ZeoDecoderViewer Is Here!

Ben@Zeo's picture
published by Ben@Zeo on Tue, 02/22/2011 - 12:11
English

Privacy Activists, Rejoice! The ZeoDecoder Viewer is now in alpha!

When Zeo launched in 2009, you all started to tell us about what you expected.  Specifically, you raised the issue of data privacy. You wanted control over your data and the ability to play with it, all without uploading to our servers.

And the Comments Kept Rolling In

We heard a lot from you in the early months about data--who owns it, what you can (or cannot) do with it, and why exactly you didn't want our hands in it.  Some the reasons were:

  • I don't trust you guys with this personal data of mine
  • What if you get subpoenaed for my sleep data and it implicated me in a crime (sleep murder anyone?)
  • I am worried Zeo is going to slap a subscription on all of mySleep.myZeo.com and I will not be able to access my data
  • What if you get hacked and all of my data becomes public?
  • The government is snooping on all electronic transmissions and is spying on me

Granted, there are plenty of reasons to not admit that someone's words hit a nerve, but to say that we didn't care, didn't listen, and didn't address this issueafter you told us just how you felt would be false.  We care deeply about our users--and we brought along a little something to back that up.

Say it with Software

We're proud to say that there is now desktop app for viewing your data: the ZeoDecoderViewer.  This is new open source software that uses unencrypted Zeo data (see how to get that here) from the SD Card directly and gives you a basic viewer. 

If that wasn't enough for you, this software allows you to view naps and polyphasic sleep - something our website currently can't do (we're sorry about that one, too).  You can thank two of our winter interns, Brian Schiffer and Harry Bock, for this neat little guy.

 

There are some caveats to this:

  • It's still more of a slick hack than a polished product. We are putting out an alpha that is unsupported and we advise you to read the terms and conditions that apply.
  • You need to be using the open version of firmware (2.6.3O or 2.6.3R) to have your files be compatible.  If there is huge demand for translating/using encrypted files let us know - we may be able to fix that.
  • Understandably, not as much functionality is available here as on mySleep.myZeo.com.  That is still where the vast majority of our customers are, and we ask that you recognize our continued focus on improving existing web and mobile services for them as well.  The good news it that the Decoder Viewer is open source so feel free to improve upon it and share it on the forums.

This We Believe

We don't believe folks like Steve Jobs who claim "Open systems don't always win." We don't believe that it's ethical for body measuring companies to block users access to their information. 

We don't believe that Zeo shouldn't be ripped open and hacked--hell, do that and we may just give you a job.

We do believe that you own your data, can take your data with you, and get to decide what to do with it.  We believe that you should be able to hack your SD Card data and get at your raw brainwaves. We believe in the power of open source softwarethat anyone can modify to their own needs. 

And we believe in our users ability to set us straight when we go off course.

 

Forums:

Tags:

JohnnyRow (not verified)

Fri, 06/10/2011 - 11:30

Does switching the firmware to generate unencrypted data then make the SD card unusable at the myzeo site? I'm just new to Zeo and interested in looking at naps, but still wanting to use to on-line analysis for night sleep, at least until I've figured out what is available?

Micah Caldwell

Fri, 03/04/2011 - 13:55

Always nice to see companies not following the business model of Apple and closed systems. :)

Ben@Zeo's picture

Ben@Zeo

Sun, 06/12/2011 - 12:26

As long as you follow the instructions explicitly it should work just fine. I'd suggest uploading before the upgrade as well.
If the instructions aren't followed (ie. you don't wipe the card etc.) both encrypted and unencrypted data will end up on the card and mysleep will barf on it. Let us know if you have any trouble!

Peter Mansbach

Fri, 02/25/2011 - 06:27

My biggest QUESTION is: can I do both? (upload the data, AND process it on my pc) If so, do I have to do it in a particular order?

 

I'm in the middle of studying an important change in medciation, and its effect on my sleep. I'm not willing to try an alpha product, which might risk destroying this important data, unless I can first upload it to where I know it will be safe.

 

As I've posted before, I would like to change your algorithm that converts the 30 sec data to 5 min data, before plotting. So I'm hoping that I can modify this open source program to do that - but that's another step that could put my data at risk if I screw up, so another reason for wanting to upload it first. Then again, maybe I should try to do this in Excel.

 

SUGGESTION: the Zeo unit, and the online graphs, show the data in the order Awake, REM, Light, Deep. PLEASE keep this order - your image of the new program output (bar chart at bottom) has the Awake last. <img class="sfsmiley" title="Frown" onclick="sfjLoadSmiley('sf-frown.gif', 'Frown', 'http://blog.myzeo.com/wp-content/forum-smileys/', 'Frown', '1');" src="../../../wp-content/forum-smileys/sf-frown.gif" alt="Frown" />

Ben@Zeo's picture

Ben@Zeo

Fri, 02/25/2011 - 07:04

Peter,

You can do both - but you do need to carefully follow some instructions.  (2.6.3O is the same as 2.6.3R for th epurposes below)

  • The standard Zeo firmware (version 2.6.3) produces encrypted .dat
    files. The 2.6.3R firmware produces decrypted .dat files. To avoid
    mixing encrypted and unencrypted outputs on the SD card, please follow
    these steps:

    1. Upload data as usual.

    2. Download the zeo.img file corresponding to firmware 2.6.3R.

    3. Place the zeo.img file on the SD card.

    4. Update the firmware on your Zeo by following these steps:
      1. Press the settings button.
      2. Press right 8 times to show the software version.
      3. Press down to load the new firmware.

