activitytracking
Latest
Here's why Netflix is tracking some Android users' physical activity
Netflix is tracking some users' physical activity, but it isn't exactly moving into Fitbit's territory. Details of the test first emerged when a security researcher said the Netflix app on his Android device requested access to his physical activity data. It might seem odd on the surface that Netflix would like to know when you're moving around, but there's some solid reasoning behind the move.
Strava fitness tracking data reveals details of secret bases
Location data in fitness apps is frequently a good thing, since it helps you remember and optimize your routes. However, it's also producing an unexpected security risk: it's revealing details of secret military bases. UCA analyst Nathan Ruser has discovered that Strava's publicly available activity map includes the fitness routes of soldiers and agents in sensitive locations, including American bases in Afghanistan and Syria, the UK's Mount Pleasant airbase in the Falkland Islands, a suspected CIA base in Somalia and even Area 51. It's mostly American and British troops who show up, but Russian bases have also been outlined by the Strava data.
Polar unveils an affordable heart rate tracking armband
These days fitness trackers tend to multi-task as standard. The likes of the Fitbit Alta HR and the upcoming Gear Fit 2 Pro offer everything from sleep monitoring to calorie-counting -- with Samsung's wearable also reportedly boasting swim tracking. But, all those features can prove a turn-off for buyers looking to hone in on one specific task. If, for example, you just want to focus on your heart rate, why would you fork out $150 for a bunch of tricks you don't need? That's where Polar's new OH1 optical heart rate sensor comes in. The $79.95 wearable trims out the fat to focus on your ticker, and little else. And (seeing as Polar's been making top-notch activity trackers for years) you can probably bet it does that well.
Recommended Reading: Beats 1 is a powerful music marketing tool
Blink-182 and Apple Music Team up to Show Off Increasing Reach And Power of Beats 1 Steve Baltin, Forbes Beats 1 has been a key selling point since Apple Music's launch. The internet radio station boasts a number of big names and includes a slate of shows hosted by the artists themselves. Even if you don't have your own show like Dr. Dre, Drake or Run the Jewels, debuting new music with Zane Lowe can do wonders for your hype train. Forbes details the power of Beats 1 through the lens of rockers Blink-182. The Verge also has a look at how the platform helped catapult Drake's latest album to the top of the streaming charts.
Basis halts Peak smartwatch sales due to overheating concerns
When we first reviewed the Basis Peak back in 2014, we noted the wearable's ability to track your activity while lacking some core smartwatch features. The company has continually added new features to the device, but today it announced that sales have been halted. Citing the wrist-worn gadget's tendency to overheat, Basis is putting sales of the Peak on hold until it can issue a software update to remedy the issue. What's more, it's recommending current owners avoid using the device until that patch is released.
Fitbit Surge and Charge HR automatically detect and log exercises
Just in time to entice holiday shoppers, Fibit is updating its Surge and Charge HR fitness trackers with a handful of new features. First, a SmartTrack feature automatically recognizes exercises during your workouts and records them in the Fitbit app along with details on duration, calories burned and heart rate. SmartTrack can determine if you're on the elliptical, outdoor biking, running, walking or doing one of a few aerobic workouts (Zumba, cardio-kickboxing , dance, etc.). It can also detect if you're playing sports like tennis, basketball and soccer. You can personalize the activity recognition too, telling the tech which movements you want logged as exercise and how long you want to be moving before it starts to track them. By default, you'll need to be in motion at least 15 minutes before the recording starts. When it comes to heart-rate tracking, the two wearables are getting improved PurePulse performance for those more intense workout sessions. By using Exercise Mode on the Charge HR and multi-sport modes on the Surge, the gadgets will provide a better "experience" during and after those high-energy activities like Zumba.
Google Fit gets real-time stats and grabs data from more wearables
Just in time to outfit your holiday workout regimen, Google its updating its Fit app with a few new features. First, the activity-tracking software now provides real-time distance, steps, pace and calorie stats for your running, walking and riding workouts. When you come to a stop for some push-ups, sit-ups or squats, you can use your Android Wear device to keep a tally of your reps before adding the total to your daily activity log. Google Fit also pulls in sleep and nutrition info from other apps and fitness trackers. If you're using MyFitnessPal (and a host of others) to track meals or Sleep as Android, Xiaomi Mi Band, Mi Band 1S, Sony Smartband 2 or the Basis Peak to keep tabs on how well you're resting, you'll be able access those details for a more complete picture of your overall wellness. Looking to give it a shot? You can grab the latest version of the Android app from Google Play right here.
Garmin launches a new smart scale and fitness tracker
If your company makes fitness trackers, then it's probably wise to make your own scale, lest a rival firm steals your lunch from under you. It's a lesson that Garmin has belatedly learned, which is why it's now launching its first ever smart scale, although it's previously offered weight recording with other devices. The firm is also revamping its Vivosmart activity tracker, adding a built-in optical heart rate sensor that'll keep track of your vital statistics all through the day.
Wilson's connected basketball helps hone your skills on the court
Connected sporting goods are nothing new, and Wilson's a smart basketball that tracks every shot you take on the court is adding to the fray. The Wilson X, which was first announced last year, uses an embedded sensor to tally makes and misses in real time alongside a companion app for iOS devices While it'll only play nice with Apple gadget right now, it'll be available for Android this fall. The mobile software also offers four modes for shooting drills. There's a Buzzer Beater mode that offers the challenge of making the game-winning shot as the clock winds down, for example. Wilson says that this high-tech ball and app combo is made for shooters as it isn't designed to track shots within seven feet of the basket.
