Gadgetory

hi this is Brian Bennett for cnet.com and right now we're taking a first look at the new basis banned from basis science this device falls somewhere between a full-fledged SmartWatch and a sophisticated personal fitness tracker priced at $1.99 the basis isn't exactly an impulse buy either at first glance the basis looks like a standard even basic digital watch it's not exactly thin it's monochrome LCD screen is small and there's only one obvious button located on the right edge flip the watch over and you'll begin to realize this is no ordinary timepiece on the bottom of the device are 6 stud shaped sensors plus two green LED lights the basis uses these to measure your heart rate by estimating your blood flow through your skin the basis band also features an accelerometer which allows the watch to function as a pedometer tracking the steps you take additionally the basis is designed to track the length and quality of your sleep what sets the basis apart from other wrist style fitness trackers such as the jawbone up and Fitbit flex is that it records your sleep stats automatically all you have to do is wear to bed in case in a water-resistant coating the basis is also splash proof so taking it out in the rain or keeping it on in the shower isn't a problem featuring a Bluetooth radio the basis now syncs with Android smartphones to transfer captured data to a companion app in the app you can set up what basis science calls healthy habits for getting more sleep taking morning and afternoon laps and up in your daily activity gamification is a factor too since the app rewards you with points depending on how long you stick to your pledges you then use those points to unlock more challenging habits plus raise your overall level as with other fitness cyber services like this you can also dive into performance data in myriad ways for greater insight I'm Brian Bennett for cnet.com and this has been a first look at the basis band be sure to check back soon for a full review