fertile myspell: MOTOACTV review

Oh, hello, Moto.

When Motorola announced the MOTOACTV, I really didn't know that to think. An Android-based fitness tracker? Aren't there much cheaper apps for that sort of thing? Then the specs came out and it sounded kind of cool. Still, a phone can do everything the MOTOACTV can.

So what makes the MOTOACTV special? Is it as useful as Motorola purports it to be, or is it another passing fad in the Android world, destined to be dead on arrival, another product to waste away at the bottom of the bargain bin?

I've got an idea, so saddle up, partner, cause you're about to find out.

It's small, light, and built like a tank. There's no doubts Motorola built the MOTOACTV to be just that, and it'll hang with you no matter the terrain, every step of the way. The web portal is well thought out, too, and really adds something to the experience.	In typical Motorola fashion, the MOTOACTV really wants to play nice with Motorola equipment, nothing else. The pedometer adds steps when you swing your arm (even if you're not walking), and the numbers it gives you are inconsistent with apps that track the same activity. Setup is clunky.

Motorola went out on a limb with the MOTOACTV, so it deserves credit for that. The so-so battery life, fairly locked-down environment, and questionable results all make me wonder if the MOTOACTV is as good as Moto hoped it would be.