Hasta La Gadget!

In case you haven’t noticed, fitness gadgets are having something of a moment right now. The past year alone has seen the launch of Nike’s FuelBand, the ill-fated Jawbone Up and a refreshed line of Fitbit trackers. Now another product is arriving that promises to do basically the same thing — namely, track your activity, sleep patterns and food intake using a wearable gadget and mobile app. That thing you see up there is called Larklife and for now, at least, it works exclusively with iOS devices. It’s a splash-resistant (but not waterproof) band that has a pedometer inside, counting your steps throughout the day. It can also tell how long you sleep each night, as well as how long it takes you to nod off. There’s even a vibrating alarm built into the band — something we first saw on the Up earlier this year. (As it happens, Lark’s earlier products were sleep aids, so the inclusion of this feature actually makes a lot of sense.) As for monitoring your dietary habits, Larklife doesn’t automatically track your food intake, but the app does include a food diary where you can manually enter your meals.

Additionally, Larklife uses Bluetooth Smart to automatically sync with your iPhone so that you don’t have to plug the band into a PC just to update your fitness stats. (The new Fitbit trackers work this way this too.) Additionally, the band uses a proprietary technology that can discern when you’re running or walking, which means the app will log workouts even if you forget to enter them. The last intriguing bit is that the app dishes out smart, contextually aware advice. Didn’t get much sleep last night? Larklife will remind you to eat more protein than usual at breakfast, so that you have enough energy to get you through the day. The app also rewards good behavior in the form of iOS notifications and colorful on-screen badges, though competing products admittedly take a very similar approach when it comes to keeping users motivated.

Larklife is up for pre-order starting today, and is priced at $150 — a rather large premium over the new Fitbit One, which will sell for $100. As for precise availability, all we know is that retailers will start stocking Larklife “before the holidays.” Whether that means Halloween, Thanksgiving or some gift-giving celebration will be revealed some other day.

Continue reading Larklife fitness tracker syncs your data over Bluetooth, knows when you’re running instead of walking

Filed under: Wearables

Larklife fitness tracker syncs your data over Bluetooth, knows when you’re running instead of walking originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Oct 2012 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Are you still hoping for a pill that will instantly get rid of your
spare tire, the fat under your arms, or your oversized thighs? This is
not about a pill, but an injection scientists are working on, and it
doesn’t work instantly, but it does seem to work  – at least on
preliminary tests in mice.

“Appcessories” is probably one of the more abrasive, yet devilishly descriptive, portmanteaus we’ve heard in recent years. But, if you’re still not sure what it means, consider the Rhythm pulse monitor from Scosche a perfect example. The forearm-mounted device is a pulse / heart rate monitor with an iOS companion app. Working with some of your phone’s inner smarts (like GPS), along with a dedicated accelerometer, the hardware / software combo logs vital data from your work out, which you can then share with the world, or enjoy broken down into detailed statistical analysis. If you’ve ever gone jogging with your iPhone, you’ll know how fiddly it can be to change music tracks on the hop, so you’ll be pleased to know the Rhythm covers that too. If this sounds like what your workout is missing, you can strap-up right away from any Apple or AT&T store (real or online) for $99, with other outlets, including Best-Buy stocking in time for Christmas.

Continue reading Scosche’s Rhythm pulse monitor for iOS tracks your run, lets you change the beat (video)

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

Scosche’s Rhythm pulse monitor for iOS tracks your run, lets you change the beat (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Sep 2012 01:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Anyone who’s tried to get in shape knows that dieting and keeping track of all the calories you consume can be a huge pain. Thankfully, there are some new gadgets coming to market that help make it easier to track your activity and how many calories you burn. One of the companies offering some of the more interesting devices is called Fitbit.

Fitbit has a new device called the One that can be pre-ordered right now for $99.95. The One is designed to track all sorts of things so you don’t have to. During the day, it can act as a pedometer tracking your steps, distance, calories burned, and stairs climbed.

At night, the device is designed to measure your sleep cycle to help users learn how to get better sleep, and it will wake you in the morning. The device has an integrated silent alarm that vibrates to wake you in the mornings. It will give you statistics such as how long and how well you slept and how many times you woke during the night. The device syncs with the iPhone or iPad or your computer wirelessly using Bluetooth and will soon support Android devices.

The Fitbit Zip is a simpler device available now for $59.95 in multiple colors. It’s an activity tracker and is able to track how many steps you take, how many calories you burn, and the distance you travel. It’s basically a high-tech pedometer that can wirelessly sync using Bluetooth technology to your iPhone, iPod or a computer. It too will get support for certain Android devices soon.

Fitbit One and Fitbit Zip break cover is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
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Remember Fitbit, makers of tiny activity-tracking gadgets for health and fitness? Well, the 2012 models are here and they’re smaller, cheaper, and better than their last thingies. After all, fitness-tracking shouldn’t be limited to big-pocketed rich people, right? More »