Evolving Consumer: Happiness through shopping - electronics & fitness

CES: Vivo Las Vegas

Garmin has long been in the fitness technology wearable market, but last week at CES it entered the fitness tracker space and unveiled its vívofit, a sleek personal exercise assistant.

“Garmin has been providing fitness monitoring devices for over a decade, and with vívofit we say hello to the fitness band that knows your potential,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin vice president of worldwide sales. “Being able to monitor the quality of rest after retiring for the night, being challenged by personalized daily goals and doing so without having to charge it every few days, makes vívofit a fitness band that should be on everyone’s wrist.”

It is designed to automatically greet users with a personalized daily goal, tracks their progress and reminds them when it’s time to move. Vívofit follows progress 24/7, and it can stay on for more than a year without a battery change. Viva to vívofit.

Garmin Blog: Garmin vívofit — A Fitness Band That Moves at the Pace of Life

CES: Up Next

The NextONE smartwatch and wristband pedometer made its debut at last week’s CES. YiFang Digital introduced the new device combo that can track daily activity, while also adding a social networking component to the experience.

“YiFang is excited to launch two products in the wearables category at CES 2014,” said Tina Yu, sales director, YiFang Digital Smart Device Unit. “YiFang is committed to making cutting-edge technology accessible to everyone with appcessories that enhance the smartphone experience. The NextONE smartwatch and wristband pedometer are designed to make a users’ life simpler and more enjoyable.”

The NextONE smartwatch runs on the Android 4.1 operating system, and thus provides an open architecture system, which allows verified third party applications to be utilized. The NextONE smartwatch can also act as a remote control for a smartphone, controlling both the camera and music. It has a calendar, calculator, recorder, weather, file manager and clock apps built-in. The smartwatch features a 1.55 inch TFT capacitive touch screen with 240×240 resolution, a 1.0GHz low power MCU, 4GB ROM, 512MB RAM, 290mAh battery, and a built-in microphone.

YiFang Digital Official Website

CES: Head Above the Rest

At last week’s International CES Audio-Technica expanded its SonicSport fitness-oriented headphones lineup with the ATH-CKP200iS ear hook style headphones, which feature a mic, volume and control functionality.

The ATH-CKP200iS (SRP: $US44.95) offer an IPX5-certified waterproof rating and is sweat-proof and washable, while its hinged ear hook adjusts around the ears for a perfect fit. These fitness headphones come with both standard silicone and ridged XS/S/M and L eartips to provide a choice of greater sound isolation or allowing in a low amount of ambient sound for greater safety outdoors.

Audio-Technica ATH-CKP200iS Official Website

One Stoopidtall Bike

Why do people climb mountains? As the story goes because they’re there; and perhaps a similar answer could be given by Richie Trimble who rides the talles bike we’ve seen. He is waiting to hear from the Guinness Book or Records to claim that he rides the world’s tallest bike, which is still pending. He took a bike that was 20 feet, 2.5 inches off the ground. That is considerably higher than the 14.5 foot Stoopidtall bike he rode in April.

Looking to best his own record he went even higher just after Christmas. It reportedly took him four days to build it and then he climbed up and on the 275 bike, which is fittingly known as the Stoopidtaller.

[Via BikeRumor: WORLD’S TALLEST BICYCLE – RICHIE TRIMBLE RIDES NEW 20+ FOOT HIGH STOOPIDTALLER BIKE]

Crafty Gloves

When cycling in the winter you need to have your hands covered but still have ample dexterity in the digitals. Craft has you – or rather your hands covered – with its line of new Hybrid Winter Glove that is actually a hybrid of a glove and mitten.

The glove is made of warm yet stretchable polyester with a brushed interior that keeps the fingers warm yet still allows you to use a touchscreen device such as a smartphone. When the wind picks up or the temperatures drop you can add a waterproof mitten cover to the mix.

Craft USA Official Website

Weekend Reading List (01.11.2014): CES Recaps – Fit Right, Big Fit, App It

CES: Fit Right

From Yahoo Tech: At CES, There Are Fitness Trackers For Everyone (And Their Dogs, Too)
You’ve seen fitness bands that track your steps, count your calories, and clock your mileage. But at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES), fitness and health monitors have taken over more floor space than ever, with well over a hundred companies presenting new devices claiming to improve your well-being, and that of your kids – even your dog. Continue reading Weekend Reading List (01.11.2014): CES Recaps – Fit Right, Big Fit, App It

CES: Scosche Shows it Has Rhythm (Smart)

Scosche unveiled its RHYTHM SMART + wearable at CES this week, an Innovations Award Honoree. This armband heart monitor optically measures blood flow and movement to calculate heart rate and calories burned more accurately than conventional heart rate monitors. It is a dual wireless band that operates on both Bluetooth Smart and ANT+, and allows it to be used with smartphones, sport watches and other supported exercise equipment from up to 100 feet. It is compatible with popular fitness apps including RunKeeper, Map My Fitness, Strava and all other apps that support Bluetooth Smart heart rate monitors.

In addition the onboard memory allows users to workout via a freeRUN mode without the need to carry another device.

Scosche Official Website

CES: Sleep Smart

Do you get enough sleep? And do you get quality sleep. Withings Aura is a 2014 CES Innovations Award honoree in the Health & Fitness category and it is designed to monitor and improve the quality of sleep.

The unit discreetly records a user’s sleeping environment and provides a complete understanding of sleep patterns. Using revolutionary and scientifically-validated light and sound programs, Withings Aura positively impacts the wake-up and fall-asleep experience, which are both instrumental in improving sleep cycles and overall well-being.

