Posts Tagged ‘bike’

RunKeeper For Pebble Arrives, Bringing Run, Walk And Bike Ride Progress Tracking To The Smart Watch

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So far, the Pebble smart watch has done little besides offer up watch faces for users to tinker with, but the apps are starting to come in, and today marks the much-anticipated debut of early marquee partner RunKeeper. RunKeeper was an early player in the smartphone-based activity tracker market, and continues to be an industry leader. It was a natural partnership for both Pebble and RunKeeper, and now consumers get to see what the two can do together.

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The new Pebble RunKeeper integration works with both Android and iOS apps, and provides the same functionality for both. RunKeeper CEO Jason Jacobs says that his company is very interested in the wearable tech market, and he believes that the key to cracking open a much broader audience for fitness and health tracking tech could be gadgets like the Pebble, which make it even easier to access and use information gathered by tools like RunKeeper.

“What’s really exciting for me is that what people were expecting was that it just makes it easier to have a RunKeeper controller on your wrist,” he said, describing the experience of the Pebble integration’s early beta testers. “But what they’re finding is not only can it do that, but it’s actually more powerful than an app because it’s starting to change the way they’re interacting with the data, it’s more seamless to their experience, it’s not disrupting their flow.”

Jacobs says RunKeeper’s thesis as a company is that that’s exactly what needs to happen in order to help this kind of activity tracker technology find wider purchase among a mainstream audience. “The data needs to be more actionable, and it needs to be proactively given to you so that you don’t need to hunt and look for it,” he said. The Pebble is a good way to achieve that, since it can surface any data that a smartphone, either Android or iPhone, can gather on its wrist-mounted display.


On the Pebble, RunKeeper will display pace, speed, and distance travelled and offer workout start and stop features. It can work with runs, and also bike rides and walks, and does everything most will need to get a lot more out of their smartphone supported workouts right away. It offers RunKeeper a way to compete with wearables like the Nike+ GPS sport watch, all the while allowing them to focus on the tech they do best, leaving hardware to more specialized partners.

“The software is really hard, and we think it’s a really big opportunity, and we want to be the best at the software piece,” Jacobs explained. “Part of that is pushing the phone’s capabilities so that you don’t need hardware, but part of that is also playing nice with all the best of breed hardware that comes out. In terms of being that best of breed hardware ourselves, it’s not in our roadmap or aspirations. It is in our road or aspirations to be a good neighbour.”

This version of RunKeeper for Pebble is just a start, Jacobs says, noting that during the development process they realized they could add in much more, like setting pace on the smart watch, setting distance targets and more. RunKeeper also worked closely with Pebble to get this particular integration developed, and says we’ll see similar UI elements used as other fitness tracking apps come on board. Future work could go into helping RunKeeper differentiate its experience further as the development ecosystem for Pebble progresses.

Jacobs leads me to believe that RunKeeper will be opportunistic about partnerships with hardware companies and other software efforts operating in the same general space, and this Pebble partnership is just one part of a larger strategy to try to find the key to cracking the mainstream market with a product that, while successful, has had more niche appeal up until now. The Pebble is also arguably a niche product, but taken together, it’s possible two things aimed at a very specific audience could combine in just the right way to attract a much broader following.

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The Hero Eco A2B Metro Electric Bike Is A City Commuter’s Dreamcycle

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As a man who spends most of his time in his attic, it’s nice to hit the open roads, feel a little wind in your hair, and run over crack vials as you motor through downtown Manhattan. That’s exactly what I did yesterday as when I tried to ride an Hero Eco A2B Metro electric bike from Bay Ridge to our offices on Broadway, thereby cementing my love for electric bikes and this electric bike in particular.

The Metro, made by German manufacturer Hero Eco (formerly Ultra Motor), is a brutalist electric bike with a built-in battery and maximum speed of 20 MPH. It has pedals and a 7-gear shifter so it is technically considered a moped and does not require a motorcycle license and a built-in limiter ensures you don’t go roaring down the streets on this 80 pound machine.

The company has had these bikes in the US for a few years now but they are working on a complete rebranding – although the bikes will remain the same. You can see the brand new bikes on this absolutely awful webpage they’ve made. This particular model costs about $ 3,000 online but the build quality is excellent and the equipment – from the fat Kenda tires to the Shimano shifter – is acceptable enough. I noticed some bad reviews on Amazon complaining of damaged motors or tires and, although I didn’t experience these issues over the past week, I cannot speak for extensive use. In my 15 mile ride I saw solid performance and no skidding or fishtailing while accelerating. I did, however, experience a low battery and riding this thing home, even for a mile, on pedal power wasn’t great.

