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iOximeter monitors your heart-rate, is powered by your phone's headphone socket
Connecting health-monitoring hardware to smartphones is a no-brainer. The phone does the heavy processing, offers up power and screen, and thus makes the hardware cheaper and more importantly , smaller. However, you still need to power the thing, which can be tough when you're trying to gauge vitals overnight or longer. Insert Coin competitor iOximeter, a pulse oximeter, reckons it's solved that issue by taking what it needs, power-wise, from your headphone socket. Using a special pulse sensor (that it already owns the intellectual property rights for), iOximeter drops the power requirements down to under 8mA, which means it frees up the typical smartphone battery port (micro-USB or Lightning; it's iOS- and Android-compatible) to continue charging. "Because we can add more features through the smartphone app, unlike some relationships, it's going to get even better over time." The sensor we toyed with at Expand was accurate to within 2 BPM at resting heart rates (it gets even better when you're riled), while it can also count the level of blood oxidation -- thus the name. That isn't where the capabilities stop however, and future development focuses on both respiration rate (intake per minute) and heart-rate deviation, which sounds like a scary metric that would deserve some monitoring. "Because we can add more features through the smartphone app, unlike some relationships it's going to get even better over time", said iOximeter's Yale Zhang, with a sigh. Aside from health business applications, where a cheap long-term monitor could make remote care a whole lot more feasible, the team has already seen interest from, oddly, yoga and meditation groups. These people are apparently looking to log and monitor exactly how relaxed (precisely!) they're getting during their mantras. No price has been set yet, although the team is promising it'd be an accessible one. We'll update when we get a price tag. Edgar Alvarez contributed to this report.
Foxconn demos iPhone-friendly smartwatch with health sensors
Foxconn isn't waiting around for rumors of an Apple smartwatch to come true -- it's building a timepiece of its own. The company has just shown iPhone-compatible wristwear that previews Facebook messages and phone calls while tracking the owner's breathing and heart rate. Upgrades are also coming in the long run, such as a fingerprint reader that would lock down the wearer's health data. Foxconn hasn't discussed launch details for the watch, but it's almost more of a symbol than a product -- it represents the diversification of a business that still leans mostly on contract manufacturing for revenue.
Insert Coin: LifeBeam heart-monitoring smart cycling helmet (video)
In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line. Let's face it: heart monitors, whether strapped to our chests or mounted to the front of a treadmill, are an awful pain to use. But, those rate readouts can be quite useful while involved in any sort of physical activity, making them a necessary hindrance. A proposed "smart cycling helmet" from LifeBeam, a company best known for its defense products, would serve to simplify things a bit. The solution, which is based on physiological monitoring devices installed in some fighter pilot helmets, would instead serve consumers -- cyclists, specifically. LifeBeam will insert sensors within cycling headgear, letting you capture measurements as you pedal up hills and down city streets. With included ANT+ and Bluetooth transmitters, the device, which weighs 50 grams and supports up to 15 hours of continuous usage, can feed data to a smartphone or sport watch, for example, letting you track your stats in realtime. LifeBeam has turned to Indiegogo to raise funds for the project, with limited "pre-order" pricing fixed at $149 for the first 200 helmets sold. From there, the price jumps to $189 -- helmets are expected to begin shipping in September of this year. Sound like a fit? Hit up the source link to help the team reach their $50,000 funding goal, or, if you still need a bit of convincing, you can check out the well-produced video embedded just past the break.
MIO Alpha watch goes on sale for $199, touts high-grade heart monitoring on the run
As popular as heart rate monitors can be for runners looking to improve their health, they're often definitions of compromise that require bulky gear or direct finger contact to reliably find the heartbeat. MIO's newly available Alpha watch may be just the remedy for those who aren't content to bulk up or slow down to avoid that guesswork. The monitor uses an electro-optical cell and a pair of light beams to track the volume of blood under the wrist, and compensates for the usual jostling through a motion sensor; the result is a purportedly very high level of accuracy at up to a 12MPH pace without wearing ungainly extras. For most, the catch will be a narrow-purpose design that leaves GPS and other less cardiovascular measurements to a smartphone or bike computer paired through Bluetooth 4.0. Should most of your exercise involve striving for the perfect BPM, though, the $199 asking price for the Alpha (online for now, at retail in early 2013) could justify itself in short order.
