Garmin nüvi 2597LMT 5-Inch Bluetooth Portable Vehicle GPS with Lifetime Maps and Traffic

CUSTOMER REVIEW



I purchased this to replace an older 5" garmin that did not have lifetime maps. I was getting tired of being nagged to pay for a map update on the older unit. Also I wanted to upgrade to a Bluetooth device.

I am impressed overall with the improved speed and sophistication of this device. Connecting to a satellite is improved considerably. Seriously it just takes seconds. My last unit kept searching for a satellite connection so long I was afraid I'd get lost in the process.

No more "recalculating" exclamations when you go off the suggested route. It quickly displays your new route with the suggested next turn.

There are many more split screen "junction view" occurrences. These rarely appeared on my last unit.

The user menu and graphical display has also been improved. The graphics appear cleaner and there is a menu tab on each screen.

Regarding Bluetooth, The ability to use as a speaker phone when connected to your mobile device is nice.

The Voice Command system is good but not great. it's fine when reciting pre-defined menu options but is hit or miss (mainly miss) when speaking addresses.

The build of the unit is solid. Slightly thinner and curvier than previous units.



I have not had any traffic alerts so really can't comment on that function yet.



I'm happy with the improved performance of this unit.



If Voice command and the speaker function are not important to you, you could save some cash buy getting the 2557 model.

Fitbit Surge Fitness Superwatch, Black, Small

CUSTOMER REVIEW



I received the FitBit Surge as part of FitBit's early limited release. I purchased it directly from FitBit on December 5, and received it on December 8th. UPDATE: My original review was made after one week of use with the Surge. I've gone through and updated every section of this review after over a month of use.



The FitBit Surge is FitBit's flagship fitness "superwatch". It integrates a few capabilities of a smart watch, like text/call notifications and music control, into a GPS/heart rate fitness tracker. It tracks your sleep as well.



-------------------------------------------------



The Good:

Heart Rate Tracking:

This is probably the most important feature of this tracker, so I'll go into a bit of detail here. It is accurate, if it is worn snugly. When exercising, it's best to wear it a notch tighter than you normally would so that it stays in place, and a few inches up from your wrist so that it can get an accurate reading. It takes a few minutes for the reading to stabilize. I noticed that if it's loose, the results are all over the place. For everyday use, you can't wear it too tight because your skin won't be able to breathe (in my case wearing any watch made out of non-breathable material too tightly for too long results in a rash). When loose, the reading is 20BPM higher that it should read until I put it higher up my arm and tighten it, which is quite disappointing. But when it is just tight enough that it won't move around and further up the arm, it works great, and was accurate within 5BPM compared to my elliptical. So for exercise it seems to work well, but for everyday use is inaccurate. Unfortunately, any wrist-based heart rate tracker would have this same issue because they use a light sensor and blinking LED's, and having the band loose lets external light in, and light from the LEDs out.

FitBit: In the future, add something that lets you choose a target heart rate, then gives you a buzz on the wrist if you go outside it. This would tell you to work harder or slow down and pace yourself without having to look down at the watch, and would be an awesome feature.



Altimeter/Stairs Tracking:

Counts going up every flight of stairs (going down stairs does not count). Accurate and no complaints here.



Telling Time:

Several different watch faces available from the FitBit app. Digital, or analog, or some are a combination of both. They are easy to read, and if you just touch the screen in the dark, a backlight will illuminate the screen. However, since you can swipe on the screen to show different stats (Flights of stairs, heart rate, distance, calories burned, steps), that makes it very easy to inadvertently swipe it to a different screen. So it might be on a different screen than time at a moment's glance, and you then need to swipe left or right to get back to the clock.



Notifications:

It's nice to get a buzz on your wrist for a notification, when you're forgotten your phone across the room and left it on silent. I have even had the Surge go off when my phone was on the other side of the house! So great range, and sometimes the Surge actually goes off before my phone does.



Battery Life/Charging:

When I originally received my FitBit Surge, it seemed to be fully charged - I did not charge it out of the box. The first week it lasted from Monday morning until Thursday afternoon (battery was low, but not dead). After leaving it on the charger for about an hour, it was fully charged and ready to go again! Fast charging time, and much, much less downtime that something such as a phone. After a month, it seems battery life is about 4-5 days, and it still charges crazy fast. However, it does not reach its advertised seven day battery life. I was sick for about a week, and didn't work out at all - Surge still only lasted five days.



