"No" Strap

I read this article in Sync a magazine dedicated to gadgets for men, not a great magazine but I was traveling and Outside was still last month. They had a article about mio watch that does not need a strap around the chest. After reading and if you are a serious athlete you will still feel at home with the strap. If you are just getting into reading and tracking your heart rate then this watch could be for you, base model starts at $99 so even if you don't like it then you have only invested a marginal amount of money. MioWatch

Breath and burn Calories

Not sure but this company claims that it can count the calories from your breath, not much I can say here, I read the website and seems like a good idea but from the masses I am not sure it is going to catch on. Story can be found at IOL

iUSE IT

Well people who know me, knew that it was only a matter of time before I did this post. One of the best pieces of training equipment that I own is my iPod Shuffle, using the iPod is to big to use while you are doing any serious miles. The shuffle is light, small and easy to use, load it up and go. I have had mine for about 2 1/2 months and I use it while riding and running, you just forget that it is there. The interface with iTunes is great, plug it in load it up and hit play, it's really that easy, some people have complained that there is no screen, I keep saying if you loaded it up with 3+ hour of music you know what is on it, the controls are easy to use, skip, play pause, previous, how simple can that be. I have dropped it and gotten it wet (not soaked it) and it has never skipped. As for when it gets close to your heart rate monitor, that it causes some interference, but I have learned to keep it at my waist and it fixed the problem. www.apple.com

iSMART polar software for Mac's

Good idea gone bad, I have tried to use this software a couple of times and find it very difficult, I also have to buy an adapter for the Polar IR-Serial Adaptor + USB-Serial Converter, so I have to go backwards after paying so much for one of the most advance laptops out on the market. It seems to me that it would be better just to have the companies selling the watches make Macintosh software, that is my thought. The Polar precision Software is great on the PC, I use it every day and I also use the online version polaroutdoorguide.com. Training for the masses and keeping a online diary seems to be a PC world and that's ok, stop trying and buy a cheap laptop that has IrDA and you will be more than happy.

Training Wheels

I can't wait for this. This new state of the art tricycle was designed by a team at Purdue University led by Scott Shim, an assistant professor of industrial design. It should be available by spring 2006, bike manufactures are very interested. After you read the article, I am sure you will say why was this not thought of sooner. Traditional training wheels make the kids dependent and never really learn to balance, when they are ready to take of the wheels, screaming and crying usually take place, this should help with that process. Full story (wired)

EyeToy for Fitness

It even has a name "exergaming" good for the kids that have grown up playing video games and need to get fit, it is actually a great way to teach martial arts. I have never gotten into video games, don't get me wrong I like to play them and used to go to the arcade mostly to play 'Pole Position" and other driving games. As the time for adults and kids gets harder to manage "exergaming" could catch on, cold winter mornings that you need to get your Kickboxing in turn on the gaming system and take on your next opponent, working up a sweat and learning the new moves. If they really get smart if your adversary does a move that you can't counter then there should be a button an instructor comes on shows you the move and counter move. There is some real potential, and fits into another idea I have but that is for another entry... CES in Las Vegas had a whole area geared towards "exergaming" and it seems to stay pretty busy. Potential I think so... EyeToy.

Bodybugg by Apex Fitness

I have always been lucky that I have never had to exercise to stay thin, quite the opposite I need to exercise to maintain my normal body weight. Apex fitness has a great product that helps with losing weight. Bodybugg™ by Apex fitness with technology developed by BodyMedia have come up with the world's most intelligent calorie management system, while traditional weight loss programs focus on tedious calorie counting, bodybugg™ is the only system on the market today that allows you to measure actual calories burned and consumed. I have not used or gotten my hands on this system yet but from what I have read it allows you to tailor the program based on your goals. Check it out.

Yacht Tracker

This is one of the most dynamic web companies, MASSIVE, driving great solutions to the interested consumer. They really delivered a interested way for the general sailing ethicists to view the legendary Sydney to Hobart". A COOL APPLICATION Adrian gives an overview of the Yacht Race Management System. “The Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race site keeps up-to- date yacht positions in near real time. Every ten minutes, a GPS-enabled satellite transceiver relays position reports from each competing yacht.”

