Introduction

I am prone to becoming captivated with devices that are ahead of their time. The Apple Newton (although I arrived well after the start of that party), Nokia’s 770, and MetaWatch’s first smartwatch are some notable examples. They all pioneered a product space and struggled to achieve meaningful success.

MetaWatch caught my eye as a new entry into wearable tech that brought the smartwatch concept to reality with a fashionable, capable device. The hacking opportunities their open source device firmware offered made the device yet more interesting, especially as I am prone to using mobile device platforms that do not receive a lot of official support.

I’d like to discuss some of my experiences with MetaWatch and their devices, and the various missteps and issues that’ve ultimately led to my losing most of the interest I first had in their product line.

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Introduction

I went Paleo in 2012 and hardcore Autoimmune Paleo (AIP) at the beginning of 2014. After chronic exposure to toxic mold, I find myself intolerant to a huge number of foods and very susceptible to cross-contamination. My compromised gut is complicit in my Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, IBS, and a wide range of food sensitivities that make it difficult for me to eat without access to quality ingredients (grass-fed beef, etc.) and my own cooking equipment. These issues only get worse with the stress and lack of sleep that go hand-in-hand with travel.

At the beginning of 2015, my family started planning a vacation to Disney World in Orlando, FL. My sister, my mother, and I all share Hashimoto's, compromised guts, and wide-ranging food sensitivities, so planning a trip like this takes a lot of time and care to ensure we can all feed ourselves. I am, by far, the worst of us. Usually eating out involves me watching everyone else eat while drinking water. Planning a 7-day vacation to a place not known for its culinary sophistication was going to be difficult.

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