Motivation:

The FitBit App lets you set a main goal for the day: Steps, Distance, Calories Burned, or Floors Climbed. I set mine to calories burned. When you're reached your daily goal, the Surge gives a series of buzzes and shows that you're reached your goal on the screen. If you use the app for logging food, you can see a nice ratio of how many calories you've burned vs how many you've consumed. If you're trying to lose weight, approx. 3500 calories = 1lb fat, so do the math on you calorie deficit for the day, and that's how much you should have lost (in theory).



Fit:

I ordered a size Large. After ordering I reconsidered and tried to get FitBit to change it to a size small (my wrist is barely large enough for a large, but not too large for a small). After receiving it, I'm glad that they couldn't change the size from large to small since it was about to be shipped. My wrist measures at about 6.00-6.25 inches, and I am at the 4th notch in for normal use, or the 3rd notch during exercise with the Large size. Since you need to wear it a few inches further up your arm while exercising, if you are in between sizes, go with the next size up.



Build Quality:

The build quality overall seems decent. The band is super smooth, and it can be cleaned easily. There isn't anything sharp or with rough edges anywhere on the device. There is no significant wear after a month of everyday use, wearing a winter jacket, and bumping into things with it. I'm not sure how much wear there will be on the band over time, but at least it doesn't look too difficult to replace - each side is just held on by two Torx T5 screws.The side of the Surge that is furthest away from you is about two times taller than the side closest to you. This side tends to snag on jackets, shirts, just about anything.



-------------------------------------------------



The Bad (And Improvement Recommendations):

Just about every digital watch has a stopwatch and lets you set alarms on the watch itself... Except the FitBit Surge!



Alarms must be set in the FitBit app on your phone, then you must sync it. You can turn alarms on/off on the Surge, but you cannot create, delete, or edit them from the Surge itself. A quick buzz on the wrist also isn't enough to wake up someone like me... And that's all the Surge does when an alarm goes off. It should act like a watch, beeping (or in the case of the Surge, buzzing) incessantly until you shut the alarm off and actually wake up. Because of this, the alarm feature is basically useless for me, which is disappointing.



The lack of a stopwatch on fitness "smart" watch is also a bit ridiculous. You can get a decent alarm and stopwatch on a cheap $10-15 watch.



No tracking for cycling. On FitBit's site, it is rated to 5ATM of water resistance, but it does not track swimming (I don't think FitBit wants this to be used in water - quite possibly due to chlorine and other detergents, and they specifically mention not to use soap on it).



The good news is that FitBit can add just about all of these features in the future, since they are just software-based features. For the sake of battery life, FitBit could easily implement the continuous alarm by checking to see if the watch is actually on your wrist (which it does anyways for the heart rate monitor), and if it is, the alarm goes off continuously until it shuts off. If it isn't on your wrist, it could either remain silent or buzz a couple times like it normally does.



Again, these are issues that FitBit can solve in the future with software updates. After a month, FitBit has still not added any of these features.



-------------------------------------------------



The Ugly:

I had major issues out of the box. The left button, which is used for going through the menus, was very problematic when I first received the Surge. Barely touching the button with constant pressure (not even enough to press it in), would cause it to think that it was being pressed very quickly, and would bring up the music control screen... Again, and again, and again... Double-pressing that button is what should bring up the music control. Even clicking the button once firmly would make it think it was being pressed several times. I rebooted the Surge and still had issues, and that made it obvious that it was a hardware issue with the button, not a software problem. I was about to contact FitBit and send it back, but decided to spend a few minutes gently pressing the button to get it to sort of break in. Surprisingly, it worked! I haven't had any issues since then.



-------------------------------------------------



What I haven't been able to test:

I have not been able to test GPS, since I hate Winter weather. I also don't plan on using it for the music control, and it seems that you must enable "Bluetooth Classic" in settings in order to use it. This would most likely lead to worse battery life since it would probably be using normal BT instead of BT Low Energy, so I don't want to enable it.



-------------------------------------------------



Four Stars: Lack and limitations of basic watch features, such as a stopwatch and alarm, is a major problem. A month after receiving it, FitBit has still not added any of these features, and other users are also complaining about it in their reviews. Battery life is worse than advertised at 4-5 days on average, and this is with no GPS use. There was a week when I was sick and didn't exercise at all, and it still only got five days of battery life. The button issue I experienced resolved itself, so that isn't affecting my rating, however it is a bit bothersome to see an issue with a simple button on a $250 watch. The lower than advertised battery life, lack of added software-based features, and inaccurate everyday HR monitoring dropped this from five stars to four stars.

Fitbit Surge Fitness Superwatch, Black, Large

CUSTOMER REVIEW



I received the FitBit Surge as part of FitBit's early limited release. I purchased it directly from FitBit on December 5, and received it on December 8th. This review covers my almost one week's use of the Surge, and I will update it as time goes on.