Xiaomi and Li-Ning are working on a pair of 'smart' running shoes
Chinese mobile juggernaut Xiaomi is already in the wearables game, but it'll soon equip runners' training sessions. The phone and accessory maker is working on a pair of "smart" running shoes with Li-Ning -- a China-based footwear company with a list endorsers that includes Miami Heat guard Dwayne Wade. Each pair will have chips in its soles to track activity, beaming data to a mobile app to keep tabs on progress, analyze form and celebrate training milestones. The tech is being developed alongside Huami Technology, the wearable manufacturer that lent a hand with Xiaomi's Mi band. There's no word on pricing or availability just yet, but runners in China can expect "an affordable price," according to a Li-Ning statement.
Blood, sweat and bitcoin: Mining cryptocurrency with exercise
Even a company like Chaotic Moon, that has made headlines here for its odd, genre defying creations has to bow to the lure of trends every so often. Fitcoin (not to be confused with the several other apps of the same name) hops on the wearble and bitcoin bandwagon. It starts with any activity tracker that meets two requirements: an open API and an integrated heart rate monitor. For demonstration purposes the company chose a Mio. Then there's an app that measures the activity tracked and converts it into an appropriate amount of bitcoin -- in essence paying you to work out. Or, as the tag line puts it: Get ripped. Die mining.
Geeksphone's wearable tracks sexual performance, other boring stuff
Geeksphone, the company behind a dual-OS handset and the ultra-secure Blackphone, is trying its hand at wearables. The upcoming Geeksme band appears to be rather smartwatch-esque with a circular OLED display framed by 12 bi-color LEDs, tracking steps, distance, calories burned and sleep. It'll also wrangle calls, messages and reminders on your wrist. How does Geeksme hope to stand out? It tracks sexual performance and monitors "progress" in the bedroom. The device keeps tabs on your "ecological footprint" as well, so you're always informed about how your habits impact the environment. Unfortunately, the company isn't showing off the hardware just yet, and details (like how it monitors bedroom activity) are scarce, but it's planning to launch later this year. You can rest assured we're on the hunt for more details -- perhaps at this month's Mobile World Congress.
Under Armour spent half a billion dollars on two fitness apps
Under Armour just outed its own fitness-tracking app at last month's CES, but the company seems keen on continually improving its software arsenal. To do so, the Baltimore-based sports outfitter paid $85 million in early January Endomondo: an app for Android, iOS, Windows Phone and BlackBerry that keeps tabs on data from running, walking, cycling and other distance sports. Endomondo also plays nice with wearables from Jabra, Garmin, Fiitbit, Withings and more. But that's not all: Under Armour also announced alongside its Q4 earnings report that it had nabbed MyFitnessPal for $475 million, too.
Recommended Reading: 'Lucy's' bad science and space movie inaccuracies
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read. Lucy's Based on Bad Science, and 6 More Secrets About the Film by Angela Watercutter, Wired A quick Google search will reveal quite a few articles pointing out the inaccuracy of the main premise of Lucy. By ingesting drugs stuffed inside her belly by traffickers, a woman is able to access not just the 10 percent of her brain regular humans can supposedly access, but also the other 90 percent. That whole 10 percent figure is of course a myth, but that didn't stop Luc Besson from using it as the base for his fictional narrative. Besson uses his knack for creating great female leads with some out-of-order storytelling to make the whole thing a bit more believable, and Wired has a quick rundown before this weekend's debut.
Microsoft reportedly developing cookie alternative to track activity across devices
Last month brought word of Google's AdID effort to replace the aging cookie as a way to track people's activity on the internet, and it looks like Microsoft also has an alternative of its own in the works. According to a report from Ad Age, Microsoft is working on a new system that would let it track users' activity across various Windows and Windows Phone devices. That tracking would also apparently extend to Xbox, although that is said to be "on the latter end of that roadmap," with a rollout to computers, tablets and smartphones expected first (even those plans are reportedly still in the "early stages"). While it didn't directly confirm the news, Microsoft did tell Ad Age in a statement that "we agree that going beyond the cookie is important," adding, "our priority will be to find ways to do this that respect the interests of consumers." Of course, the other priority is being able to offer more targeted ads to advertisers, with your activity on one device affecting the ads you see on another.
CES 2013: Fitbug launches the Orb, for tracking sleep and activity via iOS
Photo: Engadget Whatever you do, don't confuse the Fitbug with its similarly titled competitor, the Fitbit -- we accidentally did so at this week's CES Unveiled event, and the company's rep gave us a stern correction. In our defense, it's easy to mix the two up: They obviously sound similar, and they perform similar tasks, both tracking health and calorie consumption via a Bluetooth app. But Fitbug's new Orb unit hopes to do even more than the popular Fitbit -- not only will it track calories burned through the pedometer, but it will also measure sleep (presumably by noting when you're laying down and going inactive). The Fitbug will hook up with any iOS device, and can deliver data through a continuous stream, set data to be kicked out at certain times or follow your directions through a Push mode. The unit can be worn around the wrist, clipped on or connected to a necklace attachment. The Orb is available now from Fitbug directly, for a price of £45 (or US$73). The company has also introduced a line of Bluetooth enabled scales this week called the Fitbug Wow, that will also track your progress and share it across to a series of iPhone apps. That information can also be browsed through on the website, to mingle up with whatever data you've collected from the Orb. The scales will be out in March, and can be bought for either £70 or £100 ($114 or $163, respectively), depending on whether you buy the packaged Air activity tracker as well. Engadget has a gallery of each device here. There are already a number of solutions out there for activity tracking like this, but Fitbug is throwing its hat into the arena with a passion. We'll have to wait and see, as the year goes on, if one of these solutions can fight its way up to the top.
