As some of our readers may know, a few of us around here are fitness junkies. Namely myself, Sam and Seth are all active Fitbit users, runners, Crossfitters or gym rats. Because of that, we really dig running apps like today’s Track Runner or Fitbit Tracker. MyFitnessPal fits into that because the free service ties into virtually everything.
What is MyFitnessPal? It’s a sophisticated calorie counter. But it’s also super smart and easy. Plus it can connect to Fitbit, so that when you run and burn calories, MyFitnessPal auto adjusts based on your activity level. Throw in the Aria scale with Wi-Fi, and it’s like living in the future.
MyFitnessPal has been on Windows Phone for a while and version 2.0 went live a few months ago when it got its Windows Phone 8 bump. Today, version 2.1 is available and it brings with it even more cool features. Heck, it’s such a big update that the company even blogged about it. So what’s new?
MyFitnessPal for Windows Phone 8 version 2.1
- Voice Commands: One of our tastiest features yet: add to your diary using nothing more than your voice!! Simply press and hold the Windows button and easily add food, exercise, measurements and more to your MyFitnessPal profile.
- Push Notifications: Stay up to speed and in the loop. Get alerts when your friends are giving you support, send comments to one another’s profiles and news feeds, etc. and get alerted with a simple push notification.
- Type-ahead searching: Search and log faster and easier than ever with type-ahead search. Eating leftovers today? Just start typing the first few letters and watch your list filter to show you exactly what you’re looking for in real-time as you type.
- International Language Support – The app is now available in French, German, Spanish, and Portuguese (Brazilian)
- Complete Support for Units of Measure – Members can now take advantage of local units of measure including weight, height, distances logged, and units of energy.
That’s some fantastic additions to what was already a well done app. The company notes that this update “…includes all the newest features members love on iOS and Android”, but things like Live Tiles and Voice Commands are unique to Windows Phone. It’s always great to see a company exploit the distinctive features of the Windows Phone platform.
We tried out the Voice Command feature e.g. “Open MyFitnessPal and record my breakfast” which prompted the phone to ask us “What did you eat?”. It’s a nifty function.
We couldn’t really get the type-ahead searching to work, but maybe we were looking in the wrong location. Other features like push notifications are always fun, though is more relevant on how much you use the social-features in the service.
Look, if you’ve been wanting to eat healthier, lose some weight or just get in shape, MyFitnessPal has been integral to our diet regime (see the lead photo for proof). It’s kind of crazy how much food is logged in their system for calorie and nutrition info. And if it’s not, you can barcode-scan the item or manually enter it into the database. It’s borderline fun, no joke.
Head to myfitnesspal.com to look at the service, create an account and get started. Then grab the fantastic MyFitnessPal Windows Phone 8 app to complete the system. It might just change your life.
Source: MyFitnessPal Blog; Thanks, cyber_k9, for the tip!
