It’s no secret that serious runners, cyclists, and triathletes try to keep close tabs on their fitness metrics while working out. Unfortunately, that usually means glancing down at a GPS watch or cycling computer to get an indication of how well they’re doing, which can cause them to break stride or momentarily take their eyes off the road. But a new product called the Solos smart glasses is looking to change that by delivering a functional head-up display that puts all of the data that outdoor athletes need within their line of sight without them ever having to look at another device.
While Apple devices come with a retina display, the Solos smart glasses use what is called a “pupil display” instead. This translucent screen provide quick access to workout information data by displaying exercise metrics in a high-resolution, bright, and full-color fashion. The display is just 4 millimeters square, which is about the size of a person’s pupil, and yet due to its proximity to the eye, it looks much larger and clearer. It is even reportedly highly visible in bright sunlight, ensuring the screen doesn’t get washed out during daytime runs and rides.
The pupil display will give Solos users a host of data, including time, distance, pace, cadence, heart rate and more. And since the diminutive screen is suspended just outside the athlete’s sunglasses, they can glance at those metrics without ever taking their eyes of the road or trail. All of those metrics can also be shared with fitness apps like Strava and MapMyRide as well.
The head-up display is just one piece of the technology that Solos brings to the table. The Solos smart glasses are also equipped with built-in speakers that enable audio prompts that offer the wearer turn-by-turn directions, updates on their progress toward user-defined goals, and the ability to listen to music. An embedded microphone can also be used with the Solos iOS and Android app to facilitate group chat too, while voice commands can be used to make phones calls, switch the metrics that are displayed, and interact with virtual assistants like Siri.
The Solos smart glasses have a battery life that lasts up to five hours, making them useful for a couple of workouts before needing a recharge. The device is available for purchase now and sells for $499.
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.