This $56 Casio watch is a retro step tracking dream | Hacker News Reader

This $56 Casio watch is a retro step tracking dream

theverge.com

15 pointsthunderbong9 comments

You can get wrist worn step counters on Amazon for literally one single dollar. You can get Bluetooth connected "Smart watches" that count steps and monitor your heart rate for less than $20, so in what world is this thing at $56 considered a "Good deal?"

Wouldn't really expect much else from The Verge though, as their whole site these days is basically just a bunch of ads in a trench-coat masquerading as "Journalism." This is almost certainly a "Sponsored post" and is more their typical regurgitation of a manufacturers press release / marketing materials than any sort of actual critical review, as if it were they would have mentioned the fact you can get other devices that do the same thing or more for far less money.

> their whole site these days is basically just a bunch of ads in a trench-coat masquerading as "Journalism."

Amen.

>so in what world is this thing at $56 considered a "Good deal?"

Probably in the world where you also get a decent Casio watch with it (which in other models costs that alone, without step tracking), and where $56 dollars are nothing given the annual salaries of the author and the audience in the target countries.

That said, if this wasn't a sponsored post, then they're essentially doing sponsored post content for free...

Can someone please explain the step counting phenomenon? I, as a person who is always instantly able to tell whether I have walked much in a day, and whether it was sufficient movement, or not enough exercise, or a lot more than typical for me, don't really understand the appeal, but would love to know where it comes from, and additionally, where it really lies on the 2d plot of organic<-->promoted and beneficial<-->farcical.

Is it the obsession with personal data tracking that people love? (Or that people are encouraged to love by marketing?)

Or the knowledge/potential that by measuring it, it improves?

Or do people simply have a hard time being able to accurately tell roughly how much they have walked in a day, and whether that was enough movement for them?

There is obviously at least SOMETHING there. Some people DO seem sorta REALLY INTO with this kind of thing (fit bit, Apple Health, insurance plan discounts, this Casio step counting watch)?

I tried a web search [0], and it seems like a mixed bag of motivations?

[0] https://www.google.com/search?q=why+do+people+love+step+coun...

goal setting 101. it's easier to let it slide if your goal is to "do more walking" vs "10,000 steps every day" especially when you have automated accountability mechanisms.

it's not for people who find it easy to think "oh I haven't been active enough today, I'm going to go for a run" and then actually follow through. it's for the people who suddenly find themselves at 9:00 p.m. realizing that they did not hit their goal. having an app that will remind them to get up from the desk every hour and go for a walk around the block is a lot more effective than just hoping that you'll remember to do it before it's too late to do it

Thanks, that helped understand it.

>Or do people simply have a hard time being able to accurately tell roughly how much they have walked in a day, and whether that was enough movement for them?

People have been conditioned to being able to "tell roughly how much they have walked in a day" is not enough, the need step counts and exact distances.

Then they rationalize the marketing-created demand, with needing gamification, how it helps with following through, and other crap. It also helps feel the void of a meaningless existance, doing crap day in and day out in the rat race, or being disconected from nature and other people.

But from the point of view of an advertiser it's understandable. How else they'd be sold trackers and step counters and smartwatches and stuff?

When they say it's "only" $56, is that sarcasm? It looks like it costs $2 to produce.

Compared to an Apple Watch it looks cheap

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