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You're right @HughB and @myownself : the auto-start feature is fancy but not useful. I prefer to rely on myself to be sure it started anyway.

I think there is an argument for the run app just to auto increment to the next log number and not even bother with the Yes/No/New dialogue. Its only later that you will want to do house keeping on the recordings.

Agree. Still, the option to pause and resume the recording should be included. You may or may not want to record the time when you stopped your run to have a drink relace your shoes and then restart.
Arythmia, breathing rate, blood pressure and even spo2 are fitness/health tracking option rather than sport tracking options to me.

Would be good to have a setting for minimum size of recording. EG. If you abort the run after 5 mins - just throw the recording away. Anything over 5 mins would count as a solid recording.

That makes sense especially if someone codes something like "automatic activity recognition" where the run app and recorder would be triggered by specific motion recognition (Is this related to Machine Learning or TensorFlow ? You guys may know)

I'll test it more later.

Actual distance travelled?

Ah yes, of course !

Heart rate zones (graph showing how long HR was in each of 3 zones)

3 zones ? Not 5 ? I do agree that zone 1 is not used at all for sport. Also, I can't but some people do run in zone 2, people cycling may also use this zone (?). Globally I think these 2 first zones will be empty for most of he users, but if the first zone displayed is the zone 3, it might be confusing.

saving the stats that are displayed in the Run app. They could also just be calculated from recorded data though...

The more precise the better I suppose. I'm ready to wait 15 seconds (for the calculations and processing) at the end of my run to get more precise informations displayed and saved. But if you need to call data from another app inside "run app" it may defeat the simple design approach ?

Following the excellent run app, a small discussion on which data are to be displayed after the run/ride has to be opened.
The actual recorder app, when asked to display a track shows:

• the date and time (very useful)
  
• the duration (obvious)
  
• records (is the number of recorded gps fixes ? I don't see the point).
  
• plot map (why not)
  
• plot openstreetmap (good I think)
  
• plot altitude (Maybe add positive and negative meters in the bottom ? For cyclists and mountain runners ?)
  
• plot speed (expressed in meters per second, which is different from all previously used metrics)
  If I understood correctly @Gordon may add a text file with all these data visible in one place.
  Are there more items you all would like to see here ? Personnally:
  
• Average and max HR
  
• average and max speed/pace (depending on locale).
  

Test run.

• I went for a run and while on a perfectly flat and straight ground with a very constant speed, I noticed drops in my speed in the run app, from 10 to 7,5kms. I didn't have my eyes on the watch all the time, so it's difficult to say if it happened a lot, I'll be more attentive on my next runs. (recorder app was set on 3s, but I suppose it's not related).
  
• Above 10kms/h, decimals disappear in the run app. Speed being less precise than pace, these decimals are appreciated.
  
  

Automatically invoking the recorder would be the general use case I would expect. And a setting not to record if you dont want to.

On my Garmin it records automatically and when paused, offers to record the data, ignore, or resume the run. But automatically recording, with the possibility not to do so in the settings, and then being able to manage/delete the files seems like a good way to deal with it too.

Hi @Gordon

The Vcare VC31 heart rate sensor is upgraded to a VC31B which seems to be a definite improvement.

Can you elaborate on that ? For those like me who consider a second bjs2. A comparative graph or a short side by side video comparison ?

Hi @myxor thanks for the explanation.
I'm using the dark theme, which looks a bit sad without colors. That's personnal and I think it's nice to be able to change that in the settings. Thanks again for the app.

Hi Myxor,
In the latest version, the icons have lost their colors, was it intended ?
Also, the settings section allows for limiting max and min HR, but it doesn't limit it on my watch. I still go below 50 and over 190.

Each time I think we're almost there, I realize there's actually more to it...
The more, the merrier ? Then speed also needs average speed so far (sorry, I didn't think about it earlier. There are other things like estimated time before end of race, but I think it's more for a limited set of bangle.js users, maybe rather for a dedicated app, or an upgraded version of your app as discussed previously with @myownself.

do we save the 'simple' data (duration, average speed/BPM) from each run somewhere automatically?
It sounds like an economic approach. Maybe a bit of extra data wouldn't weight too much and would please a larger population of users: like date, max speed, max hr, how many meters of positive declivity (?)(for cyclists, or mountain runners ?). Something else ? My watch mentions moving time and static time. To me it's useless, but if some people ask for it.
Does this data need a specific format that could be used by potential future apps, like a run coach app (for instance) ? It's trendy in high end watches even though I would probably not use it.

I guess we just have a setting in the Run app for Record run and when that's true it just records the data for every run?
Sounds good to me. Isn't the recorder app systematically recording on the same track file number ?

For the data and graphs in the recorder app, I suppose we'll open a different thread for it. Again different people with different needs.