The FitBit Surge is FitBit's flagship fitness "superwatch". It integrates a few capabilities of a smart watch, like text/call notifications and music control, into a GPS/heart rate fitness tracker. It tracks your sleep as well.



-------------------------------------------------



The Good:

Hear Rate Tracking:

Accurate, if it is worn snugly. When exercising, it's best to wear it a notch tighter than you normally would, so that it stays in place. I noticed that if it's loose, the results are all over the place. But when it is just tight enough that it won't move around, it works great, and was accurate within 5BPM compared to my elliptical. Overall amazing for just a light sensor and a couple LED's tracking blood flow. Step counting is also accurate.

FitBit: In the future, add something that lets you choose a target heart rate, then gives you a buzz on the wrist if you go outside it. This would tell you to work harder or slow down and pace yourself without having to look down at the watch, and would be an awesome feature.



Altimeter/Stairs Tracking:

Counts every flight of stairs. Accurate and works great here.



Telling Time:

Several different watch faces available from the FitBit app. Digital, or analog, or some are a combination of both. They are easy to read, and if you just touch the screen in the dark, a backlight will illuminate the screen.



Notifications:

It's nice to get a buzz on your wrist for a notification, when you're forgotten your phone across the room and left it on silent. Sometimes the Surge actually goes off before my phone does.



Battery Life/Charging:

When I received my FitBit Surge, it seemed to be fully charged - I did not charge it out of the box. It lasted from Monday morning until Thursday afternoon (battery was low, but not dead). After leaving it on the charger for about an hour, it was fully charged and ready to go again! Fast charging time, and much, much less downtime that something such as a phone. Battery life may actually be better than my example here, since I did not charge it out of the box.



Motivation:

The FitBit App lets you set a main goal for the day: Steps, Distance, Calories Burned, or Floors Climbed. I set mine to calories burned. When you're reached your daily goal, the Surge gives a series of buzzes and shows that you're reached your goal on the screen. If you use the app for logging food, you can see a nice ratio of how many calories you've burned vs how many you've consumed. If you're trying to lose weight, approx. 3500 calories = 1lb fat, so do the math on you calorie deficit for the day, and that's how much you should have lost (in theory).



Fit:

I ordered a size Large. After ordering I reconsidered and tried to get FitBit to change it to a size small (my wrist is barely large enough for a large, but not too large for a small). After receiving it, I'm glad that they couldn't change the size from large to small since it was about to be shipped. My wrist measures at about 6.00-6.25 inches, and I am at the 4th notch in for normal use, or the 3rd notch during exercise with the Large size.



Build Quality:

The build quality overall seems decent. The band is super smooth, and it can be cleaned easily. There isn't anything sharp or with rough edges anywhere on the device. However, after less than one week there is some visible wear on edges of the band. I'm not sure how much wear there will be over time, but at least it doesn't look too difficult to replace - each side is just held on by two Torx T5 screws.



-------------------------------------------------



The Bad (And Improvement Recommendations):

Just about every digital watch has a stopwatch and lets you set alarms on the watch itself... Except the FitBit Surge!



Alarms must be set in the FitBit app on your phone, then you must sync it. You can turn alarms on/off on the Surge, but you cannot create, delete, or edit them from the Surge itself. A quick buzz on the wrist also isn't enough to wake up someone like me... And that's all the Surge does when an alarm goes off. It should act like a watch, beeping (or in the case of the Surge, buzzing) incessantly until you shut the alarm off and actually wake up. Because of this, the alarm feature is basically useless for me, which is disappointing.



The lack of a stopwatch on fitness "smart" watch is also a bit ridiculous. You can get a decent alarm and stopwatch on a cheap $10-15 watch.



No tracking for cycling. On FitBit's site, it is rated to 5ATM of water resistance, but it does not track swimming (I don't think FitBit wants this to be used in water - quite possibly due to chlorine and other detergents, and they specifically mention not to use soap on it).



The good news is that FitBit can add just about all of these features in the future, since they are just software-based features. For the sake of battery life, FitBit could easily implement the continuous alarm by checking to see if the watch is actually on your wrist (which it does anyways for the heart rate monitor), and if it is, the alarm goes off continuously until it shuts off. If it isn't on your wrist, it could either remain silent or buzz a couple times like it normally does.



Again, these are issues that FitBit can solve in the future with software updates.



