At the moment, we expect to strap fitness and activity bands to our wrists, but the team behind the Fineck says our necks are a far better place for a tracker. However, the Fineck isn’t about counting steps, it’s designed to monitor and improve your posture, plus get rid of ailments and pain which all stem from the neck.
Made from silicone and titanium, the Fineck tracks neck movements, your balance, posture and movement, then provides advice on how to improve these aspects. Fineck says a high percentage of people suffer from neck pain and associated problems, caused by extended periods of sitting in front of a computer, or using a mobile device. A fitness band like the UP24 may encourage activity, but the Fineck is about “micro-fitness,” where looking after specific parts of our body can bring significant benefits.
Interestingly, the Fineck app comes with several games specifically designed to train the neck. It’s like a targeted version of the Tao WellShell we saw at CES 2014. The Fineck is waterproof, and connects to your iOS device using Bluetooth 4.0, although an Android app is in development. The titanium body contains a battery which is apparently good for seven days use, and takes an hour to charge up, plus an accelerometer and a gyroscope. We think the Fineck looks great, and it makes a pleasant change from the many, almost identical wristbands flooding the market.
The Fineck is available through Kickstarter at the moment, but the campaign isn’t very clear on the device’s additional features. For example, it doesn’t mention simple step counting or sleep tracking, or if it will deliver vibrating notification alerts from your smartphone. However, even if it doesn’t come with any of those features, the Fineck is extremely well priced. If you’re quick, it’s still available for $70 as an early bird special. Pay another $10, and you’ll get a special gold Kickstarter edition. Should the campaign reach its modest $20,000 goal, the Fineck will ship in April next year.