@HughB Gordon refers to this app loader. Though it's v0.05 in both dev app loader and regular app loader.
Unfortunately it's a bad week where the chances for a run (and therefore a test) are extremely low for me. I do agree with HughB, the configurable layout is great. So we now have all the "live" infos. The thing I'm looking for now, is where do I find (on the watch) average pace and average HR when my run is over.
The usecase is:
1) I run and I have the live data I need (done !).
2) When I just finished my run, I can stop the recording and check (on the watch) how I performed (and the average HR and speed are important data in training).
3) Then, if feeling geeky, once at home I can export the data into various mobile or computer apps (done).
For the 2) should we try to get this data displayed through the recorder app, or from the run app ? If from the run app, it could be a final screen with all the boxes (or extra boxes ?)

I reviewed the last version of this app in the wrong thread.
I forgot to mention that I like the app too. Maybe a version with a bit of extra designing wouldn't hurt. I'm thinking about something like what @myxor did with the circles app. If he's in the mood of putting a bit of visual joy in a variant of this app...

@Gordon I've tested the run app. I downloaded agps, went outside, started the recorder and the run app. It took less than 15 seconds to get the gps fix.

• The "distance" item didn't work. It showed 0 meters all the way long (the recorder app found distance though).
  
• "pace now" is expressed in kms/minutes, is it possible to have a speed item (expressed in kms/h) ?
  
• the bar in the number 0 reduces readability, another font for numbers ?
  -As I know I need only 4 boxes, I'll try to find out how to modify the app just for me and increase the font size of the numbers displayed. There's enough space in my setup to accomodate a much larger font size.
  In an ideal world, 2 boxes, 4 boxes or 6 boxes, by triggering a different layout would also trigger a different font size, but that opposes the simple code approach.
  Also Gordon, thanks for the answers you gave me along different threads, I appreciate very much, I just don't have anything to add to your answers.
  

Hey @myownself don't give up on your app ! Gordon's job has been a great step forward, but I think it also paves the way for you to develop. Besides the libraries, you may actually also reuse his layout for the part you're coding, no ? We're a few ones waiting for this to happen. I don't want to be pushy, on the opposite, I want to encourage you !
At the beginning of this thread I was thinking this run++ app should show some data about the run at the end of it (when the " stop" button is hit), maybe it's the recorder app that should handle that, what do you think ? I'm mostly thinking about average HR, average speed, distance and elapsed time (potentially more stuff, like max HR/speed, calories burnt, if some other people are into it, but it's more of fitness tracking datas than sports datas, even though there's a bit of overlap here). I don't know who made the recorder app, maybe it's again Gordon...

It's a few months that I'm following regularly what's going on with bangle.js and I never realised there was a dev app loader !
Yeeeeaah ! We can configure the number of boxes and they are well dispatched when they're fewer! Gordon, that's a huge step forward for runners (a stride ?!).
I already have some comments in mind about the app, I'll keep them for me for now, and come up with a list after I tried the app a bit more.

• I won't open a topic for that, but as dedicated bthrms are much more precise, maybe the precision % cursor could be dragged higher (if it's a different indicator for wrist and for bthrm, of course, which would be strange anyway). For me the bthrm is all the way up to 100% all the time. Just an idea, maybe stupid.
  

Same here. I just copied the code in the web ide and tried to send it to the watch. I ran a few errors:
-Module exstats not found (ah, yes...)
-Error parsing JavaScript, but uploading anyway.
SyntaxError: Unexpected character '@' (87:0)
-You have more open brackets than close brackets. Please see the hints in the Editor window.

@Gordon and @HughB the approach of having one app light and efficient and easy to learn from seems great (+it looks advanced enough for me to stop using the Garmin, I just need the recorder app to behave better).
On the other hand, how is it a bad thing to have a kind of fork of that app that would be heavier because it would accomodate more specific users ? I understand if Gordon has to do all the maintenance that's really extra annoying work, but, you don't have to Gordon, or do you ?

From what I've seen I like it very much.
And we can choose the number of boxes \o/ !!
I have to try it to tell if something is working in an unexpected way.
Then, there might be stuff to check with the recorder app.

As @myownself said, let's restart here. I do agree with last @HughB 's suggestions in the run app review thread. I think we need to reduce the number of infos on the 1st screen, 6 infos, it's a bit too much. My old garmin allows for 3 (whereas it could accomodate more). 4 would allow for a good use of the square screen.
Also RUN ++ is a good idea as a name: it makes the aim of the app clear and still underlines its lineage. But as coders, this is your privilege to name it :).
Will happily test any v0.0.0001a alpha.

@Gordon I've upgraded to 2v11.44 I do trust you about the process being much better but I don't think the HRM results are close to kind of ok yet. I feel bad about showering your optimism. I'm sitting still and whatever the position of the wrist band on my wrist or front arm the hrm is between 80 and 105 when it should be between 56 and 59. Or is it just my device ?
@HughB , @myownself and @everyoneinsterested, do we open a different thread to discuss this other app ? I think Gordon's app is a nice base whose main screen could be modified, there could be an extra screen accessed through swipe up/down to access to what myownself described (completion state of specific running activities).
@HughB I'm far from the technical aspects you described. I don't know how Gordon's app gives the pace as kms/min regularly (it looked very plausible during my last run), but this can be used to give the pace as kms/h, no ?

