Haris Usmani

21 Jan 2014

1. Google Location History/OpenPaths – Location
I’m a google user, so all my location history is already logged into Google’s Location History. All I need to do is to keep the location enabled on my cell phone. What’s left is to figure out how to capture the data, but I’m sure there are well-tested resources already available. Google Location History is a major source! It can tell me a lot about where I spend my time, what means of transport I prefer, how many miles I’ve traveled etc.
I’ll go for OpenPaths and record fresh data if Google Location doesn’t work out.

2. Fitbit – Sleep
This is what I’m most curious about. How is the number of hours I sleep or the time I sleep related to my performance as a student? Can my sleep patterns tell me when I’m pushing it too far/too less? They say getting a good sleep is the most important thing for a rock vocalist- I may just test that out on myself. The Fitbit is crucial.

3. Emails – Time/Volume of Work
Gmail for me- similar to how Stephen Wolfram used it in his quantified self-analysis.

4. Nike+ Fuel Band – Physical Activity Level
My day’s activity, although I’m still skeptical about how this things estimates it! What are my patterns of activity over a week, how does it relate to the level of work stress/food intake?

5. RescueTime – Productivity
An application that tracks the amount of time I spend doing different tasks on my laptop: What applications I use? What’s my work/entertainment balance?

6. AskMeEvery/Giraph/DAYTUM – Custom Questionnaire
If I require to gather some data that needs to be explicitly answered by me, I’ll use one of these services. Like food preferences, mood (although there are dedicated mood apps too) etc.

7. Battery Use – Phone Usage Patterns
In Android, the battery usage indicator gives a nice visualization of how and when the phone has been used. If I get to extract that information (and if it gets stored for that long!), I can use it to see how I spend time using my phone.