Author: Enid Burns

Garmin Approaches the Golf Course with GPS

GPS has tackled just about every major sport that takes place on any area larger than a standard court of field. Cycling, running, swimming, skiing, and yes: Golf. Garmin just released the Approach S1, a wristwatch with built in GPS set up for time on the green. The new watch is sibling to touchscreen models Approach G5 and Approach G3 already out by the GPS manufacturer.

The Approach S1 comes pre-loaded with over 14,000 U.S. and Canadian golf courses. When you set it into golf mode it identifies the three closest courses and lets you select the one where you have tee time. It then gives you stats including distance and par for each hole. A GPS-enabled odometer tracks the total ground covered on foot during each round and in total.

While it doesn’t have quite as much information as the handheld units, the Approach G5 and G3, the Approach S1 is streamlined to the essential information needed on the course. Your opponents will appreciate the discreet device, and that you’re not fumbling with — or showing off — a handheld device to tell them how many strokes above average they’re swinging.

Garmin Approach S1

Verizon Starts Power Your App Contest for Developer Community

The iPhone isn’t the only mobile with apps. Verizon is giving incentive to develop for its platform by kicking off a Power Your App contest for the Verizon Developer community. The contest kicked off this week spurring development for applications in the following categories.

Continue reading Verizon Starts Power Your App Contest for Developer Community

Study: Marathon Runs Cause Temporary Heart Damage

A new study conducted by Dr. Eric Larose, a cardiologist at the University Institute of Cardiology in Quebec, finds the stress of running a marathon causes heart damage, though temporarily. A runner himself, Dr. Larose determined to study whether damage occurs during a long distance run such as a marathon, and whether that damage weighs on future heart health. Continue reading Study: Marathon Runs Cause Temporary Heart Damage

The Material Girl Starts Hard Candy Fitness

Madonna is the face behind a new global fitness club, Hard Candy. You know she goes to the gym. You want your arm muscles to look like hers. Now you can work to achieve those arms, abs and other muscle groups in these new clubs. The first one is set to open in Mexico City in the exclusive Bosques de las Lomas area at the end of November. An additional 10 locations are planned to open in Russia, Brazil, Argentina and throughout Europe and Asia.

Hard Candy Fitness plans to offer innovative training methods in private, group and dynamic formats including classes such as Zumba, Latin Moves and Cardio Kickboxing. Each gym will feature a bike studio, mind and body studio featuring “The Great Wall” where members can practice BarWorks, sculpting, Capoeira and new trends in yoga. For strength and circuit workouts there will be cardiovascular equipment with personal viewing screens and more than 60 pieces of strength training equipment at each location such as free weights, PreCor, Hoist, Free Motion, Nautilus, Hammer Strength, StarTrac, AbCoaster and TRX suspension training. Expect also to find a healthy alternative juice bar or café to replenish post-workout. We do have to wonder if there will be any Pilates classes or equipment since Madonna was one of many celebrities that caught on that trend back in the day.

The locker rooms are reported to be seen to be believed with fine materials that make the place you change and store your close a sanctuary.

It’s a shame that the new chain of clubs hasn’t named any U.S. cities for planned locations. They will no doubt feature the newest exercises and equipment. Hard Candy Fitness, however, will likely be among the more pricy of health club memberships.

Pedometer Builds in Security Alarm

Pedometers are now much more accurate than yesterday, and now they pack in extra features. The egg-shaped ila Sport is a pedometer, milometer, and a personal safety alarm. The form factor fits in most hands comfortably, even at a decent run. It also has a belt clip for hands-free tracking of your walk or run. The ila Sport tracks steps, mileage and calories burned. The alarm is triggered with the push of a button.

A personal alarm is useful for running in semi-populated areas and in the dark. It’s only useful if someone is within earshot that is likely to call for help or venture toward the alarm to check on you. Of course many people often don’t react to an alarm if they don’t know what the alarm is. It is also surprising that the alarm trigger is a button, which may be easily pressed. Ila Security says the button is not one that will be depressed casually, even in the heat of a vigorous workout.

You can use the backlit display to check your progress in the dark. The handheld also stores information from past workouts so you can compare with last week’s run. It sells for about $35.

ila Sport

Get a Resistance Workout Under the Belt, Pants

Shape. Tone. Burn. That’s the concept behind ShaTuBu, a women’s foundation garment that not only provides shaping, but resistance bands sewn into the knee-length tights gives you a workout with each step.

Developed by chiropractor Dr. Denise Perron, ShaToBu makes claims to burn up to 12 percent more calories during daily activities. The garment shapes and adds support to create a slimmer silhouette. The resistance in the tights work on the thighs and rear when you start moving. The resistance bands are stitched into strategic points that are built into panels on the tights. The bands criss-cross the upper thighs and waist area. As you walk, the resistance bands provide a little drag, forcing you to work harder with each step. These are the second version of ShaToBu, and are available for about $34 at barenecessities.com, blissworld.com, dullards.com, macys.com or shatobu.com.

