Hitachi, Biometric Wristwatch

Thanks to Gear live
Hitachi, better known for TV's, DVD's, Projection, etc, is now taking a leap into the (ACE) fitness market. The Biometric watch will work 24/7 for 10 straight days, thats some good data. It is roughly the size of the Garmin 305 but weighs less.
"Based on a prototype they developed two years ago, the watch now has a lighter weight of 40 grams and is half the size at 43 x 35 x 15 mm. You only need to connect to your PC (wirelessly) to read the data. We think that we are already nervous about a device that tells us that we eat too much and exercise too little. Expect it to hit the market in 2008. "
Check it out! Gear Live: Hitachi Biometric watch

Exergaming, keeping or getting kids active

Well this blog and most of the post are about getting you out and exercising. Well one of this countries biggest problem is Obesity, and with ideas like this, we might have a chance (I am still in favor or getting your butt and kids butts outside). Xrkade is taking all the interactive games and putting them into an environment that is condusive to exercising, not ot mention competition.

"The XRKade club is a new and exciting destination created for the Millennials and Generation G (“Gamers”). It is a cutting edge environment focused on offering the tech-savvy an immersive sensory based experience complete with the most advanced interactive games, exergaming, and entertainment systems. The XRKade club resembles a virtual reality type arcade with a futuristic, urban, and X games twist that is motivating and exciting. It is an experience offering entertaining and physical challenges that completely submerges the user in the XRKade games and activities. It motivates the user to be active with each activity and game they play while receiving the benefits of being physically active"

Not sure it will take off, but with winter coming it is a good time to launch and open places around the country. They should just rent space in areas for the winter then move to resort towns during the summer, so when it is raining or cold, kids have something to do. Give me a call we can work out the marketing of this offline.

You have something great. Xrkade

See in the Dark: Street Runner LiteVest

GOMOTION a new company that is making running in the dark easy and risk free. The product, depending on your use, is a variation of itself.

The Trail Runner LiteVest features a low-profile, lightweight, breathable mesh pack with 3-Watt LED mounted at chest level for maximum trail visibility and comfort, and a hydration cell option. Adjustable features include shoulder strap adjustment from the lower back area and a LED chest-strap slider more maximum chest comfort and fit. The CoreBeam™ chest-mounted LED technology includes:3-level brightness control, wide range and adjustable beam width control via rotary dial, and barrel-mounted FluidDrive vertical-pivoting light. Fitting out the pack are two red tail-lights, 4 zip pockets for cell phone and other accessories, a compartment for a standard hydration pack and a low-battery signal light to alert the runner well in advance of low battery life.

The Street Runner LiteVest features a super-lightweight, adjustable mesh harness with padded straps, a 1-Watt LED at chest level for maximum trail visibility and comfort. Adjustable features include shoulder strap adjustment from the lower back area and a LED strap slider more maximum chest comfort and fit. CoreBeam™ chest-mounted LED technology includes: 3-level brightness control, wide range and adjustable beam width control via rotary dial, and barrel-mounted FluidDrive vertical-pivoting light. Other features include two red tail-lights, 1 center pocket for cell phone and a low-battery signal light to alert the runner well in advance of low battery life. The Street Runner can also accept the GoMotion™ re-chargeable battery.

And last the Sport Runner LiteVest features a contoured, waist-level running belt designed as a lightweight solution for walkers and recreational runners with breathable mesh construction. It features a 1-Watt LED with the same CoreBeam™ functions as the LiteVest including: brightness control, beam width and light direction adjustment. Two rear tail-lights, two zip pockets for cell phone and accessories, and has a low-battery signal light round out this easy-to-use LiteBelt™.

I have not found a price for them yet but rest asured I will have one now that we are running out of daylight.
Cheers

Body Sensor give real-time monitoring

This is big news for anyone that is looking to progress to the next level without having to wear sensors glued too you. e-AR Sensixa has come out with a wearable device that can monitor, sports, wellbeing, healthcare and for gaming.

I don't think that I can say it as well as BSN:

The last decade has witnessed a rapid surge of interest in new sensing and monitoring devices for healthcare and the use of wearable/wireless devices for clinical applications. One key development in this area is implantable in vivo monitoring and intervention devices. While the problem of long-term stability and biocompatibility is being addressed, several promising prototypes are starting to emerge for managing patients with acute diabetes, for treatment of epilepsy and other debilitating neurological disorders and for monitoring of patients with chronic cardiac diseases. Despite the technological developments of sensing and monitoring devices, issues related to system integration, sensor miniaturization, low-power sensor interface circuitry design, wireless telemetric links and signal processing have still to be investigated. Moreover, issues related to Quality of Service, security, multi-sensory data fusion, and decision support are active research topics. To address general issues related to using wearable/wireless and implantable sensors and to bring together scientists from computing, electronics, bioengineering, medicine and industry, the term BSN – Body Sensor Networks was coined by Prof Guang-Zhong Yang of Imperial College in 2002 and after much preparation, the first International Workshop on BSN was launched in 2004. Some of the key research focuses of the BSN community includes the latest technological developments and clinical applications of:

• Novel bioelectrical, biochemical, biophysical, and mechanical sensors
• Hardware considerations: low power RF transceiver, energy scavenging, battery technology, miniaturisation, system integration, process and cost of manufacturing
• Biocompatibility and materials
• Context awareness and multi-sensor data fusion
• Data inferencing, knowledge discovery, and prediction
• Quality of service, trust and security issues
• Autonomic sensor networks
• Standards and light-weight communication protocolsIntegration with ambient sensing with applications in smart dwellings, and home monitoring
• Wearable and implantable sensor integration and development platformsClinical applications of body-sensor networks

Check it out! e-AR Sensixa

easyglider, Get out and Get Around!

Hey sometimes fitness can include a motor! easyglider a company out of Bern, Switzerland, has come up with a great alternative to the Segway, plus it is faster. Yes it uses gas but those are some of the trade-off one has to make, to be stylish. It won the Best Invention and the Industrial Design Award, cool, and as they say "We are very proud to say that we have won them all."
They have 3 products:
easyglider X6
easyglider KIDS
easyglider ECO
and two in the works
easyglider WATER
easyglider X7

So this is really sidewalk surfing. Glide anywhere to the beat of your own drummer. The best part of this is getting you outside. I am all in favor of any product that gets people outside, the could however make one that is rechargeable, might not take so many hits from the environmental crowd if they had one in their stable.
Check it out! easyglider

Garmin Edge 705, Wireless Cycle Computer

Wow times are moving fast in the GPS world. Not only fast, but small and carrying a truck load of features. The Edge 705 pulls out all the stops, this GPS-enabled cycle computer knows no limits. Get heart rate, cadence, turn-by-turn directions, power data (from ANT + Sport™-enabled third-party power meters) — the works. Even share your data with other Edge 705 buddies after your ride. All wireless with a color display, this is no ordinary cycle computer. When you start incorporating all the parts that make a triathlete or athlete smile. Too boot it is all wireless.
You can:
Navigate Your Ride
Get the Data You Need
See Your Power
Measure Heart Rate and Cadence
Swap Rides Wirelessly
Share, Store and Analyze via Garmin Training Center
All for the price of an iPhone!
Check it out..

Polar and Education

The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that obesity gained in 31 states with Mississippi being the first to crack 30%, Colorado is the leanest. So with companies like Polar trying to make a difference you have to give them Kudos. Polar has products like E600 Watch , the TriFIT, Software to manage your classes performance and a pocket PC called Compainion Pocket PC, with all these products in their arsenal schools should take a stand and start to make a difference. On Polars site there is even a link to help schools apply for Grants (PEP). Why wait help out, donate or just start educated our children about eating right and staying fit.
Thanks Polar for taking the first steps.

Poalr ProTrainer 5

Well if you have an IrDA (infrared) Polar Watch then this new and improved software is for you.
"Polar ProTrainer 5 is a sophisticated software designed to provide you with deep understanding of your training. It ships exclusively with Polar’s high-end Running, Cycling, and Outdoor Sport products, and functions as a stand-alone Windows software in a PC.

Use the software to plan your workout in advance with multiple planning options, and transfer the settings to your Polar product. After your training, analyze the results with versatile graphs which you can customize according to your unique needs.

A customizable calendar provides a complete training log where each transferred exercise file automatically creates a diary entry with all your training data. Use different reports for long-term development follow-up.

Polar ProTrainer 5 professional software is compatible with:

• Polar CS600 (included in set)
• Polar CS400 (included in set)
• Polar RS800 (included in set)
• Polar RS400 (included in set)
• Polar AXN700 (included in set)
• Polar AXN500 (included in set)
• Polar S810i / S810
• Polar S725X / S625X (included in set)
• Polar S725
• Polar S720i / S710i / S710
• Polar S610i / S610
• Polar S520 / S510
• Polar S410
• Polar Team System"
You can even try it out for 30 days. The only problem that I had with the software is getting the IrDA to recognize the watch. I had to go into the startup (F2) when windows started up. For some reason Dell disables this function. Once I turned it on Vista downloaded the drivers and it now works seamless. So don't go and buy the USB IrDA from polar without seeing if you have infrared built in.
Check it out! Polar Watch

Track Your Trips: Trackstick!

