Android | Evolving Consumer

Ballistic Cases Give Your Android Triple Protection

Today’s Android smartphones pack larger-than-average screens in increasingly thinner bodies, and while that may sound great on paper, in the real world it can become a recipe for disaster, especially when you take your favorite phone on a run or bike ride with you. To protect your handset from a premature death on the sidewalk, Ballistic has created a bulletproof case for two of the hottest Android phones on the market today – the Samsung Galaxy S II and the Samsung Galaxy Epic 4G Touch. The new Ballistic Shell Gell Series Case offers three layers of protection for these phones ensuring that no harm comes to your mobile device.

The outermost layer of the case provides shock absorption, while the middle layer is made of impact-resistant polycarbonate. The third layer can be found on the corners of the case, which are padded with silicone to ensure your phone never collides with concrete.

The new cases are only compatible with the Sprint versions of these phones and cost $35 each. They probably won’t actually stop a bullet – and we wouldn’t recommend that you try – they will provide some needed protection that can keep that shiny new phone shiny and scratch free.

Ballistic Official Website
[Via Ubergizmo: Ballistic protects your Samsung Galaxy S II, Epic 4G Touch]

Heads-Up Add-On For Your Ski Goggles

While we’ve seen various ski goggles that have featured a built-in heads up display, Recon Instruments is providing a new add-on that will allow users to add its MOD Live Package to a range of goggles. The Vancouver-based company is offering “real-time information direct to eye” for skiers and snow boarders. The MOD Live will work with “Recon Ready” goggles from Uvex, Briko, Alpina and Zeal Optics. Continue reading Heads-Up Add-On For Your Ski Goggles

An App to Diagnosis a Concussion

Of the hundreds of thousands of apps that are available for the Apple iOS and the Google Android, how many are truly useful? That depends on how you look at it, but a better question might be how many have the potential to save a life? There are not many, but that trend is changing as it is becoming more obvious that smartphones and tablets are here to stay.

The Concussion Recognition and Response app from PAR Inc. is one such app and is designed specifically for coaches and parents to help them identify if an individual is exhibiting the signs and symptoms of a suspected concussion in under five minutes.

Video after the jump

Sports Tracker in the Blue(Tooth)

Sports Tracker has announced that it has released its Bluetooth Heart Rate Monitor. The chest strap device pairs with a smartphone app, allowing users to view heart rate and other stats in real time, while also sending the data to the cloud via the company website or through social media. Users can monitor speed, distance, time, number of steps, elevation and of course calories burned. The device can even geo-tag photos you take while working out, and can be linked with a map once synced with Sports Tracker website.

As the name implies it features Bluetooth wireless connectivity to a smartphone, and has a range up to 20 meters or 65.6 feet. The Sports Tracker can be charged via USB and can run for up to 40 hours on a single charge. It is available worldwide, while the free app is available for Android and Symbian handsets, as well as the iPhone. We’ll be watching to see when this arrives stateside. Video after the jump

Bianchi launches the new BlackBerry App

We noted last month that Bianchi launched an Android app, which followed the release of an app for the iPhone and iPad. Now BlackBerry users can get in on the action from the Italian bike manufacturer, which has announced a new version for the Research in Motion handset.

BlackBerry App main features are:

- surfing on the whole Bianchi range with itemized images and technical features
– on-time news and update by Bianchi official web site
– updatings posted directly on Twitter and highlighted on the App’s homepage with a provided push notification box
– dealers area with geolocation research system

As with the Android and iPhone versions, this free to download app offers users the ability to surf the whole Bianchi range of products with itemized images and technical features, news and updates from the official Bianchi website and geolocation search so users can easily find the closest Bianchi dealer. And of course it also features the Celeste green.

Bianchi Official Website
Bianchi App at BlackBerry App World

And the Beat Goes On With Continuous Heart Rate Monitoring

The convergence of mobile devices and those for fitness and health looks to be a major focus at the upcoming CTIA Enterprise and Applications trade show to take place in San Diego next month. Valencell, a developer of mobile health and fitness technology, announced it will unveil new prototypes with extended capabilities that integrate next generation heart rate monitoring technology directly into music earbuds and headsets that millions of people already wear, helping consumers achieve their fitness goals while exercising or just going about everyday activities.

Valencell will showcase live demos on multiple platforms including Android and a new headset design for the iPhone, as presenters will be wearing units and showing mobile applications to demonstrate how this new licensable technology measures body metrics such as continuous heart rate, calories burned, distance and speed during use on a treadmill, stationary bike, and in other exercise scenarios.

“The mobile health industry is quickly emerging, creating a need to bridge the gap between consumer devices, fitness and health,” said Steven LeBoeuf, CEO and co-founder of Valencell. “We’re excited to showcase ways in which companies can easily integrate our technology into their products to connect consumers with their personalized health and fitness goals.”

The Valencell booth will be located in the Wireless Health Pavilion at CTIA Enterprise and Applications, which will take place at the San Diego Convention Center, October 11-13, 2011 in California.

Valencell Official Website
CTIA Enterprise and Applications Official Website

Bianchi Launches Android App

Bianchi Bicycle owners can be a dedicated bunch, and we don’t blame them for loving their finely crafted Italian made machines. Now they can share their joy with a new app for Android mobile smartphones that follows the release of the iPhone and iPad launches – and don’t worry a BlackBerry version is also in the work.

The free to download app offers users the ability to surf the whole Bianchi range of products with itemized images and technical features, news and updates from the official Bianchi website and geolocation search so users can easily find the closest Bianchi dealer. And what would a Bianchi app be were it not highlighted in Celeste green?

