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Week in Review–April 21st, 2013

April 21, 2013 by |Blog|Comments (16)

Week days signpost

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, Facebook, and Google Plus, 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 this past week:

Here’s all the goodness that ended up on the main page of DCRainmaker.com this week.

Sunday: Week in Review–April 14th, 2013
Monday: A rockslide ride in Los Angeles, plus some aerodynamic testing
Wednesday: An In-Depth Visit Behind the Scenes at Garmin Headquarters

Stuff that I found interesting around the interwebs:

Here’s a not-so-small smattering of all the random things that I stumbled on while doing my civic duty to find the end of the Internet:

1) Really big balls: 155MPH through a really small hole. Just watch the video. Ensure you click the little gear and go 1080p, then full screen it. Unreal. (via Shark Divers blog)

2) Using a webcam to detect your heart rate:  Interesting bit of open-source work here to allow one to capture HR without anything actually touching them.

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3) A really steep hill: Kinda a neat shot (click link for full image) of a mountain bike descending down an almost perfectly vertical rock face.  Even cooler is that it’s from Stevens Pass just outside of Seattle.

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4) Google Glass Specifications Unveiled: The specs are finally out for Google Glass. It’ll be interesting to see once units start hitting real people, how fitness related apps catch-up in this space.  Or for that matter, if the glasses will even be durable/form-fitting enough to work in a fitness setting.  This short video clip from a user a few days ago going around a go-kart track shows it seems to slip off the face numerous times.  Still, the perspective is cool.

5) Boulder cycling companies put together local upcoming hackfest: Including the likes of Training Peaks, Stages and others.  If you’re in the area and a coder, might be worth your time in prizes.

6) A central American bicycling adventure: I always like reading Chris’s stuff. He’s a former pro triathlete that’s usually got some entertaining stories.  This one is the first piece of a point to point ride through Central America on sub-$400 bikes they bought there. Free of charge are road signs unlike anything I’ve ever seen.

7) New Dura-Ace shifting technology & plugging it into your computer: I haven’t followed the electronic shifting scene too closely, mostly because I think it’s all way to expensive.  However, I thought this post was interesting about the latest generation of the Shimano components that you can actually do computer diagnostics and firmware updates by plugging a USB port into your bike.  Still expensive. Really expensive.

8) Tossing the bike: Sometimes, even as one of the world’s top pro cyclists, you just wanna toss your bike into a rock face.  I hear ya Wiggins…I do. (Via BikeHugger)

9) Bluetooth enabled Water Bottle monitors your water intake: Hmm, not quite sold on this. I think there’s significant potential for sport water bottles to communicate wirelessly with ANT+ or BLE head units. But I don’t see much of a market for this particular implementation.

10) Is the healstrike about to get vindicated?  Read this recent scientific publication… (Via Sport Science)

11) New system might allow runners to read on treadmill: Interesting, now only if I could type too – then I’d be in business! (via SportTechNews)

Crowd Funded Projects of Athletic Note:

This is a bit of a new section. Most of this content used to be found within the main section, but I figured I’d just call it out up here and make it easy to find.  I regularly sift through Kickstarter and Indiegogo (plus a few others on occasion) looking for sports projects.

HapiFork: This project aims to slow your eating pace (and thus have you feel fuller sooner, reducing total food intake).  It does this by rate-limiting your eating and vibrating the fork when you exceed the pace.  Interesting concept – especially for really fast eaters like myself.  I’d previously talked with the team at CES a few months ago, and given they’re based just down the street from me here in Paris, I’ll probably take them up on their offer to meet in person and test it out a bit.

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 is perfect, or Tweet it at me) 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?

Site/Firmware Updates:

Stages releases Stages Power firmware update: This allows you to update your firmware to the latest version (same one I’ve been using for recent testing)

Wahoo Fitness had a minor recall of sorts of some RFKLKT units: See their Facebook post for more info if you’re seeing the oddities described.

iPhone/iPad App updates this week:

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Android updates this week:

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Windows Phone updates this week:

(There were no WP updates this week that came across my phone)

–

Thanks for reading!

