Washington - I'm a reporter hooked on coffee. Mine is a steady, sometimes over-the-top habit that I don't see myself shaking anytime soon. So when I heard of an app that would let me track my caffeine intake, I was intrigued.
UP Coffee is a product of Jawbone, the company first known for its JAMBOX wireless Bluetooth speakers. In 2011, Jawbone expanded its Bluetooth-based products by launching UP, a fitness- and lifestyle-tracking wristband and accompanying app, similar to the Fitbit. UP Coffee is a complementary product to UP, but users don't have to use the wristband to interact with UP Coffee.
You start by entering information such as your gender, height, weight and whether you're sensitive to caffeine.
Every time you have caffeine, you tell UP Coffee what you drank or ate. The app makes it easy by organising caffeine intake by size and product. So, if you have a cup of coffee, you tell it how many ounces. If you have a latte, you click one shot or two. If you go to a chain such as Starbucks or Dunkin' Donuts, you can choose your exact drink.
Despite the app's name, it has options for other caffeinated products, including sodas, teas, energy drinks, workout supplements, chocolate and even medication.
Along with tracking how much caffeine is in your system, you can learn about your caffeine consumption habits, how you compare to average UP Coffee users and, if you are using an UP wristband, how caffeine affects your sleep.
If you forget to enter your intake at the time it occurs, you can update the app later.
After a week, the app generates a profile of your caffeine intake. I came in at an average of 193 milligrams of caffeine per day, 57 milligrams less than the average female user of UP. But considering that I didn't know anything about the users of UP, I didn't find this information useful.
I consulted www.mayoclinic.org, which says 193 milligrams of caffeine is about half the recommended limit for healthy adults.
I took this to mean that while my need for caffeine may be constant, I don't consume an excessive amount.
The insight UP Coffee offered me, however, was: “You are a bit of a commitment-phobe, a caffeine chameleon who won't be tied down by any one drink or routine.”
UP Coffee might be more useful for someone who owns an UP wristband or someone who is trying to reduce his or her caffeine intake. Personally, I'll be reducing my use of this app. - Washington Post
UP Coffee
Free
Operating system: iOS
User ratings:
4 1/2 out of 5 stars
(13 ratings)
Review's bottom line: Easy to use but perhaps more helpful for someone who has a goal in mind, such as reducing how much coffee she drinks.