Nike is to Apple, as Adidas is to . . . Samsung? In the race to make people run, Adidas is gaining steam with this week's European release of miCoach. Like the iPod-based Nike + system, at the heart of miCoach lies a Samsung phone that similarly follows your progress and motivates your workout. The phone wirelessly tracks data from a chest strap heart rate monitor and a stride sensor that hooks onto your laces (an advantage over Apple's system since it lets you keep your sneakers). Workouts are built and analyzed on a full-service website complete with graphic data and recommendations for your fitness objectives.
British swimmers are known for their good form, and theyll enhance that reputation this summer as they train for the Beijing Olympics using novel motion tracking technology. Research funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), in collaboration with UK Sport, will use water-resistant markers drawn on the swimmers bodies to provide real-time feedback to coaches and athletes. Unlike the spherical markers used in other motion tracking, the Brits markers are painted on to eliminate any effect they might have on drag.
According to the Canadian Press, Chinese and American officials are working in cahoots to remove radioactive material from Olympic sites in advance of the games this summer in Beijing. The work is the latest hurdle the Chinese must overcome with the world watching closely. From pollution to human rights, press coverage to date has been less about the sport and more about the host. American experts from the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) have taken at least two trips to China hoping to eliminate any material that could be used as a dirty bomb.
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