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Week in Review–February 12th, 2017

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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:

Sunday:Week in Review–February 6th, 2017
Monday:5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
Tuesday:ISPO 2017 Roundup: Kuai Fit, Coros, Garmin, Salming RunLAB, Digitsole, LG, Casio, Kettler, Bonx Grip, Wiralcam
Thursday: Hands-on: Staaker Action Sports Drone

DCR Podcast!

Here’s a handful of the topics discussed in this past week’s podcast:

– Ben’s selling the Airstream
– My Dad and LinkedIn
– Will we see new metrics like blood saturation level on Garmin devices?
– Quantifying left/right leg balance on trainers
– Swappage of cassettes on trainers or not?
– Where the heck is my Garmin Edge 820 review?
– And the Edge 820 touch screen
– A new and cheap Bluetooth Smart footpod
– Where the heck is Recon?
– What about a new Polar V800?

Listen to the full podcast here on the Podcast player, or just download the audio file from the same spot.

February Sports Tech Sale Continue:

In case ya missed it a week or so ago (details here), here’s the list of active sports tech deals going on over the next week or so.

ProductSale PriceAmazonSale Notes
AmazFit T-Rex 3 - $80 off$199This is a solid deal, especially for a watch that has offline mapping.
Amazfit Active 2 - $20 off$79
Amazon Echo Dot Kids - 47% off$31Despite being a tech-focused dude, our kids don't actually get much tech in their lives. However, we got these two years ago for them in their rooms, to play music. They do lots of other things, but our kids mostly just use it to play music (from Spotify and Apple Music too), and occasionally they ask it questions. It has all the parental controls I want, so it locks it down from bedtime/etc...For $31? Solid deal (The coolest 'nice touch' feature is that if you whisper to it, it'll whisper back...in the owl kids voice it has.)
Anker 737 Power Bank (24,000mAh) with 140W Fast Charging - 30% off$76⚡ This is one of my favorite purchases, especially for long hikes. Basically, I can recharge my phone battery about 8 times. Or, I can recharge smaller drone batteries. Or, in the airports, I can power my laptop off it (super handy when no power ports around). I've since converted most of my tech friends to using/buying one as well.
Apple 11" iPad - (Wi-Fi, 128GB) - $70 off!$279⚡ This is an awesome deal. I use my iPad primarily for TrainerRoad as well as Zwift when not with a larger display. I also occasionally use it for other apps, namely Indievelo, Kinomap, Rouvy, and Peloton. But I pretty much test every smart trainer app on it. For all these cycling apps, the graphics capabilities is really pretty irrelevant, so having the absolute top-end/latest model won't make any difference. I prefer the budget options.
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen with USB-C) - $100 off$149⚡ Both myself and my wife have been using these since last fall, after years of using the Beats Studio Buds...man, these things rock. Sure, they're good for sports, but frankly, I use them on planes, editing, and such more than anything else. In fact, I've been listening to them now for 8 hours as I type away on my flight across the ocean. Only briefly putting them in the case to top-up.
Apple AirTags (4-Pack) - 33% off!$64⚡I make no secret how much I utilize AirTags, mainly, cause they've saved my butt numerous times already. We have them in every suitcase, and every backpack, and every bike bag. They're also hidden in most of our bikes (sometimes two of them). We were able to get our cargo bike back when it disappeared, as well as figure out when all our suitcases went missing during an annual family vacation where they were (for 5 days!), and plan appropriately. Seriously, just get them.
Apple Airpods (4th Gen) - $40 off!$99
Apple Watch Series 10 - $120 off
$399/$499 (cellular)
$279⚡ This is by far the lowest price we've seen to date for the Apple Watch Series 10. Of course, we're probably only 60 days away from an Apple Watch Series 11, but Apple has alreay announced WatchOS 26 last month, which the Series 10 gets all the new features from.
