Today, Microsoft is preparing to roll out a new wave of updates for the Microsoft Band and Health app. The new updates are focus on bringing improvements and new features to both products and the new changes should start arriving to users as soon as April 23.
The Microsoft Band was updated for the last time in February with support for bicycle riding, now the company is partnering with MapMyRide and Strava to connect the Microsoft Band with these apps and expand its functionality.
Microsoft Health is the product getting the most changes with the April’s update. Starting April 27, users will be able to access a variety of new insights through the Microsoft Health Web Dashboard including:
- Comparative Insights: Measures data such as daily steps, sleep, workout frequency and calorie burn and compares it to similar Microsoft Health customers based on body type (height and weight). Customers looking for motivation can use comparative insights as a benchmark to understand their health relative to similar people.
- Sleep Recovery: Good sleep is the foundation of health, and something everybody does and needs. Microsoft Band tracks the length and quality of sleep. Use the Microsoft Health web dashboard to analyze sleep restoration, sleep efficiency, and wake-ups, to find out how well the body restores its resources during sleep.
- Fitness Benefit: Track fitness progress using historical data to measure improvement over time.
- VO2 Max: VO2 max refers to the maximum volume of oxygen used during exercise, and is the primary indicator of cardiovascular fitness. Traditionally, measuring VO2 Max is cumbersome. Not anymore. Microsoft Band estimates VO2 max based on heart rate information. Now customers can track how their VO2 max increases as they improve fitness level and achieve their wellness goals simply.
- Run/Exercise Observations: Get more out of run and workout data with in-depth observations and insights. With a week of data, customers can determine which day of the week and at what time of day they perform best. Using historical data from as far back as five weeks, customers can track whether they’re maintaining, progressing, or need to re-dedicate themselves. Analyze detailed stats to find specific aspects of runs and workouts that can be improved.
In addition, the software giant is announcing that in the “coming weeks” will be updating the Microsoft Health app, so that those users without a Band can begin using the app to track daily steps and calorie burn using only the sensors in Android, iPhone, and Windows Phone handsets.
This is a significant update coming to the Microsoft health ecosystem, which slowly but surely is improving to become a relevant health platform, and it shows the company is committed on building up its health products.
Do you own a Microsoft Band? You can purchase one from Amazon. Also, don’t forget to get a screen protector to avoid scratches.
Source Microsoft
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].