ShaToBu

BodyMedia to Add App

There has been no shortage of devices, gizmos and gadgets to help you lose weight. A lot of these devices, gizmos and gadgets require you to wear something, where the data can be synced to a computer. That’s good, because it lets you see detailed results of your activity and of course helps you set goals, but it’s bad because it requires people to be very proactive. Stop syncing the device one day, and you might not bother wearing it the next. There has to be an easier way to see the results. Continue reading BodyMedia to Add App

Microwaves Change Lights for Cyclists

Any cyclist will tell you that stopping at a red light is a drag. And when that light stays red because it needs the weight of a car to turn it green, it really puts a damper on your cardio workout. Most often lights that need to be triggered by cars are controlled by an inductive loop, a sensor embedded in the pavement that flips a switch on a computer to turn the light green. Cameras are increasing in number, but are subject to environmental conditions such as ran, twilight and wind.

Cycellicious reports that the city of Pleasonton, California is experimenting with the use of microwaves to trigger traffic lights to change. This method is more reliable than cameras, can distinguish vehicle types and give cyclists more time to get through the intersection than cars, and works with lightweight travelers such as cyclists. You may still have to wait at a few traffic lights, but the time will be reduced. About enough time to practice your track standing skills.

[Via Cyclelicious: Microwaves, bikes, and traffic lights]

Say You Wanna a (Bike) Revolution: Kryptonite and Bike Revolution Gear for Bike Registry ID

Last month during Interbike, we posted about the partnership between Kryptonite and Bike Revolution that provides a 2D barcode to register and identify bikes. The service, expected to be available soon, keeps getting better, especially for anyone who worries about their bicycle. Bikerevolution.com has now redesigned its site with more facts and included new pages of information on this helpful service. There are now detailed pictures and written steps that take you from going to the store to get your 2D bar code to registration and playing bike detective with your cell phone out on the street. There will always be bicycle thieves out there, but this is one way to help you get back your ride after the worst has happened.

Bike Revolution

Withings Goes from TMI to Weight Game

The scale that tweets your weight and BMI now has a game on Facebook. “GuessMyWeight” is a Facebook app created by Withings. When you do your weigh-in, your friends can guess your weight on Facebook. Really? What are the two things you don’t ask a woman? Age and weight. And now my friends can laugh when I gain a pound?

It’s helpful that Withings can send your latest stats to pages such as Google Health, RunKeeper and DailyBurn so you can chart progress. But tread lightly when a friend on Facebook challenges you to guess his weight. Withings co-founder Cedric Hutchings said the idea of GuessMyWeight “started as a joke amongst our team.” He says it’s a “playful and an entirely new way to take the drama out of your weight.” Though we think it has potential to add some drama.

Withings

Running Gets a Boost with Karhu Fulcrum_Ride

Stability is an important feature in shoes for those of us runners who overpronate. That’s when your feet tend to roll inward when you walk or run. The fulcrum_ride from Finland-based Karhu addresses pronation in a new way.

An asymmetrical footbed allows for appropriate pronation during the gate cycle. The center of pressure moves along the natural path from heel to toe. Traditionally, running shoes tend to jar the foot’s natural path, creating braking forces and pressure shifts back and forth. The path of energy tends to move from the heel to the arch, then to the outside of the foot due to pronation.

Continue reading Running Gets a Boost with Karhu Fulcrum_Ride

Glasses Find Golf Balls Under Black Light-Like Filter

Hammacher Schlemmer is known for its nifty sports equipment such as the Seven Person Tricycle that’s always a blast; Mountain Scooter that can glide over some rugged and steep terrain; and Articulating Inline Casterboard that has kids squiggling around the block. One of its newer products is the Golf Ball Locating Glasses.

These glasses look like a pair of Oakleys with an alternate style that looks like you just walked out of the optometrist’s office (that fit over most prescription glasses) and cost about $40. The lenses contain a pigment that helps filter out light as it passes through. The affect is almost as through you’re looking at the world with a black light. All colors are overtaken by a predominately blue tone except for those balls and anything else in white that gets in your line of sight.

Continue reading Glasses Find Golf Balls Under Black Light-Like Filter

Building a Better Bike Helmet, From Cardboard

One of the helmets shown at the London Cycle Show is constructed from corrugated cardboard. A grid framework of cardboard is pieced together, then covered with a shell. This is the concept design of recent graduate Anirundha Surabhi who earned an industrial design degree from London’s Royal College of Art.

Dubbed Kranium, the cardboard helmet weighs less than its polystyrene contemporaries, and is able to withstand more than one impact. The cardboard ribs flex and de-flex, then the remaining amount of energy is absorbed by the crumpling nature of the corrugated cardboard ribs. The Kranium helmet was tested against the British Standards at the Imperial College, and was found to absorb 4 times the amount of impact energy when compared to regular cycling helmets.

A shell for protection covers the corrugated ribs of the helmet. The cardboard is treated with  an acrylic waterproofing agent, which protects against rain or inevitable sweat. Even with the acrylic treatment, the helmet is recyclable.

Initially, the helmet will have to be custom fit with head measurement instruments Kranium plans to distribute to stores. Helmets are expected to cost roughly £80 with replacement helmets made from original measurements to be a little less. Designer Surabhi hopes to make a cheaper, mass-produced version in fixed sizes that will be available in vending machines. If a cheaper, more widely available version becomes available this will be a boon for bike rentals, municipal bike share plans, and cyclists in third world countries.

Surabhi was awarded a grant from the James Dyson Fellowship for his design, and is currently in talks for angel funding.

Via [BikeBiz]