fitness app
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Under Armour is selling MyFitnessPal for $345 million
Under Armour may be rethinking its fitness app strategy. After purchasing MyFitnessPal for $475 million in 2015, the company announced today that it has started a “definitive agreement to sell the MyFitnessPal platform to Francisco Partners.” It’s also discontinuing the Endomondo personal trainer app it bought at the same time as MyFitnessPal for $85 million.
Kaia's motion-tracking workout app remembers which rep you're on
Kaia Health caught our attention last year with an app that tracks your motion using your phone's camera in a bid to help you achieve perfect squat form, though we found it didn't quite hit the mark. Still, Kaia is elevating the concept with an updated version called Kaia Personal Trainer. It says the app will track your exercises and reps, create workout plans tailored to you and offer audio feedback in real time.
Apple labored over the perfect interface for its Watch Activity app
Apple's Watch designers did a lot of reps on the Workout and Activity apps before arriving at the final design, according to an internal memo dug up by 9to5 Mac. The company's in-house fitness guru Jay Blahnik detailed the design process of the Watch's key apps, saying, "We kept asking ourselves, 'What could we do to measure all-day activity that would be more useful than traditional all-day activity trackers?'" To arrive at the answer, the company decided to build both apps in-house, in order to "build our own knowledge base from the ground up" rather than using off-the-shelf software.
RunKeeper adds training plan feature to its Android app
RunKeeper has a solid track record when it comes to giving users new ways to interact with the application. It's no surprise, then, that the fitness-focused app is getting some fresh tidbits on Android. Most notably, you'll now see a training plan feature, which is set to coincide with the goals you've set up within the app. This version also brings a redesigned "Me" tab, an option to keep a close eye on training schedules and the ability to view your workout history. It's a very nice update, to say the least -- and given that it's Monday, it couldn't have come at a better time to inspire your next run.
Striiv launches $70 Play pedometer to track your athletics without fatiguing your iOS device
Following the recent launch of its iOS fitness app which proclaimed "no hardware required," Striiv has just announced new hardware for it anyway: the Striiv Play smart pedometer. But unlike the app alone, it lets you set off on your fitness adventures without toting an iDevice by doing the "heavy lifting of tracking activities" with up to a week of battery autonomy, then syncing up with the app using Bluetooth 4.0 later. From there, you'll be able compete with friends on Facebook, gain bragging rights by reaching milestones, play games that let you progress by working out more, and chart weight, calories and exercise progress. We tested Striiv's standalone pedometer awhile back, noting that the "insidiously" addictive games were a great motivator, and the company claims that 60 percent of users lost 13 pounds or more. So, if the little voice in your head isn't enough to egg you on, you can grab it now for $70 -- the PR and video after the break will tell you the rest.
Wahoo Fitness introduces RFLKT: an iPhone-powered bike computer that lets handsets stay in pockets
Sure, you can turn your smartphone into a bike computer, but if you'd rather not put your pricey piece of tech anywhere near harm's way, Wahoo Fitness' RFLKT Bike Computer offers an alternative. Instead of packing all the brains, the device sits atop a bicycle's handlebar and displays data it's fed via Bluetooth 4.0 from cycling apps running on an iPhone 4S or 5. At launch, the hardware will support the firm's own Cyclemeter application and Wahoo Fitness App which can monitor ride information ranging from location to speed, in addition to heart rate with an additional accoutrement. Aspiring Alberto Contadors can page through data and even sift through tunes on their playlist with the help of buttons on the device's side. Gently tipping the scales at 2 ounces, the RFLKT measures up at 2.4- x 1.6 x 0.5-inches and boasts a one-year battery life on a single coin cell. Wahoo's gadget is slated for a December launch, but there's still no word on pricing. For more specifics, take a gander at the full press release below.
Apple files patent application for Fitness Center App for iPhone
[Headline and post revised to clarify that this is a patent application, not a patent award. Our apologies for the error. –Ed.] Patently Apple's got another USPTO-sponsored bulletin from the R&D Department in Cupertino, and this time it's for a brand new app designed to help you stay in touch with your local gym. A recently published patent application details a Fitness Center App that will do things like track your workouts from exercise machines, mark down when and where you visit the gym, and even find a workout partner with social networking or set up appointments for personal trainers straight from the app. [Maybe they'll call it "QuadsSquare." –Ed.] In short, Apple's idea is that one app would govern all facets of an exercise program, with a heavy back-end system to work with different gyms all over the country. You'd be able to get news and information straight from your local gym, as well as custom reminders when you miss a workout or haven't been in a while. It all sounds good to us. While most of Apple's patents are usually just the company covering its bases, this one seems awfully in-depth -- everything from concepts to layouts is covered here. That doesn't mean this idea is any more likely to actually be implemented, but it does mean that Apple has put lots of thought and effort into an app like this. Maybe we will see it implemented as an actual release.
