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AfterShokz Aeropex open-ear headphones prove less can be more
I've been using AfterShokz bone conduction headphones ever since I reviewed them in 2015 and they've become an inseparable part of my bike rides. The open-ear design allows me to pump up my soundtrack, while still being able to hear traffic and other goings on around me. Improvements have come incrementally with a few notable leaps, but the new AfterShokz Aeropex model seems to be the culmination of the past years' developments. It's lighter than the previous Air model (Trekz being dropped from the product name), with better sound and improved waterproofing which should keep them from being susceptible to repeated outpourings of sweat. The new AfterShokz Aeropex is available starting today for $159.95. I've had the chance to use them for the past couple of weeks, so I can provide some perspective on how this new model works, especially in comparison to previous versions.
Lumos bike helmet adds Apple Watch gestures to control turn signals
It's been almost three years since we first came across the Lumos smart cycling helmet, which got our attention with its cunning automatic brake lights and wirelessly-controlled turn signal indicators. The helmet has since been shipping as of late 2016, but the Hong Kong startup didn't stop there. Today -- which happens to be the first day of Bike Month -- Lumos is releasing an update that adds gesture control for the helmet's blinkers via Apple Watch, along with Apple HealthKit integration for automatic cycling tracking.
Everysight's Raptor AR cycling glasses start at $499
We liked what Everysight accomplished with its Raptor AR Smartglasses -- they present helpful cycling info like directions, cadence and your heart rate in front of you so that you can keep your eyes on the road. If you're feeling the same way, you now know when you can get a pair of your own. Everysight has announced that you can sign up for a pre-order invitation at its website today, with pre-orders starting on November 15th ahead of the February 2018 release. That's a long time to wait (sorry, no AR fall rides for you), but the prices sound about right for projector-equipped eyepieces with their own onboard computing and GPS: you're looking at an "early adopter" price of $499 for glasses with 16GB of storage and $549 for 32GB.
You'll look like 'Robocop' with this smart cycling helmet
Bike helmets should be about safety first and foremost, but that doesn't mean you can't rock one that's also stylish. Livall's BH51, introduced at IFA 2017, is exactly that. This cycling helmet is designed to protect your head whilst offering a sleek commuter design, enhanced by a strip of bright red LEDs on the back that you can light up every time you break or turn -- they are controlled through a remote on the handlebar. Aside from that, the BH51 can pair with your phone via Bluetooth, making it possible to take calls or listen to music directly from the helmet. With the stereo speakers, you can get your audio fix and be able to pay attention to the outside world simultaneously.f
ICYMI: Sims yourself into a new VR social network
try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: A new social network for virtual reality just launched, geared towards users who will decorate rooms to their taste, then have online friends over to hang out in their rooms, sharing content and chatting in real time about whatever movie they might be watching. Meanwhile, a bike path in Poland is made of material that glows for 10 hours after being charged by sunlight. It's being watched through the winter and if it handles cold temperatures well, researchers will begin work on commercializing the material in the spring. Nissan's EV mobile office video is here, and if you're interested in that GoPro contest, the mountain biking video is here. As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
ICYMI: Hop on a bike and tour the world
try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: A British man was the first to bike the length of the UK, all within the world of Google Maps and his virtual reality headset. If you're intrigued, his blog is really the best place to get the details.
Make your bike electric with this swap-in tire
Electric bikes have been around for decades but haven't broken out of their niche audience. Instead of building a bicycle around electric power, GeoOrbital is a universal wheel you can swap into your existing bike to power your ride.
ICYMI: How to banish drones, fast levitating train and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-150144{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-150144, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-150144{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-150144").style.display="none";}catch(e){} Today on In Case You Missed It: A startup plans to detect and disable any drone flying within range of its proprietary system with a planned launch date later this year. The US Air Force beat its own magnetic levitation speed record at 633 miles per hour. Researchers developed e-skin that can track blood oxygen content and heart rate, displaying on LEDs. We are smitten with this commuter bike car from Sweden so please check it out. As always, please share any great tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
Google shutters My Tracks outdoor activity-logging app
Google's My Tracks app for logging outdoor activity isn't long for this world. The company plans to shutter the software at the end of April, though it regularly updated the GPS-based app in quite some time. This isn't just an end of support, the app won't run at all after that date. If you stuck with My Tracks, Google says you can export collected data to Drive or external storage. The company says closing down the app will allow it to focus on "more wide-reaching mapping projects."