    5. Tell Zeo to erase the Zeo SD card.

    6. Use your Zeo as usual and enjoy having offline access to your sleep data and raw data access

Once you have done that your data is up on our servers and safe - and any future data is unencrypted.  The unencrypted data from there on out will happly upload and join the rest on mysleep.myzeo.com.

 

Also - don't worry about the Zeo Data Decoder Viewer messing with your data.  It reads the .dat file but doesn't actually touch it.  Same for uploading to mySleep.myZeo.com.  The only ay you can lose data is if you either manually or using Zeo erase the ZEOSLEEP.DAT file.  And as long as you follow the above - you will be fine!

 

Good luck - and thanks for the suggestion as well.

 

Best, Ben

Joshua Pritchard

Sun, 02/27/2011 - 04:10

Question: Is there a way to get the 30s data?  I'm seeing my graph in 5 minute bins.  I would like it in a csv file, if possible. 

I pulled the xml file it created, an compared that to what myzeo.com export has for detailed graph, and found out of the 706 bins [i think these are 30s] there were 41 that didn't match.  They had '6' as an option, rather than 3...where can I find the code that explains what 6 is?

Thanks!

~JP

Brian Schiffer

Mon, 02/28/2011 - 06:53

Hi Josh,

 

The score of "6" corresponds to a deeper stage of light sleep. As such, when Zeo makes a final decision (and the data is uploaded to the website) it may decide that this stage is light (3) or deep (4) sleep. Hope that clears things up.

 

Best,

Brian

GrahameE.Pratt

Sun, 04/17/2011 - 14:43

Hello Zeo folks,

I seem to have a problem which is inconsistent with the above guidelines. When I had my Zeo desk unit and SD card replaced (the previous one stopped writing to the SD card. Thanks for very prompt service !) - a few weeks ago - I immediately installed the /R firmware but now find that all my new .DAT files are not readable by ZeoDecoderViewer.jar {0.1a2Release} -- it says the files are not properly unencrypted files -- and if I run ZeoDataDecoder.jar manually, the XML output file only contains two lines ....

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"
?>
  <sleep_records />

 

All of the .DAT files from the new SD card uploaded perfectly to the web site.

Can there be something wrong with my java installation? { I have installed: "python 2.7", "Python 2.7 matplotlib-1.0.1","Python 2.7 numpy-1.51", Python 2.7 pyserial-2.5}. Would it help if I uploaded one of these .DAT files somewhere, for expert evaluatoin?

 

All suggestions most welcome.

Thanks,

--Grahame

Brian Schiffer

Tue, 04/19/2011 - 14:37

Hi Grahame,

 

Could you check that the firmware updated properly (settings,press right 8times, and it should be 2.6.3R)?

If not, try updating the firmware again.

Does the raw data library software work with it?

 

I'd also be happy to take a look at the .dat file myself. You can email it to me at: bgs44@cornell.edu.

 

-Brian

GrahameE.Pratt

Thu, 04/21/2011 - 17:12

Thanks Brian, good of you to find the time.

What I did imediately after my post was to delete the SD zeosleep.dat file (on the PC, then on the Zeo) and start afresh: I have had no problems with 3 nights-worth since, so I assume the firmware went in correctly. However, I have re-installed it anyway.

I might get back to you with the offer to review the "bad" files, I should first do some work and determine the scope of the problem, it might not be worth bothering about. I am running way behind schedule on getting integrated data redection from Zeo, Pulse/Oximtery and IR-Motion Detection, so I'm sort of in "no man's land" at the moment.

--GrahameCool

Katherine Sapede

Thu, 11/03/2011 - 15:42

Can I use this with zeo mobile?

Andi@Zeo's picture

Andi@Zeo

Tue, 11/08/2011 - 18:08

Not yet...but we're working on it!

Tom Kuhl

Fri, 04/06/2012 - 19:53

Can’t Zeo just add an “export data as a .dat file” option to the “Your Sleep” page?

I’ve used a Zeo Sleep Manager for just three nights. The first two nights I used Zeo Mobile. I decided to upgrade to Zeo Beside so I can track all my data, including naps, with the Decoder Viewer (and so that I could continue to use my White Noise App that’s incompatible with the Zeo App).

If Zeo could simply add the option to export data as a .dat file in addition to the .csv option, mobile users would also be able to use the Decoder Viewer.

That said, those who are comfortable working with a spread sheet can get the same data provided by the Zeo Decoder Viewer right now, without having to buy a Zeo Bedside. I found that I could easily save my naps by just exporting the nap data to a .csv file and saving it on my computer before Zeo deleted the data to track my next night’s sleep.

Anyone who has a Zeo Mobile can track naps without the Decoder Viewer by saving the data to a .csv file before Zeo deletes it; however, for those who want charts automatically created for them, it would be great if Zeo added an “export as .dat” feature to allow mobile users to import data into the Decoder Viewer as well.   

patrissimo

Thu, 07/26/2012 - 11:45

+1

Rich (not verified)

Thu, 02/23/2012 - 23:05

Can you please give me an "export data to disk" button on the website, so I can download MY data to my computer? Thanks!

TB (not verified)

Sun, 04/01/2012 - 00:15

I have upgraded my firmware and downloaded the viewer .jar file (and have Java installed). I can't seem to run the .jar file. When I double-click, my un-zipping program opens as if it has not yet been extracted. It has been extracted. I tried to research this and downloaded Apache Ant etc. but it seems that it should be much simpler. I've tried the command line option too. I get a bunch of error messages.

Doc.Dough

Tue, 06/05/2012 - 19:28

Or do I need a Windows VM to get access to the data?

Do I understand correctly that it is possible to export the raw data as a .csv file and read it into Excel or a database App?