PlayPod Brings Microsoft Tag Technology

A different type of tag is coming to the playground – not the game where kids chase each other – but rather Microsoft Tag Technology. Playworld Systems announced this week the launch of PlayPod, an innovative service that employs Microsoft Tag to provide 24/7 mobile access to useful information for both those maintaining the playground equipment and those using it.

This includes Nuts & Bolts, a way for the pros to see maintenance documents, installation instructions and even product numbers; while Fun & Play Tips is there with weekly play tips, and even the ability to “check-in” at playground via Facebook.

The family owned business has been an innovator in the playground, offering the environmentally-friendly PVC-Free Eco-Armor, and more recently NEOS, the first outdoor electronic game for playgrounds. PlayPod now shows that even in the digital age the good old playground still is a great place for kids to be kids.

Video and full press release after the jump

Bluetooth SIG Forms Sports and Fitness Working Group

The Bluetooth Special Interest Group formed the Sports and Fitness Working Group with the goal of participating companies to “work together to enhance interoperability between Bluetooth enabled sports and fitness sensor products and training computers (Bluetooth Smart devices) and hub devices such as smartphones, PCs, TVs (Bluetooth Smart Ready devices), gym equipment, watches and more to allow a new generation of functionality.”

The working group will work to advance the use and abilities of Bluetooth in sports and fitness devices. In particular, the group will work with the new generation, Bluetooth v4.0, a low energy technology that gives devices connectivity without using too much battery life.

Mosoro, one of the working group’s first members, is working on a Bluetooth Smart sensor that connects to a golf club to record and send data on a player’s golf swing, which is sent to a smartphone for real-time feedback. Devices that serve as an example for the group are the Motorola MOTOACTV fitness watch and Nike+ FielBand, a wristband that uses Bluetooth to sync with a user’s smartphone to track and analyze physical activity.

Bluetooth SIG is accepting new members to the Sports and Fitness Working Group. Registration for the Sports and Fitness Working Group and Sports and Fitness Bluetooth Ecosystem Team (BET) is open to Bluetooth SIG Associate and Promoter members.

Bluetooth SIG Official Website

Talk to the Gloves

That annoying expression “talk to the hand” might get new life thanks to Swany’s g.cell ski gloves, which feature built-in Bluetooth technology that transforms the hand warming ski gloves into a mobile phone speaker and microphone. Basically this allows a phone to stay in one’s pocket, while the gloves can be used to make calls, including voice activated commands. The speaker and microphone are embedded in the thumb of the right glove, which also features the controls.

The gloves were shown last month at the SIA Snow Show but won’t be available in the United States until fall. Until then users might have to actually speak to the phone and not to the hand. Video after the jump

No Bones About the SpeakGoggles

The sound of your voice is different than how you likely hear it, in part because part of the sound is transmitted through the bone to the inner ear. This is why people typically sound different when their voice is recorded, and now this same bone-conductivity can be used to allow you to talk on the phone – with a little help from the SpeakGoggle G33 from Buhel. These goggles connect to a smartphone or other handset via Bluetooth and feature a bone conduction microphone that is built into the frame.

So instead of the mic picking up normal sound through the air, it actually picks up what you’re saying as the sound waves travel through your own jaw bones and skull! The result of course is little to any background noise – so you could basically talk while skiing as wind won’t be an issue. Video after the jump

Hydrate with the Relaj Water Bottle

The water bottle is quickly becoming a statement of style and personal choice. Though we still like to see function trump fashion in this case with some technical elements, those elements are usually what determines those preferences. The Relaj water bottle brings its own look and technical details to the shelf.

Continue reading Hydrate with the Relaj Water Bottle

Orbea Bikes to Grow With Riders

One problem for many children (and even more so for their parents) is that bikes can be outgrown quickly and a bike that is too small can be as much of a problem as a bike that is too big. But Spanish bike maker Orbea has introduced something that allows growing children to have a bike that will the right size a bit longer.

While kids will grow, so will the Grow, a new line of bikes designed specially to grow with the rider. While most bikes allow for a seat to come up, the Grow also allows for the frame to be expanded as well, and this can result in a good fit for three to five years, and the bikes come in four sizes so once a frame is truly outgrown, parents can step up to the next size and let the kid grow with it. Video after the jump

Interbike 2012: Gran Fondo to be Grand Indeed

Every Interbike is special to us of course, but the 2012 trade show for all things bicycle will see something truly unique as the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) has announced that the RTC 2012 Viva Bike Vegas Gran Fondo will again begin on the Las Vegas Strip and century riders will have the opportunity to ride over the Hoover Dam, and the event will take place on Saturday, September 22, the day after the Interbike Trade Show ends at the Sands Expo Center.