The bike is bit big but it’s still thin enough to ensure you don’t get entangled with other riders in tight paths. I found it worked great in tight quarters and, because it is in actuality just a bicycle with a hub motor, the other cyclists didn’t give me that much of a stink eye.

I’ve avoided looking at electric bikes of late because most of them look like motors strapped to 10-speeds. This is far different and, if I were to describe it in any way, it is the exact opposite of those foldable city bikes folks are riding. My kids, in fact, have taken to calling it Super Bike.

Hero Eco is finding its footing right now and also has sub-$ 2,000 models available, including their own version of the folding electric called the Kuo which retails for $ 1,599. The company is also now calling itself HeroEco and was formerly called Ultra Motor, so you may see a bit of confusing until their full rebranding.

What are you paying for? Well, you’re paying for a solid, welded frame, solid components, and excellent acceleration. The range isn’t too shabby and for a bit more you can add on a second battery for 20 miles of range. I could also imagine a user removing the governor – though I’m sure Ultra Motors doesn’t condone this. This isn’t a sport bike. I could really see it more as a bike for folks with a 10-15 mile commute who want to hit the open air a little and don’t want (that much) of a carbon footprint.

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Inhabitat’s Week in Green: LED wine sellar, a ‘Breathing Bike’ and 3D-printed embryonic stem cells

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For many years, the potential of 3D printing has made tech geeks drool, however now we’re lastly starting to see the innovation graduate from a simple novelty into an extremely useful tool. Take, for instance, the tale of the 5-year-old boy who was born without fingers on his right hand but lately received a 3D-printed prosthetic hand. Thanks to its quick turn-around rates, the innovation additionally allows researchers to test multiple designs instantly. For instance, in Australia researchers are using 3D printers to produce even more efficient tags that could be made use of to track huge fish. At Cornell University, researchers are experimenting with making use of 3D printers to print food that could possibly be consumed by astronauts in space, and experts in Edinburgh successfully 3D-printed embryonic stem cells for the first time, demonstrating exactly how 3D-printing innovation can one day get rid of the demand for organ donation. In related news, experts were recently surprised to find kids’s cells residing in mother’s brains long after maternity.

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Ask Engadget: best connected exercise bike?

Ask Engadget best connected exercise bike

We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re endure enough to ask the world for answers, then here’s the outlet to do so. Today’s Ask Engadget inquiry is from M & aring; rten, a self-styled Swedish geek with a love of statistics who wants to make a lifestyle change in 2013. If you’re planning to ask one of your very own, drop us a line at ask [ at ] engadget [ dawt ] com.

“I’m searching for a recumbent stationary bicycle that’s able to link to a smartphone or tablet. That method, I might likewise hook it up to my Withings scale and my ANT + (Bluetooth 4.0) chest strap. I’ve got a have to loose weight, so could your readers tell me if they’ve discovered anything comparable on the market? Thanks!”

Well M & aring; rten, we struck out looking for bikes that just had actually tablet docks, but you could always simply select up an owner like the Scosche IPD2FR– which would do a similar task. Obviously, possibly the throng of Engadgeteers will know much better, and if you do, let us know downstairs.

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Ask Engadget: best connected exercise bike?

Ask Engadget best connected exercise bike

We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget inquiry is from Mårten, a self-styled Swedish geek with a love of statistics who wants to make a lifestyle change in 2013. If you’re looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

“I’m looking for a recumbent exercise bike that’s able to hook up to a smartphone or tablet. That way, I could also hook it up to my Withings scale and my ANT+ (Bluetooth 4.0) chest strap. I’ve got a need to loose weight, so could your readers tell me if they’ve found anything similar on the market? Thanks!”

Well Mårten, we struck out looking for bikes that just had tablet docks, but you can always just pick up a holder like the Scosche IPD2FR — which would do a similar job. Of course, perhaps the throng of Engadgeteers will know better, and if you do, let us know downstairs.

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Inhabitat’s Week in Green: Dyson Spheres, bladeless wind turbines and airless bike tires

Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week’s most intriguing green developments and clean tech news for us– it’s the Week in Green.

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Over at Inhabitat, the election hangover is finally starting to wear off, and we have actually been expecting see what President Obama‘s re-election could possibly imply for clean tech and renewable energy. The first little bit of great information began election evening, when Obama called for action on climate modification. That’s all well and good, but just what does it really imply? For beginners, it can mean the EPA imposing stricter regulations. But the thing that many individuals in the renewable energy sector will certainly be seeing is whether the wind energy tax credit is renewed before it expires at the end of the year.

