There are plenty of heart rate monitors and apps that can help watch your heart rate, but the Cardiio takes health-monitoring in a new direction. It works by obtaining the BPM heart rate by simply pointing the iPhone’s front-facing camera at your face.
From here the app measures the light reflection of the skin, which apparently is affected by the blood that is flowing. This $5 app provides a BPM estimate without the need for a band or other monitor. While we question whether this is as good as a true heart rate, perhaps it is enough for you to use it to guilt your friends and love ones to hit the gym – especially as it offers a life expectancy estimator. Fear can be a powerful motivator!
If you have an iPhone or an Android device you already have a potentially excellent cycling computer, and thanks to GPS and any number of apps you can monitor speed, time and distance. What you can’t track is cadence, but Velocomputer has a new mobile app that will do the above but thanks to the SmartSensor 4 that can sync with the mobile handset via Bluetooth it can also track cadence and more. 
The iPhone isn’t a GoPro camera – but many iPhone owners might be asking why not? The handset can do a pretty good of capturing the action on video. We’ve seen many cases that offer protection the smartphone, but now the Mophie Outride case is pure genius!
The iGills SE-35 is a waterproof case for the iPhone. It will allow users to go very deep as well, up to 40 meters or 130 feet. The polycarbonate housing should protect the camera in the water and even from reasonable drops on land. Each unit is reportedly tested in a hyperbaric chamber to ensure that it will stand up to the depths that scuba divers might go.
Back in December we reported on the
Capturing the moment of triumph on video is easier than ever thanks to numerous wearable cameras, and this year the industry leader GoPro looks to maintain that lead by offering an iPhone/Android app that is compatible with the Wi-Fi BackPac, so users can control up to 50 Hero2 camera from a handset! This could allow large organizers in bike tours to capture action from multiple angles, or let race organizers in a variety of sports record footage from around the course without the need of multiple cameramen.
We’ve seen a number of waterproof cases for the iPhone and iPad, and we’d suggest to users of those devices to seriously consider such aftermarket products. This week it was reported that Apple has gotten patent approval for a water-damage detection system. The patent reads:
Consider this the “main course” for fitness buffs who want to compare stats with others. MapMyRide has unveiled the Courses feature that should inspire some (hopefully friendly) competition) for users of the service on iPhone, BlackBerry and Android.
There are iPhone cases that can get wet and go deep underwater, and there are iPhone cases that can be used to mount the handset to handlebars of a bike. But now Rokform has a case that can help with your golf form.
Much has been made about the possibilities of what can be used with brainwaves, including in tracking responses during fitness sessions, most of the interfaces seem to be far more geek than chic. While working out should be about the working out and not a fashion show, brainwave interfaces can often be too cumbersome to use while working out.
When you’re not on the green, you can still be thinking about golf with GameBook, a social networking platform for golfers. The platform, which is available on the web as well as for Android and iPhone phones, lets you connect with your friends and other golfers, create challenges and tournaments, and keep score on your game. You can also see where you fall against others on the leaderboards.