialty device that does what this phone does and that makes it old news? Technically true but this will put that functionality in the hands of many people and it's pretty high end devices that measure HRV, so it could save someone $100+
No, then it becomes the sensible thing to do.
Only in America would people defend the idea that if you're too poor to pay for health care you deserve to die.
I think smartphones are really just grasping at straws now. Most people, including me, just want to text, talk and maybe do email or Facebook and take quick pictures once in a while. For the once advanced but now basic tasks that 99% of cell users do now, these devices are basically like using a flame thrower to light a cigar. I probably use about 1/5 the horsepower of my current HTC One and the thing sucks battery like a leech.
The next big thing in smart phones will probably be the $99-$250 phones that have a decent enough screen and just enough ram and CPU for text, talk, music, email and the occasional netflix. The Lumia 520 is an example of such a phone. Paying $500+ (retail unsubsidised) for a phone is stupid and wont last much longer.
So, the real application of this monitor is to train yourself to beat a polygraph test, right?
https://app.box.com/WitthoftResume Code: https://github.com/cellocgw
Sony phones have had ANT+ built in for quite a while. I'm sure they'd be surprised to hear that they have a long way to catch up.
I've been able to take my heartrate on my iPhone 4 for a long time using the camera and the flash. The HR apps are plentiful and free. I haven't seen any evidence that the S5's HR monitor is, in fact, any better than that low-tech solution, or actually even reliable at all. Most of the reviews I read when it came out said that the HR monitor was clumsy and never actually terribly accurate. So maybe it's reporting variability in your heart rate, but it may just be reporting variability in the phone's ability to detect your heart rate.
And, of course, third party HR straps have been available for iPhones for a while. I'd like to see them add an ANT+ sensor into the iPhone because I'm a cyclist and have ANT+ gear already, but if I went insane and wanted to use my expensive phone as a cheap bike computer, I could've bought an HR monitor without any problems.
Your comment reminds me of the saying, There is security in numbers, said the fly, as he landed on the fly-paper. Draw the analogy.