Path: ...!news.mixmin.net!news.swapon.de!fu-berlin.de!uni-berlin.de!individual.net!not-for-mail From: VanguardLH Newsgroups: comp.mobile.android Subject: Re: Steps counting apps Date: Thu, 16 May 2024 16:19:17 -0500 Organization: Usenet Elder Lines: 61 Sender: V@nguard.LH Message-ID: <1d37ziyhv76w9$.dlg@v.nguard.lh> References: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Trace: individual.net Tli7urPrUgCCZvCxy1OliwZqQisOBXGg/i7qMnv6QAC1J99NJS Keywords: VanguardLH,VLH Cancel-Lock: sha1:SPHPpiP3hcocvdEm3I3Z1TH8ASM= sha256:egZiPJYV7di8S0OVZP3prX/HRVm6BzWUGzIGzRWKzQU= User-Agent: 40tude_Dialog/2.0.15.41 Bytes: 4196 Jim the Geordie wrote: > In article , robin_listas@es.invalid > says... >> >> On 2024-05-16 11:43, Jim the Geordie wrote: >>> Just out of curiosity I thought I might try a STEPS counter app. >>> Many seem to come with all sorts of health monitoring extras, which I'm >>> not bothered about, but happy to enter and not use. >>> However there are massive differences between them on the numbers of >>> steps they claim I have taken and some don't appear to work at all. >>> I'm not wanting to start a thread about the health benefits, just to >>> find the simplest, accurate, free one. >> >> A cheap smart watch will do it easily and accurately. > > Got a perfectly good analogue watch thank you. > BTW Watches are not used to tell the time, they are used to tell how > long it is before... > Wait for someone to look at their watch, then ask them what time it. I > bet they look again. :) Carlos didn't say "watch". He said "smart watch". The latter have force sensors that can detect when you step. Of course, if you glide then there is no impact for a step measure. Some people step on their heels to rotate forward on their feet. Some stomp down on their entire foot. And some step down on the ball of their feet. I suspect those that step soundly on the heels of their feet giving the most impact would measure more reliably than the other walking styles. When running, some runners cushion their impact rather than pound their feet. Ever notice how some horse riders bounce in the saddle while others ride more smoothly by using their knees as shock absorbers? https://www.sciencefocus.com/science/fitness-app-step-count As mentioned, where you position your phone on your body when walking or running significantly affects the reliable of measuring the impacts of your style of movement. Are you stowing your smart phone on your hip, like in a waistband or belt, or in a pants pocket? Having your smart phone in your hand to monitor the swing of your arms in another good location, and why Fitbits or other smart watches are worn on the wrist. Quite often steps are not measured when there is no hand movement. For example, steps may not be measured when pushing a lawn mower, because you're arms are fixed on the handle bar, not swinging. Don't be looking at your phone when monitoring steps as that changes the rotation. Some apps won't start counting steps until a threshold has been reached, like 10 continues steps have occurred, not a couple steps, then none, then some more. Have the option for when to start and stop counting steps. Automatic measurement could include "steps" from vibrations when riding in a car, on a train, or while on a moving walkway. To see what sensors you unmentioned phone has, you can lookup its specifications, like at GSMarena. That your smart phone has an motion sensors (accelerometers, gravity, gryroscopes, and rotational vector) means it can measure acceleration and rotational force along 3 axes. That doesn't make them good footstep counters. There are various types of sensors in Android phones, but not all are employed in every smart phone. See: https://developer.android.com/develop/sensors-and-location/sensors/sensors_overview