FutureFive New Zealand - Consumer technology news & reviews from the future
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Tue, 4th Feb 2014
FYI, this story is more than a year old

The tinké by Zensorium is a device that has gained a lot of attention lately (although it was at CES in 2012!), as it competes against a lot of wearable fitness tech that other manufacturers are releasing. So why does it do so well?

tinké is an accessory & app combo that is not just a fitness monitor, but a wellness monitor. Good fitness is not just about how much exercise you’re doing, but also how you manage to de-stress and achieve balance.

I love the tinké for what it does. Simply, you put your thumb or finger on the device and it uses two LEDs to shine a light into your finger and measures your heart rate, respiratory rate, blood oxygen level and heart rate variability. It’s like your own personal doctor in your pocket (but no it can’t replace your real doctor sorry!).

By measuring and monitoring your levels outside of exercise, the tinké tracks your wellbeing and gives you a true overall rating at rest. This way, you know what your actual fitness is.

The tinké sets itself apart from others by not being wearable tech. I can imagine that Zensorium are working on it, but since the device is so small, it fits in your pocket with no issues.

I really liked it, understanding that fitness is not just about raising your heart rate, but also taking opportunities to ‘zen’. It’s great seeing how relaxing and meditating can affect your wellness rating, which makes tinké so useful

Pros:

  • iOS version doesn’t require batteries
  • Only 30 seconds a day to track your wellbeing
  • Measures not just physical but also mental fitness (how it does that I have no idea!)
  • 30 pin or Lightning connector version works with the latest devices
Cons
  • Ability to share via social media (not sure why this is useful!)
Summary:

The tinké is a great accessory, their new Android version is wireless which is even easier. I’d love to see some partnerships within the app for meditation courses and workouts as you could see their impact through the tracking.

This is a one of a kind device that Zensorium have developed, beating all its competitors. If you or your partner really could do with seeing how much they need to chill out and look after themselves, then have a look at tinké’s website. It might just be worth it.

Score: 4 / 5