Re-reviewing the run app and more various feedbacks on running with Bjs2.

GPS: I downloaded agps and went out for a gps fix. It got it within 15 seconds, while doing warm up (moving the arms), awesome ! I started the recorder app, but it was out of gps for a few minutes of the run. Therefore the results are biased. I ran 8.295kms with the Garmin watch and 8.127kms with the bjs2. I'll try again.
BT HRM: I used a bthrm (polar), the bjs2 and the garmin watch (no wrist hrm). There's a concurrent use of the Polar ! The bjs2 clearly took over and had access to the bthrm during the whole run, whereas my garmin struggled to connect to it once in a few minutes (whereas it usually connects without any issue).
The recorder app Recorded my track. I couldn't download the track from the app loader before deleting the previous other runs (see attached screenshot).
In the settings I asked it to track my HR through BTHRM. So after running we can tap on "view track" to get the infos. We can check quite a few infos, but not the technical ones (pace, distance, hrm). We can check the speed, but it is expressed in meters per second rather than in kms/h or miles/h. Afterwards, it is possible to export all the data in different formats that can be exploited in different apps, all good.
The run app finally. I think the number 0 shouldn't have this little bar in the middle as it reduces its readability. I'm never sure wether it's 0 or 8. I have good eyes, but while running that's another business.
I already expressed my views about what's important and what should be tweakable in the app, maybe another running app is a better option. I won't get the spare time to learn how-to and then code it, but getting rid of cadence and steps and take this space to increase the size of everything else is a great step forward. If we then have the possibility to switch between kms/h andminutes/km, this would be enough for me to put the Garmin back in a drawer. The HR zones during the race/ avg speed so far and so on, it's been discussed. And also a summarize at the end of the run that can be checked. Well, if someone feels like coding this app, I have time for testing and desire to do so.

Hi, I'll go and run to try it... as soon as I'll feel better. Sick for now.
About the customs and locale, that's a different topic, but some apps may require different personnal data (like min and max HR, weight, age, and so on) to be more accurate in producing more detailed analysis (calories burnt on a run, quality of the sleep, and so on). I know, some of these things are not implemented yet but...
All that leads me to think that there could be an app to setup all the watch settings to the user (time zone, name for a greeting message, and the extra infos that are deemed necessary for other calculations). Maybe an app that works once on first boot, just after the Welcome app. Clearly secondary, but to be considered at some point of polishing the details, no ?

I've used the run and recorder apps simultaneously and went for a run. The run app lost me at 1/3 of the run and found me back arrived at 2/3. It lost the gps signal for a while (I've seen the GPS sign with a red background in the run app. Interestingly, the recorder app has a very different idea about what happened (see file attached Bangle.js Track 3.gpx) and didn't loose my track in 1 long go. Basically, it took the coordinates of the crossing point of the equateur and the prime meridian 0.00000000 -0.00000000 and made me travel back and forth to this point a few times along my run. 1 hour run and almost 137000 kms ! I also have the same track recorded with a Garmin Watch (attached, if needed), it's more spot on, but far from perfect too. This raises multiple questions in my head about different potential issues.

About kms and miles, I think the language or the country might not be the best approach. For instance, I'm a froggie, so French language may trigger kms, but I use English language on the watch and therefore call for miles, but I live down under and the metric system is the reference since 1980. I'm in favor of letting the user choose, rather than assuming. Or, assume, ok, but let open the possibility to change it anyway.

@HughB I definitively prefer 1:36 rather than 1'36". And my preference goes to 2:17:35 for 2 hours 17 minutes 35 seconds, rather than just minutes.
About pace vs speed and miles vs kilometers, as demonstrated with this limited set of runners (2 !) : it has to be tweakable !
@HughB What do you think about my comments on steps and cadence ? Are they useful as live data for you ?
Speaking about the HRM, I've read some github discussions about the stepometer of the bangle.js2 and files contributions of long non-moving events were useful. If useful, I could record in parallel 2 files, one with the wrist HRM and 1 with the arm HRM, during different activities like running or cycling if that can provide some helpful data to anyone. Would that be of any help @Gordon ?

Actually I've just checked the data in the recorder app and found a .gpx of 5.5kms. Which is much closer to reality. Also, I forgot that I ran along a slightly longer way than usually, maybe 5.2kms I have to retry all that to get more precise measurements. The gps is a bit out of track, but not too much actually.
The question here is why is there such a difference between the recorder app and the run app.
I'll try that again for sure. I'll take an extra gps watch for reference.

Thanks for the hint @pelrun. I actually downloaded AGPS yesterday. 1 minute is not too bad to get a fix. But the distance difference is annoying.