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Pokémon Go expands 'Nearby' test areas, rolls out daily bonuses
Every time there's a Pokémon Go update, the number one thing its remaining players ask about is access to a tracker to help locate the little critters. This weekend Niantic Labs announced it's expanding the test area of its Nearby Pokémon feature from San Francisco to parts of Arizona, Seattle and the rest of the Bay Area. While we wait for that to roll out nation and world-wide, an update that adds the previously-announced daily bonus/streak bonus scheme is about to arrive on Android and iOS.
Tile unveils a smaller take on its original bluetooth tracker
In the three years since it first introduced its Bluetooth trackers, Tile has accepted that less can be more and worked to reduce the profile of its location-aware squares. Less than two months ago, we saw the launch of the Tile Slim -- a thin tracker designed for use in wallets, purses and laptops -- but that wasn't all that Tile has been working on. Today, it's taken the wraps off the Mate, a smaller take on the Original that comes with the all-important loop.
Microsoft discontinues its Band fitness wearable
The Microsoft Band is likely no more. While signs pointed to the wearable line's possible demise a few weeks ago, there was always the chance that the tech giant would flip its noncommittal stance and announce a Band 3. But the final nail seems to be in its coffin: As of today, every listing and mention of the fitness wearable has been completely removed from the company's Store site.
Tile's slimmest Bluetooth tracker won't bulk up your wallet
Tile, which raised over a million dollars on Kickstarter over three years ago, is a popular Bluetooth tracker that helps you find your missing stuff. Aside from Bluetooth, it also uses a crowd-finding feature where other Tile app users can ping you the whereabouts of a Tile that's out of Bluetooth range. There was an update last year to Tile 2.0, which has a louder alarm plus it'll help find your phone as well. The problem with the existing Tile, however, is that it's a little chunky. That's why Tile has now introduced the Tile Slim, a much thinner version of the tracker that'll fit more comfortably in tight spots like wallets and passport holders. But that's not all. Tile has also announced a new initiative that just might bring Tile's location-finding smarts to anything and everything.
Polar thinks there's room for another Android Wear smartwatch
It was inevitable that smartwatches would eventually consume "dumb" activity trackers like the Fuelband (RIP) and Fitbit. These days, almost any device that you can slap on your wrist offers you basic fitness and sleep tracking as standard. Similarly, most of these gadgets offer smartphone notifications and control of your smartphone's music playback. But as smartwatches have made in-roads to the world of fitness tech, there's been little pushback from companies like Garmin, Polar and TomTom. At least, not until now.
Blast Motion's swing sensor data is coming to baseball broadcasts
Major League Baseball had already approved Blast Motion's swing analyzer for use in training sessions, but now that the gadget is official hitting sensor of the league, it's going to be used for a lot more. Data from the $150 device will be used in television broadcasts, starting with the MLB All-Star Futures Game on July 10th. While that matchup is only an exhibition of the baseball's up-and-coming young talent, Blast says other "select television broadcasts" will feature stats collected by the swing tracker.
Xiaomi's Mi Band 2 comes with a display and a price rise
While you probably won't see many people wearing Xiaomi's Mi Band tracker, that doesn't mean it isn't popular. The bracelet, alongside a range of kids watches, has helped the Chinese electronics maker become the world's second biggest wearable manufacturer behind Fitbit. To maintain its momentum, the company today took the wraps of the Mi Band 2, debuting a familiar wearable that features a 0.42-inch OLED display.
Samsung-backed smart shoes will be your personal trainer
If you're still wearing plain old sneakers, Samsung wants to put a stop to that. The company is about to launch a new brand of smart athletic shoes called IoFIT from its in-house startup, Salted Venture. The shoe comes with numerous pressure sensors that measure your posture, balance and weight distribution. An app then crunches the data to help you improve your athletic performance in sports like weightlifting, golf and running. "There's so much valuable information coming from our feet, and it's being wasted," says Salted Venture CEO Jacob Cho.
DokiWatch lets kids make video calls and share their location
A cellular watch that can make video calls? You won't find many of them because smartphones are so much better at doing that, but we've probably all longed for this seemingly futuristic concept when we were young (just as our own James Trew confessed in his Neptune Pine review). Thanks to the folks over at Doki Technologies, kids these days will get to realize this dream. The DokiWatch is a rugged Android smartwatch with a 1.22-inch touchscreen, and it packs all the essentials for keeping an eye on a child: It comes with 3G radio (1900/2100 MHz; works on AT&T and T-Mobile) plus a Micro SIM slot, as well as location tracking (using GPS, WiFi and cellular signal), an SOS button and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera -- the part which makes it stand out from the other kids smartwatches.
Rossignol and PIQ team up to track your skiing performance
PIQ has teamed up with Rossignol to give you all the skiing metrics you probably never thought you needed. The 13-axis ski sensor, which is identical to PIQ's golf and tennis models, comes with a special strap that attaches it to any ski boot. It can then measure stats like edge-to-edge speed, G-force and carving angle, while giving freestyle skiers air time, G-force at landing, rotation and more. As with other PIQ models, you can check stats immediately from your Android or iOS smartphone via Bluetooth, but if you don't carry a phone during mogul practice, it'll store the data for later.
Vintage Electric's latest e-bike gives you more retro power
Vintage Electric drew a lot of attention when it unveiled its retro e-bikes a couple of years ago: it managed to fuse the classic look of early 20th century board track racers with a decidedly modern electric motor. Well, it's back for another year... and it's clear that the company has learned a lot in a short space of time. Its newly launched 2016 Tracker ups both the performance and the nostalgia quotient. It's 15 percent more efficient than last year's Tracker, but produces 20 percent more torque and carries a larger 70 watt-hour battery good for 35 miles of real-world travel. At the same time, you'll find clever new touches like stainless steel accents and pewter badging.