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Black Titanium - $150 off$649⚡ This is the lowest price on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 we've seen to date. It's likely we'll see an Apple Watch Ultra 3 this September, but like the Apple Watch Series 10 above, WatchOS26 has already been announced and all the new features there go to the Ultra 2.
Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds - $70 off!
$249
$179
DJI Action 4 - $90 off$209While prior gen unit (and probably, 2 generations behind in a few weeks), it's still a very strong contender at this price point especially.
DJI Mini 4K Drone - $60 off$239If you're looking to get into flying with a DJI drone, this is a solid place to start. Of course, moreso than that, the days are very limited for how much longer you can actually buy at DJI drone in the US. So, grab them while you can.
DJI NEO - $30 off!$159This is the lowest price on this drone, and is a great option if you want a follow-me drone that's pretty hard to kill, at a price point that's still super reasonable.
Elite Riser - $250 off!$749This appears to basically just be an Uncle Amazon sale, but hey, if you've got an Elite trainer and wanted Rizer, this is a super good deal for US folks!
FORM Smart Swim 2 Goggles - $50 off$229
Fitbit Ace LTE Kids Activity Smartwatch - $100 off$129This is (by far) the lowest price we've seen on this watch to date. This is their first full smartwatch focused on kids activity tracking and gamification.
Fitbit Charge 6 - 38% off!
$159
$99⚡ This is the go-to sale price for the Fitbit Charge 6. It happens often, but it still doesn't take away from the fast that it's argueably the best bang for your buck fitness tracker out there.
Garmin Edge 1040 Cycling GPS - $150 off!$399⚡⚡ This is a very solid deal, and the lowest price we've seen to date on it.
Garmin Edge 540 Solar - $150 off$299⚡⚡This is the lowest price we've seen on the Garmin Edge 540 Solar to date, which has gained virtually all of the new Garmin Edge 1050 features as well.
Garmin Edge Explore 2 - $60 off
$299
$237
Garmin Epix Pro Series - $200 off!
$899/$999
$609I believe this is the lowest price we've seen for the Epix Pro series (which has an ECG-capable HR sensor). Note that while some sites might tout $500+ off, in reality, this watch has been floating around $800 recently.
Garmin Epix Sapphire/Titanium (Gen 2) - $400+ off!$469⚡ This continues to be one of the best deals out there. While this watch won't be getting much in the way of big ticket new features, it does continue to get minor software updates - and for the money, has far more software features than any of Garmin's competitors (or for that matter, products like the Instinct 3 AMOLED lineup).
Garmin Fenix 7X Pro Solar - $100-$200 off
$799+
$499⚡ This is the lowest price we've seen to date for the Fenix 7 Pro series, and is a very strong deal!
Garmin Fenix 8 Series - $150 Off!
$999-$1,199
While not as good as last month's $200 off, that annual spring sale price won't likely be seen again till Black Friday-ish type sales. Thus, if you want a Fenix 8 for the summer, might as well take the $150 off and put it towards ice cream.
Garmin Forerunner 165 (Base) - $75 off!
$249/$299
$219
Garmin Forerunner 255/255S - $100 off$199This is the lowest price we've ever seen the Forerunner 255 at.
Garmin Forerunner 255/255S Music - $100 off!
$349/$399
$249This is the lowest price on this watch to date (previous low was $299).
Garmin Forerunner 265 Series - $50 off!
$449
$399
Garmin Forerunner 55 - A Few Dollars Off
$199
$169Honestly, I just put this one in there, merely to point out you shoudn't buy it at this price. Buy the FR255 at $30 more, far better watch. This thing should be priced at $129 or something to move units.
Garmin Forerunner 955 - $150 off!$349⚡ This has been one of Garmin's most popular running watches, and it's down to a very strong price. I often use this in my accuracy testing comparisons when validating other watches, due to it's very strong GPS performance. Note this is the base edition without solar. It'd be hard to find any better deal in sports watches today, from any company (given this has full mapping, tons of new features even this week, etc...). I say '$100ish', because it's usually been on forever sale at $499.