-------------------------------------------------



The Ugly:

I had major issues out of the box. The left button, which is used for going through the menus, was very problematic when I first received the Surge. Barely touching the button with constant pressure (not even enough to press it in), would cause it to think that it was being pressed very quickly, and would bring up the music control screen... Again, and again, and again... Double-pressing that button is what should bring up the music control. Even clicking the button once firmly would make it think it was being pressed several times. I rebooted the Surge and still had issues, and that made it obvious that it was a hardware issue with the button, not a software problem. I was about to contact FitBit and send it back, but decided to spend a few minutes gently pressing the button to get it to sort of break in. Surprisingly, it worked! I haven't had any issues since then.



-------------------------------------------------



What I haven't been able to test:

I have not been able to test GPS, since I hate Winter weather. I also don't plan on using it for the music control, and it seems that you must enable "Bluetooth Classic" in settings in order to use it. This would most likely lead to worse battery life since it would probably be using normal BT instead of BT Low Energy, so I don't want to enable it.



-------------------------------------------------



Four Stars: Lack and limitations of basic watch features, such as a stopwatch and alarm, is a major problem. If this is fixed by FitBit in the future through a software update, I will definitely upgrade this to five stars. The button issue I experienced resolved itself, so that isn't affecting my rating, however it is a bit bothersome to see an issue with a simple button on a $250 watch.

Garmin Vivofit Fitness Band - Slate

CUSTOMER REVIEW



I've been using an activity monitor for a couple of years now, and have owned the following in addition to the Vivofit: Fitbit One, Fitbit Flex, Fitbit Force, and Polar Loop. Since the Fitbit devices are very popular and widely used, I'll orient this review around a comparison to those (and the Polar Loop for good measure).



First, my main activity is road biking: I average about 2,000 miles a year, mostly from March to November. In winter I try to regularly ride a trainer or a recumbent gym bike. I wear a heart monitor when riding or training because I like to see how I'm doing as a late middle-aged male. As you'll see, one of the advantages of the Vivofit is its ability to pair with a HR strap, something the Fitbit products lack. So here we go:



The Vivofit is a bit reminiscent of the Fitbit Force as far as the form factor. They have similar bracelet styling, though the body part of the Vivofit is slightly thicker. The clasp design is similar to the Force, but locks more positively. The actual Vivofit unit is removable from the bracelet unlike the Force (more like the Flex), so you can replace the band (it comes with both large and small bands) and change to different colored ones.



The biggest differences from the Force are these: 1) the Vivofit uses two small watch batteries that are purportedly good for at least a year versus the rechargeable battery used by the Force, and; 2) the Vivofit display doesn't light up like the Force (which has both positive and negative attributes; read on).



I liked my Force - even though I think Fitbit's customer service is abysmal, perhaps rivaled only by Comcast among companies I've dealt with - but the Vivofit is ultimately what I wish the Force had been. Here's why.



I didn't particularly mind having to recharge my Force periodically (about once a week), but the battery always seemed to go dead at the most inopportune times, i.e., when I didn't have my charger available (and remember it only charges with USB via a computer). So there were times where my activity tracking would be interrupted until I could get to a charging source, and then of course you can't use the device while it's charging. Not so with the Vivofit. I like the idea of using watch batteries: they add just a smidgen of bulk, but you don't have to worry about recharging. The batteries are the common 1632s, so they're easy to find if even if you don't keep spares on hand, and with a year of life, continuous operation is a given.



As to the display, I actually prefer the Vivofit's overall even though it isn't lighted. With the Force you have to press the button when you want to read it, although you can then read it even in pitch darkness. The Vivofit displays continuously; you cycle through the different readings by pressing a button, just like on the Force. It's readable in all but near darkness (reminds of a Kindle), so the lack of lighting is a non-factor for me. It's also VERY sharp, with gold characters on a black background. I'll sacrifice a lighted display for the year-long battery life and continuous display of the Vivofit.



The other nice thing about the Vivofit vs. the Force is that it pairs with a HR monitor strap. So if you like to keep track of your heart rate when doing vigorous exercise - like I do - then the Vivofit is the hands-down winner. In fact, I think it slightly beats the Force even without that feature, based on the better battery configuration, continuous display, interchangeable bracelet and more secure clasp.



A word about the clasp. It's basically the same design as used on the Force and the Flex, but for some reason is more secure. The Fitbit bands have a tendency to uncouple, especially the Force, but the Vivofit is rock solid. I think the reason is that the Vivofit's material is slightly less neoprene-like than the Force's: it's a tad less springy, so when the clasp pins penetrate the holes they're held firmly.



