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New ANT+ wireless protocol promises longer battery life for fitness gear
The ANT wireless protocol has long been a darling of the fitness industry and is incorporated into a lot of exercise equipment, from cycling computers to GPS watches. Now Dynastream Innovations, the company behind ANT, has launched a next generation protocol that boasts enhanced encryption, lower cost, faster connections between sensors (around 60 Kbps) and less power consumption when it comes to the ANT+ standard. It's already been released on a nRF51422 SoC by Nordic Semiconductor, along with the ANTUSB-m USB stick (shown after the break), which provides quick connectivity to PCs, Macs and Android devices. Consumers will have to wait awhile until the new protocol is widely adopted, but ANT's popularity could mean that won't be too long from now.
Bluetooth SIG takes aim at sensor market, adds Apple and Nordic to board of directors
The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (aka Bluetooth SIG) has some fairly grand plans for the future of its wireless technology, and it's now recruited some big players to help get it there. The group announced yesterday that it's added both Apple and Nordic Semiconductor to its board of directors -- companies that it says will help it "drive Bluetooth technology's expansion into platform and sensor markets." In particular, the group is setting its sights on wireless health sensors, which it hopes to finally gain a real foothold in thanks the lower power requirements of the Bluetooth 4.0 standard, and thanks to the experience of Nordic, which has a long history of working with such devices. Full press release is after the break.
Heart-rate monitoring belt marks Bluetooth 4.0 milestone, stops to rest for Bluetooth 4.0 phones
Some firsts represent truly monumental achievements. Others, like the world's first production-ready Bluetooth Low Energy heart-rate chest belt, are just a mouthful. This little black belt claims to be the very first of its kind, and promises to "spur the development of a whole new range of... health and fitness apps," by harnessing the power of Bluetooth Low Energy to pump heart rate stats to your mobile phone. Of course, that deluge of new fitness apps will have to wait until a Bluetooth 4.0-compatible phone hits the market. In the meantime, we wouldn't expect the black chest strap to pioneer any new fashion trends.
