Multi-test consumer-electronics
Work up a sweat with these hi-tech gadgets.
The past month saw many people caught up in
the Olympics fever, where milliseconds could determine the color of the medals,
and separate the best from the good. If you’re inspired by the Olympians and
want to clock your personal best in training, read on to find out which fitness
gadget is the perfect training companion.
Design, features
Apple Ipod Nano (6th generation)
Apple’s sixth-generation iPod nano looks
very similar to its other sibling, the iPod Shuffle except that it is the first
of its range to be equipped with a touch screen and does away with the iconic
click wheel. Despite its portable form factor, the iPod nano has quite a sturdy
chassis made up of anodized aluminum. A 1.54-inch color TFT display graces the
front, and shows off a user interface clearly influenced by iOS.
Due to the size constraints of the display,
you will only see four icons at any one time. The screen orientation can be
changed to your different directions via a finger twist. To move the icons
around, simply tap and hold the icon to shift it to any of the four screen
panels. As there is no home button to tap to return to the main menu, you can
either swipe left or right, or tap and hold in the centre of the screen.
Apple
Ipod Nano (6th generation)
The iPod nano works with the Nike+ system,
and doesn’t require a shoe sensor to track your foot movements. It has a
built-in accelerometer and a dedicated fitness app to track your steps,
distance pace and time. Upon accessing the fitness app, you will be presented
with town options: walk or run. For walking, it is pretty straightforward;
press Start on the screen and the iPod nano will track the number of steps,
your daily goal, calories burnt, duration and distance travelled. Swiping to
the right will reveal the mileage clocked per day, per week, per month and the
overall total so far.
If you are into running, there are more
options to choose from, such as a basic workout where you can start almost
immediately after choosing which song/playlist to play, as well as customizing
your workout by time, distance and calories. You can view a summary of your
workout via the History tab with personal bests, workout totals and workouts
for the month. Alternatively, you can sync your workouts via iTunes and upload
them to the Nike+ portal. Thanks to its responsive touch screen and simple user
interface, it is easy to set up the iPod nano before your workout. For music entertainment,
your only option is the 3.5mm audio output jack, which is exposed if left
unused. There are third-party arm bands and even watch traps for the iPod nano,
which can help cover the exposed 30-pin connector port and 3.5mm audio jack,
suitable for bringing the iPod nano along for your workout.
“You can sync your workouts via iTunes
and upload them to the Nike+ portal”.
·
Display: 1.54-inch color TFT
·
Dimensions: 37.5 x 40.9 x 8.78mm
·
Weight: 21.1g
·
Price: $180 (8GB), $208 (16GB)
You
can clip the iPod nano to your sleeve, pocket or shots
The
iPod nano comes with a standard 3.5mm audio jack
Nike+
integration transforms your iPod nano into a personal trainer
And Performance
Fitbit Ultra
Weighing a mere 11.34g, the Fitbit Ultra is
the lightest among the six fitness gadgets compared here, and is also the most
compact, making it an inconspicuous training companion. The Fitbit Ultra comes
mainly in matte black, but with tow accent color options on the underside: blue
and plum. The device is essentially designed much like a peg, to be ‘clipped’
onto your belt or sleeve, as you go about your daily routine. It’s pretty
secure, though so unobtrusive that you could easily forget you had it with you.
On one side of the device lies a single
button that lets you navigate through a blue OLED display. Each press of the
button brings you through a menu of options, which include the number of steps
taken, the distance traveled, the amount of calories burned, the number of
floor(s) climbed, an active score that indicates how active you have been, and
of course the time. Although it is positioned as a sporty gadget, the Fitnit
Ultra isn’t waterproof and thus unsuitable for activities where it might get
wet.
Fitbit
Ultra
Using both an accelerometer and an
altimeter, the Fitbit Ultra keeps track of the number of steps and stairs you
have taken. The information is then automatically uploaded to your Fitbit
account if you are within 4 meters of the base station, which must be connected
to a powered-on PC or Mac. Setting up a Fitbit accounts is straightforward with
an email address, password and entry of personal information (gender, age,
weight and height). The account dashboard gives an overview of how close you
are to accomplishing your targets. The Fitbit Ultra also works in conjunction
with fitness apps such as RunKeeper and Endomondo for tracking and analyzing
your data.
One interesting feature is the sleep
monitor, where you slip the device into the sleep wristband (included in the
package) before bed. Press and hold the button for about two seconds to
activate sleep/recording mode. A running stopwatch indicates that the device is
in sleep recording mode. Do the same action if you want to stop the sleep mode.
If you forget to start and stop it, you can manually enter the times on the
Track My Sleep section in the dashboard. The sleep monitor monitors the number
of times and how long you wake up during the night.
“The fitbit is so small and compact, it
can go just about anywhere with you”.
·
Display: 0.25-inch blue organic OLED
·
Dimensions: 55 x 19.5 x 14mm
·
Weight: 11.34g
·
Price: US$99.95
A
digital flower grows and shrinks according to how active you are.
The
Fitbit Base Station charges the Fitbit Ultra, and uploads data wirelessly
The
only physical button activities the blue OLED display, and lets you scroll
through the menu.