Garmin Forerunner 955 Solar: $150 off!
$499/$599
$399See everything I said above on the Forerunner 955 base, except this one also has solar.
Garmin Forerunner 965 - $50 off
$599
$549This had been $499 for much of the spring, so $549 isn't that great of a deal.
Garmin Instinct 2 Series - $75 Off$169⚡I believe $169 is the lowest price we've ever seen for the Instinct 2. Or at least, I have no record of it being sub-$199. Very solid deal for a solid little watch.
Garmin Instinct 2 Solar$266
Garmin Instinct 2S & 2S Solar$217
Garmin Lily 2 - 20% off
$249
$199The leather version is also on sale as well.
Garmin Lily 2 Active - $50 off!
$299
$249
Garmin Venu 3 - $50 off!
$449
$399
Garmin Venu 3S - $50 off$399
Garmin Venu Sq 2 - $100 off
$249/$299 with Music
$149
Garmin Vivoactive 5 - $110 off!
$299
$189This is a great deal for Garmin's little-sibling to the Venu series. It has almost all the same features as the Venu 3, except the voice calling related bits.
Garmin inReach 2 Mini Satellite Communicator (2-way) - $20 off$379This is a pretty small deal for this product. This is my defacto satellite communicator when out of coverage area, and I've used it on a number of major treks over the past two years when well outside of cellular service, both in a 24x7 tracking mode for friends and family, but also there in case of emergency. Would strongly recommend for anyone doing anything in the wilderness.
GoPro Hero 12 Black - $100 off!$279This is the older gen model, and to me, $279 seems a bit high. Get the Hero 13 Black for $50 more and have access to all the new accessories. Or, save yourself $50 and get either the DJI Action 4 (prior gen) or Insta360 Ace Pro 1 (prior gen) models.
GoPro Hero 13 Black - $70 off$329
GoPro Hero 4K - $20 off$199This was released back in September, and is GoPro's budget option, which includes a full color touchscreen on the back as well. It was previously released at $199, but price increases forced it up to $219. Now, it's back on sale for $199.
Google Nest WiFi Pro - 6E (3xPack) - $110 off!$289I've been using the Google Nest WiFi packs for years. And then I converted over to this last fall. Super happy with this three pod pack.
Google Pixel Watch 3 (41mm) - $100 OFF$249
Google Pixel Watch 3 (41mm) - $100 OFF$299
HoverAir X1 Drone Combo - $100 off!$279This has become one of my favorite drones, given it's tiny size (fits in my running shorts pockets) and ease of use. Plus, you can crash the crap out of it (hundreds of times for me and my wife) without any issues. This combo includes an extra battery and fast charger.
HoverAir X1 Pro Drone Combo Kit - $155 off$599This is a solid deal on a solid drone, and one of the two main ones I use when taking videos of myself hiking or running. This includes the two extra batteries as well as the fast charger (so 3 batteries total).
HoverAir X1 ProMax Bundle - $190 off!$765This includes three batteries, the drone, the vast charger, and some extra accessories.
HoverAir X1 ProMax Cycling Bundle - $332 off!$969This includes three batteries, the drone, the vast charger, and some extra accessories, plus the Beacon (handelbar remote)
Hyperice Normatec Elite Leg Recovery System - $100 off$999
Insta360 Ace Pro Action Cam - $50 off$239This is the previous edition, as the Ace Pro 2 just came out last fall. But for this price, it's hard to beat.
Jackery Explorer 300 Portable Power Station - $100 off!$159This is something I use frequently when shooting out and about and I need to re-charge a crapton of drone batteries, action cameras, or just cameras and such. I've also bought solar panel to hook up to it (surprisingly effective) for very off-the-grid locales. Heck, I've even powered a KICKR trainer ride from it!
Nespresso VertuoPlus Coffee and Espresso Machine by De'Longhi Delux Kit - 30% off!$149⚡ Let's be honest: This place runs on Nespresso (or, well, the knock-off pods we buy). But, the machine is Nespresso. Without it, reviews most definitely would not get done (and certainly not on time). This is a pretty sweet deal if you ask me!
