Posts Tagged ‘Mobile Phones’
Written by Peter Suciu on 17 February 2011
This week at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona Broadcom announced the development of a new wireless combination (combo) chip designed to support more media and data applications without impacting the size or battery life for various devices including smartphones and tablets.
The BCM4330 integrates Broadcom’s 802.11n Wi-Fi wireless technology with Bluetooth and FM radio technologies all onto a single silicon die. This will be the first combo chip solution certified with the Bluetooth 4.0 standard, and it further will feature dual-band capabilities to allow Wi-Fi users to leverage the 5 GHz spectrum. This could be particularly useful for wireless sensors in fitness and medical applications.
We have seen a lot of development with Bluetooth in the fitness gear space, and now Broadcom’s new chip could further allow for all sorts of combinations thanks to its combo chip.
Broadcom Official Website
Tags: Bluetooth, Broadcom, Mobile Phones, Mobile World Congress, Wi-Fi
Posted in Gadget, Mobile Phone | No Comments »
Written by Peter Suciu on 27 December 2010
The holidays are a time for many things, including seeing family, visiting with friends, eating too much and basically blowing off exercise. That’s probably why come January 2 many people vow to “do it right” and pledge to turn over a new leaf. Maybe one way to start the New Year off right is by better managing your food intake.
One problem say experts is that you can easily shed pounds by reducing intake, but as soon as you go back to old habits – which die hard and quickly – you’re likely to regain the weight. Additionally, people who reportedly lose weight more slowly while increasing the exercise tend to keep the pounds off.
Brian Young realized this, and he’s worked to develop an app that helps you track and burn, hence the Tracknburn app for the iPod and iPhone. It incorporates the BMI formula that “is accurate as it gets,” says Young, who further notes that one of the most popular ways to determine how many calories are needed to sustain the same body weight is to use the body mass index (BMI) and current activity level. Subtract 250 calories a day to lose 1/2 pound per week.
Sounds simple, but Young notes that this formula also changes as you lose weight, making it hard to track over time. The Tracknburn essentially picks up on this, and does the weight loss math for you. This app takes a users individual profile, along with weight goal and helps make responsible choices. It can be used a food log with more than 140,000 common foods to choose from, and by tracking what you can eat, you can more easily lose at the same time. Now that sounds like a winning solution.
Tracknburn Official Website
Tags: App, Apple App Store, BMI, Body Mass Index, Brian Young, Food, iPhone, ipod, Mobile Phones, nutrition, Tracknburn, weight loss
Posted in Exercise, Food, Mobile Phone, nutrition, Software | No Comments »
Written by Peter Suciu on 30 November 2010
There is an old saying about wearing your heart on your sleeve, which is to say to openly show your emotions. Today people can wear many things, and while it won’t display emotion, it can help users monitor their fitness levels.
This is exactly the concept behind the BodyMedia FIT Armband BW from BodyMedia, which is avialble through the company’s website as well as Amazon.com. It allows users to monitor calorie intake and output in real-time. The BodyMedia FIT Armband BW transmits information to a smartphone via Bluetooth, where users can track caloric burn data and physical activity levels.
“The BodyMedia FIT Armband BW is a great example of how consumers can monitor and track their fitness levels with the help of Bluetooth wireless technology – and once you start to track your health, you have the power to change your health,” said Michael Foley, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG). “By allowing near real-time monitoring on a mobile phone via Bluetooth technology, the BodyMedia FIT Armband BW lets users take the wheel on the road to a more active lifestyle. This innovative device brings to life what we have been projecting for Bluetooth wireless technology in the health and fitness market.”
The BodyMedia FIT Armband BW is designed to integrate body monitoring data with smartphones including the Apple iPhone and Android mobile devices.
BodyMedia FIT Official Website
Tags: Android, Apple iPhone, Bluetooth, Bluetooth Special Interest Group, BodyMedia FIT, BodyMedia FIT Armband BW, Michael Foley, Mobile Phones, smartphones
Posted in Exercise, Mobile Phone, Software | 1 Comment »
Written by Peter Suciu on 23 November 2010
RadioShack made a smart move by sponsoring a pro cycling team, and while Lance Armstrong didn’t have the best Tour de France, Team RadioShack did do extremely well overall, winning the team competition. The retailer is also making a smart move by helping promote Lance’s LIVESTRONG campaign, which fights for the 28 million people around the world living with cancer today. Now you can show your team spirit whilst protecting your devices.
For the holidays RadioShack is carrying soft-touch polycarbonate cases that are part of the LIVESTRONG. These cases, which offer robust protection for mobile devices, are available for the Apple iPhone 4 ($24.99) and the iPad ($39.99). The cases boast a slim snap-on design that is form-fitted for the devices, and each adds protection without adding any extra bulk.