I'll finish the Fitibit comparison by mentioning the Flex and the One. The Force tried to integrate the best features of both of these: in effect it's a One incorporated into a Flex-like bracelet design (albeit a larger one). With the One you have a display that lights when the button is pushed (like the Force) and gives you a readout of various measures by cycling through with repeated button pushes. With the Flex the display only shows a series of dots that track your progress on a measure of your choosing (steps, calories burned, etc.). You can check your stats at any time by pairing the Flex with your smartphone (you can also pair the One and the Force to a smartphone) or by syncing it to your computer with a USB wireless dongle (also supplied for the One and the Force). I found the One too easy to lose, since it's not a bracelet, and found the battery life of the Flex to be a bit on the short side, probably because of its small size (which is why I upgraded to the Force).



One of the best features of using a Fitibit is the excellent website. I haven't found a competitor's website that even comes close. Polar's site is in beta and tracks almost nothing. Garmin's site is good, but is mainly for tracking just activity from their various GPS devices for biking, running, etc., albeit in exhaustive detail. Fitbit's site is a full-featured health tracking and monitoring tool. It displays all activity measured by your tracker, allows you to log your food intake (huge food database), regularly record your heart rate, blood pressure, weight, and even custom measures of your own design. It's too comprehensive to describe here, but suffice to say it's reason enough to favor a Fitbit device over others. This is where the Vivofit has a leg up on other non-Fitbit devices: it will automatically sync to the Fitbit site using Garmin Connect software via an arrangement between Fitbit and Garmin.



So now with my Vivofit, I get a device that to me that has all the advantages of the Fitbit Force with none of the disadvantages, allows for HR monitoring, AND syncs to the Fitbit website. It's the best of both worlds.



On to the Polar Loop. It's a well made device that's roughly the same size as the Force and Vivofit, but has the most secure clasp of the bunch. It's a deployment buckle like you'd find on an upscale watch (think Breitling or Omega). Like the Vivofit, it allows for HR monitoring via a Polar HR strap (and its worth noting that Polar HR monitor straps auto sync to a lot of gym exercise equipment that is "Polar ready"). It has a brilliantly lit red display, activated by pushing a button that you then push repeatedly to cycle through different measures. However, unlike the button on the Vivofit or Force, the one on the Polar is very imprecise: you frequently have to push it two or three times before it does anything. That's because it's recessed so as to be almost flush with the strap and is very small, such that when you push most of your fingertip is pushing on the surrounding area. And as noted, the Polar website (beta) is pretty much useless at this point. If the Polar had a better button, and if the website were the equal of Fitbit's or could sync to it, then it would be slightly ahead of the Force (because of the HR feature) but still behind the Vivofit (because of the need to charge it periodically, and because when syncing to a computer it has to be connected to a dual-use charging/syncing cable rather than using a wireless dongle like the Force and Vivofit, though it will sync wirelessly to a smartphone using Polar's app).



In summary:



Form factor: basically a tie among the Vivofit, Force and Loop (Flex has a smaller form factor, which some may prefer; the One is basically a fob made to be clipped to a belt or carried in a pocket).



Display: the Vivofit for its continuous (and very sharp) display and positive button feedback for cycling through data, although you may disagree if you plan to check your unit regularly in the dark.



Accuracy: the Vivofit and all of the Fitbit units seemed to be very accurate (they yielded nearly identical measures when compared); the Loop seemed to overstate my steps, and - like the Vivofit - it doesn't measure flights of stairs climbed (all Fitbits do).



Clasp: the Polar is most secure, very closely followed by the Vivofit. The Force and Flex tend to uncouple, and the One is a fob rather than a bracelet.



HR monitoring: It's between the Vivofit and the Loop since Fitibit doesn't offer it. If you already use a Garmin HR strap with a Garmin bike or running computer, then you might prefer the Vivofit for that reason. If you want to auto connect your HR strap at the gym, then that might argue for a Polar strap, and the Loop (both the Loop and the gym bike or elliptical, etc. will simultaneously record HR activity).



Smartphone software: all three offer good smartphone apps, but they specialize in different areas. The Fitbit app mimics its website, so most of what you'd upload, enter, sync or track at the website can also be done on its smartphone app. The Garmin app is set up to focus on bike rides, runs, etc. in conjunction with a GPS unit to record routes, route segments, etc. The Loop app is focused on heart rate activity.



Website: Fitbit by a mile, though as noted you can sync all your Vivofit data to the Fitbit site automatically. Thus you can essentially treat the Vivofit as if it was a Fitbit device. Garmin's website has the same focus as it's smartphone app; it's not a full-fledged fitness site. Polar's site is useless, though it's only in beta...perhaps it will eventually be more competitive.



