Aside from a light-reflecting text logo, the Whoop 3.0 wristband (free with a membership that begins at $30 a month) is nearly indiscernible from a fabric sweatband. There’s no screen for real-time tracking, certainly no intruding vibrations or sensors and no surprising alerts. As such, this couldn’t replace an Apple Watch or everyday time-teller. That said, everything you do—working out, recovering, sleeping, walking to work, yoga, meditation—is tracked automatically and uploaded to an adjacent app as long as you keep the band charged and on—something easy to do as the band holds five days worth of battery and can be replenished while you’re wearing it.
… Wearables will be a much talked about technology in the run-up to the gathering. The actual event opens to the public on September 6th (and leasts until September 11th), but there will be a string of press conferences in the run-up to the big day.
We will be on the ground in Berlin to report on all the news. Last year we witnessed a number of launches including the Fitbit Charge 4, Samsung Galaxy Watch, Garmin Vivosmart 4, Skagen Falser 2, Diesel On Full Guard 2.5, Bellabeat Leaf Chakra and more. This year should be no less exciting.
Garmin International, Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), today announced the Instinct Tactical Edition, a rugged, outdoor GPS smartwatch with tactical functionality. Building on the proven reliability of the Instinct series, the Instinct Tactical Edition adds enhanced features of Garmin’s tactix® series including night-vision compatibility mode, Jumpmaster, dual-position GPS formatting, preloaded tactical activity, and waypoint projection. The Instinct Tactical Edition also includes a new stealth mode for off-grid functionality.
After enjoying the Garmin Forerunner 935 for the past two years, I’ve come to rely on its long battery life during an ultramarathon, its accurate GPS mapping when running through the city and mountains alike, and its slim profile for everyday wear. Garmin’s running analytics allow me to get a quick read on whether I had a strong workout or not.
So how does Garmin improve upon that? The answer is the Garmin Forerunner 945 ($599). With new music and payments features, the Forerunner 945 is one of the best GPS watches for endurance athletes.
Treating wounds often involves consuming huge clinical resources and significant pain for patients. Dr. Michael Crichton, assistant professor in biomedical engineering at Heriot-Watt University in the United Kingdom, has been awarded a grant from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to develop a microsensor that will detect wound healing, by monitoring the tiny, microscale mechanical changes that happen to the body’s tissue.
Crichton is working with Dr Jenna Cash, a specialist in wound healing immunology from the University of Edinburgh, on the two-year project.
“We want to understand what actually happens in a wound,” Crichton said. “Lots of research has looked at the biological properties of wounds, but we know very little about the mechanics of how wounds heal, especially at the microscale, which is where changes are happening at sub-hair width scales.”
As people strive ever harder to minutely quantify every action they do, the sensors that monitor those actions are growing lighter and less invasive. Two prototype sensors from crosstown rivals Stanford and Berkeley stick right to the skin and provide a wealth of physiological data.
Stanford’s stretchy wireless “BodyNet” isn’t just flexible in order to survive being worn on the shifting surface of the body; that flexing is where its data comes from.
The sensor is made of metallic ink laid on top of a flexible material like that in an adhesive bandage. But unlike phones and smartwatches, which use tiny accelerometers or optical tricks to track the body, this system relies on how it is itself stretched and compressed. These movements cause tiny changes in how electricity passes through the ink, changes that are relayed to a processor nearby.
Imagine if a coach could know which moments of competition a certain player might peak, or if a truck driver had objective data telling him his body and mind were too tired to continue driving.
Traditionally, measuring alertness or mental fatigue requires interrupting a natural moment to intervene in an artificial setting. But Penn neuroscientist Michael Platt and postdoc Arjun Ramakrishnan have created a tool to use outside the lab, a wearable technology that monitors brain activity and sends back data without benching a player or asking a trucker to pull over.
For the work they wanted to do, Ramakrishnan (above) and Platt sought a high-quality, portable EEG that, once in place, didn’t disturb the user. When they weren’t satisfied with what was available commercially, they built one themselves.
The platform is akin to a Fitbit for the brain, with a set of silicon and silver nanowire sensors embedded into a head covering like a headband, helmet, or cap. The device, a portable electroencephalogram (EEG), is intentionally unobtrusive to allow for extended wear, and, on the backend, powerful algorithms decode the brain signals the sensors collect.
… “Among many bodily fluids, sweat provides a significant amount of information about a patient’s health status and is readily accessible, making it suitable for wearable, noninvasive biosensing. Sweat contains important electrolytes, metabolites, amino acids, proteins, and hormones, which allows monitoring of metabolic diseases, physiological conditions, or a person’s intoxication level,” Stanford University researchers wrote in a paper on sweat sensors published in Science Advances.
