Category: Computing

CES 2012: Withings Puts Health in the Cloud

Next time you step on the scale, run a few miles or even wake up in the morning you can send your data to the cloud. That is if you have Withings Cloud platform and applicable workout devices. Withings, famous for the Wi-Fi scale that tweets your weigh-ins, is consolidating all your health and fitness data onto a cloud site.

Among Withings devices, you can set up your scale and Withings blood pressure monitor to upload to the cloud. A volume of additional data from other sources then joins these data. These can be fitness tracking apps, sites where you log your fitness and data from other devices such as a compatible heart rate monitor or cycling computer. A few that have joined in the cloud are Zero Sleep Manager and Runkeeper.

Withings is offering a free API for apps and fitness devices to get set up on the cloud. The platform the operates as a single source for all those devices. Data can be sent to the cloud, but also from the cloud to inform your iPhone or other device with updates.

Withings Company Website

CES 2012: Garmin Approaches Golf Courses with G6 GPS

Golf is quickly becoming more competitive. It was always more than a friendly walk along 18 holes, but technology is giving some players an edge that just can’t be beat. Garmin is arming golfers with a GPS device that will offer strategic knowledge of over 25,000 courses worldwide.

Continue reading CES 2012: Garmin Approaches Golf Courses with G6 GPS

CES 2012: Kinomap Your Ride

When we ride our bikes on the road we ride where we want to go, and while most riders appreciate some directions and even a tip or two as to where to ride, chances are everyone has that special ride. So why not share it? If your friends can come to ride with you, with Kinomap, which was shown at this week’s Consumer Electronics Show, you can record a course, upload it and then share it.

Unlike other virtual riding programs, which are built upon courses the companies decide to give you, this one is about community.

“Currently Kinomap is available for download and playback on the iPad and iPhone,” Laurent Desmons, CEO and founder of Kinomap told KineticShift.com. “The iOS devices can sync with existing monitors when the bike is on the trainer. When those devices arrive for the Android, we’ll have a version for that platform as well.”

Kinomap Official Website

Blackbox Case Gives Your Mac a Bamboo Shield

Let’s face it – Apple notebooks aren’t cheap, so when it comes to protection, you want more than just a plastic sleeve with a funky design. Enter the Blackbox Bamboo Case for the MacBook Pro and iPad. These cases will have your MacBook running with the very best rugged laptops.

Handcrafted from solid bamboo, the cases were made to protect your Apple kit at all costs giving it hardshell protection from falls, scratches, and dents. Each case is also treated with a water-resistant finish to guard your laptop from rain or the accidental splash of coffee. Design-wise, the cases fit snugly around your MacBook/iPad and each case features a laser-cut leather strap and wool-felt liner. The cases do add a little bulk to your device, and a small portion of your device remains exposed (the portion surrounding the leather carry strap), but with prices starting at $99, it’s a small grievance for what could be a life-saving shield for your MacBook or iPad.

Blackbox Case Official Website
[via Gigaom: Blackbox bamboo MacBook Air case is beautiful and takes a beating]

IBM 5 in 5 Says “People Power Will Come to Life”

httpv://youtu.be/KBAGAgFVjO4

Many people probably dismiss IBM as a company whose time has come and gone. While it was once the dominant player in PCs – and frankly were it not for IBM most of us wouldn’t be reading this statement right now. So while IBM gave way to Microsoft and Apple- not to mention Dell, HP and a dozen other companies – in the personal computer space, Big Blue continues to “Think.”

They “Think” about a lot of things, and recently the company noted in its 5 in 5 what the future could mean for fitness. IBM tracks five new trends that could be big in five years, and in The Next 5 in 5 is “Energy: People power will come to life.” Continue reading IBM 5 in 5 Says “People Power Will Come to Life”

U.S. Government Health Agencies Call Upon App Developers to Create Health-Centric Apps

There’s no shortage of fitness- and health-related apps for smart phones like the iPhone and those based on Android, but we could soon see apps that are approved by the U.S. federal government.

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology is launching the Healthy Apps Challenge, a project the ONC is teaming up with the Surgeon General to encourage software developers to create new apps that promote fitness and fitness. The project is one way the ONC is trying to help Americans lead healthier lifestyles and combat major issues such as obesity, by helping them become more aware of their health-related choices.  Continue reading U.S. Government Health Agencies Call Upon App Developers to Create Health-Centric Apps

Convertible Durabook Ready to Go

GammaTech has rolled out its latest fully rugged convertible computer, the Durabook R13C, which is an upgraded version of the R13S. This new version passes Military Standard 810G certification for drop, shock and spill protection, plus explosive atmosphere, salt, fog and freeze/thaw standards, so if you’re able to find a way to break it – you probably shouldn’t be there! While it is designed for law enforcement, military and mobile workers, the convertible laptop to tablet PC is also ideal for anyone who takes part in truly globetrotting adventures.

Other rugged features of the R13C include an IP65 rating for dust and water protection of the enclosed portions, water-resistant backlit keyboard and a truly sturdy magnesium alloy case. And while the average user may never need it, this one offers security features worthy of an action movie with fingerprint scanner, Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 1.2 and Kensington lock. Continue reading Convertible Durabook Ready to Go

Virtual Active and BitGym Offer New App

Whether you trek the globe on business, or just hit the gym the truth is that there are times when you’d likely reather be somewhere else, and now the Virtual Active: BitGym Edition fitness app for iOS can take you there. Available now the app takes a user’s workout intensity into account and responds accordingly, providing a first person perspective of locals ranging from the Swiss Alps to Venice to the Grand Canyon. The app is free to try, and costs $7.99 to buy.