I vote for the Vivofit. Note that the Force has been recalled and is no longer being sold.

Garmin Vivofit Fitness Band - Black Bundle

CUSTOMER REVIEW



I've been using an activity monitor for a couple of years now, and have owned the following in addition to the Vivofit: Fitbit One, Fitbit Flex, Fitbit Force, and Polar Loop. Since the Fitbit devices are very popular and widely used, I'll orient this review around a comparison to those (and the Polar Loop for good measure).



First, my main activity is road biking: I average about 2,000 miles a year, mostly from March to November. In winter I try to regularly ride a trainer or a recumbent gym bike. I wear a heart monitor when riding or training because I like to see how I'm doing as a late middle-aged male. As you'll see, one of the advantages of the Vivofit is its ability to pair with a HR strap, something the Fitbit products lack. So here we go:



The Vivofit is a bit reminiscent of the Fitbit Force as far as the form factor. They have similar bracelet styling, though the body part of the Vivofit is slightly thicker. The clasp design is similar to the Force, but locks more positively. The actual Vivofit unit is removable from the bracelet unlike the Force (more like the Flex), so you can replace the band (it comes with both large and small bands) and change to different colored ones.



The biggest differences from the Force are these: 1) the Vivofit uses two small watch batteries that are purportedly good for at least a year versus the rechargeable battery used by the Force, and; 2) the Vivofit display doesn't light up like the Force (which has both positive and negative attributes; read on).



I liked my Force - even though I think Fitbit's customer service is abysmal, perhaps rivaled only by Comcast among companies I've dealt with - but the Vivofit is ultimately what I wish the Force had been. Here's why.



I didn't particularly mind having to recharge my Force periodically (about once a week), but the battery always seemed to go dead at the most inopportune times, i.e., when I didn't have my charger available (and remember it only charges with USB via a computer). So there were times where my activity tracking would be interrupted until I could get to a charging source, and then of course you can't use the device while it's charging. Not so with the Vivofit. I like the idea of using watch batteries: they add just a smidgen of bulk, but you don't have to worry about recharging. The batteries are the common 1632s, so they're easy to find if even if you don't keep spares on hand, and with a year of life, continuous operation is a given.



As to the display, I actually prefer the Vivofit's overall even though it isn't lighted. With the Force you have to press the button when you want to read it, although you can then read it even in pitch darkness. The Vivofit displays continuously; you cycle through the different readings by pressing a button, just like on the Force. It's readable in all but near darkness (reminds of a Kindle), so the lack of lighting is a non-factor for me. It's also VERY sharp, with gold characters on a black background. I'll sacrifice a lighted display for the year-long battery life and continuous display of the Vivofit.



The other nice thing about the Vivofit vs. the Force is that it pairs with a HR monitor strap. So if you like to keep track of your heart rate when doing vigorous exercise - like I do - then the Vivofit is the hands-down winner. In fact, I think it slightly beats the Force even without that feature, based on the better battery configuration, continuous display, interchangeable bracelet and more secure clasp.



A word about the clasp. It's basically the same design as used on the Force and the Flex, but for some reason is more secure. The Fitbit bands have a tendency to uncouple, especially the Force, but the Vivofit is rock solid. I think the reason is that the Vivofit's material is slightly less neoprene-like than the Force's: it's a tad less springy, so when the clasp pins penetrate the holes they're held firmly.



I'll finish the Fitibit comparison by mentioning the Flex and the One. The Force tried to integrate the best features of both of these: in effect it's a One incorporated into a Flex-like bracelet design (albeit a larger one). With the One you have a display that lights when the button is pushed (like the Force) and gives you a readout of various measures by cycling through with repeated button pushes. With the Flex the display only shows a series of dots that track your progress on a measure of your choosing (steps, calories burned, etc.). You can check your stats at any time by pairing the Flex with your smartphone (you can also pair the One and the Force to a smartphone) or by syncing it to your computer with a USB wireless dongle (also supplied for the One and the Force). I found the One too easy to lose, since it's not a bracelet, and found the battery life of the Flex to be a bit on the short side, probably because of its small size (which is why I upgraded to the Force).



One of the best features of using a Fitibit is the excellent website. I haven't found a competitor's website that even comes close. Polar's site is in beta and tracks almost nothing. Garmin's site is good, but is mainly for tracking just activity from their various GPS devices for biking, running, etc., albeit in exhaustive detail. Fitbit's site is a full-featured health tracking and monitoring tool. It displays all activity measured by your tracker, allows you to log your food intake (huge food database), regularly record your heart rate, blood pressure, weight, and even custom measures of your own design. It's too comprehensive to describe here, but suffice to say it's reason enough to favor a Fitbit device over others. This is where the Vivofit has a leg up on other non-Fitbit devices: it will automatically sync to the Fitbit site using Garmin Connect software via an arrangement between Fitbit and Garmin.



