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Krack Up

Skate culture is one that we truly could say has many “old school” elements, but a new start-up dubbed Krack is looking to change things. The wearables company is looking to bring fitness tracking to the board culture. This isn’t as easy as it sounds as skateboarding is a technical sport that involves many quick and precise movements.

Krack’s new system includes tiny sensors that attach to the bottom of a skateboard, and these feature a gyroscope, accelerometer, and magnetometer to collect data, while an algorithms is able to make sense of it. The big question of course is why? The answer is that this could allow skaters to track progress – and possibly allow it to be used to show off their skills even if someone didn’t witness the skater in motion. It could also be used to enhance the skateboarding community through social media.

Krack Official Website

TICKR Run to Reduce Injury

Fitness trackers can monitor your results and progress, while some can even track your stance, posture and form. Now Wahoo Fitness has introduced what it calls the world’s only heart rate monitor with activity tracking that provides real-time analysis of a runner’s form, helping to improve efficiency and avoid injury rates. The TICKR Run is Wahoo’s new heart rate monitor that pairs with Android and iOS smartphones and devices.

It utilizes triple axis motion sensors along with an accelerometer that together can measure a runner’s form in three planes: vertically, side-to-side and front-to-back. Those sensors and Wahoo’s fitness app for Android and iOS produce a measurement of each runner’s form called Running Smoothness, a sophisticated algorithm that assigns varying levels of importance to each axis and combines them into a single, easy-to-understand index.

With Running Smoothness athletes can improve their form to avoid unnecessary body motion, which improves efficiency and reduces the risk of common running injuries. Using Wahoo’s app, runners can even track Running Smoothness through their workout history to see improvements over long periods of time. Continue reading TICKR Run to Reduce Injury

Watch and Learn

There are plenty of cardio-focused fitness trackers on the market, but a heart rate monitor and calorie counter only goes so far at the gym. This is where the GYMWATCH comes in. It is a new fitness tracker, which is being developed through an Indiegogo campaign to measure strength and motion. It is thus aimed at those who hit the gym to gain weight and mass instead of losing it. The GYMWATCH is worn on an armband and features a built-in accelerometer, gyroscope and magnetometer to record movement and strength during a workout.

It is paired with a smartphone so users can monitor the process – but of course not phone it in! Video after the jump

Ready to Climax with ClimbAX

There are plenty of fitness monitors that can track heart rate and performance, but the ClimbAX is designed with climbers in mind. This system consists of two rubber-coated wristbands that contain an accelerometer, orientation sensor, altitude sensor, a NAND memory chip, and a 16-bit microprocessor.

This can help detect the orientation of the climber’s arms and track movement and even composure. The wearer can get information that is presented via four metrics that look at power, stability, control and speed. This can determine the strength that was used, the ability to transition between holds and even the total time it took during a climb.

Unlike many fitness trackers that provide real-time monitoring the idea with this one is for climbers to analyze their efforts after an ascent. Trying to look at one’s wrists while climbing wouldn’t be a good idea now would it?

ClimbAX Official Website

Golf of Game

At the end of the day golf is still a game, a potentially enjoyable game but still a game. Mastering golf is so much more, but the Game Golf looks to change that. This system utilizes a GYG device along with a set of club tags, which utilize GPS, NFC, compass, accelerometer and gyrometer. When heading out to the course golfers tag the club to the device, which records every shot.

Data is uploaded via low power wireless or USB to the Game platform, allowing golfers to know what clubs were used, how far the shots were and even accuracy. It could make for a whole new game. Game Golf is currently being developed through an Indiegogo project and its developers are looking to bring it out later this year. Video after the jump

Spike the Bike

Currently in development through a Kickstarter project the BikeSpike is being designed as a bicycle GPS that could also offer automatic crash reporting. This small gizmo features a GPS chipset with a built-in antenna, on-board accelerometer and a connection to a global cellular network.