Withings Aura is comprised of a soft and discreet sleep sensor that slips under a user’s mattress and works in synchronization with the sensitively designed bedside device. Together, the two units record and monitor an array of factors, which provides a deep understanding of the sleeping experience. The sleep sensor focuses on personal patterns (body movements, breathing cycles and heart rate) while the bedside device screens your bedroom environment (noise pollution, room temperature and light levels).

With this data Withings Aura can provide users with scientifically-validated light and sound programs that will adapt to one’s personal body clock and positively impact the sleeping conditions. The multi-color LED dimming lighting technology makes the most of a proven correlation between lighting wavelengths and secretion of Melatonin, the hormone responsible for the sleep-wake cycle, whilst delicate sound programs replicate the circadian rhythm’s frequency and pattern. These can be relaxing as one falls asleep, and stimulating upon waking up.

In other words, good sleep!

Withings Official Website

CES: Clip it On

Bracketon has introduced its new GoPro-friendly camera mounts at this week’s International CES in Las Vegas. These include the Vented Helmet Strap, which can attach to almost every helmet on the market. The strap’s ball joints allows for a complete 360-degree rotation, so riders can capture the experience from any direction.

For those who take adventure in their hearts, the Xventure Chest Harness secures a GoPro camera safely to the torso to capture any excursions. This system features two durable side clips on either side for easy mounting and removal, along with an adjustable shoulder and side strap, making this harness a one-size-fits-most accessory.

The new Xventure Xlip Mount is also compatible with any GoPro camera and it allows any action camera to be clipped on, while the 360-degree rotation and adjustable neck allows users to take photos from almost any degree. The smooth, rubberized clamp makes it easy to attach to almost any stable surface.

Bracketron Official Website

CES: Razer on Cutting Edge with Nabu

Razer was on the cutting edge of fitness technology at this week’s CES in Las Vegas, and introduced its Razer Nabu, a new entry in the wearable’s category. It can deliver notifications from a smartphone directly to the wrist and is designed as an open platform that can be used by third-party app developers. The Razer Nabu features advanced sensors for data tracking, including location information, bio data feedback (steps walked, distance traveled, stairs climbed, etc.), sleep data and band-to-band communication.

“Smart watches in their current form are too bulky and fitness trackers are easily forgotten after the initial novelty wears off—we have fixed all of that,” noted Min-Liang Tan, Razer co-founder, CEO and creative director. “The Razer Nabu provides a revolutionary new platform that bridges the divide between so-called smart watches and fitness bands. It delivers only the information you need, collects data that you want, and deepens your social interactions. Most excitingly, with our open platform, developers can utilize data collected by the Nabu to deliver incredible experiences to individuals via mobile or desktop apps—social or otherwise.”

The Razer Nabu will be out later this year.

Razer Nabu Official Website

CES: Get On and E-Go

At CES this week some may have been possessed to skate (as the 1980s punk rock anthem once proclaimed), and took a ride on the E-Go Cruiser, the world’s lightest electric longboard at just 13.9 pounds. It is powered by one of the most powerful yet high capacity batteries, which allows users to travel 18 miles on a single charge.

The company claims the E-Go Cruiser is safe for beginners or experienced boarders, and provides an attractive alternative to urban transportation. Video after the jump

Wahoo Fitness and MyFitnessPal Partner to Track Every Move

Fitness apps are a great way to help keep you motivated. But those apps are often one-sided, and only track your steps, your exercise, or your calorie intake. Now Wahoo Fitness and MyFitnessPal have joined forces to combine some of those elements.

Wahoo Fitness devices and apps such as the Blue HR heart rate monitor, RFLKT bike computer and Balance Bluetooth Smartphone Scale can now get the calorie data from MyFitnessPal. The MyFitnessPal app is a free app that lets you track calories on its website and app by entering the food you eat. The app stores the foods you eat on a regular basis so it’s a matter of clicking on the box next to that food, such as toast. It also makes it easy to add foods on a one-off or regular rotation basis.

“Accurate calorie count and instant weight feedback is instrumental in reaching your fitness goals,” says Chip Hawkins, CEO of Wahoo Fitness, in a company statement. “With Thanksgiving and the rest of the holiday season, it’s more important than ever to stay on track. Everyone is pointlessly counting steps and inaccurately counting calories, with Wahoo’s hardware the MyFitnessPal community will not only be generating more precise data, but they will be generating the usable data, the data that actually matters when you’re tracking your results and working hard to reach your goals.”

Wahoo Fitness Official Website
MyFitnessPal Official Website

CES: Fitness Ear Plug In

Fitness Technologies Inc. is showing off its Plug-In AM Module that works with the new Fitness Technologies UWaterG8X and UWaterK9 Micro MP3 and FM players. This plug-in gives users – including those looking to listen while swimming – the option to tune-in to AM radio for talk shows, news and sports. Of course the players still provide FM radio, MP3 music and even audio books.

“We saw a need to combine AM broadcasting with our existing waterproof line of FM and MP3 micro players,” stated Opher Pail, President of Fitness Technologies, Inc. “We have many customers over 55, a group comprising the lion share of AM talk radio and news audiences, and we are very pleased to enhance their audio experience with our easy to use, affordable, new plug-in AM module.”

The Fitness Technologies Plug-in AM Module is 100 percent waterproof, includes a built-in 3.5mm audio connection for the included waterproof earphones, and is available in 3 colors – Neon Green, Orange and Metallic Grey. Device features after the jump