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Asics Acquires Aquisition Runkeeper app
Business, Sports

Asics Acquires Popular Running App Runkeeper

February 26, 2016

Aquisition Asics Acquires Popular Running App Runkeeper iOS MYASICS run tracking

More and more if you want to taken seriously in the fitness apparel space you need an app. Nike has been developing apps in-house for years, Under Armour purchased MapMyFitness, MyFitnessPal, and Endomondo, and Adidas acquired Runtastic. Wanting to keep up with the competition, Asics has snapped up one of the largest remaining fitness apps, Runkeeper. Runkeeper is a veteran iOS app, having been among the first apps in the App Store when the store launched in 2008. While Asics already has a decent (and well liked) app with MY ASICS, it has failed to create the passion, community, and popularity that Runkeeper has. To illustrate this, MY ASICS has approximately 600 reviews on the App Store while Runkeeper has nearly 45,000 reviews and boasts a user base of over 45 million! The acquisition is estimated to be valued at $85 million. Runkeeper founder Jason Jacobs took to Medium to announce the news and stated that app will continue to exist and be developed. For the end-user he expects very little difference except improved resources to allow developers to be bring things to bear that would not have been possible otherwise.  

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by Doug Parker
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ThermalTech Indiegogo Solar Powered Jacket UV Heat Outerwear
Sports, Wearable Technology

Solar Powered Jacket Promises To Keep You 20º Warmer

February 12, 2016

ThermalTech Indiegogo Solar Powered Jacket UV Heat Outerwear

With most of the east coast suffering through record low temperatures, we were excited to find a jacket promising to keep us warmer longer! When the temperature is well below zero, only giant, bulky coats have a chance of keeping you warm. Unfortunately a large coat is less than ideal as you run around NYC or hit the slopes. Currently on Indiegogo, a new jacket from ThermalTech uses solar powered fabrics to keep you toasty, while shedding the bulk. Unlike Columbia’s (impressive but recalled) electric heating jacket, ThermalTech’s process of harnessing the sun’s energy is completely passive. A UV sensitive layer of the jacket captures and retains the light energy from the sun. This energy (unsurprisingly) is transferred to the fabric as heat. The name-sake ThermalTech layer then slowly releases the heat towards the inside of the jacket, raising the temperature by as much as 20º F versus a jacket without the special fabric. Even when the sun isn’t out, the lining of the outerwear works to keep you warm by absorbing and reflecting your body heat. According to ThermalTech, the jacket is also completely breathable to help keep you from over heating, a necessity if you are planning to hit the slopes with the coat! If all of this sounds perfect for the cold weather ahead, sadly the jacket is not shipping until you need it least – August. There are three different versions of the coat available, ranging from $139 to $169 and the crowdfunding campaign has already passed its goal.  

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by Doug Parker
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Under Armour HTC UA HealthBox Band Scale Heart Rate
Sports, Wearable Technology

Under Armour And HTC Launch Ecosystem Of Connected Devices

January 20, 2016

Under Armour HTC UA HealthBox Band Scale Heart Rate

While Under Armour has seen amazing growth in the sports apparel industry over the company’s 20 year existence, it has not found the same level of success with wearables. The company’s two previous efforts (the E39 and Armour39) amounted to nothing more than niche products. Perhaps they targeted the wrong audience, offered the wrong feature set, or were just too ugly – but Under Armour has hit the drawing board and is trying again, this time with the help of HTC. The new effort from Under Armour features a suite of connected devices designed to promote fitness, call UA HealthBox. While they each work well as individual product, Under Armour has designed them to be most beneficial as a set.

First up is an activity tracking band. Similar in looks to the Nike+ Fuelband and Garmin Vivosmart, the cleverly named UA Band tracks daily movement and sleep, has a heart rate monitor, allows you to log the type of workout you are doing, and connects to your phone for notifications and music control. The device is water proof up to 10 meters, has a touch sensitive monochrome PMOLED display, and a 5 day battery life. Unfortunately the $180 silicon / plastic fitness band is only available in black (with a few red accents) so if you are not a fan of the coloring, you are out of luck. The data recorded by the UA Band is fed via Bluetooth to the UA Record app  on your phone. This app is what Under Armour claims makes their suite of devices so special.  

