Tag Archives: HeartRateMonitor

For Under Armour, health tracking is more than a wristband

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Under Armour's pitch got me excited. Rather than dropping another fitness tracker on the world, the company had a vision. An ecosystem more robust than the competition and geared toward athletes, not just people looking for a pedometer. Sure, there's...

Wearable maker claims Apple and Fitbit stole its tech

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There's a longstanding legal tradition in tech: a small company gets patents on a nice idea, finds only modest success selling the idea and finally sues the living daylights out of its bigger rivals. And unfortunately, that's carrying on in the wear...

Runtastic brings a GPS watch, fitness monitors and more to the US

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Runtastic launches a GPS watch, fitness monitors and more in the US

Most app developers have few incentives to build their own hardware, let alone the resources. With 25 million mobile users, Runtastic has both -- so it only makes sense that the company is bringing a slate of complementary exercise gear to the US for the first time. The initial catalog won't shock cyclists and runners who have ever toyed with tracking their progress, but it's certainly complete. Along with Runtastic's take on a GPS watch ($150), there's also an app-friendly heart rate monitor ($70), a speed sensor ($60), an armband and a bike mount. While the peripherals only truly make sense for Runtastic loyalists, they're available today through Amazon -- and they might seal the deal for athletes who want a harmonious blend of hardware and software.

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Source: Runtastic

Zensorium launches Tinké cardiorespiratory health and stress monitor for iOS devices (video)

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Zensorium launches Tinké cardiorespiratory health and stress monitor for iOS devices (video)

Planning a gluttonous holiday season and then a health kick in the New Year to balance it out? Well, when you start on the latter, you might want one of Zensorium's Tinké cardiorespiratory monitors to track your progress. The sensor is compatible with any of your old-fashioned 30-pin iOS devices (it'll work with the Lightning adapter, too), and with the press of a thumb, it can measure heart rate, blood oxygenation and respiratory rate using light. All this data is fed into the free companion app, which generates an overall fitness score called the "Vita Index" and logs it for later comparison. Stress levels can also be assessed, using fluctuations in your heart rate to score the "Zen Index." Sharing how unfit and stressed you are can be done via Facebook or Tinké's own network, which also allows you to compare results with other users worldwide. The monitor will set you back $119 and is available now from Zensorium (link below) in a choice of four colors. If you'd like to start improving your Zen Index right now, then check out the soothing acoustic sounds in the product walkthrough video below the fold.

Continue reading Zensorium launches Tinké cardiorespiratory health and stress monitor for iOS devices (video)

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Source: Zensorium

MIO Alpha watch goes on sale for $199, touts high-grade heart monitoring on the run

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MIO Alpha watch goes on sale, touts EKGgrade heart monitoring on the run

As popular as heart rate monitors can be for runners looking to improve their health, they're often definitions of compromise that require bulky gear or direct finger contact to reliably find the heartbeat. MIO's newly available Alpha watch may be just the remedy for those who aren't content to bulk up or slow down to avoid that guesswork. The monitor uses an electro-optical cell and a pair of light beams to track the volume of blood under the wrist, and compensates for the usual jostling through a motion sensor; the result is a purportedly very high level of accuracy at up to a 12MPH pace without wearing ungainly extras. For most, the catch will be a narrow-purpose design that leaves GPS and other less cardiovascular measurements to a smartphone or bike computer paired through Bluetooth 4.0. Should most of your exercise involve striving for the perfect BPM, though, the $199 asking price for the Alpha (online for now, at retail in early 2013) could justify itself in short order.

Continue reading MIO Alpha watch goes on sale for $199, touts high-grade heart monitoring on the run

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Source: MIO

Researchers create video game that monitors heart rate to keep children’s anger in check

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Researchers create video game that monitors heart rate to keep children's anger in check

Nintendo may have left its Vitality Sensor by the wayside, but researchers at Boston Children's Hospital are using heart rate monitoring in a video game to teach children with anger issues how to temper their emotions. Dubbed RAGE (Regulate and Gain Emotional) Control, the game tasks players with blasting hostile spaceships while keeping their heart rate from exceeding a predefined limit. If a gamer's pulse rises above the ceiling, they'll lose the ability to shoot until they can ease their pulse back down. A group of 18 kids who received standard treatments and played the game for five, 15-minute-long sessions had better control of their heart rate and lower anger levels than a group that only used traditional treatments. Currently, a controlled clinical trial of RAGE Control is underway and there are plans to take the concept a step further with toys and games suited for younger children. Look out below for the full press release or tap the second source link for the team's paper in the Journal of Adolescent Psychiatry.

[Image credit: Thirteen of Clubs, Flickr]

Continue reading Researchers create video game that monitors heart rate to keep children's anger in check

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Researchers create video game that monitors heart rate to keep children's anger in check originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Oct 2012 10:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink CNET  |  sourceBoston Children's Hospital, Bentham Science Publishers  | Email this | Comments

Prototype heart monitor collar could let sheep text their shepherd, tattle on creeping wolves

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Prototype heart monitor collar could let sheep text their shepherd, tattle on creeping wolves

It's easy to imagine the lonely Swiss shepherd casually texting his pals during a long day in the field, but reading an SMS from his flock? More possible then you might think. A recent trial in Switzerland outfitted 10 sheep with heart monitoring collars and submitted them to a simulated wolf attack, causing their heart rate to jump from 60 / 80 BPM to 225. The team behind the experiment hope to pair the significant change in heart rate with a future device that releases a predator deterrent while simultaneously sending a text message to the local shepherd. Complete prototypes are being prepped for a 2013 trial in Switzerland and France, where wolf attacks are on the rise. The devices hopes to offer owners of smaller flocks an affordable alternative to keeping a sheepdog.

[Image credit: Shutterstock]

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Prototype heart monitor collar could let sheep text their shepherd, tattle on creeping wolves originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Aug 2012 03:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink The Verge, PhysOrg  |   | Email this | Comments

Motorola discounts the MOTOACTV $100, hopes you’re still in bikini slim-down mode

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Motorola discounts the MOTOACTV $100, hopes you're still in bikini slimdown mode

Still in the middle of your seasonal weight loss regimen? Well, if you're in the market for a new fitness wearable, Motorola has dropped the price on its MOTOACTV to $149.99 for the 8GB model, $199.99 for the 16GB version and $299.99 for the Multi-Sport Edition. Need a quick refresher? You can expect to keep track of your running, biking, golfing and other sporty exploits alongside GPS, MP3 playback, heart rate monitor and Bluetooth. You'll also be able to brag about those progress updates with your Facebook and Twitter mates alongside the $100 price cut. Ready to commit? Hit that source link below to do just that.

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Motorola discounts the MOTOACTV $100, hopes you're still in bikini slim-down mode originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Jul 2012 16:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceMotorola  | Email this | Comments

Sony patent proposal ponders planting physicians inside your plasma

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Remember when Sony said it would "unify" its product lines and consider going into the medical device business? Well, we've unearthed this patent application from 2010 that does that just. A wireless wristband monitors your heart rate, vitals and blood glucose levels, and beams that information to your TV over infra-red. Your data will then update in real time for you to watch of an evening, if it's a choice between that and Gossip Girl, at least. Moreover, if your TV is web-connected, it could even send emergency messages to your local HMO if the conclusion of your favorite show / sporting event sends you into chest-clutching fits of apoplexy.

Sony patent proposal ponders planting physicians inside your plasma originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Apr 2012 21:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceUSPTO  | Email this | Comments