Wearables get a workout

Staffers at ACT | The App Association are walking the walk—and talking about it—this summer. The 99-day "Wearable Try-on-athon" began June 1. About 10 of the association's 16 staff members will try out different devices to track physical activities, calories and other health indicators, and report on their findings through blogs and social media posts. They'll also challenge each other. First up is a challenge counting the number of steps everyone takes, said Communications Assistant Courtney Bernard. A sleep challenge is planned for August.

Chief of Staff Melissa Lee wrote in a blog that she's been wearing a FitBit Flex for two years. She plans to try out the Microsoft Band, Lumo Lift (which tracks posture) and trackers that look like jewelry such as the Cuff.

"Let me get a little legal talk out of the way: We're excited about this, and everyone from ACT | The App Association who's participating is doing so voluntarily," Lee wrote. "If they share screenshots, data, goals, photos, or other information about themselves along the way, they are doing so with privacy in mind and understand that it can be viewed by the general public."

As for her own try-on-athon goals, Lee wrote: "I'm no athlete, and like a lot of people, I pretty much exercise so that I stay reasonably healthy, hopefully live a long life, and don't have to eat horrible, bland food. My motto for the try-on-athon is to 'un-guilt my guilty pleasures' (I'm looking longingly in your direction, cheeseburgers.)"

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