The Week in Review is a collection of both all the goodness I’ve written during the past week around the internet, as well as a small pile of links I found interesting – generally endurance sports related. I’ve often wondered what to do with all of the coolness that people write, and while I share a lot of it on Twitter and Facebook, this is a better forum for sending it on to y’all. Most times these different streams don’t overlap, so be on the lookout at all these places for good stuff!
So with that, let’s get into the action!
DCRainmaker.com posts in the past week:
Here’s all the goodness that ended up on the main page of DCRainmaker.com this past week.
It was a bit of a quiet week as I was travelling a bit and preparing posts for this upcoming week, for things being announced/etc…
Sports Technology Deals:
REI’s got their massive 4th of July clearance/sale event going on right now, and some pretty sweet deals mixed in the some 6,000 items on sale. I’ve been sifting through some of them trying to find the diamonds in the rough. Note that many won’t last long. Also, most sports technology deals are in these 6 pages (GoPro mounts, Garmin VIRB/Edge mounts, numerous Suunto units, some much older Polar stuff, etc…). Here’s the best of those deals:
Garmin Vivosmart – $36: Yes, really. Personally I wouldn’t buy this unless you were planning on getting a cheaper Vivofit in the $50-$75, and at this price ($36), heck, you get smartphone stuff. Obviously this unit is a fair bit older, but still has all the basics and Garmin Connect Mobile integration.
PowerTap G3 hub – 50% off: Down to $399USD for the G3 hub. Never seen it anywhere near this low, and is solid. The G3 hub transmits ANT+, though you could easily buy the dual ANT+/Bluetooth Smart replacement cap if you wanted Bluetooth Smart down the line. While I don’t know if anything is coming to replace the G3 hub, I’d have no issues buying this today, and am fairly tempted actually to pickup another one at this price to round-out my testing fleeting. And…this is already sold out/gone.
YouTube videos I made:
First, don’t forget you can subscribe to my YouTube channel here, thus allowing you to get instantly notified when I upload video awesomeness.
Just two videos this past week. The first being my bobsled run I did in Park City. It’s pretty nuts.
And the second being an overview of the STAC Zero trainer.
DCR Podcast!
Here’s a handful of the topics discussed in this past week’s podcast:
– Discussion of STAC Zero Trainer
– A few thoughts on running/riding in Salt Lake City
– Using indoor mode on Garmin FR620 (Tip: You can also just tap top of screen to disable GPS)
– Finding a job in the sports tech world
– InsideRide and FE-C support
– Windows Phone (and related) support and why companies don’t do it
– Is it the strap or the pod that matters?
– And more of course!
2) Fitbit rolls out new sleep-focused functionality: The idea to give you more proactive guidance on getting better sleep based on your data, rather than the current industry trend of just telling you how you slept.
3) Team Lotto demands apology: A pretty good example of this very mainstream media not properly fact checking over hidden motor claims.
4) Swimrun in Scilly drone video: A really well done drone video of this swimrun event. Given the terrain, one of the few cases where going with a 100% drone-shot video actually makes a ton of sense, and doesn’t feel forced. Oh, and the event itself looks awesome.
6) GoPro Care – Like Apple Care: Interesting, GoPro has announced new ‘insurance’ style policy for GoPro units. Sounds like a ‘no questions asked’ we’ll replace/fix it type of service. From $40 to $100 depending on model. While maybe a tiny bit high, I think the prices are in the ballpark of fair. I’d be tempted to buy-in for my next purchase.
7) Rio drug testing lab suspended: Will be really interesting to see what happens over the next 45 days or so leading up to the Olympics, and whether WADA will institute a temporary lab or re-instate the existing one.
8) Woman runs across Iran…solo: It’s a 1,144 mile trek that took 54 days. She also holds various running world records as well.
Sports Technology Software/Firmware Updates This Week:
Each week I quickly highlight some of the new firmware, app, software and website service updates that I see go out. If you’re a sports technology company and release an update – shoot me a quick note (just one liners are perfect, or Tweet it at me is even better) and I’ll make mention of it here. If I don’t know about it, I won’t be able to post about it. Sound good? Oh – and if you want to get a head start on things, this page is a great resource for watching Garmin firmware updates.
Recon Jet Firmware Update: New video related functionality, along with a few other tweaks. Good to see them still chugging away at this.
PowerTap now allows firmware updates via desktop: You can now use the VirtualTraining app to update various new PowerTap products using Bluetooth Smart. Note you need not pay for VirtualTraining to use this functionality.
