Hasta La Gadget!

It’s been quite a while since we last heard from JayBird, but now it’s back with another set of Bluetooth in-ear headphones for fitness activities. Unveiled and available today, the new Freedom Sprint ($130, pictured right) joins the ranks of the company’s Freedom JF3 headset ($99) — it’s essentially the same Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR headset, albeit with 40-percent less of a footprint for the earpieces (33 x 16 x 8 mm vs. 44 x 19 x 9 mm). The petite size naturally means a smaller internal battery (rated for 4.5 hours, compared to the original’s six), but JayBird let us know that the Sprint is acoustically identical to the JF3. While size is the main focus, there are also a few other improvements being toted in the Sprint — it sports a micro-USB port for charging (changed from mini-USB), a softer cable between the buds, an inconspicuous notification LED, enhanced call quality and the multifunction button has been repositioned to the top of one of the earpieces (the JF3’s is on the outside). Sounds like the Sprint could be the $130 ticket if Bluetooth, small size and a secure fit are your main concerns for a pair of in-ears. You’ll find more images in the gallery below and further details at the source link.

Filed under: Portable Audio/Video, Wearables

JayBird intros Freedom Sprint: the JF3 Bluetooth stereo fitness headset gets 40% smaller originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Garmin Forerunner 10 is a simple GPS watch that provides its wearer with information on how far and fast they have run. The gadget stores the data from your run so that you can upload and analyze it later on Garmin Connect. The Garmin Forerunner 10 is also water-resistant for up to 50-meter underwater. Its rechargeable battery provides enough juice for up to 5-hour of operating time in “training mode” or up to five weeks in “power-save mode”. The Garmin Forerunner 10 GPS watch retails for a suggested retail price of $129.99. Video after the jump.

[Slashgear]

There’s still quite a few months before those lucky early adopters can get their eager hands (and eyes) on Google’s Explorer Edition set of wearables, but in the meantime, the company’s not wasting any time and is building up its team to have the frames as loaded as can be. One of the latest additions to Mountain View’s Project Glass squad is former Rdio and Danger software engineer Ian McKellar — who’d previously worked on the streaming service’s API, among other things. Mum’s the word on what exactly he’ll be tinkering with at the Project Glass laboratories, though we can’t imagine it’ll be anything short of amazing. In case you’d like to dive into his thoughts a little more, you can check out his tweet on the matter at the link below.

Filed under: Misc, Wearables, Software

Former Rdio software engineer joins Google’s Project Glass team originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Aug 2012 07:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fitness gadgets are great, but you never quite know what you’re going to get when it comes to calorie counts, or a reading of how many miles you’ve run. That could change, though, thanks to a set of standards the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) is adopting with regard to fitness devices. These two certifications, which apply to running and cycling gadgets, respectively, affect the way data (e.g., cadence, speed, distance) is transmitted to paired devices like smartphones, sports watches and cycling computers. As far as SIG is concerned, too, more standardization means OEMs will have an easier time bringing new products to market — not that there’s any current shortage of options to choose from.

Continue reading Bluetooth SIG releases certifications for fitness devices aimed at runners and cyclists

Filed under: Wearables, Wireless

Bluetooth SIG releases certifications for fitness devices aimed at runners and cyclists originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Aug 2012 23:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Welcome to Engadget’s back to school guide! The end of summer vacation isn’t nearly as much fun as the weeks that come before, but a chance to update your tech tools likely helps to ease the pain. Today, we’re helping you keep all your gear organized — and you can head to the back to school hub to see the rest of the product guides as they’re added throughout the month. Be sure to keep checking back — at the end of the month we’ll be giving away a ton of the gear featured in our guides — and hit up the hub page right here!

Trying to pack a load of gadgets, peripherals and a laptop into your average book bag usually isn’t the most ideal setup — especially when it’s time to grab what you need throughout the day. To solve that dilemma, we’ve selected more than a handful of sacks and cases that’ll keep your gear at hand and organized so that you’ll spend less time rummaging for your gizmos and more time exploring your campus. Best of all, you can rest assured knowing many of the selections past the break are goods that we here at Engadget even rely on to get our gear in and out of the various events we attend — jump past the break to see our picks.

Continue reading Engadget’s back to school guide 2012: bags and cases

Filed under: Handhelds, Wearables

Engadget’s back to school guide 2012: bags and cases originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Aug 2012 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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