Category Archives: sport

Digital Ski with AR Goggles at CES



There are all kinds of fitness and sports trackers coming onto the market, from the generalists like Fitbit through to the specialists for single sports, like basketball or baseball. Digital Ski is in the latter category, bringing specialist sensors to both downhill and cross-country skiing. Dr Hermann Schindler of HS Innovations shows Jamie and Nick what’s possible with two sensors instead of one.

skiUnlike most sports trackers, Digital Ski uses two intercommunicating sensors, one for each ski. The dual sensor approach brings the benefit of better motion analysis as with only one tracker, it’s not always easy to see if a motion was cause or caused.

Impressively, the sensor information is reported in real-time to the skier’s (augmented reality) googles which can show the skis’ movements and forces while in motion. There’s a German language video here which shows it off to good effect. Of course, there’s an app too for post-race analysis.

For runners, there’s Run Rockets, which uses a similar dual sensor strategy to provide data while on the hoof, as it were.

Digital Ski isn’t available for purchase yet but those interested can register on the website.

Jamie Davis is the host of Health Tech Weekly at HTWeekly.com. He is a nurse, paramedic and health journalist.
Nick DiMeo is a video producer at F5 Live: Refreshing Technology.

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Kuai Biometric Headphones at CES



Kuai LogoActivity tracking wearables are commonplace but most are bracelet-style devices. Kuai have taken a different approach, incorporating sensors into sport headphones worn during physical activity. Jamie finds out more about the Kuai multisport biometric headphones from Carlos Marco, CEO and founder.

The headphones are earbuds with over-the-ear hooks to keep them in place during sport. The headphones have several sensors, including a heart rate monitor and an accelerator, and transmit the data to a nearby smartphone by Bluetooth. After calibration, training programmes can be loaded and adjusted to suit the individual. The smartphone app shows the usual statistics such as heart rate, calories burned, distance travelled and so on. The  app includes a coaching programme which can encourage the wearer “to go further” through the headphones. The headphones are waterproof too and there’s a selection of eartips for different situations, such as outdoors or swimming.

Kuai is taking pre-orders at US$149 for the headphones which will be available in April. The full retail price will be US$199 so get in early for a bargain.

Jamie Davis is the host of Health Tech Weekly at HTWeekly.com. He is a nurse, paramedic and health journalist.

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Motus Baseball Performance Tracker at CES



Motus LogoThe availability of detailed performance information for sportsmen and women is one of the big changes in recent years. From tennis to basketball, there’s almost certainly a smart device for the sport. Motus specialise in tracking baseball players, both pitchers and batters, with a new smart sensor. Todd and Marlo find out what it takes to knock one out of the park from Jason Lamendola of Motus.

Motus clip and sensorFor Motus, the new sensor that comes as part of MotusBASEBALL is a great improvement over the previous generation as it’s not only smaller with a longer battery life, but it now provides data whether the player is at the mound or the plate. The only difference is that pitchers wear a compression sleeve on their arm with the sensor fitting in a small pocket, whereas the sensor fits on the back of a batting glove.

With regards to reviewing the performance stats, there’s an app for that. In fact there’s two, one for batting (Motus Batting) and one for pitching (Motus Throw), though it seems the apps are only available for iOS. The apps provide a wealth of stats in real-time, allowing coaches to identify problems and avoid injury as it happens.

MotusBASEBALL with the new sensor is expected soon and the Motus site says “early February”. Once on sale, it will be priced at US$149 which is very affordable for coaches and keen players.

Todd Cochrane is the host of the twice-weekly Geek News Central Podcast at GeekNewsCentral.com and Marlo Anderson rounds up the latest technology news at The Tech Ranch.

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Deeper Smart Fishfinder at CES



Deeper Fishfinder One of the challenges of sport fishing is knowing where the fish are and it’s not much fun fishing when there are no fish. The Deeper fishfinder can help with this problem: Todd and Marlo cast their lines with Casey McKnight, President and COO of Deeper USA.