Ooni Karu 12 Multi-Fuel Outdoor Pizza Oven - $80 off$319I use the Fyra 12 (with wood pellets), and love it. The Karu 12 is essentialyl the newer version of that, and there's both a gas-only version, and a multi-fuel option (gas or wood). Love it!
Oura Ring 4 - $50 off!$299This is the first time we've seen a deal on the Oura Ring V4.
Peloton Bike - $300 off!$1,083⚡ This is the lowest price I've ever seen this (according to my records). This is still a solid bike, and actually one that I use at home (I have the newer Peloton Bike+ at the office). Both my wife and I use these bikes interchangeably, and while the Bike+ has a bigger screen and better accuracy, there's very little difference in the core Peloton experience. I'd still recommend this model to most people.
Peloton Bike+ is $500 off$1,995This is a solid deal for the Bike+, albeit largely the normal sale/deal price. Both my wife and I use both the Peloton Bike+ and the regular Bike (one at home, one at office) on a weekly basis. We like both. The Bike+ is more accurate than the regular bike, and also has a bigger screen and automatic resistance control. That said, the core Peloton experience isn't any different between the two - it's the same platform there.
Peloton Row - $330 off!$2,964
Peloton Tread - $300 off$2,694This is my main treadmill at home, and I really like it. I've got no complaints about it, and am happy I went with the smaller Peloton Tread versus the bigger unit.
Polar H10 Chest Strap (Dual ANT+/Bluetooth Smart) - 27% off
$89
$76This is a great dual ANT+/Bluetooth Smart (with two Bluetooth Smart connections) chest strap that you'll often find me using as a reference strap in heart rate sensor testing. We only tend to see deals on it around Black Friday, always topping out around 20%.
Polar H9 Chest Strap - $15 off$55If you're looking for a good solid high-quality strap, that does both ANT+ & Bluetooth Smart, for a reasonable price...look no further than the Polar H9
Polar Verity Sense - 15% off
$99
$84I use this as one of my reference devices for heart rate accuracy testing.
SHOKZ OpenRun Headphones - 31% off$89
SHOKZ OpenRun Pro 2 - 31% off!$124
SHOKZ OpenRun Pro 2 Mini - 31% off!$124
SUUNTO Aqua Swimming Open-Ear Bluetooth Headphones - 22% off!$139
Samsung Galaxy Ring - $115 off$284
Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 (40 & 44mm) - 50% off$159As with the Samsung Watch Ultra, Samsung is less than 24hrs away from announcing a new version of the Samsung Watch series.
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra - 50% off$325Look, Samsung is less than a day away from likely announcing a new version (on July 9th), so if you buy now, you might want to wait a few extra hours after delivery to decide if you want to return it. Otherwise, this is Samsung's best watch to date.
SanDisk 1-4TB Extreme PRO Portable External SSD - 30% off$128-$279⚡This is one of the two the high speed drives types I use to store the footage I'm actively video editing. I typically buy the 2TB and 4TB ones, and then eventually offload the footage onto a NAS array when I'm done.
Sennheiser Momentum Sport Earbuds - $60 off$129
Sony Alpha 7 IV Full-frame Mirrorless Camera w/ 28-70mm Zoom - $400 off$2,398This is the main camera I use for still photography and video b-roll. I recently wrote about all the photography gear I use, linked at side here.
Suunto Race - $100 off!
$449/$549
$349⚡ This is a solid deal on this watch, which has offline mapping and continues to get new features. Further, it's the lowest price we've seen to date on it.
Suunto Vertical - $200 off!$399This is, by far, the lowest price we've seen on this watch (which also has offline mapping).
Vacmaster AM201R Fan + Remote/holder (15% off)$67This is another very popular fan that people use for indoor training/cycling, especially due to inclusion of the remote and remote holder to clasp on your handlebars.
Wahoo BOLT V2 - $30 off
$279
$279
Wahoo KICKR Bike V2
$3,999
$2,974⚡ This is one of the lowest prices we've seen the Wahoo KICKR Bike at (ever).
Wahoo KICKR CORE with Zwift Cog+Click ($75 off)
$499
$424
Wahoo KICKR Desk - $30 off$169
Wahoo KICKR MOVE - $190 off
$1,599
$1,104⚡ This is a very solid deal.
Wahoo KICKR ROLLR - $90 off
$599
$509
Withings Body Comp WiFI Scale - 26% off$169
Withings Body Smart WiFI Scale - 31% off$89

