Last week we posted about Nike’s knit shoes, and now the company has gone to the other extreme with Nike+ Basketball and Nike+ Training shoes that are digital! The shoes feature a sensor system that can sync with software to provide wearer’s with detailed information to help during training and to track performance. Video after the jump
Category: Software
Mobile World Congress: Motion Interface Technology Opens Possibilities for Health and Fitness
The world is in motion, and at this week’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, InvenSense is showcasing its latest integrated 6-axis and 9-axis MotionTracking technologies. While motion interfaces have rapidly become a key function in many consumer and mobile electronic devices, such as, smartphones, tablets, gaming, smart TV and many other devices, there are health and fitness applications as well.
This week InvenSense will be demonstrating its recently announced health and fitness wearable sensor SDK and its latest motion interface, This could provide for a more intuitive way for users to interact with electronic devices. We’ll be very interested to see where this motion tracking takes us.
GIS Device Gets Rugged
While consumer GPS units have long been “rugged” some specialized field devices have lagged behind. But recently Trimble introduced its next generation of GNSS devices for GIS field applications, including the Trimble Juno 3B and 3D handhelds. These specially computers offer positioning, imaging and communications in a single package.
These units offer GPS, a 5MP autofocus camera and Windows Mobile Software. What is more impressive is this also offer Juno 3G wireless technology, which allows users to transfer data and stay connected via the device’s integrated mobile phone. These are designed for those in the gas, electric and water utilities, but we could see that such a device could have uses for consumers who need a rugged device that has the power and connectivity of a smartphone and can stand up to the elements.
Mobile phone makers – are you listening?
[Via FieldTechnologies: New Rugged Trimble Juno Series Puts GIS Field Work In Your Pocket]
Hok – A Hybrid of Ski and Snowshoe
This season it seems that hybrid skis/snowboards are all the rage. We’ve seen some folding skis designed for snowboarders, as well as skis that work over snowless patches. But now Altai Skis is truly going back to the roots of skiing with the Hok.
Whilst skis may easily evoke the Nordic regions, skiing actually first developed in the Altai Mountains of Central Asia as well for herdsmen to cross the rugged land. When skis headed west they developed into specialized designs for cross country, downhill and even ski jumping. But the Hok model from Altai Skis goes back to the original design, which is wider shorter ski that offers the advantages of snowshoes. The wood ski features steel edges and a climbing skin in the base, allowing wearers to go places that most skis couldn’t take them.
The Hok is available with either three-pin binding for ski boots, or a universal binding for basic winter boots. Either way it is recommended that Hok’ers use the single pole to control direction just as it was in the Central Asiatic highlands. Videos and size comparison after the jump
Sunday Q&A: Velolet – “The Orbitz” of Bicycle Rental
While many types of transportation can fill in the blank in the statement, “Have ________ Will Travel,” typically when traveling a bike can be a pain to bring along. But renting a bike can have problems as many shops don’t always have high-end bikes available and you’re often subject to a first come, first served.
Now there is another way; where you can browse online, find the bike of the level you desire, book and be ready to ride when you arrive at your destination. Velolet is an online bike rental platform, dubbed the Orbitz of bike rental, designed specifically for the bike industry and the needs of brands, bike shops, and cyclists in that industry. Dan Clearly of Velolet tells us how the service works. Continue reading Sunday Q&A: Velolet – “The Orbitz” of Bicycle Rental
MotionFit Ready For Developers
Motion tracking devices have made some major strides in the last couple of years, and now InvenSense, a provider of motion tracking technology, announced this week the availability of its MotionFit System Developers Kit (SDK). This promises to help accelerate design and commercialization of wearable sensor devices for the growing fitness and remote health monitoring markets.