The Deeper fishfinder is spherical device, roughly the size of a tennis ball. Dropped into the water on the end of a line, the Deeper scans the water beneath it with two sonar cones, transmitting signals back to a nearby smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth. The Deeper app (for both iOS and Android) shows the location of fish (or other objects) below the water.

Popular with fisherman, the Deeper is finding favour with search and rescue teams too, as the device can be used to identify suspicious objects and prioritise recovery options.

The Deeper fish finder is on sale now with a recommended price of US$229, though you may find it cheaper than this.

Todd Cochrane is the host of the twice-weekly Geek News Central Podcast at GeekNewsCentral.com and Marlo Anderson rounds up the latest technology news at The Tech Ranch.

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MLB Manager Chided for wearing Apple Watch



MLB logoThe use of “assistive devices” is nothing new to Major League Baseball. For decades, pitchers have snuck things like sandpaper or razor blades onto the field to alter the way baseballs reacted to different kinds of pitches. Major League officials have cracked down on these shenanigans over the years, and for the most part, they’re a thing of the past. But the drive to cheat the system will never die. And it’s in this spirit that Major League Baseball banned players and coaches from using smartphones in dugouts during games. But smart technology is moving beyond phones and into wearables, creating a new potential for team members to access data that might give them an unfair advantage during games.

This led to a reported questioning of Kansas City Royals manager Ned Yost, who’s been wearing an Apple Watch in the dugout during games. MLB officials wanted to make sure Yost wasn’t using the electronic device to somehow gather information on opposing teams during games. But in the end, it was determined that Yost wasn’t actively pairing his Apple Watch with an iPhone, meaning the watch was pretty much just… a watch. Aside from being able to tell time, Yost could also get basic weather information thru the unpaired device. That’s it.

Overall, this incident was really just a friendly reminder to Yost (and all other MLB players and coaches) that they can use wearables like the Apple Watch during games. They just can’t let those devices communicate with the rest of the connected world. Professional baseball sure has come a long way from the spit ball and the corked bat!


Polar Team Pro Brings Advanced Coaching System to Elite Sports Teams



Polar logoPolar is an established manufacturer of monitoring products used by professional teams across a wide range of sports. Now the company is entering a whole new product category with the release of its new Polar Team Pro.

Polar Team Pro is a comprehensive system that begins with tracking devices players can wear while on the field. These devices use GPS data to send real-time information about the player’s location on the field, with near-field communications options to fill in coverage gaps. Those player-based sensors transmit data back to a base station that then syncs up with an iPad app that gives coaches a complete view of what the team is doing during a game.

Polar Team Pro would be an invaluable tool for any team that’s looking to enhance, improve, and maximize player movements on the field. The information gathered by the system will allow coaching staffs to analyze plays and see where their teams’ weak points are, and where things should be adjusted for greater future performance.

The Polar Team Pro set begins with 10 sensors, 10 straps, 1 dock, 1 washing pouch, and 1 shoulder bag. The system can be scaled up for a total of 60 sensors, as needed. Pricing starts at 5999 EUR and goes up from there. If you’re interested in using the Polar Team Pro with your own sports organization, get in touch with Polar for more information.


Cycloc Stores and Displays Bicycles



British Inventors ProjectFollowing British success in the sport, cycling has seen a resurgence in the UK and there are some very tasty bikes on the roads these days. Storage when off the road can be a problem though, especially in city apartments. Cycloc provides a solution to this with colourful wall-mounts which both store and show-off the bicycle. Perfect for the bijou town pad.

Cycloc Bicycle Accessories

Cycloc’s range of products was on display at Gadget Show Live as part of the British Inventors’ Project. The latest product, Hero, cleverly uses the pedals to hold the bike to the wall. Fresh to the market, it costs a few pennies under £40. In the picture below, Hero is holding the upper bike, with Solo keeping up the lower one.

Cycloc