Mobile Phone | Evolving Consumer

Light Time

This long winter has kept many indoors and that means out of the sun. That might not sound so bad, but getting some of the sun’s rays can actually help improve well being. Too much sun and you can burn, even in the winter, but not enough and you might feel downright blue.

So how do you know if you’re getting of the good UV rays? SunSprite is the world’s first wearable device that can track daily light and sun exposure. It can be paired with a smartphone and help users reach personalized goals to get just the right amount of sun to support a healthy lifestyle.

SunSprite, which is now being developed via an Indiegogo crowd funding project, is also unique in wearables in that it tracks the sun’s light and does so through solar power! Video after the jump

Sensors in the Socks

You can smell a sock and know when it needs to be laundered but the Sensoria Fitness Sock by Heapsylon – a so-called smart sock – can do more than tell you it needs to be washed. This sensor-filled sock and attachable anklet can be paired with a smart phone and help coach users on their running technique.

The Heapsylon sock utilizes e-textile sensors, which can count steps, measure speed, track calories, distance and even altitude. There are plenty of heart rate monitors and step counters that can do that already, but this sensor can also track cadence and foot landing technique and even weight distribution on the foot, which can help runners know what they’re doing right and wrong.

Now that’s a smart sock! Continue reading Sensors in the Socks

Fly It On

It seems everyone is creating wearable fitness trackers for the wrist. However, the designer of the Flyfit is now looking to have cyclists, runners and swimmers put in the ankles instead!

Designer Jimmy Leu, who has taken his concept to Kickstarter, believes that the wrists are not exactly the optimal place to track body movement while exercising. By placing a monitor on the ankle it can better track movement and even different kinds of leg activity. It can thus track cycling rotation and cadence, swim leg strokes and steps taken while running or jogging. It can then stream the data collected via Bluetooth to an Android or iOS device on the fly. Video after the jump

Pioneer Powers Up

We know Pioneer Electronics for producing what was one of the best plasma TVs on the market. Sadly those days are in the past but the company is rolling forward with other exciting products including a new bicycle power meter system that includes an updated SGX-CA500 Cycle Computer that displays power data. It features built-in Wi-Fi as well as ANT+ and as it is black and white instead of color has fallen in price from $900 to a down to earth $300. Continue reading Pioneer Powers Up

Mobile World Congress: Samsung Gets in Gear

At this week’s Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona Spain, Samsung introduced the Gear Fit, the first curved, Super AMOLED wearable device. Aimed at active consumers, this device features a pedometer, stop watch and can monitor heart rate.

It is IP67 rated to be water and dust-resistant, and features an accelerometer and gyroscope. The Gear Fit can connect to Samsung Android-powered mobile devices via Bluetooth 4.0. We hope to hear more about the Gear Fit leading up to its launch in April.

Press Release: Samsung Expands Industry-Leading Wearable Line with Samsung Gear Fit

Back to Boston

Despite last year’s tragic and cowardly terrorist attack on the Boston Marathon the race will go on! Even if you can’t be there to run in Boston you can be there in spirit. This month B.A.A. (Boston Athletic Association) launched the Boston Marathon World Run app that virtually connects runners around the world and their social networks with the 2014 Boston Marathon. The mobile app, which is available on the web as well as for Android and iOS devices, allows runners to participate in the athletic spirit of the event regardless of ability or geography.

Participants, whether individually or in teams, can log miles alongside past champions and elite athletes and can achieve their self-determined running goals by April 21 to receive bib numbers and digital training and finisher badges. Boston Marathon World Run is also encouraging runners to contribute to One Fund Boston through voluntary online contributions, which will be updated in real time.

Boston Marathon World Run Official Website
One Fund Boston Official Website

Fishing Sonar

While many people will simply head to the old fishing hole and cast off and hope for the best, hardcore anglers might take notice of the FishHunter Sonar, which is powered by military-grade sonar technology that can truly find the spot where they’re biting. This device floats o the water and pairs with a smartphone app that allows users to see if school (as in school of fish) is in session.