Lance Armstrong's HP

Everyone is cashing in on Lance Armstrong's last tour. I am glad that most companies (I can't say all, because I don't know) that sponsor Lance give money to Lance Armstrong Foundation.
HP and AMD have developed the HP Special Edition L2000 Notebook PC, a one-of-a-kind consumer PC that bears the LIVESTRONG(TM) message and a reproduction of Lance Armstrong's autograph. Fifty dollars from each HP Special Edition L2000 Notebook PC will go to the Lance Armstrong Foundation to fund its public health, advocacy, research and education initiatives to help people with cancer live strong. (Photo: Business Wire)

Actively Mobile

Technology is changing the way that people do most anything. Now with chips becoming smaller and phones becoming lighter and compressed it's only a matter of time before it's the only device that people need as a MP3, organizer, calendar, phone and training log. People wear arm bands to carry their iPod.
If Actively Mobile can get a couple of issue fixed this would be great, I would use it, and it could fit into a couple of companies that I have talked about before. Polar has partnered with Nokia for Mobile Connectivity, again it is getting to a point that people feel safer taking a mobile phone while exercising.

Social GPS

Now this can be really cool as people catch up with phone technology, forget big brother, stop saying "How About Now", see where your friends are at by just looking at your phone. See where they in location to you if you are Mt. Biking, road biking, and the example that Rebecca has on her site skiing or snowboarding. Your kids can be located, without having to use Motorolas TalkAbout Radios. She has done this thesis on social gpsing. Check it out.... Rebecca Anema Social GPSing

inSENDtive

This is an idea that I had a while back and was not sure what to do with it, so I am wondering if anyone would like to develop this concept further. I am sure that we can work something out, JAY "My Pet Fat" this would be good for what you are doing...

inSENDtive
inSENDtive is a mobile phone service to assist a group of friends/gyms in meeting their personal goals. A user will choose the goals he wants to accomplish, such as regularly going to the gym, then select like-minded friends to join his support network. While at the gym he uses his camera phone to take a photo and send it to his friends to show that he reaches his goals. inSENDtive does not presume that a faceless service will be a powerful motivator; the service only connects and augments the existing motivational power of friendships.

For users, the real value of inSENDtive is as an automated and portable support for connecting friends to accomplish goals.

Using their mobile phone the user can upload a picture of themselves working out along with their results (heart rate and calories burned). A text message will send the picture and the stats to others in the group, giving inSENDtive to get to the gym and workout along with earning valuable HC points. His network on HC will show all the stats of the users in the group keeping a running total until their goals are accomplished.

Race Organizers (RFID tracking)

This is a great idea, the more that I see things like this out their I get really jazzed. I am going to do a Triathlon in June that is going to use this technology so I will give you first hand information.

ChampionChip
The world's leading timing technology for active sports events
In many sports events people compete, with one another, with themselves and with time. For active sports events the ChampionChip company has revolutionized timing. In 1994 the company introduced an automatic timing system, which can not only time the finish but also split and start times. This made net times for every individual athlete possible.

Technology in a Bottle

While reading my mountain bike magazine I can across this product called FRS® Plus antioxidant health drink they were giving a free sample away so I thought what the hey, so I went to the site www.frsplus.com and starting reading ”The company's current product portfolio includes FRS® Plus antioxidant health drink, a scientifically formulated supplement beverage designed to fight fatigue, boost performance and neutralize free radicals before they can cause cellular damage; and IntelliSoyTM, the first completely clear, 100% soluble and perfectly pure soy isoflavone ingredient with low calories and no taste.” IT IS GREAT….. I highly recommend that if you are training, try this out. For the cost of shipping or a Grande at Starbucks you can get a free 8 day trail bottle. What do you have to lose.

Linked running path

Path to fitness with sensors

Cities across Germany are being equipped with electronic jogging paths to beam runners' heart beats to a computer.

Joggers wearing a heart rate belt to send signals to solar-powered radio receivers, will have a "running account" at a computer in Munich, which will analyse their data over months or years.

"Good results" should win the runners discounts on health insurance premiums, which amount to a compulsory 14 per cent cut of salary.

Via The Telegraph.