Bluetooth World Cup Kicks Off

Time for the world cup, but it isn’t football or rugby. It will however, likely change the playing field of technology, as it is the Innovation World Cup.

This week the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) announced that it is once again looking for ideas and prototypes in the areas of health care, sports and fitness, automotive, entertainment, and more, that use Bluetooth technology version 4.0, for this year’s edition of the Innovation World Cup (IWC). This competition is now in its third year, as the trade organization contest calls on developers, entrepreneurs and students to submit concepts for applications making use of the low energy feature of Bluetooth v4.0. Continue reading Bluetooth World Cup Kicks Off

CES 2011: Bluetooth SIG Looks at Digital Healthcare

While we’ve been seeing press releases for all sorts of new (and supposedly innovative) products that will utilize wireless technology, including Bluetooth, most leave us scratching our heads. Does the world really need a Bluetooth Cooking Thermometer? Probably not, but we do think that Bluetooth has many health and fitness benefits. Continue reading CES 2011: Bluetooth SIG Looks at Digital Healthcare

Get Arm(band)ed to Monitor Your Calorie Intake

There is an old saying about wearing your heart on your sleeve, which is to say to openly show your emotions. Today people can wear many things, and while it won’t display emotion, it can help users monitor their fitness levels.

This is exactly the concept behind the BodyMedia FIT Armband BW from BodyMedia, which is avialble through the company’s website as well as Amazon.com. It allows users to monitor calorie intake and output in real-time. The BodyMedia FIT Armband BW transmits information to a smartphone via Bluetooth, where users can track caloric burn data and physical activity levels.

“The BodyMedia FIT Armband BW is a great example of how consumers can monitor and track their fitness levels with the help of Bluetooth wireless technology – and once you start to track your health, you have the power to change your health,” said Michael Foley, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG). “By allowing near real-time monitoring on a mobile phone via Bluetooth technology, the BodyMedia FIT Armband BW lets users take the wheel on the road to a more active lifestyle. This innovative device brings to life what we have been projecting for Bluetooth wireless technology in the health and fitness market.”

The BodyMedia FIT Armband BW is designed to integrate body monitoring data with smartphones including the Apple iPhone and Android mobile devices.

BodyMedia FIT Official Website