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Puma's robotic running companion can keep pace with Usain Bolt
For some people, the RunKeeper coach's voice is enough to keep them motivated during a jog. Others need something physical to keep pace with. That's where Puma's BeatBot comes in. Developed by a NASA robotics engineer, a trio of MIT students and Puma's ad agency, the robot follows lines around a track at any pace you'd want, according to Fast Company. It can even match Usain Bolt's 2009 foot-speed world record of 44.6 KPH (27.7 MPH) in case you need something a little more aspirational than an eight-minute mile.
These smart glasses became my erratic personal trainer
Fitness wearables don't have to go on your wrist -- although it makes sense that most of them are designed that way. We've been wearing wristwatches for generations, so it's a place where we're used to tethering something. But how about the original wearable: eyewear? JINS Meme is a pair of unassuming smartglasses that have highly sensitive three-axis gyroscopes and accelerometers inside. And because they're situated on your head, the Japanese eyewear company says it can offer insight into your posture and balance and pinpoint weaknesses. To help you with all of the above, JINS recently launched a core-training application ("taikan") to complement its existing running-coach app. It tests your core strength (think: abs, back, abductors, butt, etc.) and offers a live critique on how you're doing. Here's how training went.
AMBER Lab robot jogs just like a human
Two-legged robots are nothing new, but usually we see them walking, not running around a test lab. A pair of seemingly autonomous legs that can lap you in the park is a scary thought, after all. Such images haven't stopped the Advanced Mechanical Bipedal Experimental Robotics (AMBER) Lab at the Georgia Institute of Technology, however. As its latest video proves, the team has built a bipedal droid that can jog at a pretty brisk pace. It's called the Durus-2D and, while maybe not the fastest human-style robot, impresses with a natural style and stride pattern.
Runkeeper nixes its 'DJ' feature in favor of 'Spotify Running'
Spotify announced on Friday that it is partnering with Runkeeper and more deeply integrating its own Spotify Running feature into the popular fitness app. Spotify and Runkeeper already offer playlist integration but now, by selecting Spotify as the app's music source, users can leverage the streaming music service's pace-matching algorithms as well. The new features are currently available on iOS and are coming soon to Android.
Runkeeper is the latest app to be bought by a shoe company
If you're a sportswear company, then you need your own app-cum-social network to maintain relevant in this modern age. That's why Asics has just picked up Runkeeper in a deal that's been announced by the latter firm's CEO, Jason Jacobs. In a post over on Medium, Jones reveals that the pair have entered into a "definitive agreement" to be bought, although he's not revealing how much the company will cost. What is interesting, however, is that it made plenty of sense for Asics to buy the company, since Runkeeper's data said that most of its Shoe Tracker users run with that very same brand of shoe.
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."
A British astronaut will run the London Marathon in space
Running the London Marathon is hard enough. Running it in space? That's another challenge entirely. British astronaut Tim Peake is headed to the International Space Station (ISS) on December 15th and wants to complete the race at the same time as everyone down on Earth. He won't be running the actual route though -- instead, he'll be on a treadmill with a harness system that includes a waist-belt and shoulder straps. These will apply some much-needed downforce to counter Peake's weightlessness and recreate his natural running style in space. He'll also have a video feed of the route which will speed up and slow down to reflect his pace.
New Balance unveils its first 3D-printed running shoe
Following in the footsteps of sportswear rival Adidas, New Balance today introduced its own 3D-printed running shoe. Created in collaboration with 3DSystems, a company known for offering 3D printing tech, New Balance's sneaker features a 3D-printed midsole made from a newly developed elastomeric powder and DuraForm Flex TPU. By using said materials, New Balance says, the running shoe's bottom cushion will be able to provide an "optimal" balance of flexibility, durability, strength and weight -- which, in theory, should make them comfortable for runners, and that's important.
Lumo's running shorts fix your form to avoid injury
Lumo is a wearable company that's already conquered the world of bad posture, so now it's moving on to helping runners avoid injury. The company is launching the Lumo Run, a pair of shorts with a small plastic doodad on the waistband that can monitor your biomechanics as you sprint around the block. Biomechanics, if you're not a runner, is fancy talk for our cadence, stride length and pelvic rotation -- all factors that you'd otherwise have to visit a specialist running center to learn more about. It's a similar set of tools that Myontec offer with its MBody fitness shorts, although that product will cost you the better part of $1,000. By comparison, Lumo's offering will retail for just $149 when it lands in the Spring of 2016.
Runtastic shares workout data with Jawbone's Up app
If you fancy Jawbone's line of activity trackers and track your afternoon jog with Runtastic, you can now keep all of your stats in one place. Data gathered by Runtastic during your workout can be sent to Jawbone's Up app where you can store info on nutrition, sleep, goals and more. Of course, Runtastic has its own wearables, including the new Moment analog watch. What's more, Jawbone's Up app no longer requires one of the company's trackers to tally your daily details, just like Runtastic's software, so there's a few gadget/app combos that'll work just fine with both Runtastic and Jawbone's gear. To take advantage of the partnership, you'll need Runtastic 6.3. Once you connect it with the Up app, all of your info will sync automatically.
Spotify brings its smart running playlists to Android
When Spotify announced its new Running feature, only iPhone users were able to utilize its beat-matching skills while out on the streets. It's taken a good few months (far longer than it probably should), but from today, Android device owners can get in on the action too. Spotify says that its latest update, which has already begun rolling out to users, will recommend "multiple-genre playlists" based on your previous music selections and offer ready-made running compositions.