So now with my Vivofit, I get a device that to me that has all the advantages of the Fitbit Force with none of the disadvantages, allows for HR monitoring, AND syncs to the Fitbit website. It's the best of both worlds.



On to the Polar Loop. It's a well made device that's roughly the same size as the Force and Vivofit, but has the most secure clasp of the bunch. It's a deployment buckle like you'd find on an upscale watch (think Breitling or Omega). Like the Vivofit, it allows for HR monitoring via a Polar HR strap (and its worth noting that Polar HR monitor straps auto sync to a lot of gym exercise equipment that is "Polar ready"). It has a brilliantly lit red display, activated by pushing a button that you then push repeatedly to cycle through different measures. However, unlike the button on the Vivofit or Force, the one on the Polar is very imprecise: you frequently have to push it two or three times before it does anything. That's because it's recessed so as to be almost flush with the strap and is very small, such that when you push most of your fingertip is pushing on the surrounding area. And as noted, the Polar website (beta) is pretty much useless at this point. If the Polar had a better button, and if the website were the equal of Fitbit's or could sync to it, then it would be slightly ahead of the Force (because of the HR feature) but still behind the Vivofit (because of the need to charge it periodically, and because when syncing to a computer it has to be connected to a dual-use charging/syncing cable rather than using a wireless dongle like the Force and Vivofit, though it will sync wirelessly to a smartphone using Polar's app).



In summary:



Form factor: basically a tie among the Vivofit, Force and Loop (Flex has a smaller form factor, which some may prefer; the One is basically a fob made to be clipped to a belt or carried in a pocket).



Display: the Vivofit for its continuous (and very sharp) display and positive button feedback for cycling through data, although you may disagree if you plan to check your unit regularly in the dark.



Accuracy: the Vivofit and all of the Fitbit units seemed to be very accurate (they yielded nearly identical measures when compared); the Loop seemed to overstate my steps, and - like the Vivofit - it doesn't measure flights of stairs climbed (all Fitbits do).



Clasp: the Polar is most secure, very closely followed by the Vivofit. The Force and Flex tend to uncouple, and the One is a fob rather than a bracelet.



HR monitoring: It's between the Vivofit and the Loop since Fitibit doesn't offer it. If you already use a Garmin HR strap with a Garmin bike or running computer, then you might prefer the Vivofit for that reason. If you want to auto connect your HR strap at the gym, then that might argue for a Polar strap, and the Loop (both the Loop and the gym bike or elliptical, etc. will simultaneously record HR activity).



Smartphone software: all three offer good smartphone apps, but they specialize in different areas. The Fitbit app mimics its website, so most of what you'd upload, enter, sync or track at the website can also be done on its smartphone app. The Garmin app is set up to focus on bike rides, runs, etc. in conjunction with a GPS unit to record routes, route segments, etc. The Loop app is focused on heart rate activity.



Website: Fitbit by a mile, though as noted you can sync all your Vivofit data to the Fitbit site automatically. Thus you can essentially treat the Vivofit as if it was a Fitbit device. Garmin's website has the same focus as it's smartphone app; it's not a full-fledged fitness site. Polar's site is useless, though it's only in beta...perhaps it will eventually be more competitive.



I vote for the Vivofit. Note that the Force has been recalled and is no longer being sold.

Streamlight 88030 Protac Tactical Flashlight 1L with White LED Includes 1 CR123A Lithium Battery and Holster, Black

CUSTOMER REVIEW



I bought this flashlight because I work security detail in an ugly part of my city, and when I need a flashlight, I need it to work consistently every time - because my life could depend on it. For a standard flashlight, that may be too much to ask for, but for a flashlight of this reputation and price, I was expecting much more. I bought the Streamlight Protac HL 2 months ago. It worked for about a month (long enough for the return time to expire), and then the 600 lumen output drastically decreased. I assumed it was exhausted batteries, and so I bought a new package of batteries. The Streamlight did not regain its 600 lumen output. It put out less than 200 lumen, in my estimations. At times the light did not turn on at all when the switch was pressed. I assumed that this was my fault, that maybe I didn't know how to use the Streamlight's "ten-tap" technology. After all, I couldn't find anything on the internet suggesting that anyone had ever had a problem with a Streamlight. I even bought another package of batteries, just to be sure that expired batteries weren't to blame. Sure enough, it was a problem with the flashlight. Bear in mind, I had not abused the light, submerged it, dropped it, exposed it to shock or high heat, and I would go as far as to say I babied it. It spent most of its time in the holster, on my belt.



