Category: Personal Electronics

USB-based Purifier Cleans Water in Under a Minute

It seems like you can do anything via USB these days – even purify water.  The SteriPEN Freedom is a tiny USB-based water purifier that uses an ultraviolet light to purify a 16-oz. glass of water in as little as 48 seconds. The device eliminates bacteria and viruses that cause waterborne illnesses making it a valuable tool for both the hiker and the world traveler – at least those who travel with a laptop! Unlike previous battery-driven models, the SteriPEN Freedom features a micro USB port for charging and can be used up to 40 times on a single charge.

Its overall lifespan is estimated at roughly 8,000 treatments, and best of all the device also doubles as a flashlight. It’ll be available next month for $119.

SteriPEN Official Website

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

Fitness Technology Looks to be Big Business

According to a recent survey conducted by the Consumer Electronics Association, fitness technology – the stuff we like to cover at KineticShift – is big business. The sports and fitness category now represents a $70 billion annual business in the United States, with hot product categories including activity-tracking armbands, waterproof mp3 players, GPS-enabled HD cameras, high-tech heart monitors, gesture recognition and full-body tracking user interfaces for games and sports simulators, high-tech sport goggles with GPS locators and many others.

“Technology has changed the game for everyone from professional athletes to weekend warriors,” said Robin Raskin, founder of Living in Digital Times, and organizer of the FitnessTech Expo and Summit at the annual International Consumer Electronics Show.

The upcoming CES in January will also continue to see the marriage of tech and fitness as TV personality and fitness guru Jillian Michaels will discuss the impact of digital innovation along with her recent partnership with Pittsburgh-based BodyMedia. Continue reading Fitness Technology Looks to be Big Business

Adidas Takes to the On-Field Tracking

In the old days “track and field” use to mean the sport, but today data tracking allows for better training and conditioning on-field and on-court. Adidas has unveiled its new miCoach SPEED_CELL, the first device to capture information from motion in every direction and measures key performance metrics including speed, distance and time during practice and competition.

The device, which sits inside a specially designed cavity in the outsole of the shoe, can work with a range of sports including soccer, football, basketball, tennis and running, allowing users to monitor, evaluate and increase their performance.

“Understanding individual performance data is one of the best ways to improve your game,” said Mark Verstegen, founder and president of Athletes’ Performance. “For the first time, amateur athletes can have access to the performance tracking and analysis technology available to professional athletes.” Continue reading Adidas Takes to the On-Field Tracking

Motorola New Music Plus Fitness Trainer For the MotoACTV Life

Last August we heard about the MotoACTV and now it has arrived. This is the new fitness device from Motorola that promises to help users burn calories while listening to some tunes. In truth this concept has been around pretty much since Sony developed the Walkman – listen to music and be active.

But Motorola is taking this a whole new level with the MotoACTV (hence the name), where the device not only plays the tunes but keeps track of the user’s performance in the process. The device relies on AccuSense technology and GPS to track vital stats by gauging time, distance, speed and heart rate; while providing this data, along with calories burned to the user. This data can further be uploaded to the MotoACTV website for post-workout performance analysis. In other words this device is pretty much like most other heart rate monitors and wearable fitness computers. Continue reading Motorola New Music Plus Fitness Trainer For the MotoACTV Life

GoPro Introduces HD HERO2 Camera

Many of the point of view videos you see from outdoor sports enthusiasts are taken with a GoPro camera. I’ve been using one for several years now and the image quality and ease of use are fantastic. There is a vibrant user community for the GoPro HD HERO  camera and members have pointed out improves that would be useful. It appears GoPro has been listening with the HD HERO2 release.  If you want to capture your sporting activities in video or pictures, take a look at this new camera.

Continue reading GoPro Introduces HD HERO2 Camera

CEA Get on Health and Fitness Track

While it had already been announced that Health and Fitness will be a tech zone at January’s 2012 CES trade show in Las Vegas, the CEA (Consumer Electronics Association) announced that it will be getting on tech track to better health at the upcoming 2011 CEA Industry Forum. At the event, which is scheduled for October 23-26 at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego, California, will include the Health and Fitness Tech Track.

Highlights of the program after the jump: Continue reading CEA Get on Health and Fitness Track

iHome Earphones Track Your Heart Rate and Calories Burned

Working out with a standard pair of headphones is a recipe for disaster. Not only is it impossible to keep them in place when you’re in motion, but the slightest exposure to sweat and your headphones are instant paperweights. With that in mind, iHome and New Balance have teamed up to create the NB639 Fitness Evolved Headphones.

These headphones are designed for the serious, note-taking athlete as they also come with a dongle that doubles as a pedometer, one-touch heart rate monitor, and stopwatch. Simply place your finger on the dongle’s grooved surface during your workout and after a few seconds it’ll verbally read out your heart rate, calories burned, and distance traveled all without the need for an irritating chest strap. Best of all, it’ll read our your stats without interrupting your playlist.