TomTom's newest fitness watch plays music too
As sales of satellite navigation units slowly dry up, TomTom is making the gentle transition into a fitness and wearables company. That's why the firm decided to smash up its existing range of bulky running watches in favor of a ground-up rebuild. The result is that TomTom is launching the Spark, which looks pretty much like the previous generation of devices, albeit after a very good diet. The most notable addition to the range this year is Bluetooth music playback, although that's made matters a little more confusing than in previous years.
Garmin's latest low-cost running watch gives you live tracking
If you've been jonesing for a Garmin running watch that will talk to your smartphone without trashing your bank balance, you're in luck. Garmin has rolled out the Forerunner 25, a follow-up to the 15 (but not a replacement) that's much more at home in a connected world. If you link the newer wristwear to your phone, you can share live workout tracking with your friends, get important notifications and automatically upload brag-worthy results to the company's Connect service. It's easier to gauge your progress mid-run, too, since the active display space is 32 percent bigger than before. Both small and large versions go on sale later this summer at $170 for the core model, and $200 if you want an external heart rate monitor at the same time.
Nike+ Running app soundtracks your morning jog with Spotify tunes
Sure, Adidas already offers ways to outfit your run with tunes from Spotify, and now Nike is looking to do the same. The latter footwear company updated its Nike+ Running app to pipe in the streaming service's songs from within. In addition to spinning the Nike+ Run Club playlists Spotify announced a while back, the update also creates playlists based on a pace goal and music preference -- a feature that's called Pace Stations. Once that info is entered, the software then calculates the target beats per minute (BPM) before compiling a 100-song playlist to serve as a guide. Match your stride to the pace of the music and you'll reach your goal. Nike says it's "the first-of-its-kind instructive experience then guides runners to their goals when they step in-beat to the prescribed songs." Unfortunately, the Pace Stations are an iOS-only feature.
The Apple Watch as a fitness device (as written by a runner)
I was supposed to review the Apple Watch. That was the plan, but then, when Engadget had its first chance to test the device, I was on vacation. Specifically, I was in France, where I ran the Paris Marathon, my sixth 26.2-mile race in five years. As it happens, our Editor-in-Chief Michael wrote a fair, thorough review on his own, and he cut a fine figure in that stop-motion walkthrough video, too. If there's one thing he didn't go into detail on, though, it was the Apple Watch's performance as a fitness device. Some background there: Michael is one of those naturally skinny people with a stupidly fast metabolism who doesn't need to work out to stay trim. Which is a good thing, because he hates working out. That's why, when I finally had the chance to try out the Apple Watch myself (a $649 stainless steel model), I chose to focus on its abilities as a fitness gadget -- a fitting decision, considering my running habit was what kept me from reviewing the watch in the first place.
Spotify is my new running mate, even if it doesn't know me well
Apparently, after all these years, Spotify still doesn't really get me. I've used the service since 2010. Technically I was a subscriber since before it hit US shores. And yet, Spotify clearly has no idea what kind of music I like. I say this because I recently traded in my carefully curated running playlist for Spotify's dynamically generated ones and, not to spoil the rest of the story, it really failed. But let's start at the beginning.
ASUS VivoWatch review: a fitness watch with style and shortcomings
My wife often says I'm fat, but that's hardly a motivation for me to resume my exercise routine. Then the ASUS VivoWatch landed on my desk, so I had no choice but to get back on the treadmill for your amusement. To keep things short, it turns out that this fitness-centric smartwatch does have a couple of compelling features that made me interested in getting fit again -- more so than the other basic (as in no heart rate monitoring) fitness trackers that I've long left in the drawer. Also, the VivoWatch can pair with both iOS plus Android, and costs just under $150 in Taiwan, meaning it'll be going head to head with the similarly priced Fitbit Charge HR around the world. So is ASUS' first fitness device worth trying? Or should you stick to some more mature offerings? Let's take a look.
Spotify will play music, podcasts and video based on your mood
Spotify has been chipping away at the problem of choice for years now. When you have instant access to so many millions of albums at some point you cross over from being a perk, to being a hindrance. Its latest effort to expose people to new music and find the things they want involves building automatic playlists based on the time of day and mood, not unlike Google and Rdio. But, unlike those services, Spotify isn't limiting itself to music. The company also announced that it would be adding podcasts and video content to its platform.
'Zombies, Run!' marks latest update by going free-to-play
Zombies, Run! celebrated the release of version 4.0 earlier this week with some major modifications. The popular gamified exercise app, which used to retail for a flat $4 at the Google Play Store, has switched over to a free-to-play subscription model. The app and gameplay themselves haven't changed much. Users are challenged to run (literally) a series of 200-plus missions while avoiding the gnashing teeth of an Undead swarm, all within the context of a post-apocalyptic audio drama. Six to Start, the app's developer, has already released four "seasons" of added content since its debut and will likely continue to do so. However, users will now have to pay $3 per month (or $20 per year) to keep getting these regular updates.
Adidas and Spotify offer another way to soundtrack your run
Adidas and Spotify are already quite friendly, especially when it comes to supplying workouts with the proper tunes. The duo teamed up for offline playback on the Adidas SmartRun watch and soundtracking a jog with the help of RunKeeper. Now, there's an Adidas Go app that varies music based on movement tracked by your iPhone's accelerometer. Using that piece of smartphone tech, the app measures stride rate and matches songs from Spotify's library -- based on your listening habits -- to help you keep pace. When the run is over, stats like time, distance and pace can all be reviewed, saved and used to calculate your Adidas MiCoach RunScore. And if you'd like, you can save the collection of tracks the music service piped in along the way, too. Ready to lace up those sneakers? Well, you'll need an iPhone 4S or later to take advantage of the free app that's available at iTunes now.