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by Doug Parker
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OMsignal Hexoskin Smart Software Update Indiegogo OMrun OMbra Strava Nike Plus Runkeeper MapMyRuns
Clothing, Sports

Both OMsignal and Hexoskin Expand Smartshirt’s Software Offerings

January 13, 2016

OMsignal Hexoskin Smart Software Update Indiegogo OMrun OMbra Strava Nike Plus Runkeeper MapMyRuns

We are well past a year since the launch of both Hexoskin’s and OMsignal’s smartshirts. These compression shirts (and now sports bra) monitor everything from breathing, to heart rate, to movement. They present the information as raw data and as a summary of fitness levels. At CES this year, both companies took advantage of the venue to announce expanded software offerings. OMsignal introduced the new OMrun platform – a very logic next step for the company, especially with the launch of the OMbra. OMrun looks to offer a suite of data that is especially tailored to helping runners understand an improve their performance. Among the new metrics are cadence, distance, Running Economy (how much O2 you need to travel a distance), and Breathing Rhythm (the number of footsteps per breath in or out). Along with the new focus on running, OMsignal has added new services to connect with, including Runkeeper, Strava, and Nike+. OMrun will launch this spring.  

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by Doug Parker
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OMsignal OMbra smart sports bra shirt women wearable fitnesstech
Sports, Wearable Technology

OMsignal Announces Smart Biometric Sports Bra

January 6, 2016

OMsignal OMbra smart sports bra shirt women wearable fitnesstech

OMsignal has been promising a solution for women looking to use the company’s smart shirt. The problem has been that the sensors integrated into the OMsignal smart shirt are only designed to work when properly fitted to a man’s body. Instead of introducing a new version of the shirt for women, the company has done one better and has managed to integrate the same technology into a sports bra, the OMbra. This results in a product that is seemingly superior to the men’s shirt; most guys probably do not wear a compression shirt, but women are more than likely donning a sports bra when they exercise. Despite the reduced size versus the shirt, no features were shed. The OMbra records heart rate information, breathing data, and activity metrics to a small black box attached to the garment. The black box can then either wirelessly transmits the data to your phone in real time or store it for retrieval later. The OMbra will ship this spring alongside a new app called OMrun. The new app offers information catered to runners including running economy and breathing rhythm.  

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by Doug Parker
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Lumo Run running coach sensor
Sports

Lumo Run Wants To Make You Run Better (And Safer)

October 7, 2015

Lumo Run running coach sensor

Running is one of the few sports that you can just wake up and do. It requires no special equipment nor talent, there is nothing to learn (we innately know how to run), and you don’t need anyone to do it with. Most people, when they decide to be a runner, just strap on some sneakers and go for it. This is one of the things that makes running so special, but the downfall is that most people have horrible form. Head to your local park on the weekend and look at all of the different (and sometimes odd) ways that people run. Poor form doesn’t just effect the efficiency of your stride, it also can cause serious injuries. The best thing you can do is regularly work with a physical trainer who can make sure you are getting the most from your body. But between cost and time, that isn’t an option for most people. Lumo Run hopes to be a budget friendly solution to help people become better (and safer) runners.  

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by Doug Parker
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Sports

Nike Prototypes “Ice Hat” For Olympian Ashton Eaton

July 28, 2015

Nike Cooling Mask Ice hat

Olympic champion and  world record holder Ashton Eaton has been working with Nike to find new ways to help athletes feel refreshed and recharged. When Eaton competes in the decathlon he has to perform his best across 10 events over 2 days. To maximize his performance, he ideally would like to start each event feeling like it was his first; that involves reducing both mental and physical attrition. Eaton noticed he performed better after pouring water over his head and wondered if there was a more efficient (and less damp) way to gain the same results. Turns out Nike Sports Research Lab (NSRL) was already investigating the effects of facial cooling, finding out the face is 2 to 5 times more aware of surface temperature than elsewhere on our body. It was at this point that the Nike Apparel Innovation Team was brought onboard and a prototype was developed.

The end result of the collaboration is a fabric hood that covers the scalp, neck, and around the eyes. According to Sandy Bodecker, VP of Special Projects, Nike Innovation, the so-called Ice Hat utilizes  

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by Doug Parker
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