Garmin bike headset warns about traffic behind you
There are already bike-friendly smart headsets that will tell you how you're doing, but they won't usually say much about traffic. How are you supposed to know when a car is getting uncomfortably close? That's where Garmin thinks it can help. As part of a larger CES launch, it's unveiling a Varia Vision headset that not only gives you vital cycling data (directions, notifications and performance) but also teams up with the Varia Rearview Radar to warn about traffic behind you. In other words, you'll know about trouble right away, without losing focus. It won't be cheap when it ships this quarter for $400, but it could be justifiable if you regularly bike on busy streets.
Lumos helmet keeps cyclists safe with automatic brake lights
For cyclists, the road can be a nasty place to be at night, so we're all for technologies that can help draw drivers' attention in order to reduce the number of accidents. The latest of such attempt is the Lumos helmet, which not only comes with turn signal indicators that can be controlled wirelessly, but also packs a brake light that comes on automatically as you slow down. This seemingly simple idea came from Eu-wen Ding (who looks like an Asian clone of Miles Teller) and Jeff Chen. The two first bonded at the HackMIT 2013 weekend hackathon and have since been working on this project with a helmet manufacturer for 10 months.
Fitbit's Surge fitness watch will soon track your bike rides
The Fitbit Surge is now useful for tracking more than just your running when you're outside. An April update to the GPS fitness watch will let it track outdoor bike runs, so you'll know if you beat your previous best time or got your heart thumping on that uphill route. On the mobile app, you'll also have a history that shows whether or not that last ride was as intense as you thought it was. And Surge cycling isn't the only big Fitbit update in the works -- you can finally link multiple trackers to a Fitbit account as of this week, so you don't have to wear your exercise gear to the office just to maintain an accurate step count.
Microsoft Band update lets you type replies and track your cycling
Thanks to a big update, Microsoft's Band just got considerably more useful -- whether or not you're a fan of the company's push into health. For a start, there's a swipe-capable predictive keyboard that lets you type out replies at those times when you'd rather not use voice or reach for the phone in your pocket. There's also a new cycling mode that optimizes the fitness tracking for your two-wheeled adventures. Studying your performance after the fact is easier, too. The Microsoft Health web front end provides both more data and better summaries of what you're looking at, and Band will sync to both Microsoft's own HealthVault and MapMyFitness if you prefer either of them.
Spyglass: A full featured nav app for outdoor enthusiasts
Spyglass (U.S. $3.99 on sale) is a really complete GPS toolkit for people spending time outdoors or doing off-road navigation. Features are numerous; among them are a heads-up display, a high quality compass with map overlays, a gyrocompass, speedometer, altimeter, astronomical object finder, a sextant, inclinometer, and angular calculator and more. The app makes use of every sensor in your iOS device in a simple to use package. Waypoints can be saved and navigated to by following a simple pointer. Spyglass can track multiple destinations at the same time, and display distances, direction, azimuth, elevation and ETA. A rangefinder measures distances to distant objects. The app can utilize your camera to provide photos with data overlays. Hikers and others going off-road will really be excited about this app. It has a myriad of functions all wrapped up in one place. I tried the app and found it useful, even in urban life. You won't get the most from the app without reading the instructions, and there are some nice videos available as well. This isn't a typical navigation app with streets and hamburger joints; it's a sophisticated tool for finding your way when there are no roads or obvious checkpoints. It's customizable, even to the colors of the displays and the filters over your live picture -- for use at night, for example. I do a lot of landscape photography that involves some hiking and car locating. Spyglass was a trustworthy companion for that endeavor, including estimating my altitude and distance to destinations. Getting back to my car was easy, just a matter of following an on-screen pointer. If Spyglass interests you, there are online videos and a manual you can check before you buy. Spyglass needs iOS 6.1 or later, it's universal and therefore friendly with all iOS hardware, and it's optimized for the iPhone 5. Recommended.
Developer bike gang rides across the US to de-stress
William Stallwood is burned out. In 2008, Stallwood and Dain Saint co-founded independent studio Cipher Prime in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and they've since built a reputation for creating stylish games rich in music and dreamy visuals, such as Auditorium, Splice and Intake. Cipher Prime hit success on Kickstarter before it was cool. Stallwood is heavily involved in the local game dev scene, and he helped found Philly Game Forge, Philly Dev Night, and he's Creative Director of the Philadelphia Geek Awards. Right now, he and three friends are taking a break from normal life – and from Philadelphia – to ride across the country on bicycles. "Cipher Prime is down to just Dain and myself again, and I needed to sort of run away and collect myself," Stallwood tells Joystiq in an email. "I've taken on a bit too many management roles and my recent work on the Philadelphia Geek Awards has pushed me a little over the level. I'm hoping to refuel my creativity and process all the things I love."