As components get smaller companies are able to do amazing things. Garmin just came out with a new watch Forerunner 50:
Jump start your training with Forerunner 50. This sleek sports watch is ideal for running, cycling and other fitness activities, and is available with a wireless heart rate monitor or foot pod or both. Plus it automatically transmits workouts to your computer so you can analyze, store and share data using our online community, Garmin Connect™.

So when the TrackStick released this new device, things are going to get interesting.

Check out specs:
"The Trackstick II is the perfect fit for personal GPS tracking. Bring it on vacation to keep a satellite scrapbook of all your travels and record your explorations. You can carry it along on all your regular outings from home to get a better sense of your daily surroundings through Google Earth’s cohesive 3D maps of your community. With Trackstick II a computer screen can guide your family and friends on a virtual tour of your vacation. Take it fishing and mark the catch spots to discover feeding patterns over time. Find a good camping spot and leave it to Trackstick to remember where it is and the path you took to get there. It’s a fun and immersive way to show others where you’ve been. You’ll even enjoy seeing the normal routes of your day breathe new life as you view them like never before with Google Earth’s 3D model of the planet. The possibilities are endless and our users are always finding new and interesting uses for the Trackstick."

Now go and get one, and get outside!

iControl + iTunes = Perfection, well almost.

Well at first you have Nike plus which was a foot pod plus a connection for your iPod, all wireless. For true enthusiast what the iPod was missing was the connection to a watch that captures more than how far you ran.

The iControl™ watch transmits signals seamlessly to your iPod so you can control your music in a heartbeat. Change songs and volume without breaking stride.

Designed to work with your body and coordinate with your iPod, the iControl watch is sleek and comfortable to wear - with all the feature you need for running around the track or traveling around the world.
Check it out! Timex - iControl

Time for some Summer Fun, Springfree

When I was a kid my summer camp had a gymnastics area, and a trampoline. The best thing that the camp did was dug a pit so that the tramp was at ground hight, allowing for the kids and instructors to spot much easier. I have always wanted a trampoline for myself but the round ones never did anything for me, plus they were dangerous without someone spotting you at all times. The benefits of trampolines are incredible.

"The aerobics associated with jumping on a fitness trampoline strengthens the heart in the same way as other cardio exercises like running and jumping rope. This increase in cardio rate encourages energy use and weight loss. Spending five to eight minutes doing trampoline exercise is like running a mile, only with less time and effort. Trampoline exercise tones muscles in the lower half of the body. The legs, thighs, hips, stomach, and abdomen are all used when exercising on a fitness trampoline. The trampoline workout can also be a fun activity for all the family, it is fun to watch and once you learn how to use it properly you can also contribute your opinion, and improve the workout altogether." John Furnem

So when I came across SpringFree Trampoline I did back flips. SpringFree has really done a great job of putting safety first and fun second. Now you would think those two would not be fun but seeing is believing. SoftEdge Technology
Over a period of twelve years, the Springfree™ Trampoline engineering team has created a unique softe-edge jumping system that has removed the traditional frame and spring system from the same height as the jumping surface. The frame has been lowered, well away from the jumper, with all-weather fibreglass rods , which extend from this frame into an innovatve connector system at the edge of the mat. The rods are angled on two axis, tensioning the mat to provide bounce, while also creating a soft edge that is deflected on impact. Only Springfree™ trampolines have an edge soft enough not to require safety pads.

SAFETY
As a parent, your family’s safety is a priority! Springfree™ Trampoline is safe by design, giving you complete peace of mind.

HEALTH
Child obesity is a big problem. Most kids spend too much time watching TV or playing video games, so it’s really important to get outside and active. Springfree™ Trampoline is great, fun exercise! Ten minutes of jumping is as good as a 30-minute run—and way more fun!

QUALITY
Springfree™ Trampoline isn’t just a notch above all other trampoline products—we’ve taken quality, safety and innovation to the next level. Lots of thought goes into our designs to make every Springfree™ Trampoline sturdy, strong and weather-resistant.

PLAY
We’ve reinvented the trampoline without compromising the fun. Springfree™ Trampoline is hours of fun! No more “I’m bored” means more free time for mum and dad—and with the coolest trampoline ever, you’ll be a real hero!

CONFIDENCE
Jumping is key to your child’s mental and physical development. Springfree™ Trampoline helps accelerate the progress of your child’s motor skills, balance, and coordination, making them more confident all round.

