Jawbone launches UP, the wearable health monitor

Jawbone, creator of some of the damn finest Bluetooth headsets in existence has launched “UP”, a wearable gadget for Apple devices which monitors basic health.

UP is a wristband, embedded with electronics which tracks activity, sleeping and eating patterns. Hosain Rahman, Jawbone CEO proudly presented the new gadget:

“UP is Jawbone’s first step in giving people tools to become engaged as consumers of their own health. As the global health crisis mounted, we felt a strong sense of responsibility to see if we could leverage our resources and talents to make a difference”.

Rahman says that UP is meant to integrate seamlessly into the user’s lifestyle “24 hours a day”. UP looks like a trendy fashion accessory but inside, systems track and monitor various bodily statistics such as how many steps users take, what food we eat (this is used in conjunction with the iPhones camera) and current cardio levels.

UP has partnered with DailyFeats, a website which “makes positive actions part of everyday life”. Simply put, it offers achievements and cash back for every completed fitness task. So whenever the user has accomplished a “positive action”, the UP records this and uploads it to the DailyFeats site care of the iPhone, iPad or iPod touch’s wireless connection. Points are earned and these can be redeemed at various stores (US only).

Rahman continues his praise of UP, singling out Apple devices for its potential success. “Thanks to the success and adoption of the iPhone, millions of users already have beautiful displays and robust computing platforms in their pockets. We harness that amazing display with a fun, engaging iPhone app to bring the band to life”.

The UP will be sold for US$100, and Jawbone is preparing to unleash the gadget almost immediately. UP will be available in the UK come 17 November with a global launched planned near the end of the year.