This could allow users to pinpoint the exact location of a bicycle via the web or through a mobile smartphone, and aid law enforcement in recovering a stolen bike. It this way it could digitally lock a bicycle and notify owners if the bike has left its location, or even if it has just fallen or been disturbed. In the event of a crash or collision that is detected by the on-board accelerometer the BikeSpike could contact those on a pre-selected list so that help can be on its way. Video after the jump

Nintendo Technology to Light the Way

When we heard that Maxxon’s Wireless Brake Light would use “Nintendo Wii” technology we didn’t know what that meant, but in essence the light is equipped with an accelerometer that detects a sudden deceleration and turns on a bright solid red light, so that those behind the rider will react much as they might to break lights in a car. It offers auto power-on capability as well s auto power-off, and the Wireless Brake Light provides steady and blink modes as well. Not a bad way to help alert drivers when riding at night or dusk.

Maxxon Wireless Brake Light Official Website

Swimsense Tracks Performance in Pool

We’ve seen no shortage of devices for tracking your progress whilst running or cycling, but what about those in the pool? In fact, we’ve often heard from various heart rate makers that it is actually difficult to track an athlete while they’re in the water. But someone has had the sense to find a way around that, and now FINIS has introduced the Swinsense (powered by SportsSense).

This groundbreaking training tool can actually capture critical performance data. It is worn much like a wrist watch and it uses an accelerometer, magnetometers and proprietary algorithms to help users identify how they swim. Out of the pool users can analyze their performance on the dive with pace times, distance (calculated in meters/yards or even laps), stroke count, stroke rate, distance-per-stroke and of course calories burned across all four major strokes.

User cans further take the performance data and have it uploaded to the FINIS Swimsense training log for additional analysis, and keep a running log with historical review. The Swimsense Performance Monitor will be available this holiday (MSRP: $199.99). Think of it as your sixth sense for your swim training.

FINIS Swimsense Performance Monitor

Oregon Scientific and Gaiam Bring Trio of Watches, Pedometers

Even women’s heart rate monitors can be bulky and masculine. That’s changing, and a trio new styles introduced through a partnership between Oregon Scientific and Gaiam are a mong those with a lighter, more feminine design. Two wristwatch trainers and one pedometer come in attractive colors and are packed with new features.

The Gaiam Zone Trainer ($109) is a heart rate monitor with a tap-on display that you can easily toggle through settings by just hitting the watch face. Settings include heart rate, calories and fat burned. The watchband and buttons are constructed from a silicone material designed for comfort and breathability. Continue reading Oregon Scientific and Gaiam Bring Trio of Watches, Pedometers

Apple Spins Patent for Cycling

s-APPLE-BIKE-large — Apple's diagram for its Smart Bike patent application currently in development.

Looking for a cycling computer? There’s an app for that. Apple recently filed with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office for various concepts of a newly-advanced Smart Bicycle System. Reportedly in development, the app will use the iPhone’s (or iPod iTouch) accelerometer and gyroscope to measure speed, distance, time, altitude, elevation, incline, decline, heart rate, temperature, weather, wind speed and other factors relevant to cycling. A few other add-ons such as a heart rate monitor strap and sensors to place on the wheel will likely be required to take full advantage of the app.

Other news outlets are reporting the iPhone and app that pro cyclists could adopt and even used to communicate while racing in a stage. Most teams already have cycling computers that read all the same settings and report back to the team’s manager in the team car. Garmin-Transitions Slipstream, for example, has Garmin as a sponsor and part of the GPS manufacturer’s commitment is in supply of cycle computers and other equipment. It is possible some teams will opt for the iPhone app, and certainly will be open to a sponsorship. Several new teams have been announced and it wouldn’t be all too surprising to see an Apple team form in the next year or so.

Whether the app is used by competitive cyclists, expect to see plenty of hipsters on track bikes with their iPhones mounted to the handlebars. We just hope they refrain from text and ride practices.

[via: Patently Apple and Huffington Post]