Nextflex and GE Electronics have been working on a sensor that monitors dehydration by tracking the volume and make up of sweat. “If we’re able to track the rate at which we’re sweating, and perhaps track the concentrations in the sweat at the same time, we can really start to get a measure of what the body’s state of hydration is,” says Scott Miller, Nextflex’s director of strategic programs. The system has been tested with Navy pilots to track their hydration while working.
Komoot have taken their ride planning maps to the next level with a simple, by much improved switch from standard resolution raster map tiles to an all-new high-definition vector map background that makes navigating faster & more precise. Plus, for all the users out there pairing Komoot rides with their Garmin devices, a new Connect IQ app brings extra functionality and more ease-of-use…
Blood pressure monitoring and other health diagnostics could one day be as simple as taking a smartphone selfie, says a Canadian researcher.
According to a recent study led by Kang Lee, a developmental neuroscientist and professor at the University of Toronto, recording selfie-style video footage of different faces through a new app can reliably determine someone’s blood pressure.
“The most exciting part of this technology is that we spend so much time on our phones … one of the things a smartphone can do, and is very smart about, is telling you about yourself,” Lee says.
Baze, provider of a blood-based, at-home nutritional testing kit, has raised $6 million in Series A funding, according to a press release. Supplement manufacturer Nature’s Way was the lead investor.
The Baze Starter Kit contains a blood collection device designed at MIT. Based on the results of the blood test, Baze will recommend and provide specific supplements, ensuring customers get the nutrients they need. Baze’s internal research has found that two-thirds of nutrient deficiencies were eliminated within the first three months of the program, and users have reported extra benefits, including increased energy, reduced stress, and improved sleep.
Small battery-free beacon from Israel can be attached to just about anything – clothing, medicine bottles, and appliances, so you need never lose them again.
Step up: The lightweight exoskeleton-pants were developed by researchers at Harvard University and the University of Nebraska, Omaha. They are the first device to assist with both walking and running, using an algorithm that adapts to each gait.
GoPro Founder and CEO Nick Woodman speaks to Emily Chang at GoPro’s Headquarters in San Mateo, California in March 2019 for this episode of Bloomberg’s Studio 1.0. In this interview, they discuss GoPro’s challenges in trying to become a media company and launching a drone. They also speak about GoPro’s competition and the company’s move of US-bound camera manufacturing from China to Mexico under the threat of tariffs.
Everyone is talking about climbing, but the interaction between climbing gyms and brands is often still sand in the works. At OutDoor by ISPO 2019, which took place earlier this summer, industry experts discussed the potential for improvement.
“Because the boom in indoor climbing is a chance for the entire industry,” finds Grégoire De Belmont. “We can climb in the city, that’s unique,” explained the person in charge of Arkose. Arkose is more than just a climbing gym concept, as Mr De Belmont explained at OutDoor by ISPO 2019. The label, founded in 2013, has understood what the new generation of climbers is all about: Friendly gyms, a safe sport, conviviality with beer afterwards and the right clothing and backpacks to match the urban lifestyle.
De Belmont, who has established 14 climbing and bouldering gyms including bistros, beer and clothing with Arkose & Co. within six years – does not understand why other hall operators or climbing brands find it so difficult to connect with the new community. For him it’s clear: “Climbing can be the new surfing.”
… The key to an effective upper is fit, and laces have traditionally been the cornerstone of personalized fit. For good reason: the simple lace, a strand of textile threaded through eyelets on each side of the shoe, is a remarkably adaptable solution. “A traditional lacing system is a very customizable system,” says Jon Teipen, senior manager of footwear product line management at Brooks. “The runner can adjust the tension from the bottom of the eye stay all the way to the top. The runner can also skip eyeholes to reduce pressure or avoid hot spots on the foot or utilize the top eyehole for the heel lock lacing.” Some play with the eyelets and lacing more than others. Golden Harper, co-founder of Altra Footwear, says, “When fitting shoes, I personally customize the lacing to over half the people I fit.”
Traditional laces are slow and cumbersome, however, leading some designers to select alternatives like a pull-cord lacing system. “The key advantages of Salomon’s Quicklace system is in the enhanced foothold and security it provides,” says Brent James, global product line manager for road run at Salomon. “Additionally, it’s quick and easy to tighten or loosen the shoes with Quicklace, so that you can efficiently swap footwear or adjust the fit without having to stop for long. They also don’t hold any water, offer a sleek aesthetic and won’t loosen over time compared to traditional laces.” Dynafit also uses quick lacing for ease and simplicity in tightening the shoe, particularly on their several models where they cover the laces and tongue with a stretch mesh to protect from wear and tear and keep debris out of the shoe.