When you’re done with your workout, plug in the dongle to your computer’s USB port and using the built-in software you can track your performance and set new goals. The dongle is also capable of recharging via USB, eliminating the need for batteries.

Video after the jump. Continue reading iHome Earphones Track Your Heart Rate and Calories Burned

Map My Hike With New iPad App

Is the iPad really durable enough to go on long hikes? The folks at Backpacker magazine and Trimble Outdoors apparently think so, as they have announced the release of Backpacker Map Maker, a mapping and trip planning app for the Apple iPad. From the touch-screen tablet computer hikers and backpackers can find wild places, plot GPS points and plan their next adventure over seamless topographical maps.

“Our readers absolutely love maps. As avid backcountry explorers and GPS users, they like to view, create and annotate their topos, and with Map Maker, they can now harness the beauty and power of their tablets to experience maps in an extraordinary and dynamic way,” said Jonathan Dorn, editor-in-chief of Backpacker, and vice president, AIM Outdoor Group. “Map Maker is a portable, practical tool for hikers, a great way to relive their adventures, and the perfect complement to GPS Trails, our smartphone navigation app for in-the-field use.” Continue reading Map My Hike With New iPad App

The World Could be Feeling Bluetooth

According to a report from Research and Markets titled, Bluetooth 2011: Rapid Growth for Established Interface, the demand for Bluetooth-enabled devices worldwide is expected to exceed 2billion by 2013. The wireless protocol has continued to gain design wins over a wide range of applications, with Bluetooth device shipments increasing by 23 percent between 2009 and 2010.

It was noted that this growth has been due to the continued success of the so-called “Classic Bluetooth,” which includes all Bluetooth 1.x and 2.x standards. Bluetooth has been further bolstered in the past year by the emergence of two new standards, which include Bluetooth 3.0 + High Speed (HS) and Bluetooth 4.0.

Bluetooth 3.0 + High Speed combine classic Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to transmit large data files. It was introduced in mobile phones in 2010, whereas Bluetooth 4.0 offers much lower power consumption than Classic Bluetooth and is targeted at medical and fitness devices, as well as PCs and mobile phones. Bluetooth 4.0 can also accommodate the HS option found in Bluetooth 3.0. The first 4.0 devices will ship in late 2011, and is primarily targets new BT markets: medical, fitness, and security devices.

The world could be a blue place in the near future.

FIT CORE Armband Tracks Your Every Move

Losing weight is easy. It’s keeping yourself motivated that’s hard. Fortunately, there are plenty of gadgets that can help with the latter. Among them is BodyMedia’s FIT CORE Armband, a device that straps onto your arm and tracks your every activity from workouts to sleep.

The new model is 33% smaller than its predecessor and yet it packs all the same features. Just strap it around your arm and the band’s four sensors gather data on the amount of calories you’ve burned, the number of steps you’ve taken, your heart rate, and all other physical activity you’ve performed throughout the day.

Stats are then uploaded to an online Activity Manager where you can track your performance and input your meals using the food log. The revamped Activity Manager now features a FITcoach, which provides personalized feedback based on your stats and goals. The device will even analyze your sleep intake and tell you if you’re getting enough shut eye. If you prefer to receive minute-by-minute updates on your stats, there’s an optional $99 Display, which provides you with a tiny monochrome LCD to view your activity level.

(Video after the jump) Continue reading FIT CORE Armband Tracks Your Every Move

Polar Adds New Colors; FT4 Named Top Monitor

Just in time for last month’s New York Fashion Week Polar has introduced new and vibrant color palette for its RCX5, FT4, FT2 and FT1 training computers. While all of these Polar products provide trusted and accurate heart rate based training data, offering clear guidance, feedback and easy-to-use features, the RCX5 includes a slew of new features to meet the demand of today’s triathletes who require the best in training intelligence and tracking capabilities.

Polar also recently announced that the Heart Rate Watch Company, a leading national online fitness electronics retailer, has crowned the Polar FT4 as its top heart rate monitor under $100 for 2011. Citing unique features and fit as the primary reasons for the award the company cited Polar’s four decade commitment to working with personal trainers, gyms and athletes as primary factors for the award.

(Video after the jump) Continue reading Polar Adds New Colors; FT4 Named Top Monitor

Kodak Ready to Play With Waterproof Camcorder

While summer fun maybe behind us for this year, Kodak is still ready to play with a new camera line fit for the surf and sun. The Kodak Playful Waterproof Camera is the latest addition its pocket camcorder lineup. This waterproof, dustproof and shock-resistant camcorder can go deep, up to 10 feet (3 meters) under the water for up to two hours, and is IPX8 certified, meaning it can withstand being continuously submerged to at least one meter. It can record video in 720p (1280×720) resolution, and it features a special white balance mode to ensure proper colors when doing its underwater thing. On dry land it is IP6X dustproof compliant and can withstand a drop from up to five feet. Continue reading Kodak Ready to Play With Waterproof Camcorder