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Fitness app Strava finally lets users message each other
Strava app users can now send other profiles messages in either direct one-on-one chats or in groups.
Nike and Strava partner up for curated workouts and original content
Nike and connected fitness subscription platform Strava are partnering up to simplify the act of transferring activity data from one service to the other. In the past, it was fairly complicated to send Nike+ data to the Strava platform. Additionally, Nike will make original content available on Strava.
Strava finally gets Spotify controls
The partnership removes the need to switch between apps.
The best bike accessories you can buy
Whether you're new to cycling or a seasoned rider, the gadgets on this list will help you get the most out of your bike.
Strava makes its location sharing safety feature free
Social fitness network Strava has made one of its most useful safety features available to all users.
Garmin's services are slowly coming back to life after a major outage
Late last week, Garmin suffered a major services outage — and now, more than four days later, things still aren’t back to normal. Yesterday, activity-tracking app Strava confirmed that it was again able to send workout data to Garmin’s Connect service. Ian in Mountain View wrote in to let us know that recent activities were syncing to Strava from his Garmin Fenix watch and that notifications had started to work again, as well.
Strava is moving some free features behind a subscription
Strava is moving some of its free features into a subscription package.
Strava now syncs workout data from your Apple Watch
If you use Strava to track your workouts on an iPhone, you've probably wondered why you couldn't sync your Apple Health data with it. While there is a Strava app for the Apple Watch, there's not as much of an incentive to get the wearable if it your data stays isolated. That might not be an issue from now on -- Strava has added Apple Health syncing to its iOS app, letting it pull in activity data from the past 30 days. You can pick the workouts you want to share, title them and add photos to boast about your achievements.
‘Run an Empire’ turns exercise into an AR strategy game
The premise of Run an Empire is something familiar to fans of Civilization: take your society out of the mud and into the stars. But rather than leading your tribe from the comfort of your computer desk, you'll need to don a pair of sneakers and run (jog, or walk) to victory. The location-based game is designed to get you out and about, with users encouraged to conquer ground by running around it.
Pentagon restricts use of location-logging fitness trackers
The Pentagon is banning soldiers and others stationed at sensitive bases and warzone areas from using location features on fitness trackers and other devices because the data could give away where troops are situated. The Department of Defense is not issuing an outright ban on GPS devices and apps, but declared that the location features must be turned off in certain areas.
Strava's new fitness membership program includes customizable 'packs'
Today, Strava launched a new membership service called Summit, which is a replacement for Strava Premium. The company is introducing new fitness packs that members can purchase individually or together, based on their own custom goals. If you are already a Strava Premium member, you will retain access to the features you've paid for at the same price.
After exposing secret military bases, Strava restricts data visibility
At the end of January, an analyist discovered that location data from the fitness app Strava was exposing US military bases. Publicly-available heatmaps were revealing details about the military's installations abroad, which riled up both privacy experts and the Pentagon. Over a month later, the app's company told Reuters that it will overhaul its heatmap and restrict access to street-level details to anyone who isn't a registered user.
Strava simplified how to opt out of its heat map data collection
In January, Strava came under fire for its activity heat map, which showed the locations of military bases in places like Afghanistan, Syria and Somalia. You could even see details like user routes named "Base Perimeter" and "Sniper Alley" near US bases in Iraq and Afghanistan. While Strava did offer the option for its users to opt out of its heat map data collection, many pointed out that doing so required some navigation through the app and was a process that wasn't very straightforward. But Strava recently updated its app and has quietly changed the opt-out process.
Strava’s fitness heatmaps are a 'potential catastrophe'
The 2018 cybersecurity race to the bottom is off to an exciting start. First out of the gate is Strava — now widely known as the "social network for athletes" -- and its reckless data-visualization "heat map" gimmick that revealed details of secret military bases around the world. It was the kind of incident deserving of a plot line in a ridiculous Hollywood drama. And yet, here we are, with Twitter and the whole world discussing and dissecting fitness routes of soldiers and agents in sensitive locations, such as American bases in Afghanistan and Syria, a possible secret CIA base in Somalia, military facilities in war zones and much more.
Strava will focus on privacy awareness to address security issues
The CEO of fitness tracking app Strava has responded to security concerns raised this week regarding the publicly-available details of secret military bases. In a blog post, James Quarles addressed the sensitive nature of information readily available on the app's heatmap feature and said the team is "taking the matter seriously". Strava is "committed to working with military and government officials" to address the issue, he said, adding that the team is reviewing features that were originally designed for "athlete motivation and inspiration" to make sure they can't be used nefariously.
Pentagon reviews policy after fitness app reveals military locations
Yesterday, reports surfaced that a heat map released by fitness app company Strava showed the locations of US and other countries' military. While most of the locations spotted, including Afghanistan and Syria, are known to host US military bases, it still highlights the fact that information the Department of Defense would prefer remain under wraps could find its way out into the open. It also demonstrates that fitness apps could pose a security threat if location information isn't correctly handled. Now, Reuters reports, US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has ordered a review of the situation.
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.
View Strava workout maps in 3D thanks to Apple's ARKit
Strava has long been a popular choice for running and cycling enthusiasts to track and share their workouts. The service and app can be found on quite a few devices, including Apple Watch, Garmin fitness trackers and Peloton's stationary bikes for cycling classes. You can now view Strava data in augmented reality (AR), thanks to Fitness AR, an app by Adam Debreczeni and Eric Florenzano that takes your running, cycling and hiking workout data and puts it onto a 3D map that you can view with an iOS device.
Strava wants runners and cyclists to be bloggers too
Strava wants to be more than a simple tool for tracking your runs and bike rides. Much of the experience is focused on the "Feed," a place where you can share your training sessions and accomplishments (and view those recorded by other people). Normally, these bite-sized posts are limited to a small map, some basic stats and a short caption. Now, Strava is introducing "athlete posts," which are essentially full-blown blog posts. For now, the feature is exclusive to 36 Strava-approved athletes, however the company says it will roll out to the rest of the community "later this summer."
Garmin fitness trackers now have Strava's safety system
A slew of Garmin fitness trackers today have access to Beacon, Strava's safety feature that allows users to send their location to friends in real-time while they're out on a run, hike or bike. Strava is a social networking app built for athletes, and it launched the Beacon service for premium members in August. With today's news, Strava premium members can share data between Beacon and Garmin LiveTrack on the following devices: Fenix 3, Edge Explore 820, Edge 520, 820 and 1000, and Forerunner 230, 235, 630 and 735XT.
