Interbike 2011: Vegas, Baby, Vegas

Forget everything you heard about Interbike moving to Anaheim for next August. The show is staying put in Las Vegas. The bicycle show’s organizers made it official yesterday. The show will stay in Las Vegas, and will be held September 12-16.

“The announcement that we were moving the show dates and location elicited a very real response that surveys and discussions alone couldn’t accomplish,” said Andy Tompkins, Interbike show director. “Due to the overwhelmingly positive response to this year’s show and the countless conversations we’ve personally had with exhibitors and retailers regarding the future dates and location of Interbike, we are reversing our earlier decision to move the 2011 show to Anaheim in August. We are hearing loud and clear that, at this time, the industry prefers September dates and the convenience of Las Vegas.”

We’re already looking forward to next year’s show, and we’ll be sure to do the right down the Vegas strip!

People Choice Tries on GPS Smart Shoe

While there are many tracking programs out there for children and even teens, GTX Corp introduced an innovative product aimed at adults suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Many sufferers are actually in good physical condition and thus aren’t confined to a room or even a house. To keep track of loved ones, the company came up with a novel idea – namely putting a tracking device in the footwear.

Now the GPS Smart Shoe has won the 2010 People’s Choice Award for Most Innovative Connected Location Device at the 4th Annual Locations & Beyond Summit this past week. Continue reading People Choice Tries on GPS Smart Shoe

Samsung: To Russia With Love With Fitness MP3 Player

In the 1982 film Firefox (which had nothing to do with the Internet browser) Clint Eastwood played a top-notch pilot who took part in a secret mission to steal a Soviet prototype jet fighter. We wonder if such an exploit might be needed today to bring the YP-U6 from Russia? While not a state-of-the-art combat aircraft that can be controlled by a neuralink, the Samsung portable music player is almost worthy of a spy capper.

Much like the newly announced Philips device this one has a special fitness program, which can calculate the calories spent while the listener was using the device for various activities. It is also equipped with a built-in full-size USB connector, making it easy to transfer music to the device, as it as a built-in voice recorder, to transfer those recordings to a PC. The YP-U6 also features a four-line color CSTN display, and is equipped with SoundAlive technology to simulate a 5.1-channel format. It supports MP3, WMA, OGG and FLAC, and even has a built-in FM tuner. Two versions will be available when the YP-U6 arrives in stores in Russia later this month including 2GB and 4GB models.

Alas, no death ray, spy camera or other SMERSH type goodies included.

[Via IT Chuiko: Samsung offers a player with a fitness trainer]

Consumer Electronics Show Releases More Info on Sports and Fitness Tech Summit

It seems we were just a year early. We launched KineticShift.com at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show back in January. Now for 2011, the CEA (Consumer Electronics Association) seems to have technology and fitness on the brain as well. Continue reading Consumer Electronics Show Releases More Info on Sports and Fitness Tech Summit

Biggest Loser Inspired Clothing Now Available

You need to look good to feel good while working out. That’s the motivation of the new BL Body athletic line of fitness attire, which was inspired by the high NBC series The Biggest Loser. This line of clothing uses a special shaping technology to give anyone who wears it a bit of extra support to feel good, and thus look good.

Fashion designer Bruno Schiavi created the clothing, with the idea of providing empowerment to help people change their lives in a very positive manner. The garments feature longer cuts, hidden pockets and thumb holes, as well as including features such as iPod holders for wearer’s. Likewise, Schiavi introduced the line with bright and vibrant colors to encourage the wear to remain motivated in their attempts at healthier living.

The BL Body athletic collection is available from HSN.com

Koko FitClub Goes to Silicon Valley

The company that revolutionized the 30 minute in-gym workout is heading to Silicon Valley, and we’ll be curious if this results in any revolutionary technological innovation from the world of fitness. Koko FitClub will be opening a new club in February 2011 in Silicon Valley. Owners Jeff and Elaine Mossner have a belief that traditional gyms don’t actually work for 84 percent of the population, so it will be interesting to see if their club will take off with the potentially unique clientele offered from the high-tech world.

As we previously reported, the Koko Smartraining System guides users through a very personalized yet high-effective workout on the club’s proprietary strength and cardio equipment. “With Koko, we aren’t going to be selling people more stuff they don’t need,” says Elaine Mossner. “An invitation to join Koko is an invitation to make your life better. I can’t wait to meet people and tell them, we have a fitness solution for you!”

Koko FitClub

Hands On: Shhh! I’m Trying to Ride Here

While at Interbike this year I had the pleasure of riding a 2010 Wazee, offered by Spot Brands from Golden, Colorado. I was interested in riding this bike not because it is a fixed gear bike, but because it is a belt drive, fixed gear bike. Spot utilized the Gates Carbon Drive System with this fixed gear bike and came up with what might be the quietest bike on the market.