Garmin FR230/235/630/735XT BETA firmware updates: This is a refresh of the beta updates we saw last week adding in new Connect IQ support. Virtually all of these are identical in terms of minor bug fix changes related to Connect IQ.
Hopefully, you found this post useful. The website is really a labor of love, so please consider becoming a DC RAINMAKER Supporter. This gets you an ad-free experience, and access to our (mostly) bi-monthly behind-the-scenes video series of “Shed Talkin’”.
Otherwise, perhaps consider using the below link if shopping on Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. It doesn’t cost you anything extra, but your purchases help support this website a lot. It could simply be buying toilet paper, or this pizza oven we use and love.
I re-tweeted their brokeness on Twitter. Sounds like you should follow me (or them) on Twitter. ;)
Now, the whole topic of them being broke might be worthy of discussion in next week’s ‘Week in Review’, depending on when they actually get up and working again.
For the podcast caller that wanted a cycling computer and didn’t have a Mac or a PC (he had a Chromebook), I’m surprised you didn’t suggest the Wahoo ELMNT. It works perfectly without a PC at all.
No. They noted last week it’ll get a variant of a Connect IQ update. I suspect we’ll see the beta versions of those updates in the next week or two (just a guess).
FR 630 got an update that adds the foot pod as a speed source. This is a long time coming for their premier running watch. I know you didn’t seem to have too many problems with instantaneous pace, but for me as well as many others, it was pretty much useless.
Hey,
I was wondering if there are any physical differences between the fenix 3 and the quatix 3 as far as sensors go.
As well, I was wondering if anyone has had any luck with downloading quatix 3 or just general sailing apps onto the fenix 3.
Thanks,
(any comments would be much appreciated)
I have fenix 3, and have downloaded and used the sailing and tide apps from quatix, you can even get the watch face. Don’t have garmin boat sensors though so maybe that is what the quatix can do that fenix 3 cant….
Thanks for the video of Kristina. In a time of so much murderous violence, it is comforting to see incredible feats dedicated to peace and understanding.
I have thought about some sort of voting system, which would be especially useful for in-depth reviews where the comments easily number into the thousands.
Historically speaking they’ve done so at Eurobike or CES most years. However last year they dropped the Edge 25 and Edge 520 in June/July. So kinda all over the map.
The NYT story is jaw dropping. China has also been sanctioned for something very similar. That, Zika, and the ridiculous pollution will make the upcoming Rio games almost unbearable to watch. Is anything what it seems?
I swim, bike and run. Then, I come here and write about my adventures. It’s as simple as that. Most of the time. If you’re new around these parts, here’s the long version of my story.
You'll support the site, and get ad-free DCR! Plus, you'll be more awesome. Click above for all the details. Oh, and you can sign-up for the newsletter here!
Here’s how to save!
Wanna save some cash and support the site? These companies help support the site! With Backcountry.com or Competitive Cyclist with either the coupon code DCRAINMAKER for first time users saving 15% on applicable products.
You can also pick-up tons of gear at REI via these links, which is a long-time supporter as well:
Alternatively, for everything else on the planet, simply buy your goods from Amazon via the link below and I get a tiny bit back as an Amazon Associate. No cost to you, easy as pie!
You can use the above link for any Amazon country and it (should) automatically redirect to your local Amazon site.
Want to compare the features of each product, down to the nitty-gritty? No problem, the product comparison data is constantly updated with new products and new features added to old products!
Wanna create comparison chart graphs just like I do for GPS, heart rate, power meters and more? No problem, here's the platform I use - you can too!
Think my written reviews are deep? You should check out my videos. I take things to a whole new level of interactive depth!
Smart Trainers Buyers Guide: Looking at a smart trainer this winter? I cover all the units to buy (and avoid) for indoor training. The good, the bad, and the ugly.
Check out
my weekly podcast - with DesFit, which is packed with both gadget and non-gadget goodness!
Get all your awesome DC Rainmaker gear here!
FAQ’s
I have built an extensive list of my most frequently asked questions. Below are the most popular.
You probably stumbled upon here looking for a review of a sports gadget. If you’re trying to decide which unit to buy – check out my in-depth reviews section. Some reviews are over 60 pages long when printed out, with hundreds of photos! I aim to leave no stone unturned.
I travel a fair bit, both for work and for fun. Here’s a bunch of random trip reports and daily trip-logs that I’ve put together and posted. I’ve sorted it all by world geography, in an attempt to make it easy to figure out where I’ve been.