Google Fit gets real-time stats and grabs data from more wearables
Just in time to outfit your holiday workout regimen, Google its updating its Fit app with a few new features. First, the activity-tracking software now provides real-time distance, steps, pace and calorie stats for your running, walking and riding workouts. When you come to a stop for some push-ups, sit-ups or squats, you can use your Android Wear device to keep a tally of your reps before adding the total to your daily activity log. Google Fit also pulls in sleep and nutrition info from other apps and fitness trackers. If you're using MyFitnessPal (and a host of others) to track meals or Sleep as Android, Xiaomi Mi Band, Mi Band 1S, Sony Smartband 2 or the Basis Peak to keep tabs on how well you're resting, you'll be able access those details for a more complete picture of your overall wellness. Looking to give it a shot? You can grab the latest version of the Android app from Google Play right here.
Xiaomi's $16 fitness tracker gets a heart-rate monitor
Although it isn't readily available in the west, Xiaomi's Mi Band fitness tracker has helped the company account for a quarter of all wearables sold. Unveiled in July 2014, the low-cost rubberized bracelet monitors your activity levels and analyzes your sleep, but soon be able to track another important piece of biometric data: your heart rate. The Chinese technology company today announced the Mi Band Pulse, a $16 (£10) wearable that uses a light-based PPG (photoplethysmography) sensor to measure your body's blood flow.
Verizon's new kid-tracking smartwatches look all grown up
GizmoPal 2 and GizmoGadget aren't going to win any prizes for cool product naming, but the kid-friendly smartwatches come with noble intentions. Both products let you geofence your progeny, so you can get an instant alert if they wander farther than you'd like -- a staple feature of devices in the junior category of course. Both also let the wearer communicate with parents. GizmoPal 2 is more limited, allowing only Jnr to send pre-recorded messages and emoji -- perhaps no bad thing for younger children. Adults can, however, call the watch directly. On the plus side, GizmoPal 2 looks less like a child's hospital band than last time. Bigger kids will want the GizmoGadget, which has the way cooler ability to send messages and calls instantly between devices and a touchscreen display. Both are also waterproof to one meter for 30 minutes.
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.
Misfit teams up with Speedo on a fitness tracker for swimmers
Misfit's Shine activity tracker has been around for a while now, but today the company is giving the wearable new duties. The company has teamed up with Speedo for a new Shine gadget that logs the details for your workout in the water. The duo says that this is "the first device of its kind with swimmers in mind," packing in lap-counting algorithms to tally stats for all stroke types. Keeping its aluminum exterior, the waterproof Speedo Shine sports a lighter shade of silver but it'll still beam all of your lap and distance details to Misfit's Android and iOS software. In the near future, it'll also play nice with the Speedo Fit swim-tracking app. And yes, this Shine still keeps tabs on the rest of your activity and sleep patterns with a watch battery that's said to last six months.
Xiaomi's next low-cost wearable will monitor your heart rate
Chinese phone maker Xiaomi has made a name for itself by delivering premium devices at budget prices. As well as phones and tablets, Xiaomi also sells accessories, including the Mi Band fitness tracker. After almost a year on sale, China's biggest mobile manufacturer feels the time is right to update its popular wearable, and thanks to Taiwan's National Communications Commission, we now know that it will come with its very own heart-rate monitor. The Mi Band 1S retains the same design as its predecessor, complete with aluminum cap, but features a new sensor on the back that's designed to stay in constant contact with a user's skin.
This BMX bike sensor is ready to track your off-road adventures
There's no shortage of bike sensors that will track your performance. However, they usually assume that you're on a garden variety road bike. What if your definition of biking involves BMX races or trick jumps? Never fear -- you now have an activity tracker to call your own. Iddo has launched a crowdfunding drive for what it says is the world's first BMX bike sensor. The angry-looking add-on (seriously, it's a little metal skull) will capture 'boring' details like speed and GPS position, but it also includes a 9-axis motion sensor and an altimeter to detect your air time and tricks. The companion smartphone app will even score stunts, so you have an added incentive to master that bunny hop or tailwhip. If you're racing, Iddo will let you map tracks and measure your lap times.
Xiaomi will tiptoe into the US by selling accessories, not phones
The world's most valuable startup (for now) is finally getting ready to sell stuff in the United States, just... maybe not the stuff you were expecting. At an intimate media gathering in San Francisco, Xiaomi global VP Hugo Barra revealed that the buzzy Chinese phone maker will start selling its low-cost fitness band (see above) and accessories like power banks and headphones to US customers through its Mi.com commerce site later this year. Here's the rub, though: Barra was quick to add that that neither the company's phones nor its tablets are making the leap into US waters just yet.
Jawbone unveils the Up3, its most sophisticated health band yet
Nope, Jawbone still doesn't have a smartwatch of its own. But with the $180 (£150) Up3, its latest health-tracking wristband, the company is making a clear case for why it doesn't need a smartwatch (yet). With sensor technology from last year's BodyMedia purchase, Jawbone has crafted an all-day activity tracker that appears more refined than most of its competitors. Slimmer than Microsoft's recently announced Band and the Up24 , its sensors go deeper than Jawbone has ever gone before. Perhaps most significantly, it features heart rate monitoring that may actually work consistently, unlike what we've seen from many competitors. In short, the Up3 is a health tracker built for people obsessed with health tracking. If you're looking for something a bit more entry-level, consider the new Up Move, which the company also announced today.