The twist here is that it is available for mobile devices, so rather than being immersed in a large HDTV experience, users can take it to the gym and use on an exercise bike. Thus for those who travel the world, but not for biking adventures, can still feel like they’re riding in the Alps. Video after the jump

Daily Burning It Up

Feeling the burn requires actually working out, and sometimes there just isn’t enough hours in the day to squeeze in everything. But DailyBurn has unveiled its new personalized fitness platform that just might deliver daily custom-designed videos anywhere you go.

The DailyBurn IntelliBurn technology provides streaming HD-quality custom workouts, personal result metrics, and nutrition and healthy living tools directly to a smartphone, computer, tablet or even TV each and every day. The videos bring together a best in-class team of experts from every segment of the fitness industry — including the fitness program design expertise of industry leader Lisa Wheeler; the fitness production expertise of Mason Bendewald, who has produced over 200 workout videos including fitness series P90X with Tony Horton; and a team of elite trainers — DailyBurn has created a personalized workout and nutrition program designed to increase metabolism and deliver better, faster results. Continue reading Daily Burning It Up

Netpulse Nets Virtual Active

This week Netpulse, Inc, a provider of personalized interactive media for fitness centers and active lifestyle consumers, announced that it has acquired San Francisco-based Virtual Active. As a part of the acquisition, the entire Virtual Active team will be joining Netpulse, also based in San Francisco, to develop engaging exercise media experiences for active people.

This will see Netpulse expand its platform, which provides consumers worldwide with engaging content and data regarding their fitness experience, outside health clubs via mobile devices and home fitness products. Additionally, Netpulse has partnerships with seven of the leading commercial fitness equipment manufacturers, accounting for over 73 percent of global fitness equipment sales to health clubs. Continue reading Netpulse Nets Virtual Active

Apple Wants to See More Bluetooth Low Energy Accessories, Report Finds

The Verge reports “Apple wants to see a new wave of app-based accessories using the new Bluetooth Low Energy profile in Bluetooth 4.0, with a particular focus on next-generation health and fitness gadgets like the FitBit Ultra and Jawbone Up.”

BLE is a feature in Bluetooth 4.0—the latest version of the wireless radio-based technology that connects two devices over a short distance, such as between cell phones and headsets—designed for low-power and -latency applications. It allows devices that utilize the protocol to realize long, continuous operation before a recharge.

Along with the ANT+ protocol, the medical community and health care-related industries have taken an interest in BLE and designing products around (more about BLE in health care explained here). But, if Apple, a major, influential player in the electronics industry, is throwing its support behind it, BLE could become standard across the board.

There are no further details or timeline, according to The Verge, but the site notes that while the iPhone 4S already supports Bluetooth 4.0, it could be some time before an abundance of products show up on shelves.

[Via The Verge: Apple preps iOS accessory makers for Bluetooth 4.0; not using Bluetooth for AirPlay]

Lenovo’s ThinkPads Head to the Great Outdoors

Lenovo’s ThinkPad line of laptops has rightfully earned it’s spot amongst the gadget elite. Not one to rest on its laurels, the company is now treading on new waters and taking its ThinkPad line to the great outdoors. The new ThinkPad X130e has been designed for the active lifestyle, joining the myriad of rugged gadgets we’ve seen here at Kinetic Shift. Powering the laptop will be your choice of a Sandy Bridge Intel Core i3 ULV processor, AMD Fusion E-300 APU, or AMD Fusion E-450 APU.

And that’s where all similarities with the rest of the ThinkPad line end, because this 11.6″ machine will feature a top cover rubber bumper to absorb any impacts made to the laptop. Rugged corners will also shield the notebook should it fall from an angle, while recessed ports should keep normal wear and tear at a minimum. Protecting the 11.6″ LED panel will be a 1.2 mm-thick bezel. Battery-wise, you can expect to get up to 8.5 hours of use before needing a recharge and the entire system will weigh a respectable 3.9 lbs. You won’t be getting a lot of RAM (the standard configuration will include 2GB of RAM upgradeable to 8GB), but for storage you can expect a 320GB or 500GB hard drive. There’s even the choice for a 128GB SSD. The laptop is expected to make its debut just before the holidays on December 20 starting at $469.

Lenovo Official Website
[via GizMag: Lenovo to launch student-targeted ruggedized ThinkPad X130e laptop]

MOTOACTV – Music and Fitness Tracker All in One

Looking to get fit this holiday season? The MOTOACTV has arrived. It is a wearable fitness performance tracker and smart music player in one, offering a digital fitness instructor and personal DJ for the wrist. It features an intuitive touch-screen display along with the ability to sync to the PC to better track workouts.

“Motorola has created a new category of smart device that support your active lifestyle with the addition of MOTOACTV,” said William Ripley, general manager, Companion Products EMEA, Motorola Mobility. “Workout smarter without using multiple devices or even wires, with the first multi-activity music and fitness tracking device with the brains to push you beyond your limits.” Continue reading MOTOACTV – Music and Fitness Tracker All in One