The cases feature an impact-resistant materials that provide strength and durability, while the rubberized surface further provides a nice secure grip.
RadioShack
LIVESTRONG
Team RadioShack
Tags: Apple, cases, iPad, iPhone, Lance Armstrong, LIVESTRONG, Mobile Phones, Team RadioShack
Posted in Equipment, Mobile Phone | No Comments »
Written by KineticShift on 22 November 2010
Running requires a nice steady pace, and to help you keep it steady Upbeat Workout Apps has launched the Upbeat Workouts for Runners, a next generation app that makes your music keep up- or slow down- with you. The idea of this app is that it can match the song’s beats per minute with a runner’s steps per minute. Think of this as the ultimate “keeping in time” too.
The Upbeat Workouts for Runners also includes three coached workouts from world class running coaches, so you can get the option of personal training sessions on demand. The app is available for the iPhone and iPod Touch from the Apple App Store for $2.99.
Upbeat Workouts
Tags: App, Apple App Store, iPhone, iPod touch, Mobile Phones, Running, Upbeat Workouts for Runners
Posted in Mobile Phone, Running, Software | 1 Comment »
Written by KineticShift on 18 November 2010
There is no denying that there are some pretty useless mobile phone apps on the market, but this week one app that was released could really do some good.
Today is the Great American Smokeout, and now comes the UCSF/SFGH Stop Smoking application for the iPhone and iPod Touch. It is the result of a joint effort from the San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center (SFGH) and the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF), and it is aimed at helping smokers quit by including mood among the triggers for smoking . The app uses a successful cognitive behavioral therapy program developed at SFGH and is now available for purchase from iTunes
Proceeds from UCSF/SFGH Stop Smoking – which serves English and Spanish speakers – help fund further online and mobile health research at SFGH and UCSF. The launch of this new tool coincides with Great American Smokeout on November 18 – a national day to encourage smokers to quit. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Great American Smokeout, iPhone, iPod touch, Mobile Phones, Ricardo Munoz, San Francisco General, San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, smartphones, UCSF Professor of Psychology, UCSF/SFGH Stop Smoking, University of California at San Francisco
Posted in Mobile Phone, Research, Software | No Comments »
Written by Peter Suciu on 01 November 2010
There comes a time for every skateboarder to realize that the old deck just can’t be used any longer. Whether it is cracks in the wood or just other structural issues, skateboard decks just can’t last forever. But that doesn’t mean that they can’t live on afterward.
Portland, Oregon based MapleXo has long been turning trashed decks into thrasher jewelry and now the company is looking to turn old skate decks into iPhone 4 cases. However, the catch is that the company is releasing just 50 limited edition cases so you better skate over to the website quickly to sign up for one.
MapleXO official website
[Via Recombu.com: MapleXO x Grove iPhone 4 cases are made from recycled skateboards]
Tags: iPhone 4, MapleXO, Mobile Phones, Skateboard, x Grove
Posted in Equipment, Mobile Phone, Sustainable | 1 Comment »
Written by Peter Suciu on 19 October 2010
Whether you’re running in a marathon this year or just watching from the sidelines, there will be an app for that! The New York City Marathon on November 7 will feature support for an iPhone app for the first time this year, and it will include news alerts as well as live video of the professional race, but for a different way to “phone in the race” there will be the RaceMate app for the upcoming Marine Corp Marathon.
The race, which is set to take place on October 31, will be the first to provide GPS coverage with real-time connection between runners and followers. RaceMate is an app for the iPhone and Android smartphones as well as the Apple iPad, which can allow a follower to track the route and location of a runner in the race. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Android, apps, GPS, iPad, iPhone, marathon, Marine Corp Marathon, Mobile Phones, RaceMate, Running, The New York City Marathon
Posted in Mobile Phone, Pro Sports, Running, Software | No Comments »
Written by Peter Suciu on 17 June 2010
This week LIVESTRONG.COM and RadioShack have announced the official release of the Team RadioShack free mobile app for the iPhone. This could be the next best thing to heading to France for the Tour next month, as it offers users exclusive behind-the-scenes coverage of Lance Armstrong and the rest of the team as they take part in the greatest race in cycling.
The free app offers instant, on-the-go updates and news, exclusive content and photos, behind-the-scenes Tour de France coverage, and video blogs from Lance himself, as well as expert commentary from the entire team. The updates can be accessed with a tap of an app, and easily shared via Facebook and Twitter.
The Team RadioShack iPhone app is available fro free download from the Apple App Store and from the LIVESTRONG.COM website.
Tags: App, Cycling, iPhone, Lance Armstrong, Mobile Phones, Racing, Team RadioShack, Tour de France
Posted in Cycling, Pro Sports | No Comments »
