Tag: Google

Weekend Reading List (09.28.2013): Big Descent, Race Nerves, Go to Google, Newbie Boards

Big Descent

Descent

From GearJunkie: Ski Descent Of Fourth Tallest Mountain On Earth
A three-man Italian team will attempt the first complete ski descent of a coveted line high in the Himalayas this fall. Skiers Edmond Joyeusaz and Federico Colli plan to climb and ski down Lhotse, the fourth tallest mountain in the world at 27,940 feet, with videographer Carlo Limonta in the Lhotse Ski Challenge Expedition. Continue reading Weekend Reading List (09.28.2013): Big Descent, Race Nerves, Go to Google, Newbie Boards

FitBug Launches Game Framework

As we’ve seen competition – friendly competition – can help be a major motivating way to keep up with fitness goals. And Fitbug will help users stay motivated with the new Games Framework and iPhone app that allows taems or individuals to compete against each other in a variety of virtual challenges.

This new capability encompasses Google map-based progress and hotspot graphics, as well as Chatterbox and social media features to keep users motivated and connected. It also offers a team leader boards, and builds upon Fitbug’s previous league challenge, Fantasy Footfall. These games can further be customized to any route and branded to meet client requirements. The new games platform has been designed to enable Fitbug to provide a library of readily available challenges to clients and, where required, quickly build custom challenges for specific client requirements. Continue reading FitBug Launches Game Framework

Googlers Gets New Campus Bikes

Employees at the Google campus will have a new way to zip around. The company has unveiled new GBike, which was created by a team of engineers within the company. It is the result of about 40 submissions in a design competition from company employees, and it will debut later this month.

Google reportedly looked at for design criteria including easy production, affordability, comfort and security. The results is a basic form factor bike that features a beach cruiser design, and that the company has dubbed “Googley” (no word on whether Ned Flanders had input on the name). It features coaster and handbrakes, along with a basket and bell. Google will also reportedly order enough bikes for its 10,000 bikes on its campus. Continue reading Googlers Gets New Campus Bikes

Google X Glasses on the Way?

Google has many eyeballs on its search engine, as well as eyeballs on its mobile Android OS and of course eyes on the Google Chrome browser. Now it seems Google may be looking to get eyes looking through sporty looking eyewear too. Rumors have been circulating that Google Glasses could be on the way, offering an HUD screen on one lens to see a miniature screen, and earbuds to listen to music and make calls.

While not exactly designed for sports, these could offer benefits the in future for athletes, providing speed, calories and other information directly to the glasses so eyes are never off the road (or in many cases the prize). Let’s just hope people don’t think they can watch a bike race while out on a ride with these!

[Via AndroidCommunity: Rumor: Google’s Android-based HUD glasses getting public trials soon]

Android-based GPS Uses Wi-Fi, Not Cell

While Android-based phones and tablets commonly have 3G or 4G service so the device, and all its apps, stay connected even when out of Wi-Fi range. There are numerous Android-based tablets, however, that rely on Wi-Fi to stay connected. Now the All Sports GPS, which will be released in the future through a collaboration between Holux and app developer Satski, will rely on Wi-Fi to keep its apps up-to-date.

All Sports GPS is a ruggedized handheld GPS that will serve multiple sports including hiking, camping, skiing, golf, cycling, and any other sport that ventures beyond the field. In the field, the device will get satellite GPS data. But the handheld also runs the Android OS, so it can be loaded with any number of apps that take advantage of GPS positioning. Those apps will need to be loaded when the All Sports GPS is connected to the internet via Wi-Fi. Any apps that require connection in order to operate will be limited.

To create the All Sports GPS, Taiwan-based GPS manufacturer Holux teamed up with Canadian app developer Satski to bundle a range of apps on the device. It will come pre-loaded with a handful of Satski apps including All Sports Maps so users can download live maps from Google, Nokia OVI, Open Street, Open Cycle and other sources. The maps will then be accessible in the field for “offline” use. Other apps will include a new version of Satski, MyRide, and Pocket Caddy.

The All Sports GPS is not yet available.

All Sports GPS from Satski Official Website

Felt Makes Bike Shopping Easier

A majority of bike shop are owned and staffed by knowledgeable and honest people, but have you ever walked into a bike shop and felt that you were being steered towards a particular bike or size that didn’t seem to fit right? Were you told that a certain model was not available in another color? If you have run into this before at a bike shop, the best option is to either walk out or find another sales person, but what do you do if that shop is the only one in town that is an authorized dealer for the brand of bike that you want? Another option is to arm yourself with knowledge, and Felt Bicycles is helping you do that – at least for its brand.

Continue reading Felt Makes Bike Shopping Easier

Google: Moving Sustainably for Commuting Employees

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dt5sMxYMkGs&feature=player_embedded

Google has long been thought of as an innovator in the high tech industry, but most people who do not live in the San Francisco Bay Area are unaware that they are also innovators when it comes to their employees commuting to work. With 1000’s of employees, Google has grown what was a grassroots van pool in 2006 to a 70 vehicle fleet with 275 daily departures which can all be tracked online by the waiting employees. This program alone has reduced their yearly carbon dioxide emissions by 5,400 tons or the equivalent of almost 2,000 cars off of the road a day.

Realizing not everyone can or wants to take the shuttle, Google also encourages their employees to use other modes of transportation to commute to work. Along with reducing the carbon footprint and getting some exercise, employees who are part of the Self Powered Commute Program (ie. cyclists) also earn a charity credit for each day that they ride. In addition to encouraging employees to use alternative transportation to commute to work, Google also has 1,000’s of bicycles around that Mountain View campus that employees can use as needed.