Researchers create video game that monitors heart rate to keep children's anger in check
Nintendo may have left its Vitality Sensor by the wayside, but researchers at Boston Children's Hospital are using heart rate monitoring in a video game to teach children with anger issues how to temper their emotions. Dubbed RAGE (Regulate and Gain Emotional) Control, the game tasks players with blasting hostile spaceships while keeping their heart rate from exceeding a predefined limit. If a gamer's pulse rises above the ceiling, they'll lose the ability to shoot until they can ease their pulse back down. A group of 18 kids who received standard treatments and played the game for five, 15-minute-long sessions had better control of their heart rate and lower anger levels than a group that only used traditional treatments. Currently, a controlled clinical trial of RAGE Control is underway and there are plans to take the concept a step further with toys and games suited for younger children. Look out below for the full press release or tap the second source link for the team's paper in the Journal of Adolescent Psychiatry. [Image credit: Thirteen of Clubs, Flickr]
Prototype heart monitor collar could let sheep text their shepherd, tattle on creeping wolves
It's easy to imagine the lonely Swiss shepherd casually texting his pals during a long day in the field, but reading an SMS from his flock? More possible then you might think. A recent trial in Switzerland outfitted 10 sheep with heart monitoring collars and submitted them to a simulated wolf attack, causing their heart rate to jump from 60 / 80 BPM to 225. The team behind the experiment hope to pair the significant change in heart rate with a future device that releases a predator deterrent while simultaneously sending a text message to the local shepherd. Complete prototypes are being prepped for a 2013 trial in Switzerland and France, where wolf attacks are on the rise. The devices hopes to offer owners of smaller flocks an affordable alternative to keeping a sheepdog. [Image credit: Shutterstock]
Google Health's New Year's Resolution is to cease to exist, countdown begins to save your data
Back in June, Google announced that it would be 'retiring' Health effective January 1, 2012. Now, everything appears to be on-track for the shutdown, with Google sending out a final reminder to Health customers earlier today. You have until the stroke of midnight to access the service or port your data to a competitor -- after which point you'll no longer be able to view information saved to your account, though it'll remain available to download in .zip format for another year. Want to know more? Hit up the source link for the Google Health FAQ.
Wahoo Fitness' iPhone 4S-compatible Blue HR heart rate monitor ships in January for $80
Remember that Wahoo Fitness Bluetooth 4.0 heart rate monitor we showed you last month? Here she is again. The company's proper unveiling of the device will come at CES 2012, linking up exclusively (at first, anyway) with the iPhone 4S and other Bluetooth Smart Ready devices. By tapping into the Blue HR and harnessing your fitness app of choice (a nice touch, we must say), you'll have access to heart rate data, music playlists, phone, maps, etc., all in one place. It'll start shipping in January for $79.99, and we're told that the product will launch with "full support of several of Wahoo Fitness' app partners, who have been working with Wahoo's Open API to support the Blue HR." A few compatible apps have already filtered into the App Store, including MapMyFitness, RunKeeper, 321Run, Runmeter, and MotionX, and the company's expecting even more in 2012. Full PR is after the break, no galloping required.
Oregon Scientific trots out Gaiam Touch button-free heart rate monitors
They're being hailed as the first button-free, touch screen heart rate monitors, with Oregon Scientific and Gaiam teaming up to produce the wearable SE338M and SE336. According to the companies, these things are a scant two millimeters thinner than any competing product on the market, and they've even captured an International CES Innovations 2012 Design and Engineering Award in the Health & Wellness category. Looking more like a watch than a fitness / health tool, the Touch line supports both wrist and chest-worn options, utilizing ECG technology that requires but a single touch of the finger on the monitor's sensor for an accurate heart rate reading. For those eying the strap model, that one operates in digital and analog modes and tracks fat burned, though the strap-free model will also track calories burned and heart rate data. Predictably, you'll also find a stopwatch, zone alarm, clock and calendar, and those itching to find a stocking stuffer this early can plop down $99.99 to $109.99 right now at the Oregon Scientific Online Store, Target, Sports Authority, Academy Sports, MC Sports and Athleta.
Wahoo Fitness bringing $80 BlueHR heart-rate belt to iPhone 4S users
Remember that nondescript heart-rate monitoring belt we peeked back in June? Now you know the company that's tossing out purchase orders for 'em. Wahoo Fitness has just revealed that it'll soon be shipping its own branded version of the product -- dubbed BlueHR -- and at least for now, it'll work exclusively with the iPhone 4S. Why, you ask? The 4S just so happens to have Bluetooth 4.0, and this here belt happens to utilize that very protocol. In a brief demo vid (embedded after the break), the company demonstrates it beaming out vitals to a nearby iPhone, and we're told that it'll be "compatible with all the top running apps like Runkeeper [as well as with] Wahoo's own free app." We're guessing that the outfit will do everything it can to have this guy out by Christmastime, but for now, you can start pinching pennies in an effort to afford the looming $79.99 sticker.
