Why can't the device calculate active minutes/calories on the elliptical or bike?

[Mary]

It's basically a pedometer.  It has no way of knowing you're on a vehicle or under resistance (unless you go in and manually log/overwrite the 'recorded' activity).  It's not hooked into your heart rate or anything.  Have you ever played Wii?  It's basically a Wii remote.  It translates the device's movement into walking or running 'calories' & steps.  

[JoeKN]

how accurate are tthe step recordings - i work in the office and it counts steps when i type on my computer

when i drive in my car it counts steps

i have learned to just take it off while in my car driving or at my computer at work because it will log me 1000-1500 steps if i leave it on throughout the workday...

what is typical with users that work in the office do you think they just leave the device on?

[Mary]

You must have a wrist worn one.  I use the torso clip-on ones but the wrist ones are designed to be worn 24/7.  I'm not sure how much your incidental 'steps' matter to your calorie burn and I imagine it's the trend that matters most anyway (not the absolute number).  So if your days have about the same amount of typing and driving and whatever else logs steps, you're still comparing apples to apples.  The calorie estimates are just based on averages and everyone has to decide how accurate theirs is for them.  I would hate trying to take it off for all non-step activities.  

[Renami]

You must be a heavy handed typist.  I type all the time for work and it has never onced logged my typing as a step, but then again I rest my wrists against a pad when I type, thus leaving my fitbit flex fairly stationary.  The only time it logs steps in the office is when I slam huge stacks of paper on my desk to make neat piles.  

I always leave mine on, except when I am showering and I don't drive often enough to determine whether or not it is better to leave it off during a commute because I am able to walk to work.