What tools are missing from the quantified self world?

What tools do you feel are missing from the quantified self space? And why do you think they are missing?

If you could visualize the world of quantified self-ness five or ten years from now, what would it look like?

More kinds of data (not just step counts), and apps that tell you what to do (vs showing a bunch of numbers and charts).

I would like an App that a give my QS data and the asks me questions about it using the format of the Credence game

How likely do you rate the claim: “Last January your average weight was between 80 and 85 kg?”
Then the user can answer via a button:
Right: 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, 95%, 99%
Wrong: 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, 95%, 99%

The App should be able to sync with various QS data sources that have open API such as Fitbit.
I think such an App would be fun to use and give a lot of people something to do with their data. It let’s them learn in a playful way to accurately estimate the data they track and get a sense for the data.


As far as tools go, I think there’s demand for better devices to measure lung function.

MyBasis had the problem that it was to clunky for a lot of users. In 10 years we will have similar devices which weight less and have a higher data rate and which also gather heart rate variance.

Withe the proliferation of wearables (e.g. fitbit) and similar personal tracking we enjoy more and more of useful personal data to increase our awareness and change for good. However when it comes to something beyond our physiological processes and still related to our life footprint, that’s where start to see lack of useful information.

In particular take a car, a ‘device’ we use daily which costs us many $10Ks, consumes much energy and pretty much influences many aspects of our life (e.g. safety…) And still this complex device is giving us very basic data (look at the dash screen, your bank account - that’s all) we can do very little as QS (i.e. TO CHANGE OUR BEHAVIOR FOR GOOD).

What is more interesting, any cars since mid 1995 are producing this data which is used by the Selected Ones (Mechanics and car manufacturers). I know there are numerous of startups trying to crack this and give the public a meaningful insights into their driving behaviours - but look even at QS Forum: you see theme Health ,Sleep, Mood, Fitness, you do not see theme Quantified Car.

Two aspects should be definitely improved in QS World five years form now (actually three) - house and car (our biggest assets) quantification to help us with a better life.