Scosche myTrek sends workout vitals to your iPhone, starts shipping now for $130 (video)
With a variety of portable power accessories, most Scosche products are designed to keep gadgets up and running, not to get our own blood flowing. The company's new Bluetooth myTrek pulse monitor pairs with an iPhone or iPod touch to motivate you to keep going and going, however, pumping "inspiring" audio alerts through your headphones during a workout, while also tracking pulse, distance, speed, pace, and calories burned. The arm-strap uses a pair of LEDs, along with a photo sensor and accelerometer to capture vitals as it rests strapped to your forearm, providing five hours of continuous feedback before needing its own boost using the included USB cable. You'll need to have your iOS device within 33 feet of the device to record your workout, so the myTrek may be better suited for trips to the gym than, say, a run through the park in the rain. It's also rather pricey, at $130, but if you're already dropping a grand or two for your gym membership each year, a gadget that lets you elegantly track your progress may be within reach.
Cardiograph flatlines on the iPhone and iPad
Cardiograph is a universal app that purports to measure your heart rate via the cameras built into the iPhone or iPad 2. The app has a very slick-looking user interface reminiscent of a real-world electrocardiogram, complete with authentic (and irritating) sound effects, including the always-unnerving sound of a flatline. The app functions similarly to a pulse oximeter, measuring blood flow through a finger placed over the camera and converting that into a pulse rate. Cardiograph has support for multiple profiles and can keep track of multiple users' heart rates over time -- if you can get it to work, that is. Unfortunately, I found Cardiograph was very twitchy about properly measuring my heart rate on the iPhone 4, and it didn't work at all on my iPad 2. On the iPhone, the pulse rate seemed to jump wildly between 100 and 0 beats per minute -- my actual resting heart rate is usually between 45-50 BPM -- while on the iPad 2 Cardiograph insisted it was too dark to obtain a good reading even though I was in a well-lit room and holding my finger right in front of a light. Given Cardiograph's visual polish, it's unfortunate that the basic function the app is supposed to fulfill works so poorly. It's not as though it's impossible for an app like this to work well; I've been successfully using Instant Heart Rate for months. While that app is still less reliable than a chest strap sensor (or even just taking your pulse the old-fashioned way with a finger and a stopwatch), Instant Heart Rate still manages to get an accurate reading much faster and more reliably than Cardiograph. Actual heart rate at time of reading: 50 BPM Cardiograph was just released and has a lot of potential, so hopefully developer MacroPinch can fine-tune the measuring capabilities of Cardiograph and get it to the point where the app is more usable. As it stands now, the 1.0 release of Cardiograph doesn't function well enough for me to recommend it.
Aquapulse heart rate monitor finally ships, misses out on Michael Phelps fervor
It's not often that a product takes two full years to go from announced to shipped, but such is the case with Finis' Aquapulse. For those who weren't exactly paying attention in April of 2009, the aforementioned company busted out a head-mounted device that relies on an Infrared sensor to monitor heart rate via your earlobe. Said rate is then communicated to you in real time through bone conduction technology. Naturally, it's fully capable of heading underwater for swimmers and heavy sweaters, but is understanding just how hard your hardest working muscle is working worth $149.99 to you? Hit the source link once you've made up your mind.
Google 'retires' Health and PowerMeter, lets you save your vitals through 2012
Remember that Withings blood pressure monitor for iOS that we went hands-on with last week? It integrated with Google Health. The search giant's health management portal also paired with dozens of other services (a heaping handful can be seen in the image above) to aggregate and track all of your data, and share it with family members, friends, and doctors. The service didn't have the widespread impact that Google expected, however, so it's taking Health offline after the clock strikes midnight on January 1, 2012. You'll have another year to download your info, or send it directly to competing services. Also on the chopping block is PowerMeter, a free energy monitoring tool that pairs with smart power meters and other energy monitoring devices to help users better understand consumption habits and ultimately reduce costs. That project will get the boot from Mountain View on September 16th, but you'll be able to log in to your account to download a CSV file. We imagine Health and PowerMeter are already plotting their trip down south, to get in a few thousand rounds of golf with Video Store at Pebble Beach. Perhaps to be joined by Buzz and Wave, in the not-so-distant future?
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.
