Skip to main content

Airo smart band uses LEDs to monitor your caloric intake

Remember when those yellow Live Strong bracelets came out and you weren’t cool unless you had one? And then new ones came out in cooler colors and you had to get those, too? Well that’s kind of what’s going on with health bands, except it’ll cost you a heck of a lot more to stay cool this time around. 

The newest smartlet (smart+bracelet, get it?) expected to hit the market is AIRO. Not only can it track the calories you’re burning like most other smart bands on the market, it can also track the calories you are gaining. It’s the first of it’s kind, but since the product isn’t actually out, there’s little user experience to back up whether or not it works as promised. So take all of this in with a grain of salt.

Recommended Videos

The AIRO uses LED lights to detect metabolites in your bloodstream as they are released during and after meals. Basically, this means it can tell how the body breaks down and stores food, e.g. carbs, fats, proteins, etc. AIRO then counts the calories you consume and even analyzes the quality of meals you eat.  

airo wristbandThis is a similar technique to the Basis B1 health band, which also uses LED lights but does not count calories consumed. 

But like the Basis B1, AIRO does measure heart rate and keep track of calories burned during exercise. It’s not based on motion-sensing technology like the NikeFuel SE, so AIRO can be used for activities like biking even though the wrist remains relatively stationary. NikeFuel SE? Not so much. 

AIRO can also use your heart rate to monitor stress levels. It detects and tracks sudden fluctuations and can even recommend quick ways to calm you down. When you go to sleep, the band continues working by tracking your circadian rhythm to recognize sleep cycles. AIRO then evaluates how much of your rest was restorative. 

As you can see from the picture, the AIRO band has no screen of any kind on it, but instead uses your iPhone. You can view all the data on an app for IOS devices. The band itself vibrates to wake you up in the morning, as well as for other alerts that can be seen on the app. 

You can order an AIRO now for $149, but the small Canadian company that makes the health band doesn’t expect to ship until this time next year (Fall 2014). They are charging upfront like other crowd-funding campaigns and say they will offer “full refunds” before an order is shipped. 

That upfront order will do two things: save you $50 and keep you ahead of the smartlet trend. 

Jonathan Binder
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Jonathan is an award-winning journalist and media Swiss Army Knife who recently relocated to Portland, OR. Prior to that he…
GlassesUSA Black Friday Sale: Get 30% off prescription glasses
GlassesUSA frames close up with multiple styles.

Need a new pair of glasses? Want to stock up for your holiday trips before you head to meet up with your relatives? Typically, you'd have to wait until the official Black Friday event, the day after Thanksgiving, or maybe even Cyber Monday, but that's not the case this year. Alongside a variety of the best online glasses deals, GlassesUSA is hosting a huge Black Friday sale early, allowing you to save big on prescription glasses and frames with no waiting necessary. Of course, we always recommend browsing the sale of your own accord to see what's discounted because we couldn't possibly cover everything, nor could we know precisely what you're looking for. That said, we've called out quite a few of the best deals below.

What to shop in the early GlassesUSA Black Friday sale
Rightfully dubbed the Black Friday Early Bird sale, now's an excellent time to save up to 30% on prescription glasses. Moreover, GlassesUSA is truly dedicated to helping you find the perfect pair. Not only are there a ton of brands and styles to choose from, but you'll benefit from free shipping and returns and a money-back guarantee if you're not satisfied. You can even take to find the correct pair for your face. Ray-Ban, Oakley, DKNY, Prada, Ottoto, Muse, they are all here and available to shop, most discounted even. Men's and Women's eyewear are on sale, too, so there's something for everyone.

Read more
The best DNA testing kit Black Friday deals you can shop now
Daughter gifting Ancestry Gift Membership to family

DNA tests are awesome holiday gifts for your family. Together you can all build your family tree and discover your genetic makeup. Unfortunately the tests are pretty expensive, but at least you only need to test once. There are some nice Black Friday deals going on today that will save you a significant amount of money on single tests or bundles. Check out our favorite below, then more more deals worth checking out under that.
The best DNA testing kit Black Friday deal
AncestryDNA Genetic Test Kit -- $59, was $99

The single person AncestryDNA Genetic Test Kit is our pick for the best Black Friday deal already available. The kit normally costs $99, but right now it's down to just $59. That's a nice discount of $30 on one of the best DNA tests available. We're not sure how long this deal will last, so you should grab it soon.

Read more
The 5 best DNA test kits for 2024
We spit in a ton of test tubes to find the best and most unique DNA tests
A 23andme DNA kit.

Despite the fact that tons of competitors have sprung up in recent years, 23AndMe still makes the best DNA test on the market. It's the quickest, it's very comprehensive, and the way the company presents your genetic data is simple and easy to digest. However, depending on what kind of information you're looking for, there are other, more specialized DNA tests that might be better suited for you. Whether it's ancestry, fitness, disease risk, or something else entirely, there's likely a DNA kit that'll uncover that data.

With the rising popularity of these tests, we decided to take a closer look and see which ones are worth the investment. To do this, we secured a mail-in kit from as many DNA testing services as we could find, then shipped them a spit tube full of our precious genetic code for analysis. After looking through all the data and personally trying all of these services, there were a few that stood out from the pack. Here are our favorites:
The best DNA test kit in 2024

Read more