RE: "The other thing we’ll need is folks like Life Fitness, Nautilus, Precor etc to be happy to agree a standard for two way communications..."
This has existed since 1998. It's called CSAFE (Communications Specification for Fitness Equipment). Many equipment add-ons, including Netpulse (http://www.netpulse.com) use this standard to communicate to exercise equipment.
Offbeatmammal
· 4 months ago
CSAFE exists but is it really that wide spread? FitLinxx and others have talked about it for a while but I've yet to visit a gym or health club on my travels that has equipment where I could take advantage of it...
A standard is only worthwhile if there's enough people using it that it's no longer niche but becomes a default on every new device...
I suspect Nike+ and Apple will end up setting the standard
deemoe
· 4 months ago
Most of these providers are in the Continua Alliance which is the right area to define what the standards will be. The key issue is getting the manufacturers to see the value for implementing this. There is no way your above vision can happen in a vacuum with disparate standards and closed systems with what we have today.
Katherine
· 2 months ago
CSAFE is a an early stage technology that will only be bettered in the near future. As of now it is good for repair, miles logged and so forth. Netpulse is helping aggregate these CSAFE machines by integrating their touchscreens onto them creating a network serving the needs of entertainment and forging into more health club workout/social needs of tracking, and workout options. So far the leader in this category and better poised to work with all the equipment manufacturers.
I think Apple and Nike have great technology, but like Apple it doesn't want to share its technology to readily nor does Nike. It don't believe they'll integrate and give up audience data to the health clubs. They want too much and the manufacturers don't want to give up the steering of the ship. Keeping data away from the health clubs is also a factor. Data is central to Health Clubs even though believe it or not, still no nothing about their members!!
deemoe
· 4 months ago
Interesting blog post -I work at Intel and am working on devices and technology to do exactly what you are proposing. Well not exactly but close! :-) You are on to some good stuff here...thanks for the comments.
Offbeatmammal
· 4 months ago
really hope we can make something happen... Issues like this - http://bit.ly/48nkBP - seem to be a blocking factor getting everyone to play nice.
Of course that doesn't mean I don't want to see something like this!
women_only_gym
· 4 months ago
I'm not finished read this yet, but it's so fabulous 'n I'll back again when I was finished my job :D
dog treats
· 3 months ago
My best gym buddy is a pic of me thin that is posted on my fridge and cubboard. Give it a try. Nothing taste as good as feeling thin.
Finally! A relevant, intelligent post regarding a subject that so much logic is missing. Many thanks for sharing this inventive and intelligent commentary with the world. We definitely need lot of sense like you've shown here. I appreciate it very much Smile.
Jen
· 2 months ago
Hi offbeatmammal -
We're tackling the social motivation end (stay on track with your workouts and inject small bits and bytes of microfitness into your daily life) at http://getupandmove.me.
We're only a month old (v2.0 launched last week), and would *love* your eyeballs and pulse measurements and anything else you want to use to try us out.
Planned future features include Facebook Connect integration, group challenges, export activity to calorie counters, etc.
Love to see what you think! Challenge founders @jensmccabe (me) and @shazow (Andrey) to kick the tires and burn off some excess holiday cheer.
The data should ultimately be owned by the individual who can decide how to share it ... I'd happily share my Heart Rate, gtFtr.com and WalkMe data with my gym and Microsoft and maybe even my health provider if there was value - even if it's just better analysis and recommendations to improve fitness / weight loss.
For a gym club, health provider and equipment manufacturer is doesn't have to be a zero sum game... data like this by it's very nature becomes more valuable if used in multiple ways both to empower the individual and inform the enterprise (be is the gym, the elliptical vendor or the service provider)
All Comments
http://gymbudd.com
GymBudd.com
I wonder if they could integrate http://gtFtr.com :)
This has existed since 1998. It's called CSAFE (Communications Specification for Fitness Equipment). Many equipment add-ons, including Netpulse (http://www.netpulse.com) use this standard to communicate to exercise equipment.
A standard is only worthwhile if there's enough people using it that it's no longer niche but becomes a default on every new device...
I suspect Nike+ and Apple will end up setting the standard
Netpulse is helping aggregate these CSAFE machines by integrating their touchscreens onto them creating a network serving the needs of entertainment and forging into more health club workout/social needs of tracking, and workout options. So far the leader in this category and better poised to work with all the equipment manufacturers.
I think Apple and Nike have great technology, but like Apple it doesn't want to share its technology to readily nor does Nike. It don't believe they'll integrate and give up audience data to the health clubs. They want too much and the manufacturers don't want to give up the steering of the ship. Keeping data away from the health clubs is also a factor. Data is central to Health Clubs even though believe it or not, still no nothing about their members!!
Of course that doesn't mean I don't want to see something like this!
http://www.gymbudd.com/
Find a Gym Buddy in your area.
We're tackling the social motivation end (stay on track with your workouts and inject small bits and bytes of microfitness into your daily life) at http://getupandmove.me.
We're only a month old (v2.0 launched last week), and would *love* your eyeballs and pulse measurements and anything else you want to use to try us out.
Planned future features include Facebook Connect integration, group challenges, export activity to calorie counters, etc.
Love to see what you think! Challenge founders @jensmccabe (me) and @shazow (Andrey) to kick the tires and burn off some excess holiday cheer.
Looking forward to your review.
Best -
Jen McCabe
Founder, Contagion Health
http://getupandmove.me
@jensmccabe
jensmccabe@contagionhealth.com
For a gym club, health provider and equipment manufacturer is doesn't have to be a zero sum game... data like this by it's very nature becomes more valuable if used in multiple ways both to empower the individual and inform the enterprise (be is the gym, the elliptical vendor or the service provider)