Outdoors + Tech newsletter – October 30, 2017

Outdoors + Tech news articles, blog posts and research papers for October 30, 2017

 

bracelets


The Apple Watch: Making Music Streaming Much Easier for Certain Types of People

Billboard, Dan Rys from

… Okay, so this fitness-first, app-based functionality isn’t new to the latest iteration of the Apple Watch, but it’s new to me, as someone who has not had an Apple Watch before and is therefore not very accustomed to speaking to my wrist, or taking orders from it. (To my knowledge, I am neither James Bond nor a member of a top-secret security detail.) But now I have one, at least temporarily, for the express reason of trying out the Apple Watch Series 3, since it is the first version to have functionality with Apple Music and its 40 million-song on-demand catalog and suite of Beats 1 radio stations, as well as cellular capabilities that allow the user to text and make phone calls even without Wi-Fi or a phone nearby.

It’s that last point — that of not having a phone nearby — that is the main experience on which the Apple Watch Series 3 is centered; the main idea being that you can simply leave your phone behind and still be fully connected to every aspect of your life.

 

Baby boomer flummoxed by Fitbit and Apple Watch

CNBC, Christina Farr from

… Studies have shown that these devices have a long way to go before they appeal to the boomer generation.

Just ask my own mother (below), who wore a Fitbit “Ionic” and Apple Watch Series 3 for a week. She found both devices fun, particularly the easier-to-use Fitbit, but missed her Piaget timepiece.

The “gamified” features like the rewards for meeting fitness goals also didn’t appeal.

 

Samsung Still Quietly Developing Simband Capability for Health Tech Wearables

The Longevity Network from

In 2014, Samsung publicly announced its Simband project–a “reference wearable” that developers could play with under the broad rubric “Voice of the Body”. Three years later, they are still quietly pursuing further development of the Simband, and insiders say it is shaping their approach to digital health.

 

Misfit Vapor Android Wear smartwatch is launching 31 October

Wareable (UK), Hugh Langley from

Yes people, we finally know when the Misfit Vapor smartwatch is landing. You can pick up the Android Wear-running wearable from the Misfit website on 31 October.

The delayed Vapor will be priced at $199.99 and will of course be compatible with iPhones (iOS 9 or higher) and Android 4.3+ running smartphones.

 

non-wrist wearable


Gait retraining: out of the lab and onto the streets with the benefit of wearables

British Journal of Sports Medicine from

Movement retraining can correct faulty movement patterns.1 However, as with any treatment, retraining needs to be activity specific—there are various types of ‘retraining’ and the treatment needs to match the movement fault.2 As experts at analysis and rehabilitation of movement, the concept of gait retraining fits well into a sport physiotherapist’s tool kit. The advent of readily accessible high-speed motion capture technology to assess and provide feedback on running patterns allows practitioners to incorporate gait retraining in their clinics. Furthermore, wearable technology makes it possible to measure many metrics ‘in the field’ that were previously only quantifiable in the lab. The purpose of this editorial is to discuss the potential of wearable technology to monitor and give feedback of gait outside of a lab and clinic setting.

 

Optimizing inter-session reliability of heart rate variability – the effects of artefact correction and breathing type.

Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research from

This study aimed to comprehensively investigate the reliability of multiple heart rate variability (HRV) parameters, and to explore the influence of artefact removal and breathing condition on HRV reliability. Resting HRV was collected using Polar Team2 monitors on forty-one participants (age: 19.9+/-1.2 years; 28 females, 13 males) during two separate days. Within each session, participants performed 10 minutes each of spontaneous and controlled breathing (randomized order). Kubios HRV analysis software was used to analyze 180s data epochs using “low” or “strong” artefact removal. Relative reliability was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC2,1) and absolute reliability was quantified using mean-normalized standard error of measurement (SEM%). Time domain and nonlinear parameters produced poor to good inter-session agreement (ICC:0.34-0.68; SEM%: 11.0-39.0) with “low” artefact removal, regardless of breathing condition. Frequency domain parameters demonstrated fair inter-session agreement during controlled breathing (ICC:0.40-0.45; SEM%: 26.0-70.0), but poor agreement during spontaneous breathing (ICC:0.07-0.13; SEM%: 32.0-81.0). Minimal differences in ICCs were observed between “low” and “strong” artefact removal. Thus, this study provides three practical applications: 1) HRV monitoring is most reliable when using time domain and nonlinear parameters, regardless of breathing or filtering condition, but no single parameter is especially reliable. The large variation and poor inter-session reliability of frequency indices during spontaneous breathing are improved by controlling breathing rate; 2) “Low” artefact removal appears superior to more aggressive artefact removal; and 3) Inter-session differences in HRV measurements <30% may be indicative of normal daily variation rather than true physiologic changes.

 

The Augmented Human of the Future

The Atlantic, Tim O'Reilly from

… Even the very first advances in civilization had this cyborg quality. The marriage of humans with technology is what made us the masters of other species, giving us weapons and tools harder and sharper than the claws of any animal, projecting our strength at greater and greater distance until we could bring down even the greatest of beasts in the hunt, not to mention engineer new crops that produce far more food than their wild forebears, and domesticate animals to make us stronger and faster.

