Throughout the day how much effort to you make to track your hydration? While calories and even what you ate might be counted, what you drink often isn’t. However, the BluFit could change all that. It is an intelligent water bottle that works in synchronization with a smartphone will help consumers maintain optimum levels of hydration. Through the smart bottle and app, BluFit will determine how much water you need, how much you have consumed and will alert you when it’s time to hydrate. Video after the jump
Category: Mobile Phone
Go Ballistic
For the release of new iPhones Ballistic has introduced a new lineup of cases that have been engineered to provide drop protection. These feature reinforced corners, durable interior rubber to absorb shock and a raised lip for screen protection, preventing screens from touching the surfaces they are placed on, to prevent any cracks or damage. These cases come in a range of colors, styles and protection strengths to meet user’s needs. Continue reading Go Ballistic
Stick Sensor
We’ve seen sensors make their way to all sorts of devices and the Quattriuum Team is looking to deliver the Powershot, the first performance sensor for hockey players via a Kickstarter project. The Powershot sensor, which is designed to attach to a hockey stick, can reportedly measure the puck speed, acceleration, shot speed, duration and angle of slapshots and snapshots.
The Powershot can further learn how the user plays and targets both strengths and weaknesses and follow progress over time while comparing performance to other players. It weighs only 50 grams and can store up to 1,000 shots – moreover it can sync with the FWD Powershot app for Android and iOS device. Video after the jump
MIO Oh My!
What’s not to love about wearing a heart rate monitor strap across the chest? Or rather what’s to like about it? The MIO Alpha ditches the strap and instead can be worn like a watch, where it monitors blood perfusion in the wrist via an optic sensor and green LED light.
This technology was reportedly developed by the medical industry and now is offering a way to be a heart rate monitor that doesn’t require the annoying chest strap.
This very smart watch also features Bluetooth Smart 4.0 technology so it can sync with a smartphone. That’s some serious smarts, and it allows it to be used with MapMyRun, Strava and Wahoo.
MIO Official Website
[Via BikeRumor: MIO ALPHA DITCHES THE CHEST STRAP, BRINGS ADVANCEMENTS TO PERFORMANCE HEART RATE MONITORING]
Hammer on the Road
Hammering while riding means going all out and possibly a bit more, but the Hammerhead Navigation system could be a way to help you navigate streets and trails with ease. This compact, portable device affixes to the handlebar and guides you via an LED light array.
This system, which communicates with an Android or iOS app via Bluetooth Smart, provides turn-by-turn directions. This can include crowd sourced route suggestions offering the best possible options to get from point A to point B. It is even designed to work with bike share programs including Bixi and B-Cycle.
Hammerhead Navigation is now looking to Dragon Innovation to raise funding.
Study Finds that Mobile Fitness to Reach 100 Million
As the saying goes 100 million can’t be wrong. According to new study conducted by Juniper Research the next five years will see a major shift towards smartphone- based mHealth, where hardware attachments link to companion app on the smartphone. The Mobile Health & Fitness: Monitoring, App-enabled Devices & Cost Savings 2013-2013 report forecasts that y 2018 there will be 96 million users of app-enabled mHealth and mobile-fitness hardware devices, up from 15 million this year.
Moreover, the report noted that it will be the mFitness sector that will experience strongest growth in the short and medium term, and that this growth will be driven by a motivated target market, as well as an increasing demand for lifestyle consumer applications and a diversifying array of attachments.
“As mobile fitness devices become more widespread, they will pave the way for more critical mHealth services delivered through the smartphone,” said the report’s author Anthony Cox. “While mHealth and mobile fitness are two discrete markets – with divergent audiences – increased usage of the former will stimulate wider awareness of the latter.”
Ready for the Xventure
Taking the mobile smartphone on the road shouldn’t result in a journey to the store afterward to buy a new handset should the weather turn. The Xventure Smartphone Handlebar Mount from Bracketron offers an ergonomic compartment that is universally designed for smartphones, GPS devices and MP3 players. It even offers a compartment for credit card, some cash or other small items. The Xventure mount is water resistant and yet will allow touchscreen access and control.
Golf Sense Swings With New Features
Zepp Labs has announced a major update to its mobile swing analyzer system, the GolfSense system, which features a wearable motion sensor along with a free mobile app. This helps golfers analyze and improve their golf swing.
The GolfSense 3.0 version features a SwingScore, which evaluates the quality of each swing based on personal goals; provides a Dashboard that identifies what golfers are doing well and what needs some work; and provides a Lab Reports that analyzes and tracks the trends throughout a session. Those reports can even be shared via social media including Facebook and Twitter. The GolfSense system also lets users isolated a single aspect of the wing via Focus Screens, while the app can track club head and head speed, plus backswing position and even help golfers achieve their ideal swing plane.
GolfSense 3 is available for download from the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch or from Google Play for Android mobile devices for free. While this might not get you on the pro tour it might be enough to help you knock a few strokes off on the way to the green.
Interbike Preview: Proof of Life
At next week’s Interbike trade show LifeProof will demonstrate its latest iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy SIII and iPad Mini waterproof and shockproof cases. These allow users to have full control of the smartphone/tablet touchscreens while further providing a built-in scratch protector.
In addition the LifeProof Bike Mount allows those devices to go on the ride with you, while further ensuring quick removal with one hand via a quick release. We’ll be sure to check out LifeProof’s latest offerings at Interbike in Las Vegas.
Console Power
The Apple iPhone and Samsung Galaxy line of smartphones make good cycling computers, and now Bike2Power has introduced the new BikeConsole Power Plus Rechargeable Mount to protect the handsets. These provide a weatherproof and shock-protected all-in-one solution that also recharges a user’s smartphone while riding. It is sealed against rain, snow, dust, and dirt and can help provide protection from crashes as well.
It provides full phone functionality, and offers a 360 degree swivel design plus a battery backup so you’ll have the juice to go the distance.
Light Apparel
There have been various attempts to help add some lights to cyclists and runners who might head out at night, and now EroGear is introducing its Fos line of wearable LEDs. These can be programmed to shimmer, offer words and generally make riders a lot more visible.
The system consists of a Velcro-lined fabric patch that contains a super-bright LED grid that can be programmed wirelessly via Bluetooth from a mobile phone or other device.The device reportedly weighs less than a golf ball, but is bright enough that it can be seen even at distance, and can run for several hours on a charge.
The developers are currently looking to Kickstarter to get the light show on the road. Continue reading Light Apparel
Over Yonder
If you’re looking to head over yonder and see the world, then load up the iPhone with the free mobile Yonder App, which makes it easy to find great outdoor destinations. Users can further track their adventures with geo-tagged video and images, follow other users, and share experiences with the Yonder community and other social networks.
Yonder automatically identifies a user’s current location and displays a feed of nearby places to explore. Users can filter the feed by one of 18 different activities including hiking, biking, rock climbing, kayaking and more.
Interbike Preview: Day Trader
A used bike doesn’t have to mean used and abused, but determining the value of a “previously owned bicycle” can be more challenging than buying a used car. However, the Bicycle Blue Book might make things a whole lot easier – for both buyers and sellers.
This service can take a lot of guess work out the pricing for used bikes, and it can even reduce some of the risk out buying via sites such as Craigslist – by involving a third party. As the company noted, “Bicycle Blue Book is a service that takes the wild west out of the used bike market.”
The Bicycle Blue Book will be at this month’s Interbike trade show in Las Vegas.