GPS | Evolving Consumer

Marine Corp Marathon Gets App Coverage

Whether you’re running in a marathon this year or just watching from the sidelines, there will be an app for that! The New York City Marathon on November 7 will feature support for an iPhone app for the first time this year, and it will include news alerts as well as live video of the professional race, but for a different way to “phone in the race” there will be the RaceMate app for the upcoming Marine Corp Marathon.

The race, which is set to take place on October 31, will be the first to provide GPS coverage with real-time connection between runners and followers. RaceMate is an app for the iPhone and Android smartphones as well as the Apple iPad, which can allow a follower to track the route and location of a runner in the race. Continue reading Marine Corp Marathon Gets App Coverage

People Choice Tries on GPS Smart Shoe

While there are many tracking programs out there for children and even teens, GTX Corp introduced an innovative product aimed at adults suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Many sufferers are actually in good physical condition and thus aren’t confined to a room or even a house. To keep track of loved ones, the company came up with a novel idea – namely putting a tracking device in the footwear.

Now the GPS Smart Shoe has won the 2010 People’s Choice Award for Most Innovative Connected Location Device at the 4^th Annual Locations & Beyond Summit this past week. Continue reading People Choice Tries on GPS Smart Shoe

What the Garmin Acquisition of MetriGear Means for Cycling, Fitness Computers

Garmin, maker of GPS devices, acquired MetriGear last month. The newly-acquired company based in Silicon Valley creates solutions for improving athletic performance in cycling and other sports. One of MetriGear’s products is Vector, a power meter built into a bike pedal’s spindles. This meter calculates a cyclist’s power by measuring force applied to the pedals.

“Power is becoming the must-have information for cyclists who want to improve their performance,” said Cliff Pemble, Garmin president and COO.

Continue reading What the Garmin Acquisition of MetriGear Means for Cycling, Fitness Computers

GPS Transcends to Snow Goggles

If The Terminator ever got on a snowboard he’d likely have useful information, such as speed and temperature, right in the front of his eyes – or visual optical system or whatever it was supposed to be. The rest of us have traditionally had to look down at a device to get all that data. When roaring down a mountain looking down isn’t a good idea, so you either have to stop what you’re doing or hope for the best. But Zeal Optics will change everything beginning this Sunday, October 10, with the release of the world’s first GPS enable goggle, the Transcend GPS – which could truly transcend the way you track your activity. Continue reading GPS Transcends to Snow Goggles

Interbike 2010: Contour GPS Video Camera: Look Mom, No Hands

Take this for a ride. The Contour GPS camera shoots high-definition, 180p video while the built-in GPS tracks your trip in real-time. And then there’s the bonus that the camera mounts to a helmet, goggles or other article of clothing so your hands are free to grip handlebars, poles or a steering wheel. What would be the point of built-in GPS if you weren’t on the move while filming?

The Contour GPS films what you see. It also takes data on the map, terrain, and gives you a hybrid view. So when you play back the video on your computer, and especially when you post it for your friends to see, a ticker on the map follows the action on trails, ski slopes, roads, rivers, or wherever you filmed. There’s no limit. The camera is just about to hit the market for $349.99.

Just keep in mind. The video is 1080p high definition. However expect a little jerky camera syndrome. If you have a camera mounted to your helmet, it sees what you see. And if you’re riding your bike on rocky, uneven terrain, the video will likely bounce around a little. It’s still exciting that you can film high-definition to show your friends that daring descent on a black diamond slope.

For some really amazing mountain biking, check out this video and make sure to watch the GPS tracking on the right.

Contour GPS official website

Hit the Trails with Trimble apps on V Cast

Trimble-topo — A topographic map of the Mount Evans trail in Colorado.

Whether you’re working out; hiking or seeking geocached treasures, you may be bringing three or more devices on your jaunt. A phone to stay connected and be able to call for help if necessary; a GPS device to guide you on your walks or track progress for workouts; and possibly an MP3 player to keep you entertained on the long run.

Verizon added three services from GPS-enabled outdoors activity provider Trimble: AllSport GPS; Trimble Outdoors; and Geocache Navigator through its V Cast subscription service. AllSport is an app that tracks workouts such as walks, runs and bike rides with maps. The app records more than 20 stats including distance, time, speed, and calories burned. The program lets you track goals as you progress through the season. Continue reading Hit the Trails with Trimble apps on V Cast

Nike+ Plus GPS

The trouble with dongles is that these little things are easy to misplace. Maybe it is some sort of technology conspiracy theory that is part of the planned obsolescence. If you lose it, you must replace it and thus buy it again. That’s basic Marketing 101 stuff, but Nike has long been a company that skips the basics and goes the distance to earn customer satisfaction. To that end the company has decided to ditch the needed dongle that was part of its Nike+ system for the iPhone.

Instead, the new app version uses GPS radio in compatible iDevices to track a user instead. That is already good news, but it gets even better. With the app users can also plot a run on a map with the handset. The only downside is that you do need an iPhone for the full-fledged mapping options, as these aren’t available on the iPod Touch – but that still can keep track of distance via an accelerometer that tracks a runner’s steps.

What really makes us question Nike’s marketing approach is that the app is actually cheaper too. The Nike+ version with the shoe dongle actually cost $29, while the app is a mere $2. Of course, this company knows that keeping customers happy in the long run means making running easier in the first place. Nike doesn’t need to remind us to “Just Do It,” as they just did it, by making the Nike+ system for iPhone a whole lot easier (and cheaper to use).

