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The home fitness tech that will help us stay active in 2021
It shouldn’t surprise anyone that home fitness surged in popularity in 2020. Exercise equipment went out of stock as soon as the lockdowns started here in the US, and a flurry of fitness apps and videos flooded our feeds.
Samsung preps Chrome OS tablet with a high-end camera
Samsung's Chromebooks haven't always been smashing successes, but it's clearly willing to shake up its formula when necessary. In a follow-up to hints from November, Chrome Unboxed has discovered code references confirming the existence of "Nautilus," a Samsung-made detachable Chrome OS tablet. And from initial appearances, it might not just be a Google-powered Galaxy Book. While Nautilus appears to use a 7th-generation Intel Core chip like its Windows counterpart, the code points to the presence of the Sony IMX258 camera used in the LG G6. Given that many Chromebooks have a 720p cam at best, this might be the first Chrome OS device with a camera you'd genuinely enjoy using.
Virtually race against friends on Nautilus' latest treadmill
When I'm running, topless, in my high-rise New York apartment, I often wonder: what are my friends doing? Are they on a treadmill right now? And if they are, why don't we just run together, properly, outdoors? I joke of course. Outside is dangerous. Cars. Pollution. Other people in general. Fortunately, Nautilus' T618 Treadmill will let you (kind of) run with buddies and online strangers, courtesy of tech from RunSocial. It'll also display a view of one of several beautiful outdoor tracks, with the scenery going past as fast as you're willing to run.
These 'smart dumbbells' log your lifting sessions, call you out on your bad form
The "Internet of Things" basically now includes all the things: internet-connected slow cookers, tea kettles, baby onesies. And don't you think that also includes athletic equipment? Bowflex, the company best known for its all-in-one home-exercise machines, is showing off a pair of "smart dumbbells," which log your weight lifting sessions, and also use sensors to detect if you're moving your arms too fast (bad form, dudes). The SmartTech 560 dumbbells, as they're called, then send that data to an Android or iOS app over Bluetooth. Even then, there's a display on the weights, so you can glance at some of this info right there. Once you're in the app, you can view 70-plus video tutorials, courtesy of MyFitnessPal, as well as participate in a six-week training challenge.
Bowflex Boost fitness band coming to market in September for $50
A little bird at the FCC just tipped us off to a low-cost fitness band that's about to hit the market known as the Bowflex Boost. Like competing devices, it promises to track one's daily activities, calories burned and even quality of sleep, but as a key differentiator, it'll cost only $50. Similar to competitors such as the Nike FuelBand, Fitbit Flex and Jawbone Up, it'll also come with a companion iOS app, which syncs fitness data over Bluetooth and helps users stay accountable to their fitness goals. The Bowflex Boost was first announced this month during the earnings call of parent company Nautilus, which will leverage its direct-to-consumer sales channels to bring the bracelet to market in September. We're still curious to see what sort of sacrifices you'll need to make in exchange for the lower cost, but it seems that all will be revealed next month... perhaps in an infomercial.
Bowers & Wilkins intros classy A7 and A5 AirPlay speakers, leaves out the 30-pin dock
When it comes to Apple-focused audio wares, Bowers & Wilkins makes some of the of the ritiziest options available. Expanding on its its existing speaker range, the company has introduced a duo of new AirPlay speakers dubbed as the A5 ($500) and A7 ($800). Both HiFi boxes are nearly identical from the outside (aside from the size difference), and feature the same black and silver aesthetic as the MM-1 media speakers. The A7 nets you a duo of 25-watt 1-inch Nautilus "tube-loaded" tweeters" (just like the MM-1s), two 25-watt 3-inch drivers for the mid-range and a 50-watt 6-inch woofer, while the A5 shrinks things by forgoing a woofer and using a smaller speaker array of two 20-watt tweeters and two 20-watt mid-range drivers. The speakers on both units are independently driven, and both systems feature an "audiophile-grade" DAC that'll upscale music streams to a maximum 24-bit / 96kHz sample rate. As you'd expect, the units feature WiFi and Ethernet connectivity and 3.5mm inputs for hooking in sans wireless, but it's worth noting these audio boxes lack 30-pin docks -- at least you still get a remote. Check out the video after the break for a detailed look at both, and the source link below for all the juicy details.
