Saphibeat co-founder Carlo Ciaramelletti nearly died while skiing in Italy. The day after his accident, another skier crashed in the same area and lost his life because he was unable to signal for help. Ciaramelletti knew there was SOS beacon technology that would help people call for help in the aftermath of an unfortunate accident, but Ciaramelletti wanted something more. He wanted a device that could track and improve an athlete’s performance as well as provide a safety net in case of emergency. His solution is the PhiPal, a helmet add-on that includes an emergency SOS beacon and a suite of sensors for both activity tracking and accident detection.
The core feature that set the PhiPal apart from its competition is its accident detection technology. Using a combination or hardware sensors and sophisticated programming, the PhiPal will automatically detect when a user has been an accident and will send a distress message with the person’s GPS coordinates. On the hardware side, the PhiPal is equipped with a 10-axis sensor that includes both motion and altimetric sensors to measure acceleration, orientation, and altitude. The hardware is always recording your movement and using that data for both performance and location tracking.
Not only does the PhiPal tell a user how far and how fast they have gone, but it also provides the user with the option to create a breadcrumb trail that other people can follow. Loved ones at home will not have to wait for the, ‘I’m OK’ phone call, they can watch the progress from the comfort of their home. Battery life is outstanding with two onboard batteries, one that is dedicated to the emergency SOS system and the other to a power- management system that optimizes battery life in an emergency.
On the safety side, the AI algorithm continuously monitors your body movements so it can detect anything outside the usual sport-specific conditions, for example, if you are rock climbing and fall 200 feet rapidly. In this monitoring stage, the device draws from your previous performances and uses that data as a baseline so it can discern whether this sudden stop is the result of you hitting the wall or hitting a tree. Once an accident is suspected, the device enters a pre-alarm mode and begins to scan the condition of the user. It can detect when a person is unconscious and will automatically send a distress call to a pre-determined circle of friends or emergency responders.
The PhiPal is available in two different models — a basic version with cellular connectivity for sending distress messages and a Pro version that adds on satellite communications for when a cellular connection is not available. The entry-level PhiPal is available for $99 via Kickstarter, while the Pro version costs $199. These prices are are in effect for the duration of the Kickstarter campaign. Once the crowdfunding is completed and the device hit the retail market, the Basic model will cost $149, while the PhiPal Pro will cost $299. Saphibeat expects to ship the PhiPal in September 2017.
The OnePlus Buds Clip are a new pair of open-ear earbuds built around a simple convenience. They join Sony’s LinkBuds Clip in the growing ear-cuff category, but either OnePlus bud can go on either ear.
Sensors recognize how the earbuds are being worn and route the audio channels accordingly. There’s no label to check before putting them on, and the feature also works when only one bud is used.
We buy fitness bands and activity trackers to keep tabs on our exercise, but it is easy to forget to start tracking or switch modes when moving between different activities. For Fitbit and Pixel Watch users, that could soon become a lot less annoying, as Google is rolling out a major upgrade to automatic activity tracking that can recognize more than 100 types of exercise, up from just 10 before.
Google first showed off the improved tracking earlier this month alongside the Fitbit Edge. It is now coming to Fitbit Air and the Pixel Watch 3, 4, and 5, and Google claims the added context behind the system makes workout detection nearly twice as accurate while cutting missed activities by more than half. Fitbit Edge will support it too.