In short, there are two types of augmentation, physical and mental, in a complex dance. One frontier of augmentation is the addition of sensors to the physical world, allowing data to be collected and analyzed at a previously unthinkable scale. That is the real key to understanding what is often called the “Internet of Things.” Things that once required guesswork are now knowable. (Insurance may well be the native business model of the “Internet of Things” in the same way that advertising became the native business model of the internet, because of the data-driven elimination of uncertainty.) It isn’t simply a matter of smart, connected devices like the Nest thermostat or the Amazon Echo, the Fitbit and the Apple Watch, or even self-driving cars. It’s about the data these devices provide. The possibilities of the future cascade in unexpected ways.

 

software


The Benefits of Having a Cycling Coach

Bicycling, Jason Sumner from

If riding your bike is simply a hobby, something you do for entertainment and exercise, you probably don’t need to hire a coach. Just keep riding and have fun doing it. But if at some point getting faster is a priority for you, then having a coach is your one-way ticket to increased speed. Perhaps you have decided to start racing. Or maybe you’re targeting a century ride next summer. Whatever the case, a little guidance can go a long way toward helping you achieve your goals. (To learn more about setting up your own training plans, check out Jason Sumner’s Complete Book of Road Cycling Skills.)

“For me, the biggest benefit of having a coach is that it forced me to be accountable,” says Scott Moninger, former pro racer turned coach. “It’s really beneficial to have someone telling you what to do in training. And with the advent of power meters, your coach can get a really good idea of what you’re doing and where your fitness level is. As an athlete, I would rather just go do the work and have my coach worry about parsing the data.”

 

Garmin opens up Cycling Dynamics to other companies

Ray Maker, DC Rainmaker blog from

Sitting on the list of things I’ve been meaning to write about for about a month, is a nifty and little known tidbit: At the ANT+ Symposium this year, Garmin announced that 3rd parties could start to leverage Garmin’s previously proprietary Cycling Dynamics metrics within their own products. Be it power meters or head units (or watches), all of which no longer requiring Garmin Vector to get cycling dynamics.

So, since my sushi for lunch is taking about 45 minutes longer than it should to be delivered, I’m just going to see if I can knock out this quick post and then get back to finishing up that Apple Watch review.

 

Rice expert: Be concerned about how apps collect, share health data

Rice University from

As of 2016 there were more than 165,000 health and wellness apps available though the Apple App Store alone. According to Rice University medical media expert Kirsten Ostherr, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates only a fraction of those. Americans should be concerned about how these apps collect, save and share their personal health data, she said.

 

hardware


Authenticity is GoPro’s Most Important Translation Quality KPI

Slator, Gino Diño from

More than half of GoPro’s revenue in the second quarter of 2017 was generated outside of the US. The action camera market leader is seeing strong growth in Asia, and indeed, international customers are key to getting the company back to sustained profitability.

“Our reach is incredibly diverse and multilingual. It is important for us that our messaging be localized into multiple languages so we can communicate most effectively with our audience,” said Sonia Oliveira, Senior Director of Globalization at GoPro. “We have seen significant growth in Asia last quarter (specifically Japan and China) for example following the release of localized products in those markets highlighting the importance of localization to our business.”

 

gear


Hit the slopes with this connected tech

Gadgets & Wearables, Dusan Johnson from

There are wearables for running, cycling, weightlifting, tennis, swimming and all other kinds of sports. But did you know you can buy high-tech gear designed specifically for skiing and snowboarding?

Beanies and boots at the ready, the skiing season is just around the corner. As you make your preparations to head off to the slopes, check out our list of gadgets that have the potential to improve your overall powder experience. This includes everything from smart ski goggles to GPS enabled helmets.

 

Hiking Boots vs. Trail Runners: The Great Debate

REI Co-op Journal, Ken Knapp from

How to decide when you really need a pair of big, bad boots

Newbie hikers or those looking to replace an older pair of hiking boots often ask the question these days: Do I have to buy a pair of burly boots to hike in the woods or go backpacking? Of course not. After all, there are people who thru-hike the Appalachian Trail (AT) in their bare feet.

If you asked the boot question, though, you were probably wondering: Would a pair of trail runners be an acceptable alternative—or an even better choice than a pair of heavy hiking boots? We asked footwear guru Beth Henkes in our REI Alderwood store in Washington to tell us how she helps customers decide between boots and shoes. The simple answer is that both hiking boots and trail runners will get you out on the trail, but where, when, and how you hike may impact your choice.

 

Everysight’s AR cycling smart glasses landing February 2018 from $649

Wareable (UK), Husain Sumra from

Israel-based Everysight has been working on augmented reality smartglasses for the past 15 years. Starting today, you’ll finally be able to (kind of) pre-order its Raptor AR smart glasses for cyclists and triathletes, starting from $549.

The Raptors display a small, green box of information in your vision. You’ll be able to see your heart rate, pace, cadence, power, distance and more. With built-in GPS and GLONASS support, you’ll also get a map with navigation to help you cycle through uncharted territory – or just an unknown city.

 

stories


Unknown territory: why do we remember the first time?

The Guardian, Oliver Balch from

First runs in a new location are memorable, even magical – an introduction to a new city, for example – and science has set out to explain the phenomenon

 

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