Garmin's multi-sport GPS watch now talks to your phone
Garmin's GPS watch lineup has had an imbalance as of late; while more modest athletes have had luxuries like color displays and phone integration, you've had to make do with monochrome and old-school PC syncing if you need multi-sport wristwear like the Forerunner 910XT. Thankfully, you won't have to make that sacrifice any more now that the company has launched a much-needed follow-up -- not surprisingly, the Forerunner 920XT. The new watch tracks your biking, running and swimming stats like its ancestor, but catches up on 2014-era tech through a color screen, phone support (including call and message notifications) and advanced data like your running gait and oxygen volume estimates. It should be lighter, thinner and more comfortable than the 910XT, too, so you won't notice it quite so much while you're in the middle of a practice session. Just be ready to pay up if you want Garmin's most capable wearable. The 920XT starts at $450 ($50 more than the 910XT) all by itself, and you're looking at $500 if you want a heart rate monitor at the same time.
Stationary bike MMO lets you race the world without leaving home
Indoor cycling normally isn't as fun as the outdoor variety, and it certainly isn't as social. Where's the thrill of blowing past a rival? That's what Zwift's upcoming massively multiplayer cycling game promises to solve. So long as you have a training bike with at least speed and cadence sensors, you can race people around the world in virtual environments -- think of it as an online role-playing game that builds up your real abilities. You can chat up other riders if you have a mic, and virtual reality support (through Oculus Rift headsets) might help you forget that you're still at home.
Here's what it looks like to ride in the Tour de France
The world of sports is actively finding ways to adopt new camera technologies. Namely, to help determine if a ball has crossed the goal line or, why not, to broadcast a player's point of view from a pair of glasses. In the case of the Tour de France, cycling's most celebrated competition, its governing body finally took the plunge and began allowing riders to mount a camera on their bikes. Thanks to that, Le Tour's 2014 edition, which is now at about its halfway point, has been giving us a great, inside look at the experience. Surprisingly, as Gizmodo points out, GoPro seems isn't the main choice for Tour de France teams, which is a bit strange given the popularity of the Hero line of cameras. Instead, most bicycles at the event are equipped with a CM-1000 from Shimano, a large manufacturer of cycling gear. Regardless, this is still a perfect chance to see what it's like inside the Tour de France pack, never mind who's providing the cameras.
Group GPS is a great app for hikers, bikers, and those wanting to stay in touch
Group GPS (free) is one of those "Gee, I wish I had thought of this" apps. To get started, you sign up for a free account by supplying a user name and an email address. Create an activity, like 'bike race' or 'desert hike,' and send an invitation to your friends. If they don't have Group GPS, they get a text message with a download link. When everyone responds, you'll see each person identified on a map, and their movements update as they move around. I can think of lots of applications, like meeting friends at a location and seeing that they are on the way, finding people at a concert, car rallies, almost anything. When the activity is done, just stop Group GPS and you're removed from the activity. You can also pause the app anytime and return. The map can be zoomed in for more detail on a single position, or zoomed out to see everyone else's location. The Group GPS account was easy to sign up for. It doesn't matter where the other people are; even if they are in another state, you'll see the map stitch to fit everyone, and you can watch your group converge. Apps like Glympse are perfect for letting people know where you are and your ETA. Group GPS lets everyone in a group know where everyone else is. In testing the app, I noted that the position updates aren't in real time, more like once a minute or so. This was likely done by the developer to preserve battery life, although I'd like to see an option to step up the update frequency. The app is ad-supported, but the ads are not invasive or distracting. Having said that, I'd be glad to see a paid version with no ads and a few new features, like being able to message the group from within the app. If you'd like to see the app in action, you can check out a video on the developer website. A similar free app is FastWhere, which also does location sharing. Group GPS is a really great idea, and I think most people will find some good uses for it. The app requires iOS 7.1 or later. It's not universal, but it is optimized for the iPhone 5.
Google Maps' bike routing now helps you avoid steep hills
Just because you enjoy cycling doesn't mean you want a challenge every time -- it's not much fun to pedal uphill when you simply need to get to work. You won't have to face those arbitrary hill climbs in the future, though, since Google Maps has quietly added elevation data to its bike routes. Plot your path using a desktop web browser and you'll see both a visual representation of elevation changes and the number of feet you have to ascend (or descend, if you're lucky). There's no word on a corresponding mobile app update, but don't be surprised if you can eventually chart an easier course when you're already on the road. [Top image credit: Cheryl DalPozzal, Flickr]