Riot releases new League of Legends Nautilus spotlight video
We brought you Riot's new Nautilus reveal a couple of days ago, and now the company has released a second video featuring its latest League of Legends champion. The clip features seven minutes worth of strategy and gameplay footage, all of it centered around the beefy new melee tank. Whether you make use of Nautilus' anchor (and its associated drag ability), or spread his damage around to multiple targets, you'll find him to be a worthwhile addition to just about any fight, according to Riot. Head past the break to view the full video. [Source: Riot press release]
League of Legends reveals Nautilus, announces Sona nerf
Riot Games adds a new champion to League of Legends' growing roster every few weeks to keep the game fresh, and this week Riot revealed the game's next champion Nautilus, the Titan of the Depths. Nautilus is a tank with a unique initiation ability: He throws his massive anchor toward a target, and then drags himself toward the anchor. His abilities encourage spreading damage around during team fights, with his passive adding bonus damage to his first attack against a champion every twelve seconds and immobilising them slightly. A shield ability and area-effect damage spells make Nautilus a dangerous tank to be near during team fights. A number of gameplay and balance changes will be coming in the Nautilus patch. Shen is getting a complete ability set retuning to make him scale better to late game, and let him function better as as tank. It's been a long time coming, but unsurprisingly LoL's dominant support champion Sona is due for a few nerfs in the upcoming patch. The mana regenerated by Soraka's Infuse will be increased but she'll no longer be able to cast it on herself to essentially have limitless mana. Nerfs are also on the way for Vladimir, aimed at decreasing his early game presence without disrupting his fun gameplay. Check out the full patch preview video after the cut for more details.
Nokia working on new MID for this year, wild QWERTY tech for next?
Let's start this out with a word of warning: TheStreet.com's latest report allegedly from deep within Espoo's most secretive labs contradicts itself on a couple occasions -- and Nokia has a decent (though not stellar) track record of keeping most prized secrets under wraps -- so we're bringing this up with a good deal of caution, healthy skepticism, and cold, hard reality on our minds. That being said, some aspects of the report seem totally plausible, particularly a new bit about a fresh MID (likely to replace the aging N810) in the works with a sliding keyboard and 4.2-inch display targeted for release before the holidays this year; Maemo 5 development is well underway, so we'd actually be kinda surprised if this didn't happen. Odds are it wouldn't be that rumored Sparrow-powered device, though, since we'd heard 2011 for that one.Here's where it starts to get a little strange -- next up, the report mentions a "Nautilus project" intending to create an ultra-thin touchscreen phone of some sort that uses a "sensor" (you know, a "sensor") to motorize the keyboard in and out of the body; what's more, the keys would rise up when deployed for better feel. This sounds unlikely at best, considering the added weight, complexity, bulk, and reliability concerns around that kind of a mechanism, not to mention the fact that it'd serve almost no practical purpose whatsoever. At first, TheStreet says this is a device, then later changes its mind and says "the first Nautilus phone isn't due out for another year" -- but whether it's a phone or an entire range of phones, we're just not seeing it; it'd be fun to play with, yes, but we think this is the kind of thing where the engineers would putz with it for a while and realize that it's a really, really bad idea.[Via Unwired View]
MapleStory set to be boarded, mateys
Ever wanted to take on monsters and swagger around, with nary a care for lesser landlubbers? Well Nexon's got just the thing for you in their newly created MapleStory player class - Pirates! Launching this month, the addition of the Pirate class adds a new facet on this already popular game. Players start with the Pirate, but can choose one of two job paths as their levels increase. At level 30, players can specialize in the fast melee attacks of the Brawler, or go for the ranged-attack prowess of the Gunslinger. Both job trees continue up to Buccaneer or Corsair at level 120, respectively. Additionally, pirates gain several fun new abilities like sneaking past monsters in barrels, the ability to summon sea creatures to help, and even transformative battle powers.As if that weren't timber-shivering enough to give players an incentive for rolling a Pirate, MapleStory is also adding in a series of new maps and areas to experience aboard the Pirate ship Nautilus, just full of new adventures. They're also planning a series of contests based around the new class, including a costume contest, a user-generated content contest and even a competition for pirate-themed guilds. To top it all off, MapleStory is introducing a new server for people to play on - Demethos - which should give new players a chance to be on a more even footing as everyone levels up. Sounds like some serious sea fun to us. Yarr!