Polar RCX5 training computer feels your multi-sport pain
The French didn't only invent the guillotine. They also bequeathed us something even more painful (though that's hard to prove): "Les trois sports", aka the Triathlon. A swimming-cycling-running succession of pure hurt, which Polar's latest RCX5 training computer seeks to measure using an array of sensors -- much like its rivals the Garmin Forerunner 610 and Timex Ironman Global Trainer. You can buy the RCX5 now for $350 in a basic pack, which includes the watch plus the WearLink+ Hybrid, an amphibious chest-strapped heart rate monitor. Alternatively, you can pick up a pricier bundle containing an extra sensor of your choice. The Bike bundle ($390) includes Polar's CS W.I.N.D. speed sensor that installs on a fork and spoke. The Run bundle ($420) comes with a s3+ stride sensor that clips to your laces. Finally, the top-of-the-range Multi bundle ($480) replaces both those options with a G5 GPS sensor, which ought to work equally well for both both runners and cyclists thanks to our shiny friends out in orbit. Hit the PR after the break for further details or the extra coverage link for triathlete DC Rainmaker's seriously in-depth review.
iPhonECG case monitors your heart rate to make sure you're appropriately excited about CES
CES isn't just about incrementally thinner or faster hardware, you know. Some people like to bring legitimately innovative ideas to the show, such as this iPhonECG case, which does what its name suggests: it takes an ECG (electrocardiogram) reading of your heart's activity through a pair of electrodes and then communicates its findings to an iPhone 4 it can be attached to. We say it can be attached to an iPhone as communication is done wirelessly, so you'll probably be able to monitor your ticker's rhythm without the Applephone pressed against your bosom. Then again, maybe you like that. It's a free world, we don't judge. We'll be sending out our most hairy-chested editor to give this thing a proper test at the Las Vegas convention next week. Until then, scope out the video after the break.
Biofeedback anti-stress pen: a great idea that's not so great at reducing stress
We've all known for quite some time that the pen is mightier than the sword, and now science has given us a pen that is mightier (sort of) than the stress of that TPS report your boss needs right now. A student at Delft University in The Netherlands will receive his PhD this week for research that led him to create just such a pen. Based upon the obvious premise that people play with their writing utensils when anxious, the pen uses motion sensors instead of more conventional means of stress detection. When the pen detects stressful movements, internal electromagnets provide corresponding counter-motion feedback to stop your nervous tics. During experiments, the pen did diminish test subjects' heart rates around five percent, but according to feedback none of them actually "felt" less stressed. The pen isn't yet commercially available, and given its dubious value as an actual stress reliever, we would look to more satisfying methods to aid the relaxation process.
Heart Spark pendant blinks with your heart, automatically gets you into B.E.D. (video)
Not that we haven't been inundated with circuit-related fashion accessories in the past, but if you've already started thinking about what to get that lovely lad (or lady) in your life come February, look no further. SenseBridge, a research group with loads of passion, has just revealed the Heart Spark ($69, on sale now) -- a wearable pendant with an integrated wireless receiver, a smattering of LEDs and a wow factor that's downright heartwarming. The fortunate wearer must also strap a belt around their chest in order to monitor their heart rate, which is then transmitted wirelessly to the Heart Spark; upon receiving the information, the onboard lights will flash at the same rate as your heart, making it easy for the love of your life to see when your heart is aflutter. Video demonstration is just past the break, and yes, it's about as precious as you'd imagine.
Garmin updates GPS watch line with Forerunner 210 and 410, data-craving runners rejoice
Runners love to tell you about their post-workout highs, but they rarely mention the mid-workout delirium that comes when muscles deprive your brain of blood, leading to doubts about how long you've been running, what your target heart rate should be, and indeed how to get home again. Garmin's updated Forerunner 410 (above) can help you out with all those things, and the larger touch bezel means oxygen-deprived cardio hounds can easily scroll through data describing things like pace and heart rate, even when it's raining -- or you're sweating excessively. Once back home and showered this $325 watch automatically syncs to a USB dongle via ANT+, uploading data to Garmin Connect, just like its predecessor the 405. Then there's the $300 210, pictured below, a follow-up to this spring's 110 and providing a more simple display of real-time distance and heart rate without a bunch of other confusing data. Both models will be on display at the upcoming Chicago and New York City marathons before pacing themselves into stores this fall. Update: The 410 can indeed help you find your way back home thanks to a simple navigation mode that will direct you from one waypoint to the next. Great for finding new routes -- or new tactical insertions.