And of course, using any of the links above helps support the site.  Enjoy!

YouTube Videos I Published:

Here’s some YouTube goodness that I published this past week:

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) NBA bans teams from using wearable data in contract negotiations: Seems like a bit of an odd ruling to me, and one that likely won’t stand the test of time.  Plenty of other sports use sports tech data in hiring, such as cycling with power meter data, or even the speed a pitcher throws a ball in baseball.  Not sure why this would be categorized any differently.

2) Verizon announces their own Android Wear watch: Kinda comes out of nowhere…yet not surprising at the same time. The carriers are constantly trying new wearables, and have an entire division of folks dedicated to trying to stock just the right ones.  I’d look at this as a random experiment the company is doing, more than any strategic direction.

3) Suunto opens up Summit 2017 application site: This is the summit I mentioned a week or two ago, designed for ‘passionate’ Suunto users/fans.  Note that this would be a bit different than a media event.

4) Baby Climbing Mockumentary: A short and funny video about competitive infant climbing.  Any new (or probably even old) parents will enjoy and likely relate.

5) AirDog opens up funding round: With SeedInvest you can actually put down your money for a stake in the company.  So it’s like Kickstarter…except you actually have ownership vs just a project reward.  Interesting to see the numbers of units shipped.  I hope that’s early Q3 2016, but would have expected it to be higher by now.

6) Unlockable firmware features: Good or bad? Good write-up on re-using the same hardware with differing software levels. (via Keith Wakeham)

7) Paris offers runners a way to water plants: Or…something like that.  These public urinals will in turn water the flowers.  One probably needs to understand that in Paris it’s completely normal to see folks peeing on the side of buildings/windows. We *see* it happen at least once a week at the DCR/Bertie’s Cake Studio locale.  And that’s only the times we witness it.

8) Jawbone to pivot to medical space: In a move that should surprise no one, Jawbone will likely soon end their consumer focus of activity trackers and instead focus on the medical side of the house

9) TrainingPeaks updates on API, and backtracks a bit on WKO closures: TrainingPeaks has made a bunch of API changes, and then they had previously announced that older WKO+ users would no longer be able to install the software they bought on new computers (i.e. moving to a new computer).  Since that announcement, they’ve come to their senses and will now allow users to install for another year.

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.

Polar V800 GoPro Update: You can now control your GoPro. Details in my post here.

Stryd Power Meter Update: Some improvements to the cadence algorithm, as well as other tweaks.  This is good, because I haven’t seen the indoor accuracy previously being all that great.  As an aside, TrainingPeaks now offers running power zones with an update this week.

Tacx Neo Firmware Update: This one isn’t really detailed anywhere yet.  But, it includes what they call ‘Smart’ Cadence, which will calculate the gear ratio and store the values.  They’ll in turn use that data to cross-check speed and then allow more accurate cadence calculations.  Next, there’s been changes within Erg mode, which should both increase the speed of power adjustment but aimed to minimize overshooting the power goal during large shifts, they did this by decreasing the virtual mass (in ERG mode specifically) to minimize the overshoot.  Lastly, for downhill simulation, they increased the limit from 30KPH to 40KPH, including adding this when unpowered.  Also, they made tweaks here that ensure that if you accelerate during downhills, that it’s accelerating from 40KPH and not from 0KPH (in terms of power).

Thanks for reading!

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25 Comments

  1. Sean Murray

    What happened to the AW Series 2 review coming Thursday or Friday?

  2. Bob190

    Was kind of wondering about that too. I thought it would have been posted by now.

  3. Anonymous Coward

    Me, three! Where the heck is the Apple Watch Series 2 review? :-D

    • Coming up tomorrow. Sorry, pool closures for holidays was a bit unexpected. Couldn’t get the final shots I wanted on Thurs/Friday. :( First up tomorrow morning.

    • Anonymous Coward

      Awesome; thanks!

      In my experience, it’s not the closures that are unexpected, it’s the unexpected holidays. “Oh, yet another ‘pont’ again.” :-D

    • Yeah, the little one isn’t in regular school yet – so I didn’t expect the school closures (which is odd because last time they were open longer for the school holiday days…sigh.).

  4. Sal

    Did I miss the NB RunIQ blog-article? I like your Hands-on video, especially the last 2 minutes :-D

    • Nope, I haven’t quite written anything yet. I just did the unboxing video and will go from there into some sort of review likely.

      As for the final two minutes…it’s what happens when you get distracted editing and didn’t put in the marker for that section to come back to it to finish. Doh!

    • MAGNUS

      Ha… I figured you were “over it” by the time you got around editing and said screw it… I’m leaving it in… Good stuff.

    • While that was probably true, it wasn’t international to leave there.

      The actual unedited unboxing was over an hour. Lots of stuff I ended up cutting around pairing/etc because it was just so clumsy.

  5. Yancey

    Ray, wahoo also updated the firmware on the Kickr (Gen1) to 1.5.63 (from 1.4.47). I’ve been unable to locate patch notes but I’ve noted that it does provide progressive resistance now when powered but not connected to any external device… dumb trainer mode.

    • Just did some digging, here’s the firmware page for the KICKR: link to support.wahoofitness.com

      I had created an alert on the ELEMNT one, but didn’t have one setup for the KICKR. Added…

    • Robert

      Hi,

      I just did the update but could not find any patch notes.
      It also offers an advanced spin down in the wahoo utility. (Android version)
      If you choose that option the app warns you that after that adv. spin down the strength gauge will be disabled permanently. Seems like they switch it to the New Kickr mode.
      I didn’t do it because of the warning that it is not reversible. I wanted to do some research first but couldn’t find any information on that feature nor patch notes.
      Any infos on that patch would be very welcome.