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16 Comments

  1. Michele Martin
    April 21, 2013 at 11:10 am #1

    Hi Ray
    Thank you for all the research and info you provide. My husband and I have just started up our own online store and your reviews have helped us immensely. I will keep following.
    Kindest regards
    Michele Martin from sportsgadgets.co.uk

    Reply
  2. Josh
    April 22, 2013 at 4:25 am #2

    New TomTom GPS Watch with BLE:
    link to m.techradar.com
    Sounds promising…

    Reply
  3. Eli
    April 22, 2013 at 8:25 am #4

    Not sure how heal strike gets vindicated. Only have access to the abstract but looks like it is only a correlation study, not causation study. All they show is most people heel strike with elites less likely to heel strike, gender has nothing to do with it. Nothing to show heel strike isn’t bad

    Reply
  4. Carlton
    April 22, 2013 at 9:05 pm #5

    Three reasons to make you reconsider Shimano Di2:
    1) I upgraded my Cervelo P2 to Ultegra Di2 (with the new internal battery but sans the crank) for well less than $1,000.
    2) It has firmware updates. You know you love firmware updates.
    3) The Di2 SM-EW90-B shift controller broadcasts gear selection via ANT+. You know you need more ANT+ devices on your bike!

    Unfortunately, the Shimano FlightDeck is the only cycling computer with support for gear selection, so I haven’t actually used it. Perhaps you could convince Garmin to add support?…

    Reply
    • Eli
      April 22, 2013 at 9:41 pm #6

      It may be Ant but it isn’t Ant+ as there is o device profle to do that

      Reply
    • Ray Maker
      April 23, 2013 at 10:50 am #7

      There was a draft spec about a year ago that had it in there.

      They may (and could very well be) using the already published Generic/Keypad control jury-rigged to offer this functionality.

      I’ll ask some folks in the know and find out (though I do agree private-ANT is more likely).

      Reply
    • Carlton
      April 23, 2013 at 11:14 am #8

      As is typical of Shimano, they provide zero details. Their tech documents don’t even indicate it has any type of broadcast capability. Using the term “FlightDeck” is apparently sufficient. I haven’t tried to scan for an ANT device since it’s essentially useless until something I own suppoerts it.

      The biggest benefits of Di2 are front ring shifting and shifting control from the base bar. If you have a power meter, I don’t see ANT gear info being all that useful. Coordinated sequential shifting across the front and rear deraileurs is the killer feature it’s missing.

      Reply
    • Eli
      April 23, 2013 at 12:01 pm #9

      The people who pay to be Ant+ members and help create beat profiles the rest of us can’t see so maybe it’s still in beta. Shimano doesn’t show up in the directory though link to thisisant.com

      Reply
    • Ray Maker
      April 23, 2013 at 12:03 pm #10

      Hang tight, I’m hoping to have some clarity here shortly, already some back and forth e-mails with the right folks at ANT+…

      Reply
    • ifor
      April 24, 2013 at 6:53 am #11

      I need to read the control profile spec to work out if this use case will fit in there properly or not. Will be looking anyway as I have bought an o-sync remote to play with and integrate into IpBike. I don’t remember seeing anything in the beta section of the thisisant site that is applicable.

      Reply
    • Andrew
      June 17, 2015 at 3:36 pm #12

      Carlton, which generation P2 do you have? Were you able to go fully internal?

      Reply
    • Carlton
      June 17, 2015 at 6:39 pm #13

      Andrew, I have a first generation (2007) P2 and I was able to accomplish a fully internal install. Newer frames should be much easier. It took quite a bit of drilling, due to their being no internal pass-throughs at the bottom bracket between any of the main tubes. The rear Junction B and battery are in the seat tube. Let me know if need more details.

      Reply
    • Andrew
      June 18, 2015 at 11:20 am #14

      I have the same gen, except mine is a 2012. I would love to have more details. Would you mind shooting me an email and I can follow up with you there?

      Andrew -dot- greif *at* gmail

      Thanks,
      Andrew

      Reply
  5. Christopher Lyle
    April 23, 2013 at 1:06 pm #15

    I feel like I just got punched in the face by Shimano! I love my Di2 set-up and potentially adding the E-Tube multishift function or the ability to program my bike would be awesome! However, there is some bad news! My Di2 7970 system is not compatibile with the new Ultegra Di2 and new Dura-Ace Di2 E-Tube!!!! AHHH! Kill me now! Why Shimano Why! I have been trolling the internet for ideas to make this work such as changing the internal cables, junction box, ect…but no luck. I think Shimano really screwed the people who where there early adopters. It makes me a little upset that I got stiffed armed by Shimano!

    On a more positive note I love these week in review posts. Always a good read to see what is happening on in the tech/endurance world.

    Cheers!

    Reply
  6. Richard McDowell
    April 25, 2013 at 12:58 am #16

    I’ve just added Ultegra Di2 to both my road bike and new tri bike, and love it. Satellite shifters on the base bars for climbing are great, and the auto-trimming front mech is awesome too :)

    I’ve done quite a bit of hacking with my system too, so a new bike build turns into an electronics project too – added bonus!

    At around $1000 for an upgrade Ui2 groupset the price isn’t as eye-watering as it used to be either.

    Cheers, Rich

    Reply