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Green: Dyson Spheres, bladeless wind turbines and airless bike tires originally appeared on Engadget on Sunlight, 11 Nov 2012 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for usage of feeds. Permalink|| Email this|Comments

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The Bicymple Disrupts The Traditional Bike Design And I Like It

Fixie cyclists are an unique type, to be sure, and extremely excitable. However just what would certainly take place if you removed their gearless chain systems and simply put some pedals on their rear wheels? Blam. Heads exploding all throughout Williamsburg is exactly what. The Bicymple intends to by developing one of the oddest new bike styles I ’ ve seen in years.

The front and rear wheels are surprisingly close together on this odd bike and there is no chain. In fact, the pedals are attached to the rear wheel and you kind of sit over that wheel, making this even more a two-wheeled unicycle than a real fixie. Designer Josh Bechtel creates:

More than simply a stylish principle bike, the bicymple is comfortable, easy to ride, and remarkably simple to maintain. The lightweight design and short wheelbase create a nimble trip. The optional rear-steer mode is reminiscent of custom “ swing bikes ” and allows tighter turns and “ crab-riding ”.

There is no rates or accessibility although I presume we ’ ll hear something extremely soon as interest builds. I ’ d be totally prepared to ride around on one of these if it implied never needing to line up derailleurs or mess with a greasy chain in the middle of a large bike race.

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TC Makers: A Go to To The Brooklyn Factory Where They Make The Ultracool Blink Steady Bike Light

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It ’ s unusual to see the production of a product from concept to application however Blink Steady, a distinct, multi-sensor bike light, enabled us to do simply that. Produced by Benjamin Cohen, Stuart Heys, and Mark Sibenac, the Blink Steady introduced in April on Kickstarter and shipped last month.

The Blink Steady factory is in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, in a huge repurposed knitting factory that is home to a couple of lots garments makers. The workshop is full of tools, stamps, cutters, and parts that Heys uses to develop robots for his additional clients. He and Ben got together to produce their very first commercial item and were happily surprised by the response.

The light itself is dead simple: you mount it on your bike and it starts blinking when it ’ s dark and you ’ re in movement. It stops when you stop for a length of time. To alter the notification style from blinking lights to a steady red beam you simply flip the light over to show the appropriate part of the laser etched logo – “ Blink ” to blink, “ Steady ” to remain on.

Heys and Cohen took us through the workshop and revealed us exactly how they made each piece by hand making use of in your area sourced materials and labor. They truly made something from nothing and we ’ re proud that they had the ability to take part in TC Makers.

Note: Unique thanks goes out to Josh Zelman, our stalwart producer and cameraman, for whom this is the last episode he ’ ll record as he ’ s leaving us on Friday. Let us understand if you require a crack video man since he won ’ t be on the market for long. You could find him on LinkedIn.

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Inhabitat’s Week in Green: go-kart made of Lego bricks, TOTO toilet bike and the launch of ‘Willow Glass’

Each week our buddies at Inhabitat recap the week’s most intriguing green developments and clean tech news for us– it’s the Week in Green.

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As we head towards the house stretch of the 2012 presidential campaign, we’re carefully enjoying both candidates to see exactly what they’re doing for the environment. The Obama administration scored a significant win for fuel-efficient vehicles this week by wrapping up brand-new criteria that will certainly raise the fuel economic climate of vehicles to the equivalent of 54.5 mpg by 2025. But just what about the autos that are currently on the roadway? This week we check drove a 2013 Ford Focus Electric with the streets of San Francisco (we accept, we did get a bit of array anxiousness). And in one of the most interesting automobile stories from the previous week, the world’s very first 3D-printed vehicle– the Areion EV– reached a leading speed of 141 kph.

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Inhabitat’s Week in Green: a locomotive that runs on hydrogen, honey detective and a 30 mph-capable hover bike

Each week our pals at Inhabitat recap the week’s most fascinating green developments and clean tech news for us– it’s the Week in Green.

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Inhabitat is always on the lookout for brand-new and interesting developments, however some of the things that flashed throughout our displays this week genuinely escape the rules of physics. Take, for instance, the story of 51-year-old Chinese guy Sun Jifa, who lost both of his arms in an explosion and constructed his very own bionic hands out of scrap metal. Structure functional prosthetic limbs is one thing, however doing it without the aid of fingers? That’s downright astonishing. We were additionally pretty excited to hear that a California-based tech company has developed a working hover bike that travels up to 30 mph. It isn’t really fairly ready for a high-speed chase in the forest a la Star Wars, however it still looks quite cool. And in yet another remarkable development, a team of Harvard researchers has actually determined a means to shop 70 billion books in a room the size of your thumbnail.

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