People track a lot more information today than ever before. Thanks to our computers, cell phones and other specialized electronic devices recording and analyzing all types of information is easier than ever.

Some of the data we create reflects our own well-being… our bodies, our heath, our moods. About 3 year ago I developed a broader interest in tracking information about my own body and well-being. Being a "gadget guy" I was, in part, influenced by the release of a number of new hardware and software platforms to help one track their personal information. It wasn't until a year or so ago that I learned the proper term for these type of hardware and software products...

Technology Influence #9: Quantified Self Technology

Quantified self technology is a fancy term referring to tracking one’s personal well-being data using technologies such as wearable sensors. I started using quantified-self technology to assist me with weight loss in 2010 and have increased my inventory of assistive devices and applications ever since. But, I’m guessing that for most people the concept of quantified self technology is still a bit vague so let’s take a look at some of the devices.

My first quantified self device was a Withings WiFi Body Scale and to this day it remains one of my favorite gadgets of any kind. Every time I step on the scale it shows me my weight, my body fat percentage and my body mass index and it also records that information to an Internet account via a wireless connection. After I step off the scale I can use an iPhone app and see my weight statistics plotted over time and review the trends. Seeing a graphic chart of weight loss over time is a great motivator.

[dciframe]http://www.withings.com/en/utils/graphwidget?userid=28144&publickey=6c5644c992abe476&massUnit=lb,300,425,0,auto,align:center;float:left[/dciframe]As a demonstration of one of the many things the Withings scale can do, I published on this page, a widget of my current body weight. This is a live feed from the most recent reading of my scale. It will change every time I get weighed. For those of you saying “I would never want that!” don’t be alarmed. You can only see this data because I have explicitly provided its access to you. Withings does not publish this data to the general public by default. The truth, is, I'm not crazy about posting it here, given where the number currently sits. But one thing I learned in 2010 is that transparency demonstrates intent.

All the high-tech stuff aside, the Withings scale is also a very good scale. I’ve owned a number of scales where my weight would fluctuate as much as 5 pounds just by stepping off and back on the scale. Not the case with the Withings. It’s consistent and accurate.

Withings also produces an iPhone-connected blood pressure cuff. Connect this device to your iPhone it monitors your blood pressure and sends the results to your Internet account for monitoring over time.

A popular class of quantified self devices are what I like to call “pedometers with an attitude.” Step counting pedometers have been around for a while. These newer device kick the pedometer concept up notch by electronically tracking and recording to your personal Internet account additional features such as calories burned, flights of stairs taken and even monitoring how deeply you slept. A sampling of the more popular variants of these devices include the wrist-worn Nike FuelBand and Jawbone Up and the clip-on FitBit One. I’ve used an older FitBit clip-on model, the Fitbit Ultra, in the past and I’m now waiting for delivery of my new wrist-worn Fitbit Flex.

Also in my array of quantified self devices is a Polar electronic heart rate monitor that I wear at the gym (which has not been very often of late).

Most of the previously-cited hardware devices have companion applications for the Web and/or a mobile device. But there are other software-only tools that are effective quantified self assets without being hardware codependent. Weight Watchers Online and LoseIt.com and their respective companion iOS app are excellent tools for food intake tracking and diet management. I'm also about to start trying a new app called "My Fitness Pal." There are countless apps for tracking your runs and gym workouts. I’m not a runner but I’ve tried a bunch of different gym companion iOS apps and I’m still looking for one I can really get behind.

Despite having had a pretty bad year-and-a-half with respect to my weight and fitness, I still consider quantified self technology to have a strong influence on my life.

Next: We finish up the Top 10 Technology Influences series with Technology Influence #10 - GPS and Navigation Applications.