“We look forward to offering riders a unique and exciting ride from the famous Las Vegas Strip to the iconic Hoover Dam in this year’s RTC Viva Bike Vegas Gran Fondo,” said Jacob Snow, RTC general manager in a statement. “We are proud to welcome cyclists from across the country and around the world to Las Vegas every year to ride in Viva Bike Vegas. This year, we are especially pleased to partner with Interbike and invite its exhibitors and attendees to join us for our fifth annual event.”

All riders will again have the unique opportunity to begin their ride under the bright lights of the world-famous Las Vegas Strip. The RTC 2012 Viva Bike Vegas Gran Fondo will feature three spectacular routes – 118, 72, and 17-mile courses – for cyclists of all skill levels taking riders from the Las Vegas Strip to the vistas of the Red Rock

Rider registration for the RTC 2012 Viva Bike Vegas Gran Fondo is available online now, and proceeds from Viva Bike Vegas will again benefit local charities.

Viva Bike Vegas Gran Fondo Official Website
Interbike Official Website

XBoards On Board With Natural Fibers

We’ve seen a variety of new materials in snowboards, and one company is looking to get on board with nature fibers. XBoards, Inc. has announced the availability of the limited edition BioBoard, the first snowboard made from all-natural flax fiber composites.

The Northern-California based XBoards was founded in 2010, and has focused on innovative engineering, and has looked to create both sustainability and enhanced rider performance. The BioBoard promises both via a FlaxFlex technology, which is meant to reduce leg fatigue by ensuring consistent flex for the rider, while the also ensuring lower density to provide vibration dampening as well. Video after the jump

Smart Shirt Helps Workouts

A shirt can arguably “look smart” but now a team of engineering and graphic design students from Northeastern University has used their collective brain power to develop a truly smart shirt. The SQUID is in essence a wired shirt that can track and monitor muscle output and efficiency during workouts.

Working with an Android app, and connected to an interactive website, the shirt can track biofeedback and monitor a workout in real-time. While heart rate monitors and other devices can track results, such as calories burned and heart rate, this shirt can also track muscles during a workout, which in turn can help wearers fine tune their workouts and possibly even correct the form as necessary. About the only thing it seems that technology can’t do at this point is workout for you!

[Via Ubergizmo: SQUID smart shirt monitors your workout for improved performance]

SIA: Kali Helmets

Recorded at the SIA Snow Show 2012 in Denver KineticShift’s Enid Burns visits the Kali Protectives booth to get a look at Kali’s unique helmet design. Composite materials guru Brad Waldron has created a helmet with increased impact dissipation and lighter weight.

Kali Protectives Official Website

Hands On: Jabra Sport Bluetooth Headset

The Jabra Sport is the first Bluetooth headset to unshackle runners from the constraints of their wired headphones. But can Jabra – a company who’s known for making Bluetooth headsets for the home and office – make a smooth transition into the sports world? In a word; yes. The Jabra Sport is comfortable, reliable, and as rugged as any other pair of sports headphones we’ve seen. It’s not perfect, but it’s a solid first attempt at a wireless headset for runners.

The $99 headphones are light and sit comfortably over the top of each ear. The buds themselves rest by your ear canal opening (not inside it), meaning they don’t provide any noise isolation. As a runner, that’s a good thing, since you should always be aware of your surroundings when running outdoors.  But for use at the gym, that means you’ll have to crank the volume up high to cancel out any noise from the treadmill or your fellow gym goers. Continue reading Hands On: Jabra Sport Bluetooth Headset

SIA: Magnets Make Goggle Lenses easily Swappable

Ski goggles aren’t what they used to be, they’re better. Several models have interchangeable lenses so you can swap them to suit the conditions on the slopes, but those interchangeable can be difficult to handle. Burton introduced a new pair of Anon ski goggles, which will be available in fall 2012, that use magnets to secure lenses and allow for an easy swap.

Continue reading SIA: Magnets Make Goggle Lenses easily Swappable

Toy Fair Preview: Digital Skateboard

We don’t normally think of the American International Toy Fair, which is held every February in New York City, as being a destination for fitness products; the truth is that many toys at least get kids up and going. And one new board that might get the gadget loving kids of today off the couch is the Radiate Skateboard from Rockboard, which features 48 LED lights on the underside of the deck. The lights are fully rechargeable and the board comes with power adapters.

In addition to perking interest these lights could provide a little safety too so riders can be seen even as the street lights come on, helping kits get home safely. The Rockboard Radiate Skateboard will be at this month’s Toy Fair, and will reportedly be available this spring for around $100. Rock on!

Rockboard Official Website