CONVENIENCE
With minimal maintenance requirements, ease of use, and of course, fast and easy purchase options, Springfree™ Trampoline is as convenient to own as it is fun to use!
Check them out! SpringFree Trampoline

Perfect Pushup, Navy SEAL's

Trying to perfect the one thing that people have been doing for fitness since 1905, the pushup, is not an easy task. That being said, The Prefect Pushup does just that, our Military (best in the world) does some pretty basic fitness routines to see if you have what it takes and have been doing it for quite some time. Stew Smith a former Navy SEAL and now fitness writer and trainer has outlined the standard requirements to pass the fitness test. Some of you will look at this and say hey I can do that, remember they are called on each on they do, all the way down and up, but not completed until the instructor calls it out.
So when the The Prefect Pushup came out, also developed by Alden Mills, a seven year veteran of the Navy SEALs, people tend to give it a little more credibility, I do.
"As a SEAL Team TWO platoon commander, LCDR Mills' platoon was chosen for a one year study to determine why SEALs suffered unusually high injury rates during their careers. (73% of SEALs were on disability after 20 years of service) After learning the injuries were linked to their training methods, SEAL trainers switched from age-old body building techniques to Functional Training.

Functional Training mimics the natural movement patterns a person employs at work, playing sports and in daily life so they become stronger for the things they do. LCDR Mills learned that many muscles have a natural rotation in their movement, and the more these muscles are allowed to rotate, the more fully the muscles get engaged and the better the results. Just as you rotate your arms when swinging a baseball bat, a golf club or throwing a punch, your muscles and joints want to rotate when you do a pushup. We like to say, “From Rotation Comes Power!”™

Very few people in the world do more pushups than Navy SEALs. The pushup is the primary exercise for all three phases of Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training. Even to earn the right to start BUD/S, candidates must meet minimum pushup standards. And long after SEALs graduate from BUD/S, they are tested semi-annually on their ability to perform a number of pushups in two minutes. It's a proven exercise, but it's one that can put undo stress on joints and prevents muscles from following their natural rotation. Thanks to Alden Mills and his BODYREV teammates, the code for the perfect pushup has been cracked. Which means, you get more muscles naturally engaged for better results faster."

Enough Said!
Now get out of the gym and build your body right. The Prefect Pushup

Polar Cadence Sensor Set

A must have for all cyclist. You may feel as though you are turning in a good pace and the MPH is up in the 20+ but nothing is like tracking your Cadence. all3sports.com one of the best places to get triathlon gear has the Cadence Sensor set for $45.95 a great price for knowing your Cadence.
What is you Cadence you ask:

When cyclists talk about cadence they are referring to the number of revolutions that they crank makes each minute as the pedals are turned. This in layman’s terms simply is the speed at which the cyclist pedals or turns the pedals on the bike as they ride.

Most cyclists will have a certain cadence speed which they feel comfortable with when they are out riding. Today a lot of bicycles come with a large number of gears so it makes it possible for a cyclist to stick to a cadence that they prefer through a wide range of different speeds at which they are traveling. Normally a typical cyclist will look at having a cadence of between 60 and 80 revs per minute (rpm), whilst professional (racing) cyclists will look at theirs being between 80 and 120 rpm. However sprint cyclists will normally be able to manage 170 rpm for very short distances. Lance Armstrong one of the worlds well known professional cyclists is able to produce a cadence of 120 rpm. Read more at Ezine! So get into Cadence and ride faster for longer.

New York Triathlon is Upon Us!

With all that is going on how could one miss the New York City Triathlon, in my opinion this is right up there with New York City Marathon. I am really excited to be a part of the race and Toyota's Engines of Change team. The technology and effort to put events like this on are incredible. You have Nautica one of the main sponsors, Toyota's Engines of Change , Janus, Accelerade, GHI, ORBEA great bikes by the way, Lifetime Triathlon Series, Vitamin Shoppe and Ameriprise. With out all these sponsor and the money they put up events like this would never happen. Thanks All and get ready for the fastest swim in a Triathlon, I am not sure if that is current or the desire to get out of the Hudson!

Heated Wetsuit

A Heated Wetsuit! Hotsuits have come out with a way to keep you warm in the water, a kidney belt that emits heat for up to an hour. It seems as though Rip Curl has a heated wetsuit, and a pretty cool video to show it off, hey if you have the money to make a music video to promote your product go for it and YouTube has helped all sorts of inventor get their message out, but I digress.
Hotsuits claims that providing heat to the kidney region helps maintain core temperature, and warm blood flow to the rest of the body. The thing that I like the most about this is that it is portable, unlike Rip Curl's, it is not just limited to wetsuits, how about skiing, climbing, sailing, openwater swimming, you get the idea. Hotsuits is also the winner of ISPO, Brand New Award! I am sure Rip Curl has a great product, but a young inventor like this you have to give them a shot, plus they might be cheaper plus you don't have to buy a new wetsuit. Hotsuits Heated Kidney Belt + 16.50AUD worldwide postage (regular airmail)=$105.50 AUD or $91.73.
Check them out! Hotsuits