What do you use your Bangle.js for?

[espruino-discuss2]

Posted at 2024-02-05 by andreas1107

Hi, I'm curious as to how people use their Bangle.js device. I've seen the various tutorials and browsed the app loader - but how are you using all of this in your day-to-day? I understand the answer for some may be that you're part of building the project / developing apps, etc.

I'm just an "ordinary user" and have to date not contributed anything except buying it. I got mine over a year ago and this is how I've ended up using it:

1. Time and date, including week numbers (I find it convenient
   sometimes to use a watch for this as picking up a phone for any
   reason in a meeting can be seen as being distracted)
2. Step counter, but only on a per-day basis - I have not figured out how to view trends in any meaningful way
3. Message notifications when I'm at work and have my personal phone on silent, then I still get notified on my wrist if someone writes me.
4. Tracking runs using the timer function (distance never worked for me, GPS never starts)
5. Doing HIIT intervals (using the Speech Timer app)
6. Setting simple timers for other things
7. Moon phases

I'm curious about your uses!

[espruino-discuss2]

Posted at 2024-02-05 by @thyttan

For me it's mainly become a hobby for programming stuff I could find useful - so some kind of recreation.

But for day-to-day stuff:

• look at recorded steps to remind me if I moved too little or to be satisfied that I did move around as I should.
• control media on my android device. Mostly spotify and podcast addict. Changing the volume from the wrist is really nice I think.
• Glance notifications on the wrist is probably the most useful thing to me, after getting the time.
• I want to start using the Bangle together with my bt chest hrm monitor, but haven't really done very much excercising of late.

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Posted at 2024-02-05 by @thyttan

Step counter, but only on a per-day basis - I have not figured out how to view trends in any meaningful way

If you use Android and Gadgetbridge the steps are synced and presented (see attachment).

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Attachments:

• Screenshot_20240205-132053.png

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Posted at 2024-02-05 by @gfwilliams

Did you try using the Assisted GPS app to upload GPS info before you start GPS? Otherwise it will take ages to get a lock.

Frustratingly I can't wear the Bangle in front of the PC because I get RSI, so I don't wear as much as I should... But I use it for:

• Time/date
• Timer/stopwatch functionality using the ClockInfos on the clock face
• Navigation when cycling using the Google Maps app + Gadgetbridge
• When walking, steps and also the altitude clockinfo to see how high I am. OpenStreetMap to figure out whether I'm on a path or not as well
• Programming/testing other Bluetooth devices using things like the 'Espruino Programmer' app

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Posted at 2024-02-05 by d3nd3-o0

Programming/testing other Bluetooth devices using things like the 'Espruino Programmer' device

Can you elaborate what this is?

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Posted at 2024-02-06 by @andresdju

I only use the Bangle.js 2 for running or hiking. I don't like to wear a watch, specially at night, so I don't track my sleep. For step counting, I do enough training that the rest of my walking activity doesn't count much. I don't think that the support of the notifications is good enough to overtake my dislike of wearing the watch.

1. GPS: It's a bit annoying that the AGPS data lasts for just a few hours, so I download it just before going for the training session. With AGPS it takes like 5 seconds to get a lock, it seems to help that I only use the GPS network. It has a great precision while running outdoors. After the session I download the GPX files generated by the Recored App and I visualize them with the OsmAnd app in the Android phone.

2. HRM: Because I do my training with the excellent Polar H10 sensor, I'm not too worried about the internal HR precision. I would like to help in improving the algorithm anyway. For tracking the training sessions I use the proprietary Polar Apps, which are not great. I should start using open source apps for this also.

3. Apps: The Run/Run+ apps are a bit limited, but I use a slightly modified version of the former. I'd like to write a more complete app for running/hiking but no major work for this so far.

4. The Espruino framework is very nice, the main reason why I chose this watch (other alternatives are not even close). The hardware is good enough for a running watch except for only having one button, which is also of bad quality (sometimes I don't manage to start or stop the timer at the first try, very annoying for sprint reps).

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Posted at 2024-02-06 by @gfwilliams

Programming/testing other Bluetooth devices using things like the 'Espruino Programmer'

This: https://banglejs.com/apps/?id=espruinoprog

Apart from stuff for work, an example might be I was doing a 'Batak' game for a kids party, and I had 10 Puck.js Lite to program with the same code - so I use that app, paste in the code, and then every time I boot up a Puck.js the app sees it, programs it, and lights an LED on it to show me it's been programmed. It saves a lot of work if you've got a bunch of devices to program.

We also have an app we use when getting Bangles ready for shipping which connects to them when they appear on Bluetooth, checks the firmware is in correctly and runs some code which tests all the internals. It just runs on a totally standard Bangle.

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Posted at 2024-02-09 by user140377

Main usages:

-Obviously date+time
-Wakeup Alarm and Event alarm with alarm+sched
-calendar
-grocery: Shopping list
-Gipy: Following gpx-tracks while riding bike

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Posted at 2024-02-10 by @allObjects

Teaching Programming, JavaScript,... and enrich the student's take away with a nifty gadget!

Worked also w/ a Puck and w/ Pixle. I see more creativity w/ a device w/ no display or limited display feature, like the Puck with the 3 color LEDs.

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Posted at 2024-02-13 by rigrigrig

Mostly for looking at things without needing to get my phone out:

• Date + time
• Notifications
• Currently playing song / adjust volume
• Weather

I've made a list of installed apps