Band new launch

Technology giant Microsoft has made its long-awaited entrance into the UK wearable technology sector with the launch of the fitness-focused Microsoft Band.

The wearable device boasts 10 sensors that can track a number of exercise and health metrics, including sleep quality, heart rate, calories, stress and even a person’s sun exposure. It’s compatible with Windows Phone, iOS and Android devices.

The wider accessibility of the Band – compared to the Apple Watch, which is only compatible with Apple mobile products – forms part of Microsoft’s goal for the device to help people lead healthier lives, regardless of what smartphone they have.

fitness-kit.net keyword: Microsoft

Band new launch

Set pulses racing

Used for general exercise, the Mio Fuse fitness tracker features patented electro-optical cell sensor technology that’s able to measure the volume of blood under the skin.

Algorithms are applied to detect the heart’s true rhythm during workouts, with a 0.99 correlation to EKG (electrocardiogram) in lab testing.

“With all-day activity tracking and strapless heart rate monitoring, users can get a more accurate record of how many calories they’ve burnt, how hard they’ve pushed themselves during workouts and how their body is responding with the Mio Fuse,” says Mio Global CEO Liz Dickinson.

Mio Fuse is water-resistant to a depth of 30m, and is compatible with a range of third-party apps.

fitness-kit.net keyword: FitLinxx

Set pulses racing

Feature comfort

The AmpStrip is exercise tracking expert FitLinxx’s first foray into the consumer product market: a device as small as a plaster, and offering the same level of comfort and wearability, which allows users to accurately track their heart rate and activity.

Thin, waterproof and filled with sensors, AmpStrip has been designed to be worn comfortably every day. Using hypoallergenic adhesives, it sticks discreetly to the user’s torso to continuously track heart rate, activity, respiration, body temperature and posture, during workouts and also during rest, recovery and sleep.

The data – which is streamed wirelessly in real-time and held in the device’s memory – can help inform users of how they are performing and where their body is in the stress/recovery cycle of training, potentially facilitating improvements in the type and intensity of each day’s workout.

fitness-kit.net keyword: FitLinxx

Feature comfort

Power of colour

The Matrix IC7 indoor cycle, with its Coach By Color programme, is the result of an exclusive partnership between Indoor Cycling Group (ICG) and Matrix Fitness.

The bike’s performance metrics are delivered to the rider via the Coach by Color Training Console – a console that vividly displays the user’s effort and power in five different coloured zones. The rider can decide whether to use power or heart rate as the primary measure of their performance on each colour-coded ride.

The Matrix IC7, with its WattRate Power Meter, is a highly accurate (+/-1 per cent) power bike, also offering a 100-step precision magnetic resistance and 1:11 ratio high-speed flywheel.

fitness-kit.net keyword: Matrix Fitness

Power of colour

Top tracking

MYZONE has launched a new Bluetooth-enabled version of its heart-rate tracking belt, along with a new mobile app, designed to offer an improved interactive user experience.

The company’s tracking systems transmit exercise intensity data in real time and online, and the new device – MZ-3 – allows users to upload exercise data to the cloud via a smartphone.

The MYZONE system can be used without a person being a physical member of a club; MZ-3 also integrates with most third-party apps such as Strava and MapMyFitness, as well as other ANT+ devices such as Garmin.

fitness-kit.net keyword: MYZONE

Top tracking

Wireless monitoring

Heart rate monitoring and resistance level awareness are available via the onboard computer on Keiser’s new group exercise cycle, the M3i. The computer can also be partnered wirelessly with either a phone or tablet using Bluetooth technology.
To take advantage of this technology, Keiser has also developed a group exercise projection system, the iKeiser. Unlike other systems that connect to a rider-worn monitor, the iKeiser is linked by Bluetooth to the bike and reflects the performance of the rider on a large TV screen, or even multiple screens.

fitness-kit.net keyword: Keiser

Wireless monitoring