The 33-year-old Waukesha native has set her sights on winning the gold medal in the marathon at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. She wanted a new goal after winning the triathlon at the 2016 Rio Games.
No American woman has claimed Olympic gold in the marathon since Joan Benoit Samuelson in 1984. Jorgensen is trying to do it two years after giving birth to her son and while dealing with a recent injury setback.
“It’s been an uphill battle, I’d say,” Jorgensen said. “But one that I like. One of the reasons I switched sports, I wanted that challenge. I wanted something that keeps me motivated.”
Some of my first running role models were the mononymous Paula, Deena, and Meb. Their bold accomplishments inspired runners of all ages to chase after big things, creating a ripple effect in the sport that helped shape my running life.
I was also influenced earlier on a more immediate level by the runners in my community. I was shaped by watching my dad rise with the sun to fit in track workouts for fun, twice a week, throughout my entire childhood. I was also strongly impacted by my friend Diane Sherrer, who was at all the local road races, either running or writing about them. She became my earliest educator on all things related to women’s distance running history, and she would encourage me to chase records I didn’t even know existed.
I think we should be aware of this ability to influence one another in the running community. Though you may not be known on a first-name basis to running fans, you’re able to impact some of the runners in your sphere, and I think that’s a special phenomenon.
Team USA, USA Triathlon Magazine, Stephen Meyers from
One lap to go in the race of his life and Matt McElroy thought to himself: “What happens if I podium?”
This was new territory for McElroy, the 27-year-old California native who grew up surfing and lifeguarding and joining local group rides in Huntington Beach. Four years ago, he was a runner at Northern Arizona University contemplating his post-collegiate career as a professional triathlete. He’d watch web broadcasts of ITU World Triathlon Series races, wondering if he’d ever be able to swim fast enough to hang with the world’s best.
But here he was on June 9 in Leeds, England, the fourth stop of the 2019 ITU World Triathlon Series, running alongside WTS stalwarts Javier Gomez Noya and Henri Schoeman thanks to a fantastic swim that put him with the lead group.
… Cybersecurity consultant Brad Dixon from Carve Systems detailed how he managed to cheat in Zwift — a popular training app for cyclists that let users compete against one another, during a talk at this year’s DEF CON. The app requires players to remove the back wheel of their bike and set it in a stationary trainer device that uses sensors and resistance to translate power and speed to the online avatar. Dixon wanted to see if he could manipulate that data traveling from the bike to the Zwift and managed to successfully trick the system into thinking he was superhuman when in reality he wasn’t peddling at all.
It seems unlikely anyone will ever come across a loquacious linden. But for the arbor-curious, a red oak at the Harvard Forest in Petersham has been tweeting as @awitnesstree since July 17. Outfitted with sensors and cameras, and programmed with code that allows it to string together posts with prewritten bits of text, the Harvard Forest Witness Tree has been sharing on-the-ground insights into its own environmental life and that of its forest.
Already renowned in certain circles as the subject of the popular climate-change book “Witness Tree” by Lynda Mapes, the century-old oak’s social-media debut was the brainchild of Harvard Forest postdoctoral fellow Tim Rademacher and is now a team effort with Clarisse Hart, who heads outreach and education for the forest. Its online presence is modeled after similar “twittering” trees that chronicle their life experiences as part of a tree-water and carbon-monitoring network based in Europe called TreeWatch.net.
… USA TODAY Sports examined what popular fitness-tracking hardware and app companies such as Apple, Fitbit and Strava state in those privacy statements and terms of service. Some share information with third parties.
Fitbit, for example, said it “may share non-personal information that is aggregated or de-identified so that it cannot reasonably be used to identify an individual.”
“We may disclose such information publicly and to third parties, for example, in public reports about exercise and activity, to partners under agreement with us, or as part of the community benchmarking information we provide to users of our subscription services,” Fitbit said in a statement to USA TODAY Sports. “We never sell personal data, and we do not share customer personal information except in the limited circumstances described in our privacy policy.”
… What are we doing to safeguard and enhance these treasures today? With Montana growing and changing fast, is our generation doing enough to ensure we will remain the last best place for our children?
A new report released last month by Bozeman-based Headwaters Economics addresses this question. The report concludes that population, visitation, and development pressures are growing and putting more and more stress on our resources every year. Yet, our spending is not keeping up with the increasing pressures.
Whether it be managing wildlife, combating invasive species, providing access to public lands, protecting farms and ranches, or protecting outdoor recreation, our available funding is not keeping pace. Unfortunately, we are not missing the mark by a few pennies. We are falling millions of dollars short of what is necessary to keep up.
