Armbands for Tracking Activities and Calories Burned

Do any of you make use of an activity tracking device? I fully understand that people get personally attached to whatever brand they choose, but I wanted to make a quick plug for the arm band that I've been using and tell you why I think it's the best - not because I get anything out of telling you about it, but because I want you to make the best choices with your hard-earned money. I make use of the BodyMedia LINK.

Body Media, which used to be called the Body Bugg (and is used on The Biggest Loser), also makes another device which works in the same manner but send your data to a watch you wear. This device [mine] sends data to a device like a smartphone, or your computer when you take it off to charge it (every 3 days or so).

The reason I love this device is simply because it isn't just taking note when you bounce around - as many devices do. A lot of trackers are focused on how much you are moving around, and counting the number of steps you took. They then translate that activity into an estimated number of calories burned based upon whatever your weight is. The difference here is that the BodyMedia device has two plates on the back that sense heat production. The result of calories burned should be heat lost through the skin - which it measures and combines that information with motion to determine the intensity of your workout and an incredibly accurate estimate of calories burned. Because it is not just relying on motion to guess at your activity, it is better equipped to let you know how active you really are.

When you have a better sense of how active you really are and what your average calorie burn is per day, you may be better equipped to challenge yourself, or see areas where you could improve your exercise program to meet your goals.... I sure did. 

If I were to improve the device, I could only think the addition of some sort of GPS would be nice as I like to run and find myself having to carrying some other device to track my distance and time. Oh, and those who monitor their heart rate might like that feature too.