Qlipp
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On the court with the promising Qlipp tennis sensor
It wasn't long ago that we rounded up a collection of gadgets aimed at tennis players -- everything from fitness trackers to sensor-laden rackets. But this is still a young market and we've seen several new entries since then. Equipment maker Babolat announced the Pop, a stat-tracking sensor housed in a wristband, back in August. Meanwhile, a new name is entering this growing field. A small team called 9 Degrees Freedom successfully crowdfunded the Qlipp -- a small sensor going for $99 in pre-release deals before jumping to its regular $129 price. It's a "universal" device that should work with nearly any racket and the company boldly claims it's the "ultimate tennis performance sensor." I received a pre-release version several weeks ago and, thanks to a nagging foot injury, I ended up spending far longer with the device than I anticipated. That added time gave me the chance to watch the accompanying app evolve as the Qlipp neared its December release and while the typical crowdfunding growing pains are evident, I do like where the company's going with this device.
