CES 2012: Train to the Rhythm of Iqua Beat

Music can make fitness routines a little more enjoyable and a lot less routine, while encouragement can help get someone through a workout. At the Consumer Electronics Show Iqua Ltd. got into the rhythm with its new Iqua Beat training solution for iPhone. The company, which is a designer of hands free headsets has launched the new Bluetooth stereo headset and iPhone app for the North American market.

Iqua Beat can be used to tracks heart rate, pace, calorie consumption, and distance traveled, while providing audio feedback, encouragement, and guidance during the workout work out. The headset monitors the user’s heart rate from their earlobe, and the patented earpieces provide a secure in-ear fit ideal for a wide range of sports. Continue reading CES 2012: Train to the Rhythm of Iqua Beat

Pump up the New Year

Getting fit is no doubt many a resolution, but this year PumpOne looks to make the personal training experience a little easier. For 2012 the company has brought out its FitnessBuilder app to the Android platform, building on tis successful iOS app for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.

Fitness Builder Official Website Feature list after the jump

Macaw App Can Be the Hub for a Better You

Most of us have heard the old adage, “preventative medicine is the best medicine.” What does that really mean? At the base level it means making smart decisions in our everyday lives. Would William Henry Harrison have been a great president if he had just worn his hat and coat? We’ll never know since he chose to not dress properly for his inaugural address. What can we do to live a healthier life and how do we really evaluate if those little things like taking the stairs really help? U.S. Preventive Medicine, Inc., in collaboration with Qualcomm Life Inc., has launched a new app to help those wanting to live a better life, but just need a little help along the way. The Macaw app is designed as “a complete personal health monitor” and serve as a hub to track the user’s health and fitness.

Video after the jump

Fitness and Health Apps: Big Business in Years to Come

Even if all the sports and health mobile applications aren’t getting people in shape, it is making for a very healthy market. According to a new report from ABI Research the sports and health mobile application market will grow to over $400 million in 2016, way up from the $120 million the sector reported in 2010.

According to ABI much of that growth will be spurred by the ability of mobile handsets to offer connectivity to wearable devices that can provide greater functionality, accuracy and appeal to sports and fitness applications. The new apps can in essence replace, or at least replicate what standalone products such as heart rate monitors and calorie counters are currently providing. Continue reading Fitness and Health Apps: Big Business in Years to Come

fitnessMeter 1.0 Offers Photo Finish Technology

There is a new app for coaches and athletes looking to get precise, automatic measurement of fitness levels and athletic performance in five categories including flying sprints, sprint & shuttle, vertical jump, repetitions and beep test. Kaiser & Kaiser has announced the release of the fitnessMeter 1.0 for iOS, which is capable of providing results for more than 20 standard tests and exercises, the app uses the device’s camera and/or accelerometer to achieve an accuracy of +/- 0.02 of a second. fitnessMeter leverages technology originally developed for the company’s successful sprintTimer app.

The app can be used to measure conditioning, fitness, and performance accurately, which has traditionally been challenging, particularly when the subject of measurement has no one available to lend assistance. The fitnessMeter app employs Kaiser & Kaiser’s Photo Finish technology to supply results that are more accurate than a stopwatch through use of the device’s built-in camera. Following selection of one of the five categories pre-programmed into the app, the user simply aligns the device, which will then automatically signal the start of the test and save the results. Video after the jump

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

Jawbone UP Start to Better Health

We’ve seen wrist bands that show support for various causes, notably the famous yellow wrist band for Livestrong. But now Jawbone, an innovator of products and services for the mobile lifestyle, has unveiled a very different kind of wrist band. This is the Jawbone UP, a new system that works with an app for the iPhone and iPod Touch that can track daily activities including sleep patterns and eating habits. All this is geared to help the wearer reach a healthier life. Continue reading Jawbone UP Start to Better Health

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

Velocomp iBike Coach Pushes Riders

Gone are the days of the cycling computer with one or two buttons that cycle through speed, distance, cadence and limited readings. The smartphone is the perfect venue for the cycle computer, with the appropriate app. It’s got a nice big screen, and connectivity offers real-time maps and location data along with those stats of speed, distance and time on the bike.

Velocomp just introduced its iBike Coach for the iPhone. It’s a handlebar-mountable case that holds the iPhone and protects it from water and other damage. The case encloses the phone and protects it in the event of a crash or other blunt force.

Video after the jump

Nike Soccer Shoe Laser Strike

httpv://youtu.be/cHLVsEO84oA

Nike just released its Nike T90 Laser IV soccer shoe. The “football” shoe is 20 percent lighter than the previous version. It features a streamlined silhouette that provides enhanced fit and lets wearers feel the ball. The forefoot area has a newly configured adaptive shield design that works with the foot’s natural motion to boost performance. Constructed from high performance synthetic leather, the upper provides a soft and close-to-the-foot fit. On the sole, a new stud design enhances speed and movement, without added weight or pressure.

To coincide with the launch, Nike Football created the T90 Strike Counter on Facebook. This app allows users to log their goals, and recreate the action in a 3D image. Report the spot on the pitch from where a goal was scored; where in the goal the ball went, and what part of the boot (shoe) was struck the ball. The data render a 3D image that can be shared with friends. Participants can also check out the 3D image and input from pro football players.

Nike T90 Laswer IV Football Shoe Official Website

Toyota Tri’s Fitness Market With New App

Even if you aren’t competing in this weekend’s Toyota U.S. Open Triathlon you can follow the action with a new mobile app. Today Life Time Fitness, Inc. and Best Buy Mobile announced the release of the app that will allow friends, family and spectators to track individual triathletes through this Sunday’s events in Rockwall, Texas.

The app will give competitors and spectators information on key locations like Saturday’s Toyota U.S. Open Triathlon Sports and Fitness Expo, The Harbor swim start, transition information, and the Finish Festival at The Hilton Bella Harbor. Competitors can also review the event updates that have been sent out.

“Thanks to Best Buy Mobile, spectators, friends and family can follow their favorite triathlete’s progress during the race,” said race director Nick Lynch. “After downloading the app, touching the ‘tracking’ icon and entering a bib number, they’ll be able to see the location of their triathlete as he or she crosses certain checkpoints on race day.”

In addition to providing real-time participant splits and transition times powered by the RR:360 results engine, the mobile app also will provide event information related to the best locations to watch the race, course maps, and overall race results. The Toyota U.S. Open Triathlon app can be downloaded free for Android and iPhones smartphones. And those without smartphone access can still follow the action from a computer.

All 2011 Race to the Toyota Cup participant results and current point standings are available at racetothetoyotacup.com, the official website of the Race to the Toyota Cup.

Best Buy Mobile: Android and iPhones Apps
RaceResults360.com Official Website
Racetothetoyotacup.com 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

iPhone app maximizes cardio workouts

httpv://youtu.be/ZsCYc1bXi7Y

Love it or hate it, cardio workouts are a must if you’re trying to tone up or lose weight. But if you’re like most people, the thought of spending 30 minutes on a treadmill is a motivation zapper. Fortunately for iPhone users, there’s an app that can help.

Created by Beau Taillefer, Forumla 55 ($4.99) is an iOS-based app designed to keep your cardio sessions fresh by pushing you out of your comfort zone. Formula 55 workouts incorporate squats, sprints, hills, and more to ensure you never get stuck in a cardio rut. Just plug in your measurements, select your goals, and the app automatically does the rest.

The app also lets you import playlists so you always workout to your favorite tunes, and once you’re done you can blast your workouts through cyber space thanks to the app’s built-in Facebook integration.

Formula 55
[via ABC Action News: Group of amateur athletes get ripped using unique app]