Nike+ Website

[Via Wired: Nike+ App Ditches Dongle, Gains GPS]

Garmin Once Again Gives Cyclists a Real Edge

This week cycling in unfamiliar territory may have just gotten a little easily thanks to the newly released Garmin Edge 800, a feature-packed touchscreen GPS device that builds on the industry-leading Edge 500 and Edge 705 models. In additional to tracking statistics for riders, the Edge 800 adds an intuitive touchscreen interface, allowing users to pull up the Garmin BaseCamp route planning, and get access to its BirdsEye Satellite Imagery. The BaseCamp functionality allows users to plan and even preview routes, including elevation changes along the way, and this information can be sent to Edge 800, Edge 705 and Edge 605 devices – meaning you’ll never have to pass out a ride map ever again.

The Edge 800 is truly a biking computer that will appeal to cyclists of all levels, from the casual riders looking for a new route on their weekly group ride, to those who like to go cycle touring and explore distant roads and trails far from home to those looking to wear yellow on the podium. Continue reading Garmin Once Again Gives Cyclists a Real Edge

Phoning in Your Workout

No, you can’t send your phone on a run, but you can take it along with you for added benefits. The new touch screen handset Samsung Eternity II, available through AT&T, is packed with features including apps and GPS. The GPS allows for fitness tracking so you can chart your routes and where you biked, ran, or otherwise traversed in a cardiovascular manner. If you explored the trails at a local park and aren’t sure how far you actually went, you can review your journey post-workout and map the trails plus tabulate the distance.

What’s unclear is whether the GPS app just tracks distance, or also calculates grade and elevation so you can see your progress on those hill repeats. The Eternity II also has expandable memory up to 32 GB leaving plenty of room for music to take along on your workout. The two features, plus any upcoming apps available through the AT&T AppCenter, reduce the number of gadgets you take with you for a workout, and puts more power behind that muscle.

AT&T product page

Adidas Brings miCoarch to iPhone and BlackBerry

Earlier this year Adidas unveiled its miCoach system, which put sensors on a runner’s shoes as well as a device on the arm to measure distance, pace and even stride rate. Users could get a lot of information, and could even sync the data to a website. Now the company has taken the next step by introducing a miCoach application for the iPhone and BlackBerry that is meant to work as a virtual personal and real-time trainer.

As with the miCoach devices, this app utilizes GPS capabilities, where real-time pace-based coaching and tracking is provided. The app essentially transforms a smartphone into a personal guide complete with voice coaching, personalized and sports-specific training regimes, workout calendar and workout feedback. The app also monitors, manages and analyses progress over time. Continue reading Adidas Brings miCoarch to iPhone and BlackBerry

Tweet from the Mountain Tops with DeLorme GPS

There’s nothing like a “Climbed a category 4, now on the summit” post to Twitter or Facebook. “Just got back to base camp after a category 4 climb to the summit” is a pale substitute. But when you’re out of cell range, those location posts are difficult if not impossible. Many serious hikes and climbs take you out of range. Not only are you unable to text your family, post messages to social networks for your friends, you can’t easily call for help if your hike should come to that.

The DeLorme PN-60w with SPOT Sattelite Communicator is a rugged GPS handheld with the ability to send outgoing messages to email, cell phones, Facebook, Twitter, Fire Eagle, SpotAdventures.com and Geocaching.com. Posts are geotagged and tracked by Google Maps. You might not be able to post a photo with your message, but you can give your precise location. The PN-60w, which runs about $549.95, also has GPX file support to better manage and save waypoint, geocache, and other files. The unit has an elevation profile tool that pinpoints user location; new poer management and display options extend battery life. The PN-60w has 3.5 GB of onboard memory to store maps and aerial imagery. Continue reading Tweet from the Mountain Tops with DeLorme GPS

Magellan Explores the Outdoors

While you can take your GPS suited for the car on the trail, there are a few distinguishing features of the Magellan eXplorist Outdoor Handheld range. The eXplorist 510, 610 and 710 are made to get in the dirt or even a little bit of surf. The smaller screen, a 3-inch color touch screen, and form factor is about the size of a cell phone. Compared to the size generally used in cars with a larger screen, the palm-size is much more suited for outdoor activity. Each unit has a 3.2 megapixel camera with auto-focus. You’ll probably still want to bring a camera with higher megapixel capability, but the eXplorist series works well to geotag and post photos so you can show off the view of the summit you climbed or the white water you traversed. The three models range from $349 to $549 and include a 30 day free premium membership to geocaching.com.

Magellan

Hands On: Garmin 500 Edge – First Impressions

Garmin1 — The Edge 500 fittingly on my Felt road bike, the same brand that the Garmin Transitions Team is riding in the Tour de France.

This past week we had the chance to test out the Garmin Edge 500 GPS-based cycling computer. With this on my bike I’m feeling like I’m ready for the Tour de France – that is if women actually were allowed to race in the most famous of cycling classics. But it helped me on my way for my local training rides.

The very first impression was that this one could be difficult to setup and calibrate. The problem with technology is the more it can do, the more complicated it is to use. But I was more than pleasantly surprised with the ease of the set-up and the versatility that this device offered out of the box. While not the most notable, but certainly appreciated is the fact that this device comes with several rubber loops for securing the computer’s mount to the bike. This is such a small thing, but it is so welcome, especially for anyone who can’t decide the best placement for the mounts, and only realized this after tightening the zip ties.

But the more notable point is that this is a wireless device. So there is no wire to run, making for a cleaning line on the frame, and more importantly making for one less thing to worry about. The Edge 500 can be used without a heart rate monitor, without the sensors. But the version I’m testing came with those items, and all this set up very easily and quickly too. Continue reading Hands On: Garmin 500 Edge – First Impressions