Software | Evolving Consumer

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.

Hammerhead Dragon Innovation Site

Interbike 2013: Sights From the Show Floor Day 1

Interbike 2013 started off with a bang as we took in the sights of the show floor. We chatted with 2006 Tour de France winner Oscar Pereito. Continue reading Interbike 2013: Sights From the Show Floor Day 1

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.”

Juniper Research Official Website

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.

Zeep GolfSense Official Website

Hoop Dreams

Wearable sports technology firm Wireless Sports has announced that the Hoop Tracker is on the court. This is the world’s first basketball watch – and it can deliver in-depth analysis of shooting percentages as data that is obtained from each shooting session can be uploaded to Hoop Tracker’s software to analyze and improve shooting performance.

This system features a lightweight watch worn on your non-shooting wrist, while the shot detector is attached to the rim using the mounting pole, and together this can identify the make or miss of every shot taken.

Data recorded includes where the shot was taken and if the basketball hit the backboard, rim, or activates the internal lever. The only shot not automatically detected is an air ball – but In this case, the player can push the air ball button located on the side of the watch, and record the attempt as a missed shot. All statistics are later uploaded to the Hoop Tracker software for further analysis. Continue reading Hoop Dreams

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.

Yonder Official Website

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.

Bicycle Blue Book Official Website

Kinetic Keeps Rolling

Kinetic Trainers have helped us get through those long cold winters, and for 2014 the company has revamped the line – the first time since 2007. This included greater 29er compatibility, enhanced ergonomics and best of all lighter weight. The new line up even comes fully assembled so you can take these out of the box and get rolling.

The Kinetic Trainer also replaced the cantilever design of its flagship model, the Rock and Roll, with a design that centers the pivot point and rider weight over the elastomer stack, reducing rider-induced bounce and sag and allowing lower bolt tension to give a more active side-to-side motion. Continue reading Kinetic Keeps Rolling

PROTKT and Serve

Taking that iPhone on a ride is cool, especially as it can be used with a variety of apps, but you’ll want to make sure it survives the ride. This is where the Wahoo Fitness PROTKT comes in. This iPhone bike case is sleek and slim, yet weatherproof and shockproof – providing users a simple and secure solution to accessing their iPhone through rain, dirt, snow and of course – sweat.

It even comes bundled with the Wahoo Fitness App for cycling – transforming the handset into a powerful fitness tool – which you can combine with fitness sensors to wirelessly monitor all your crucial information. It can also be used with a neoprene hand band for use while walking, running or hiking.

Wahoo Fitness PROTKT Official Website

A Little Bit Gym

It has been a while since we heard from BitGym, a technology that can transform a typical cardio machine into an interactive experience. Now the company is looking to Kickstarter to offer ways of making workouts a bit more interesting.

The device works by using any monitor device – including tablet or mobile smartphone – that offers a front-facing camera. The software utilizes the built-in accelerometer that can sync with movement, so you can watch the screen but feel you’re a million miles away. Video after the jump

Swing Right With the Swingbyte

Golf has been around for a long time, and while the game has evolved over the years with new equipment the last decade has seen the game on the green really go high-tech. Among the newest advances are apps, and the Swingbyte is one that works with Android and iOS and features a simple device that attaches to any club including driver or putter. It is paired with a mobile device via Bluetooth and automatically records details on swings including club head speed, acceleration and club face angle.

With this users can analyze each swing and see what they were doing right and wrong.

Swingbyte Official Website

Weekend Reading List (08.17.2013): Wall to Water, Electric Charged Up, miWay

Wall to Water

From Gear Junkie: Climbing Comp: A 50-ft Wall, Only Water Below to Catch Your Fall…
Last weekend in Park City, Utah, some of the best climbers in the world competed in an event unlike anything else in the sport.

The Psicobloc Masters Series was the first major deep-water soloing competition held in the U.S. Climbers competed head-to-head on identical routes up a 50-foot wall, no ropes or harnesses, just a massive swimming pool below to catch their fall. Continue reading Weekend Reading List (08.17.2013): Wall to Water, Electric Charged Up, miWay