My eating habits have definitely improved with age, but there's one thing that's never changed: I eat too fast. There have been times that I've ordered takeout, started watching TV, and finished eating before even reaching a commercial. Sure, you could say that I'm simply efficient, but the problem is, eating quickly isn't really good for you. It can result in all sorts of issues like digestive problems, gastric reflux, and (gasp!) weight gain.

Unfortunately, I lack the self-discipline (or maybe just the self-awareness) to actually slow myself down between bites. Luckily, incredibly, there is now a connected device for precisely this purpose. The $99 Hapifork from Hapilabs is a digital utensil that vibrates when you're eating too quickly. It has some other features as well, but that's the main selling point. And though the Hapifork doesn't work quite as well as I'd like it to, it really did help me eat slower, and that alone is worth something.

Design and Setup

Physically, the Hapifork looks like, well, a fork. It's a bit larger than your standard fork, though, at 7.87 by 0.96 by 0.61 inches (HWD) and 2.29 ounces. It took some getting used to eating with, but after just a few meals felt reasonably comfortable. The fork has a silver body, with plastic caps at the top and bottom that come in black, blue, green, pink, or white. I tested the white version, which is definitely the most neutral color option, though it still didn't fit in with any of the other silverware in my kitchen. That's fine, though, since this is the sort of utensil that's meant to travel with you, rather than sit on display in your china cabinet. Hapilabs provides a carrying case, but whether you remember to pack it (or feel comfortable pulling it out in a restaurant) is another story entirely.

Look a little closer and you'll see that the Hapifork is actually a two-part design. An inner layer slips into the fork shell, and houses most of the electronic components, like a lithium polymer battery, vibration motor, two LEDs, and an ARM Cortex-M0 processor. The tines of the fork, meanwhile, use capacitive detection to sense your bites. The outer shell (the part that actually looks like a fork) is dishwasher safe. Once the two pieces are snapped together, though, it's hand wash only.

There's one lone button at the back of the fork. A two-second press will turn it on, with a single vibration and a blinking LED letting you know it's time to eat (the color of the LED indicates battery level). Another press will turn it off, which you'll know from two quick vibrations and the LED going dark. If you forget to turn the Hapifork off, it will automatically shut down after 15 minutes of inactivity. A micro USB power charging port on the bottom of the fork is kept secure with an attached rubber stopper. Hapilabs estimates up to two weeks of battery life, and the fork can store up to two weeks of data depending on the number of fork servings recorded per meal.

Getting started with the Hapifork is relatively simple, if a bit cumbersome. Though the fork can connect with your Bluetooth 4.0 iOS and Android devices, your initial setup requires a PC or Mac. You must connect the Hapifork using the include micro USB cable, go to the Hapilabs website to download the proper connection software, install the software, then connect your fork and create an account with Hapilabs. I don't see much point to the connection software in the first place, since all it does is sync your data and send you to a Web-based dashboard.