The Future of Quantified Self Devices

Aaron Parecki

The Future of
Quantified Self Devices

aaronparecki.com • @aaronpk

Augmented World Expo
May 2014

GPS Logs • Aaron Parecki • Portland, OR • 2008-present

Foursquare Checkins • 2009-present

Sleep Logs • 2011-present

Weight • 2011-present

Bike Rides • 2013-present

Food & Drink • 2013-present

QS Devices Today

Buy a new device
Download the app
Create an account with some new arbitrary password requirements
Find all your friends on the social network

Silos of Data

Each app is a silo

Data is only sometimes portable via an API
Each app has its own social network
Each app collects supplemental data on its own
(e.g. if Jawbone wants to know what city you slept in, it must track location on its own)

Where does the data go?

Stored in separate "cloud" servers run by each company
You have to trust they are handling your data properly
Data from all customers is mined and sold
If the company shuts down, you might lose all your data

Each app/device has a proprietary API
Devices can't really talk to each other

SmartHome light control

Launch SmartThings app
Press a button
App talks to some data center across the country
Sends a message back to my house
Light turns on

That's like calling the electic company to
turn on my lights when I flip the switch on the wall

Better: Philips Hue

Launch an app
Press a button
App talks directly to the hub on the same
wifi network (no Internet required!)
Light turns on

Cloud API can help when
I'm away from home

The Personal Server

The Personal Server

Collects data from all my wearables
Knows how to control and monitor devices in my home
Stores and backs up data from all my devices
I can selectively grant access to third-party apps

The Personal Server is the common language between all my devices

Separation of Roles

Separate the roles of hardware, apps, social networks/analysis and storage
Companies can specialize in one or more aspects
Lower barrier to entry
Easier for new companes to enter the market

How do we get there?

Ask for exports of your personal data from all services
IndieAuth - sign in with your domain
aaronparecki.com/metrics - my personal quantified self data
indiewebcamp.com/building-blocks