Bianchi App on the Android Market

Glacier Computer Introduces Rugged Windows-based 7-inch Tablet

When one thinks of table computing, Apple’s iPad or one of the many Android-based varieties come to mind. Heck, maybe even a BlackBerry PlayBook or a now-defunct HP TouchPad. But try to think of a rugged tablet, and you may be hard-pressed to come up with any. In truth, rugged portable computers have been around for a long time, but they aren’t exactly the chic portables that you currently see billboard ads for. Take Glacier Computer’s new T507K, for example.
Continue reading

Interbike 2011: Competition Heads Up With Mobile Challenge

Interbike is less than two weeks away, and attendees will have a bit of extra incentive to bring their A game. Last week Interbike announced it has a new mobile app that will help attendees interact and stay connected with the industry during next month’s trade show.

Now, in partnership with Stravea, Interbike will add a little friendly competition to the mix during the OutDoor Demo event. Any rider attending the trade show’s OutDoor Demo will be able to visit Strava.com and create a free account to take part in the Strava OutDoor Demo Challenge, where riders can track performances of one another. The app is free for download to iPhone and Android devices. Continue reading Interbike 2011: Competition Heads Up With Mobile Challenge

The FDA to Regulate Apps

If you have a pulse and are familiar with Apple’s iPhone, you’ve heard the slogan “there’s an app for that.” With the number of apps exceeding 350,000 for just the iPhone and iPod Touch iOS platform, and ten of thousands of apps for the Android, BlackBerry and other smartphones, there are countless medical apps available. And just like Apple’s well known modern slogan, there is also another phase which is much older, scientia potentia est or “knowledge is power” – this is the phase that worries the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA is now proposing guidelines to regulate a small number of medical apps and oversee those that they deem could be dangerous to the general public if the information presented is wrong. All of these apps are medical related and will only be regulated if the information presented could put an individual at risk if the apps does not work as intended.

The policy advisor to the FDA, Bakul Patel, states that some of the apps have a simple goal of helping consumers manage their own health and wellness, for example the National Institutes of Health’s LactMed app, which gives nursing mothers information about the effects of medicines on breast milk and nursing infants. While there are other apps help health care providers improve and facilitate patient care – the Radiation Emergency Medical Management (REMM) app gives health care providers guidance on diagnosing and treating radiation injuries. Continue reading The FDA to Regulate Apps

Motorola’s Rugged New DEFY+

Some mobile phones are built with more ruggedized features than others, but phone manufacturers often focus on drop and impact yet ignore some main culprits threatening a phone’s integrity: moisture, dirt and screen integrity. These are the main targets for the newly unveiled Motorola DEFY+, an Android-based phone that stands up to environment.

The DEFY+ runs Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), Google’s latest version of the mobile operating system. The new operating system is optimized to work smarter, faster, and offers better battery life so you can go longer without plugging in.

The features we like are the water resistant, dust proof and scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass properties of the phone. We’ve tested Corning’s Gorilla Glass, and compared to the display glass used on most phones, this new glass stands up to threats such as keys, rocks and other sharp objects. It takes quite a bit of pressure before the glass shows any signs of distress. So you can put this in your pocket and not worry if the phone’s display dances with other gear you have stored alongside it. Continue reading Motorola’s Rugged New DEFY+

MapMyRun Takes On Marathons

MapMyFitness is an online training tool that uses social networking to track and discuss your workouts. The company offers tools for “MapMy” run, ride, walk, tri and hike. The MapMyRun segment is offering marathon tracking, according to some reports. The app is adapted with the MapMyRun software, RFID and GPS tracking to follow runners on race day.

Once runners are being tracked, friends can follow their competing friends, and watch the progress of other runners on the course. MapMyFitness tested the app at the New York City Marathon last fall, and the San Francisco Marathon, which took place last month.

A free version allows runners competing in the marathon to be tracked and later review results. A paid app ($1.99) lets spectators track their friends and other runners. Runners can post updates, though we think they might want to keep their mind and bodies on the course.

The basic version shows event info, the course map, participant listings and “buzz” which is likely Tweets and other conversational aspects on marathon day.

MapMyFitness and its free Marathon app on iTunes and Android

Sony Ericsson Xperia Active for Android-Loving Fitness and Outdoors Buffs

It’s a given that cell phones tend not to play well with the Earth’s elements, but whether it’s summer at the beach or a bike ride down a muddy trail, Sony Ericsson’s good-looking Xperia Active smartphone is designed to take a beating.

Rugged cell phones aren’t new, and the Xperia Active also isn’t the first rugged Android-based smartphone, either (Motorola and Casio have them). But the Xperia Active targets those with a fitness-focused lifestyle. Besides being water- and dust-resistant, the Xperia Active is ANT+ compliant for use with other compatible products such as exercise equipment and pulse monitors. Other sporty features include a Gear Kit that comes with an arm case, wrist strap, and headphones with ear straps; fitness-related apps; GPS, barometer, and compass functionality; and a screen that’s usable even when your fingers are wet.

Beneath its ruggedness is a full-featured Android smartphone that runs Android 2.3 (Gingerbread). It’s powered by a 1-gigahertz processor and features a 3-inch, 320×480 display with what Sony Ericsson calls the Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA Engine. You can shoot videos in high definition, and you can download apps as you would with any Android phone. It’s slightly on the thick side, but what you sacrifice in size you get in protection (it is lighter than an iPhone 4, however, which is good news for those who don’t like being bogged down by stuff).

No pricing or market announcements have been made, yet, and there’s a chance it could never make it onto our shores. If it does, look for it in the third quarter of this year.

SONY ERICSSON XPERIA ACTIVE