Fitness trackers can monitor your results and progress, while some can even track your stance, posture and form. Now Wahoo Fitness has introduced what it calls the world’s only heart rate monitor with activity tracking that provides real-time analysis of a runner’s form, helping to improve efficiency and avoid injury rates. The TICKR Run is Wahoo’s new heart rate monitor that pairs with Android and iOS smartphones and devices.
It utilizes triple axis motion sensors along with an accelerometer that together can measure a runner’s form in three planes: vertically, side-to-side and front-to-back. Those sensors and Wahoo’s fitness app for Android and iOS produce a measurement of each runner’s form called Running Smoothness, a sophisticated algorithm that assigns varying levels of importance to each axis and combines them into a single, easy-to-understand index.
With Running Smoothness athletes can improve their form to avoid unnecessary body motion, which improves efficiency and reduces the risk of common running injuries. Using Wahoo’s app, runners can even track Running Smoothness through their workout history to see improvements over long periods of time. Continue reading TICKR Run to Reduce Injury
One downside to touchscreen technology is that it isn’t exactly easy to use with gloves – but then again most handsets are tough to use with gloves. So maybe those with touchscreens have an advantage thanks to winter products such as the Outdoor Research Stormsensor Gloves, which utilize TouchTec water-resistant leather on the fingers and palm. This allows the digits on your hand to active the digits or other items on the touchscreen. This way your hands can stay warm and you can still text and type away. Of course it does mean more people will be using handsets on the slopes, but that’s simply called progress.
There are numerous cases that allow the iPhone to stay protected near or even in the water, but the iPhone Scuba Suit casing for the iPhone 4/4S will actually allow the phone to go down to 15meters under the water. The company claims the casing will protect the phone from basically anywhere there is water, as it creates a liquid airtight barrier.
There is no shortage of mobile phone cases on display this week at the International CTIA 2012 in New Orleans. The trade show for all things mobile certainly has the phone covered in more ways than one. But anyone who has used a cycle mount and a hard shell knows that the two don’t play well together. The hard shell is ideal for protecting that smartphone on the go, but it seldom fits in most handlebar mounts. 
In normal travels a lot of dust and grime can get on our handsets, but if you travel off the grid – or just out in the wilds – imagine what could damage your smartphone. A smart way to help keep the bad stuff out is the iCorkz, where are tiny plugs molded to exact specification to ensure a sealed and secure fit. By putting an iCorkz in it, ports say clean, dry and protected! Cheers to that!
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.
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.