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

Yamaha Delivers Audio Anywhere You Go

If your day outdoors involves a solo activity like running the trails than an iPod is a good companion, but if you have an actual human companion and are hiking, camping, or just taking in the great outdoors you either have to listen to the sounds of nature or figure out a way to share the tunes. Now Yamaha has a solution that lets you share the music with its rugged PDX-11 portable player dock.

The iPod/iPhone dock features an octagonal horn-shaped design with a perforated steel grill that is tough enough for an on-the-go lifestyle, and it includes a “grab it and go” roll bar chrome handle. The PDX-11 is available in four colors including white, dark blue, green and black, and can run on battery or AC power. With six AA batteries you’ll get about eight hours of a soundtrack for the outdoor life. Continue reading Yamaha Delivers Audio Anywhere You Go

iPhone Bike Computer Tackles Dead Battery Issue

There is one big reason that the iPhone isn’t the most ideal cycling computer – the longevity of the battery. While there are seemingly limitless apps for the iPhone related to fitness, the handset probably won’t go the distance. Typically the phone will give out before a lot of riders, especially those who are serious enough to take advantage of the advanced features the smartphone offers as a training monitor, especially the handset’s GPS mode.

However, Wahoo Fitness and Heart Rate Watch Company have come up with a solution, namely an auxiliary battery pack. It is a simple solution, but one that is key to turning the iPhone into a true bike computer. This extra juice can provide up to triple the run time for the smartphone. The drawback is that it does add up in the weight category when you factor in the phone, case and auxiliary battery. This comes in at about 1.25 pounds, which is quite hefty compared to the two ounces of standalone devices.

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Hold onto your iPhone or iPod with the iCat

“It just slipped out of my hand.” Most of us have heard this line after watching someone drop their iPhone or iPod. Usually the results are the same, a cracked screen and a very sad owner, especially if they did not purchase the insurance. A replacement iPhone or iPod can be expensive and dealing with a cracked screen can be annoying or even dangerous. EK Ekcessories of Logan, Utah has a product to help you avoid even dropping your iPhone or iPod – the iCat.

Continue reading Hold onto your iPhone or iPod with the iCat

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

iPhone to Get ANT+

Want to see a few minutes into the future of mobile technology? Look no further than the FCC. Late last week word broke that an ANT+ adapter for the iPhone from Garmin had surfaced in FCC documents. The ANT+ wireless sensor would of course be used to track fitness data in devices such as heart rate monitors, sports watches and cycling computers.

While Garmin already makes those devices, it would appear that Garmin could be looking to create a fully integrated system that somehow utilizes the iPhone. From the images this adapter could be compatible with the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 and maybe even the iPhone 4S.

[Via Engadget: Garmin ANT+ adapter for iPhone hits the FCC]

iPhone Shows Can Do App Spirit with ANT+ from Abvio

Earlier this year Abvio previewed its 5.0 version of its trio of iPhone apps, which included a Runmeter, Cyclemeter and Walkmeter. Now the developer has announced the 6.0 version that includes advanced support of the Wahoo Fitness ANT+ system. These three GPS fitness apps deliver the power of an expensive bike computer or GPS watch to a user’s iPhone by tracking workouts with a host of features designed to help you improve performance and fitness.

Post workout, users can utilize the social sharing features, which include support for Twitter, Facebook and dailymile.com. This functionality can provide extra motivation with a fun twist: where your friends, family and coaches can reply to your posts on these social sites, their replies are then spoken using text-to-speech technology during your workout. Continue reading iPhone Shows Can Do App Spirit with ANT+ from Abvio

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

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

 

Ford Unveils Radical Bike Concept With Formula One Tech

The big auto shows—Detroit, L.A., Tokyo, Geneva, etc.—are where car manufacturers show-off dreamy, almost-out-of-this world concepts; many will never make it into production, while some will morph into practical variants, but they showcase the direction a carmaker is taking and new technologies it is using.  These concepts tend to be of the four-wheel variety, however, Ford’s newly unveiled vehicle at the Frankfurt Motor Show this month isn’t what’s usually shown on the show floor.

Behold Ford’s beautiful E-Bike Concept. It has the recognizable two-wheel frame of a traditional bicycle, yet it has lines and accents that evoke a modern car. According to Ford, the E-Bike is an exercise in translating Ford’s “design language” to a bicycle and demonstrating “Ford’s electric mobility competence.” Ford recognizes major growth in the electric bicycle market and sees e-bikes as a major part of urban transport in the future.  Continue reading Ford Unveils Radical Bike Concept With Formula One Tech

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