    • Robert

      I just submitted a request on their web page to publish the patch notes.
      Let’s hope for some info.

    • Robert

      Just found out that you can turn on the strain ( not strength – sorry for that) gauge again via an option in the hidden menu of the app. There is also a short patch note in the hidden area ->
      improved power measurement
      improved responsiveness
      Studio mode has been added

      But it does not tell you if you should do the advanced spin down.
      I do not have a power meter to compare the two modes.
      It would be great if somebody could test both options and post the differences.

    • Robert

      Just got this answer from Wahoo support.

      Hello Robert-

      Thanks for using the KICKR. The update notes will be posted shortly to this link: link to support.wahoofitness.com

      This video outlines the features of the new update.

      link to youtube.com

      Thanks,

      Dub

  6. Jesper N

    Ray. I have a suggestion/request of kind: Just like you did here, with the Neo sw, if would be really nice, if you could give a line or two, about Garmins updates. And yes, I know there is A LOT of products and a LOT of updates. Not asking you to rewrite their change log, but “just” a brief mention, when there is a noteworthy fix/feature for their top of line products. Like Edge 1000/820/520, Fenix 3/5 and Forerunner wysf (what you see fit)

    Like Edge 1000 11.10. It added IQ 2.2 support. But what does that really bring to the party?
    Like Edge 1000 11.20. “Improvements to Workout Data Screen”. Could be a big thing. Could be “not worth the upgrade”

    The Garmin sw seem to just be left with the link. It goes a long way, in most cases, but it’s hard to find more info than what Garmin posted. Other that starting poking around with the unit. This request to save us all from having to do that, to figure out what the changes are.

  7. R.Hunt

    Looking forward to that Apple Watch review!

  8. Francois L.

    Seems like the run Iq watch video needs a bit of editing! Quite fun though, shows us a bit of behind the scene…

  9. Lauren

    Is the Garmin Forerunner 35 review on the docket for anytime soon? I have had mine almost since release but Im curious to see what you think about it

  10. Garry Curley

    Hey Ray,

    Did we gain any clarity from Polar/Go-Pro if the V800 update would include the GP4 Session models? Would be nice for them to still service this great little camera.

    Kind Regards

    Garry

  11. Bob Bright

    Ha ha – the last two minutes are priceless. The #reboxing was funny too. Glad you kept all of that in there.

  12. Training Peaks has offered running power zones for a few months now. I’ve had mine set for a while. The link you listed simply says that they now offer to calculate them using the methods in Jim Vance’s Run With Power book.

    Using the Stryd Connect IQ data field power shows up just fine in Training Peaks now and it’s so much better than it was last year when you either had to use the Connect IQ App or send the data through their website.

  13. Brad Arrington

    Re: the unlockable firmware features, this is pretty common in many industries and frankly makes a ton of sense for the manufacturer. Hardware is really expensive to make, especially in low volumes. Having a one product – one feature feature set is indeed a simplified model . But the ability to offer meaningful feature differences to address customer needs / price points via software and not have separate hardware can benefit everyone: customers, dealers, and manufacturers. While customers may view it as annoying or a money grab (they built it already, why don’t they give it for free?) it can allow them to only pay for the features desired. Dealers benefit from a reduced number of items they need to order, stock, and display. Manufacturers benefit from lower development costs as noted in the article, and this in turn helps keep prices down for the end consumer.

    An example is the high-volume printer market. In the old days you had to change the internal gears to get different speeds. Different speeds = different models with production, stocking, etc. Now an “engine” (industry term for the part that puts marks on paper) is often designed to one standard, and can print at different speeds via a software license. The customer decides how fast they want to print and pay for that speed. It’s really handy when they have a peak print volume at certain times of the year and can buy a temporary speed license to meet the demand. (Maybe go from 150 pages a minute to 300 ppm). The customer benefits because they meet their demand with the same product, but are not paying for a service that’s not needed the rest of the time. The manufacturer benefits because the only design a single physical product. And the dealer benefits from having to stock only one box, and apply a license when it goes out the door.

    I think these software-license models are going to move from more business-to-business products and start showing up more in the consumer market, but it will take time for the markets to adjust.