Streamlight has a limited lifetime warranty on parts defects, and so I decided to send the flashlight to the Streamlight repair facility, after filling out an online repair form on Streamlight's website, accompanied by a detailed description of the problem. I asked them to call me with their findings. I paid for 2 day priority mail, it was shipped within 2 days to their facility, and by the morning of the 3rd day, it was marked as shipped back to customer. I called them and asked what the problem was with my light, and they said it was that I must be using bad or inferior batteries, because they couldn't find anything wrong with the light. I told them that there was indeed a problem with the light, and that I had used both Energiser and Duracell batteries with expiration dates of 2021, and they said that I must be mistaken, and that they strongly recommend more new batteries. Personally, I don't think they looked at it at all.



When the flashlight shipped back to me, I decided to inspect it myself. I figured I'd lose nothing since honoring the warranty was seemingly ignored by Streamlight, and as is, I had a useless paperweight of a flashlight. I started by cutting the rubber button on the tail-cap off, exposing the "guts" of the flash-light's switch, and immediately exposing the problem: corrosion in the tail-cap. An easy fix that I believe that Streamlight should have easily found and fixed. I ordered a new tail-cap on eBay for $16, and the light works like new.



In the end: Does the light work now? Yes, but because I fixed the problem.

Did it work in the beginning? No.

Did Streamlight honor the warranty? No. They insinuated that I was mistaken to weasel out of warranty work, and offered no solution to the problem.

Total cost of flash light after repairs, shipping, and batteries: Easily over $100

Would you recommend this product? No. The product is made in China, offers quality craftsmanship, but poor quality control, and customer service is marginal at best. For you to buy a flash light this expensive, you would have to need it for a tactical/emergency situation, and if it doesn't work in even simple situations, you have a serious problem.



I will probably get steam-rolled for this negative review, but I can only report my experience. I can't speak for the entire Streamlight brand, nor other model flashlights of this brand. I'm only speaking from my experience, and this being my first and only Streamlight, I can tell you that I'm not pleased.

Garmin nüvi 52LM 5-Inch Portable Vehicle GPS with Lifetime Maps (US)

CUSTOMER REVIEW



Having been born with the dreaded condition NSOD (no sense of direction) a GPS is essential if I'm ever to end up getting to where I need to go. My last GPS was the Garmin 3790 which was excellent - however it froze up and died on exactly the 29th day of use which allowed me 24 hours to return it to Amazon.



As I researched a new GPS I found it more complicated than putting the specs together for a computer. Reviews are incredibly mixed on each model. All of them have plenty of pros and no shortage of cons. I decided to call the dedicated number for GPS units on Amazon. And doing so was an excellent experience and one that I highly recommend to anyone frustrated over which unit to buy. Amazon also has consultant Reps for computers, cameras, televisions and so on.



These folks don't work on commission - so there's no vested interest on their part in the recommendations the make it's a zero pressure approach and really an under estimated service - but a very valuable one. After going through the applications I was looking for i.e.: map updates, voice recognition, large screen etc - I was steered to the Garmin 52LM.



At the low price of $145 I was at first skeptical as the 3790T was $300



As I prowled through all the GPS units on Amazon the 52LM had the highest percentage of positive reviews - I was sold.



Quick Specs:



* Preloaded Maps



* Card Reader microSD



* Interface USB



* Voice Street name announcement,



* Navigation instructions



* Included Software Garmin City Navigator North America NT,



* nüMaps Guarantee



* Antenna Built-in



* Internal Memory Flash



* Speed limit warning



* Junction view



* Emergency Help



* Lifetime map updates



* Custom POIs (points of interest)



* Built-in speaker



* Gorgeous Display



* Trip Computer let's you Avoid toll roads



* Connector Type is USB



* Battery - Lithium ion



Included Accessories;

USB cable

Suction cup mount

Car power cable



This unit offers tremendous bang for your buck, I miss the photographic quality of the street maps of the 3790T but considering how beautifully the 52LM performs it's one issue that's easy to get past. The voice directions are crystal clear, set up is effortless and the large screen really makes an enormous difference.



You can spend more - however if your looking for a solid non problematic GPS that's going to get you to and from where you need to go, warn you of traffic delays, provide alternative routes and is absolutely effortless to set up and update - You'll be hard pressed to find a better GPS at any price.



Highly Recommended.