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SenTAG helps prevent drowning, wirelessly
Swimming is fun, but drowning, most certainly, is not. The makers of SenTAG know this, and have developed a system that monitors swimmers' depth and motion, alerting them, with a series of alarms and LEDs, if they might be in danger. The set-up, which is designed mostly for public swimming holes, consists of radio/ultrasound transmitters (worn around swimmers' wrists) and a base station that alerts rescue personnel if someone isn't responding to the alarm. No building modification is required for installation, meaning there won't be any wires running through or around the water and operating cost is kept relatively low. The most exciting part for us, though, is that the whole rescue process is now one step closer to being completely electronic. Eventually, the SenTAG could be used to signal a Strider robot, which could drag the victim back to land where the CPR bot could be applied. But, don't worry lifeguards, that day is still a long way off.
Get your run on - Apple taking preorders for the Nike+iPod Sport Kit
It looks as though Apple is officially taking pre-orders for the $30 Nike+iPod Sport Kit, a customized wireless transmitter and receiver set that helps you track your run by integrating with Apple's iPod nano. The tips started pouring in, and sure enough, it's up in the store in all its über-branding glory. Fortunately, more compatible shoes have also been added to the Nike Plus site, though I'm sure pioneering DIYers are scoffing at the thought of purchasing a pair, and are already hard at work at assembling specs and carving out their present running gear (I'm sure I'm not the only one who'd like to see a guide for this; send in those tips people!). On a related note, TUAW reader Aaron sent us a question that y'all might want to bat around: has anyone heard about the battery life of this kit? Aaron noticed that this kit's specs mention the battery in the shoe transmitter is not replaceable, so those who run 8 miles a day like Aaron (or who I'll refer to as: RoboRunner) might have to find out how much juice these things hold before they kick the bucket. On the other hand, I'm sure in a couple of months Apple will whip out a $40 charging dock for the $30 sensor kit and make all this worrying about battery life a moot point.