I was amazed at how quiet the ride of this bike was and the positive feel of the belt drive system. There was no slop in the chain when backpedaling and after being ridden by countless people at Interbike, the belt was clean. The frame uses track geometry, which made the bike handle very quick and nimble. Continue reading Hands On: Shhh! I’m Trying to Ride Here

Glasses Find Golf Balls Under Black Light-Like Filter

Hammacher Schlemmer is known for its nifty sports equipment such as the Seven Person Tricycle that’s always a blast; Mountain Scooter that can glide over some rugged and steep terrain; and Articulating Inline Casterboard that has kids squiggling around the block. One of its newer products is the Golf Ball Locating Glasses.

These glasses look like a pair of Oakleys with an alternate style that looks like you just walked out of the optometrist’s office (that fit over most prescription glasses) and cost about $40. The lenses contain a pigment that helps filter out light as it passes through. The affect is almost as through you’re looking at the world with a black light. All colors are overtaken by a predominately blue tone except for those balls and anything else in white that gets in your line of sight.

Continue reading Glasses Find Golf Balls Under Black Light-Like Filter

Building a Better Bike Helmet, From Cardboard

One of the helmets shown at the London Cycle Show is constructed from corrugated cardboard. A grid framework of cardboard is pieced together, then covered with a shell. This is the concept design of recent graduate Anirundha Surabhi who earned an industrial design degree from London’s Royal College of Art.

Dubbed Kranium, the cardboard helmet weighs less than its polystyrene contemporaries, and is able to withstand more than one impact. The cardboard ribs flex and de-flex, then the remaining amount of energy is absorbed by the crumpling nature of the corrugated cardboard ribs. The Kranium helmet was tested against the British Standards at the Imperial College, and was found to absorb 4 times the amount of impact energy when compared to regular cycling helmets.

A shell for protection covers the corrugated ribs of the helmet. The cardboard is treated with  an acrylic waterproofing agent, which protects against rain or inevitable sweat. Even with the acrylic treatment, the helmet is recyclable.

Initially, the helmet will have to be custom fit with head measurement instruments Kranium plans to distribute to stores. Helmets are expected to cost roughly £80 with replacement helmets made from original measurements to be a little less. Designer Surabhi hopes to make a cheaper, mass-produced version in fixed sizes that will be available in vending machines. If a cheaper, more widely available version becomes available this will be a boon for bike rentals, municipal bike share plans, and cyclists in third world countries.

Surabhi was awarded a grant from the James Dyson Fellowship for his design, and is currently in talks for angel funding.

Via [BikeBiz]

Tired of Greasy Hands and Pant Legs?

The Gates Carbon Drive system debuted back in 2008 based on 25 years motorcycle and dragster CDS technology. The Gates Carbon Drive System was developed to offer cyclists a lighter weight, lower maintenance, quieter ride and cleaner drive system than the current chain system on the market. The no-stretch Carbon Drive belt is embedded with carbon fiber cords and requires no lubrication, but the system does require a frame designed around the CDS.
Continue reading Tired of Greasy Hands and Pant Legs?

Row, Row Indo-Row

Rowing machines have long been praised for providing an ideal workout. While many devices at gyms have come and gone, the rowing machine has long remained a staple. Rowing actually provides a really decent workout, and when done right uses 60 percent legs, 20 percent arms and 20 percent core muscles. Thus rowing can provide a really good workout.

The problem with many machines is that they don’t quite capture the same type of physical activity as actual rowing on water. Worse still the best rowing machines do the job, but then take up so much room that even health clubs are reluctant to utilize them. Some boats seem only slightly bigger. Continue reading Row, Row Indo-Row

What the Garmin Acquisition of MetriGear Means for Cycling, Fitness Computers

Garmin, maker of GPS devices, acquired MetriGear last month. The newly-acquired company based in Silicon Valley creates solutions for improving athletic performance in cycling and other sports. One of MetriGear’s products is Vector, a power meter built into a bike pedal’s spindles. This meter calculates a cyclist’s power by measuring force applied to the pedals.

“Power is becoming the must-have information for cyclists who want to improve their performance,” said Cliff Pemble, Garmin president and COO.

Continue reading What the Garmin Acquisition of MetriGear Means for Cycling, Fitness Computers

GPS Transcends to Snow Goggles

If The Terminator ever got on a snowboard he’d likely have useful information, such as speed and temperature, right in the front of his eyes – or visual optical system or whatever it was supposed to be. The rest of us have traditionally had to look down at a device to get all that data. When roaring down a mountain looking down isn’t a good idea, so you either have to stop what you’re doing or hope for the best. But Zeal Optics will change everything beginning this Sunday, October 10, with the release of the world’s first GPS enable goggle, the Transcend GPS – which could truly transcend the way you track your activity. Continue reading GPS Transcends to Snow Goggles