If you’re looking to improve your overall level of fitness, rowing is one of the best forms of exercise for those wanting a full-body workout. But home rowing machines haven’t always been the easiest to use and they can often be a challenge to store when not in use as well. Those are things that NordicTrack is looking to address in its latest piece of exercise equipment however, as the company’s new smart rowing machine promises to deliver some improvements to its design, while also adding some intriguing high-tech elements to the mix.
The new RW900 rower was unveiled last week and it looks like it’ll bring a host of great new features with it. For example, even though it is roughly the same size as a rowing machine that you might find at the gym, this model has been designed to fold in the middle, reducing its footprint dramatically. Traditionally you would need to dedicate more than seven feet of floor space to store a piece of equipment like this one, but NordicTrack has cleverly overcome that problem.
NordicTrack has given the RW900’s flywheel a significant upgrade as well, adding a magnetic resistance model that is reportedly both quieter and smoother to use. The company has even upgraded the traditional rubber foot straps with newer versions that use Velcro to hold the user’s feet in place while working out. That seems like such a simple solution that it is a wonder that someone hadn’t thought of it before.
But perhaps the biggest and best update to this new rowing machine is the inclusion of a massive color LCD display. The RM900 comes equipped with a 22-inch screen that offers users real-time feedback on their workout routine, including their current power-output as measured in watts. That same screen can also be used to tap into live and on-demand fitness classes offered by iFit. This same approach has been incredibly popular for those looking to take part in spin workouts using indoor bikes like those offered by Peloton. These curated workouts are built to interact with the RW900 in some interesting ways, too. For instance, there is an auto-resistance mode that automatically adjusts the machine’s tension to match what the instructor is doing on the screen.
If that wasn’t enough, the RM900 also features integration with iFit’s new Global Workouts project too. This completely new service uses Street View-like imagery to allow the rower to explore dozens of unique waterways around the world, all without leaving home. The system, which iFit is building completely in-house, will even take note of the changes in gradient along the way and use the auto resistance setting to change the level of difficulty accordingly.
The NordicTrack RM900 is scheduled to go on sale in September with a price tag of $1,600 and includes a one-year subscription to the iFit service too.
The domain of wearable devices has grown by leaps and bounds, not just in terms of mass adoption, but also owing to some astounding innovations. Wearable heart rate sensors can now measure everything from heart rate and blood oxygen levels to ECG in form factors ranging from a watch to finger rings.
These sensors, however, come with an inherent set of problems. Motion artifacts arising from movement or vigorous activity alter the blood flow and affect their accuracy. Optical heart rate sensors (photoplethysmography or PPG tech) also struggle with darker skin tones, tattoos, or even body placement.
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On today’s special edition of You Asked, we tracked down each of our editors and put them on the spot to find out what they thought was the most impressive thing they saw at CES 2025 in Early January. Let’s find out what they had to say.
Panasonic Z95B
There’s been some really cool TV tech at CES, but the thing I’m most excited about is the new Panasonic Z95B. Instead of the regular OLED display structure we’ve seen in recent years with MLA technology, this uses a four-layer panel structure. It features individual red, green, and blue layers (two of the latter) for the emissive light.