FishHunter Sonar Official Website

Avalanche App

Last October the Canadian Avalanche Centre (CAC) warned against relying on a smartphone as an avalanche transceiver. As we noted in our reports one of the problems with apps is that these tended to rely too much on the phones power to transmit. However, the Galileo-LawinenFon system that was developed by researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics (IML) appears to have resolved some of those issues. This could provide greater accuracy for rescuers as users don’t rely just on the wireless technology of a handset. Instead the researchers have created a piece of hardware called the Galileo-SmartLVS, which connects to the phone via USB, and could better turn a handset into an avalanche transceiver.

“Like commonly available avalanche transceivers, the Galileo-LawinenFon has a transmit and search mode,” said Holger Schulz, a scientist at Fraunhofer IML. “Unlike previous transceivers however, when looking for victims the system is not restricted to the electromagnetic field formed by a transmitted signal but makes use of satellite signals as well. Since our solution draws on numerous available sensors and satellite systems, the signals transmitted by victims can be located with a great deal of precision. Magnetic field signals are processed in 3D so that we can pinpoint accident victims in a matter of seconds and improve their chances of survival.”

While still in prototype this could be welcome news for those who head out in ski country and worry about avalanches.

Press Release: How smartphones help find avalanche victims

Move Your Mbody

There is no shortage of shorts that provide compression, but the Mbody system from Myontec does much more than just provide some compression to the legs. These Finnish made athletic shorts are designed to get you across the finish line by helping track your muscle activity.

The MShorts as these are called are equipped with an Mcell module that plugs into the apparel and displays the processed data on a mobile device. The sensors monitor that activity of the quadriceps and hamstrings and transmitted to a user’s Android mobile device. This allows users to tell if one leg is working harder than the other and allows users to change up their activity as necessary.

Mbody Official Website

Voombox Brings the Noise

A boombox will let you get “the party started,” but the Divoom Voombox Outdoor speak might just let you take it on the go. This 15w water resistant Bluetooth speaker is designed specifically for rugged conditions while offering a 12-hour battery life. It features a durable, water resistant design and can stream music wirelessly via Bluetooth 4.0.

The speaker offers twin two-inch drivers along with one tweeter and two passive radiators – enough to fill a room or outdoor area with the tunes. Continue reading Voombox Brings the Noise

Sole(us) to Go

Sports watch and GPS maker Soleus has introduced a fitness tracker wristband. The Soleus GO! works much like similar devices and can track daily activities as well as sleep cycles. It can tack steps taken and calories burned, while a vibration alert can notify wearers when it is time to get moving. It can sync with a mobile device, while an app can log activity, plus it even show incoming calls and messages on its OLED display.

“At Soleus, we started the company around meeting the needs of the athlete with quality performance and style at an affordable cost,” said David Arnold, founder and CEO of Soleus. “Our core values are attributed to supplying athletes the most advanced tools they need to achieve their goals. At the same time, we want to help people everywhere enhance their life with activity. We spent a lot of time and research to develop the most comprehensive activity tracker that monitors and records the most important aspects of daily life while incorporating the wearable technology features for everyone on the go.”

The device arrives in retail today.

Soleus Official Website

Taking AIMe

An action camera is great for providing a first person view of the action and it can even be used with various accessories to put the user in the action – creating a third person perspective as well. But if you want to track the action you likely need a cameraman to step in.

The alternative might be the AIMe from JigaBot, which works much like a robotic tripod. The company unveiled this product last month at CES and also took it on the road to the Outdoor Retailer Show. This device is designed to work with most action cameras and even camera phones and it features steel ball bearings inside that let the unit turn and even tilt to 240 degrees to capture a range of action. An internal sensor works with an infrared-equipped remote beacon to track the subject. No cameraman required. Video after the jump

Pyle It On

Pyle Audio has introduced the Bluetooth Heart Rate Monitor and Watch (PSBTHR70), which measures heart rate, average speed, distance traveled, number of steps taken, lap speeds and calorie consumption. This data can be wirelessly transmitted – by Bluetooth of course – to various third party apps on compatible Android and iOS devices. Supported apps include RunKeeper, MapMyRun and WahooFitness among others.

This watch, which is available in black, green, blue or pink for around $70, can display time in a 12 or 24 hour format and features optional hourly chimes and daily alarms, as well as a built-in calendar system. Continue reading Pyle It On