The most common question I receive outside of the “what’s the best GPS watch for me” variant, are photography-esq based. So in efforts to combat the amount of emails I need to sort through on a daily basis, I’ve complied this “My Photography Gear” post for your curious minds (including drones & action cams!)! It’s a nice break from the day-to-day sports-tech talk, and I hope you get something out of it!
Many readers stumble into my website in search of information on the latest and greatest sports tech products. But at the end of the day, you might just be wondering “What does Ray use when not testing new products?”. So here is the most up to date list of products I like and fit the bill for me and my training needs best! DC Rainmaker 2024 swim, bike, run, and general gear list. But wait, are you a female and feel like these things might not apply to you? If that’s the case (but certainly not saying my choices aren’t good for women), and you just want to see a different gear junkies “picks”, check out The Girl’s Gear Guide too.
![WeekInReview_thumb_thumb_thumb_thumb[2]](https://media.dcrainmaker.com/images/2016/06/WeekInReview_thumb_thumb_thumb_thumb22.jpg "WeekInReview_thumb_thumb_thumb_thumb[2]")
Bro,
Polar flow is down for almost 3 days now,
I think you should announce it here, as a lot of people “including me before” are doing master reset, which is helpless
as per them they are gonna fix it by tomorrow
“u owe me a give a way now :D ” lol
I re-tweeted their brokeness on Twitter. Sounds like you should follow me (or them) on Twitter. ;)
Now, the whole topic of them being broke might be worthy of discussion in next week’s ‘Week in Review’, depending on when they actually get up and working again.
For the podcast caller that wanted a cycling computer and didn’t have a Mac or a PC (he had a Chromebook), I’m surprised you didn’t suggest the Wahoo ELMNT. It works perfectly without a PC at all.
Sorry, I thought he was looking for a budget option – maybe I misunderstood.
Is Garmin done updating the 920?
No. They noted last week it’ll get a variant of a Connect IQ update. I suspect we’ll see the beta versions of those updates in the next week or two (just a guess).
FR 630 got an update that adds the foot pod as a speed source. This is a long time coming for their premier running watch. I know you didn’t seem to have too many problems with instantaneous pace, but for me as well as many others, it was pretty much useless.
Ray, thanks for publishing that article from the Times. Really interesting.
Hey,
I was wondering if there are any physical differences between the fenix 3 and the quatix 3 as far as sensors go.
As well, I was wondering if anyone has had any luck with downloading quatix 3 or just general sailing apps onto the fenix 3.
Thanks,
(any comments would be much appreciated)
I have fenix 3, and have downloaded and used the sailing and tide apps from quatix, you can even get the watch face. Don’t have garmin boat sensors though so maybe that is what the quatix can do that fenix 3 cant….
Thanks for the video of Kristina. In a time of so much murderous violence, it is comforting to see incredible feats dedicated to peace and understanding.
Seconded! And props to you for writing such a simple sentence, touching on all the aspects. I wholeheartedly agree.
@Ray: we could do with a voting system here. Though if you’d move to Disqus I’m outta here: it’d attract too many trolls for my taste.
Fear not – no plans at all for Discus here!
I have thought about some sort of voting system, which would be especially useful for in-depth reviews where the comments easily number into the thousands.
That’s a double-whamoo™ then!
Good to read that you are indeed looking a a commenting system, ánd no Disqus.
BIG thanks!
Have you heard any more about limits power meter. Interested in a review.
See this here: link to dcrainmaker.com
Ray – when is garmin announcing the latest edge devices or when does garmin typically make the next product announcements?
Historically speaking they’ve done so at Eurobike or CES most years. However last year they dropped the Edge 25 and Edge 520 in June/July. So kinda all over the map.
Thanks! I’m looking forward to your edge 820 reveal. I sold my 810 as soon as the leak (by Garmin) happened.
Im still a little confused why they call it an 820 in a 500 series body just with navigation. Didn’t see a microsd slot anywhere either..
The NYT story is jaw dropping. China has also been sanctioned for something very similar. That, Zika, and the ridiculous pollution will make the upcoming Rio games almost unbearable to watch. Is anything what it seems?
What, no Strava segment for the bobsled run? I’ve love to see the speeds throughout the course. :-)
Ray, you wouldn’t have any ideas of where to rent some road bikes in or near Rome to get some riding in while in Italy?