Brendon Harrington, Transportation Operations Manager at Google, talks about alternative transportation and says that 40-percent of Google’s Mountain View employees commute via non-single car driving.

Though Google has not completely achieved the goal of being ‘carbon neutral’, they are making a valiant effort. What is your company doing?

Google Green Official Website

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+

Google Shutters Its Health Record Service

Google announced last week that it is ending its free Google Health program by the end of the year (although data will be available for download until January 1, 2013). Partnering with a variety of health-related companies and providers, such as CVS, Quest Diagnostics, Walgreens, Withings, and the Cleveland Clinic, the personal health record service allows users to manage their personal health and wellness info by volunteering their health records. We have written about the Withings WiFi body scale that works in conjunction with Google Health on Kinetic Shift. Unfortunately, Google Health failed to achieve the type of impact and widespread adoption that the company had hoped, the company said. The service has also had to deal with issues concerning privacy, as it is not a covered entity under Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act laws. Continue reading Google Shutters Its Health Record Service

Tour de France: Catching Up with HTC Columbia Out on the Road

We reported earlier this month that Team HTC Columbia had partnered with Google, and while the Tour de France is heading towards Paris you can still track the placement of riders in real time. Each rider with Team HTC Columbia is using the My Tracks program, and is carrying an HTC Legend device, so this allows for the location to be provided via GPS in real time.

You can also see the individual rider’s power, speed, cadence and heart rate data. About the only thing you can’t see is who is going to be the new lead out man for Mark Cavendish.

[Via ZDNet] 

Tour de France 2010: High Road Sports Teams Up With Google and Skype

Follow Mark Cavendish and the rest of Team HTC-Columbia throughout the Tour de France

This year fans of the Tour de France will be able to follow the HTC-Columbia riders in real time, thanks to a new technology and marketing collaboration with Google Inc. High Road Sports announced that will work with the Internet search engine giant, along with team sponsors HTC and SRM to provide data from the HTC-Columbia riders during this year’s tour.

This partnership won’t just let you see where the riders are on the course, but will give you details on track speed, heart rate of specific riders, power output and other data that is provided by the SRM power meter! So if you want to know how much power Mark Cavendish cranks out in a sprint, or the heart rate of Marco Pinotti in a time trial, you’ll be able to track it.

 Taiwan based HTC, which was the maker of the first Google Android powered mobile handset, worked closely with SRM, Google and High Road to develop the HTC Legend smartphone. These will collect real time racing and location information, which in turn can be transmitted wirelessly to Google’s own servers. The phones will run Google’s mobile application “My Tracks,” which can read the racing data directly from the SRM sensors on the HTC-Columbia rider’s bikes. 

And when Cavendish makes his famous “phone gesture” while crossing the finish line we’ll have to wonder if he’s thinking make a call with Skype. HTC-Columbia has also signed a deal with the global telecommunications service, and the Skype logo will make a debut on the jerseys as they ride through France.

High Road Sports: Team HTC-Columbia

Check back throughout the Tour de France for the news and updates on latest technological advances in the world of cycling.

Google Maps Clears a Path for Biking

Map your bike route on Google Maps.

We applauded Google years ago when it added walking directions to Google Maps. Public transportation directions are also helpful. The newest addition to Maps is Bicycling directions. Now in beta (what at Google isn’t?), you can look up the bike routes you take, and learn about new ones. I just mapped a ride I took a few times last summer, Manhattan to Nyack, New York. It suggested two routes that differed even a little from the two routes I’ve ridden in the past. Now I’m looking forward to a nice enough day to take the new routes.

For discovery, Google highlights streets by bike friendliness. Dark green lines on the map indicate dedicated bike-only trails. Light green lines mark streets with a dedicated bike lane along the road. Dotted green lines indicate roads without bike lanes, but still appropriate for biking based on terrain, traffic, and intersections. In hilly cities such as San Francisco Google Maps will plot out a course that’s less hilly. Of course you can always drag and drop your route on the map to adjust to your specifications.

Google partnered with Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, a nonprofit that creates a network of trails from former rail lines, to build the data in over 150 cities for this project. To get biking directions you can go to Google Maps and select bicycling as your mode of transportation, or go to the specific page for bicycling.

Check out Google’s video on its new maps for bicycling.

Team Radioshack Cycling Made its Debut; HTC-Columbia Wins First Tour of the Year

Remember the hype last summer; seven times Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong announced a new professional cycling team? Well, Team RadioShack Cycling actually made its debut last week in the Santos Tour Down Under, which marks the official start of the pro cycling season. Yes, it is still about six months until July’s Tour de France, but cycling is much more than just the big show through France – and for the record this year’s event will begin in The Netherlands! Cycling can be confusing when nations are considered.

This was the 12 annual Tour Down Under, which ran from January 17 to 24, and it was won by Germany’s Andre Greipel (only the second ride to win this race twice) who races for the American HTC-Columbia team, the most winning team in cycling. HTC by the way is the Taiwanese-based mobile phone company that made the first “Google Android Phone,” the G1 for T-Mobile (itself a German company). HTC has a three year sponsorship deal with owners Team High Road. And actually the HTC-Columbia team had formerly been the T-Mobile Team, but following some scandals we won’t bring up, the team switched nationality from German to American, after T-Mobile dropped its sponsorship! Confused? Maybe this is what makes cycling, and those high-tech sponsors, just all the more interesting to viewers.

And while Armstrong didn’t win, he wasn’t expected to do so. He’s just getting in shape for the big show in France!