And while this is big news it comes ina small package, as the SKD consists of a small 40mm x 37mm development board incorporating the InvenSense MPU-9150 single chip 9-axis MotionTracking device, a pressure sensor for altitude tracking, a TI MSP430 microcontroller with external serial flash for data logging, a 110mA/hr rechargeable battery, and communication via USB or Bluetooth interfaces enabling real-time streaming of data to smartphones. Continue reading MotionFit Ready For Developers
TrainingPeaks for Sky
This week the British Team Sky Pro Cycling announced that it has extended its agreement with TrainingPeaks to be the official supplier of training software for the 2012.This will allow Team Sky to continue to collect and monitor heart rate and power from each individual rider during training and racing, and utilize it in TrainingPeaks by team coaches and staff. Riders can futher adjust their own training program and regiment based on the fitness trends shown in the software.
It will be interesting to see how it helps Olympic gold medalist Bradley Wiggins, who will likely be racing in the London Olympics this summer, as well as current world champion and 2011 Tour de France green jersey winner Mark Cavendish this season. With both hoping for a potentially “golden” summer we’re sure they’ll be spending a lot of time using this data. While it probably is not as much time as they spend on the bike, but still enough to show that software is indeed changing the way athletes train; and that is helping the way they perform.
Google X Glasses on the Way?
Google has many eyeballs on its search engine, as well as eyeballs on its mobile Android OS and of course eyes on the Google Chrome browser. Now it seems Google may be looking to get eyes looking through sporty looking eyewear too. Rumors have been circulating that Google Glasses could be on the way, offering an HUD screen on one lens to see a miniature screen, and earbuds to listen to music and make calls.
While not exactly designed for sports, these could offer benefits the in future for athletes, providing speed, calories and other information directly to the glasses so eyes are never off the road (or in many cases the prize). Let’s just hope people don’t think they can watch a bike race while out on a ride with these!
[Via AndroidCommunity: Rumor: Google’s Android-based HUD glasses getting public trials soon]
Fitness Goes to Orbit With Breathe
FitOrbit, the online solution that provides 24/7 accessibility to certified personal trainers, is telling members to “Breathe,” by launching its new logging and tracking experience. “Breathe” offers users the ability to select meals and workouts online, and with a click of the mouse it lets the trainer know what you’ve accomplished for the day. This online tracking also allows for a “quick add” with an intelligent algorithm that identifies what users are looking for, and even remembers preferences and favorites.
FitOrbit’s “Breathe” allows users to talk to their trainer anytime and anyway, without even having log onto the Website, as it now offers an email app that can be used with mobile phones. Sounds like a breath of fresh air! Press release after the jump
Crestron Looks to Make Motion a Controller
httpv://youtu.be/tWZt2vJaj28
In the 1980s “The Clapper” worked with sound to allow lazy people to turn lights on and off without having to get up to do so. Now Crestron is looking to help simply our daily lives in a similar way – but by actually using some motion. Continue reading Crestron Looks to Make Motion a Controller
Motorola Active with MOTOACTV
The Motorola MOTOACTV only was released back in October and already Motorola has offered an update. Not only that but last week the company even released a video to tell about the updates. Look for better battery life, new clock faces and a new stopwatch feature! Video after the jump
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
CES 2012 Preview: Map My Cardio
There are apps to map your ride, and now there is an app for iOS to map your training. At next month’s Consumer Electronics Show attendees will get to see the new Cardio Mapper app, which can connect and read data from Bluetooth Smart (formerly Bluetooth 4.0) , and SmartHRM WiFi.
CardioMapper is designed to help users with High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), and includes an interval coach that tells when to increase or decrease intensity, as well as offering full real time and post exercise analysis including: calories, duration, pace, speed, and of course distance. The app utilizes the iPhone’s GPS to track a user’s route while running, hiking, or biking and thus provides metrics including speed, calories burn, and distance.
Additionally, CardioMapper is the first iOS App approved by Apple that supports BLE Heart Rate Monitors, and connects with the newest dongle-free devices such as the SmartHRM and Bluetooth Smart 4.0 (BLE). Live pulse data will graph heart beat rhythm to match your heart.
The new CardioMapper 1.0.0 app is available now from the Apple App Store ($1.99), for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. It could be a map to a new level of fitness.