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RUNNING is worryingly enjoying massive uptake as a sport, we’re told. And as more people increasingly take to the road, technology companies are looking at how they can coin it from the trend. For example, Apple has partnered with Nike to produce iPod accessories that track your running and allow you to share information about your jogs with friends, monitor your times and other information.
And Garmin has joined in with a range of watches and other toys that use GPS technology, along with heart-rate monitors and the like. And they’re not just for runners. The Garmin FR60 is the latest in its collection. Though it looks like a handsome sports watch, there’s way more to it than that. In the box I received there was also a heart rate monitor that straps to your chest, plus a “foot pod” you clip on to your shoes for monitoring your running speed and tracking your trail. These connect wirelessly to the watch so you can monitor them while exercising.
The FR60 and its menagerie of wireless attachments can also be used for other sports, such as cycling and, apparently, swimming. Weather didn’t allow me to test the latter. Or cycling, for that matter, which is just a weird sport. And I can’t do the Lycra bit. But if I were inclined to annoy motorists on Witkoppen Drive then there’s an optional bicycle clip that allows for the FR60 to be clipped on to a metal menace.
The FR60 also includes a USB dongle that plugs into your computer and allows the watch to wirelessly synchronise with software to record your information. That uses a technology called “Ant+” and Garmin says it has a range of accessories that can connect to your computer, and each other, that way, including the heart rate monitor and foot pod that ship with the FR60.
Being a fan of sports, except gyms and roads, I’m not the most experienced of equipment reviewers in that department. But I’ve been known to run away from danger and I occasionally whip around the block to see if I can still do it. The FR60 was an amusing toy to do that with and I’m sure it’s very handy for people who like reducing their lifespan with regular overexertion.
For such people the FR60 will tell you how many calories you’ve burned, how your times compared to previous runs or cycles and provide records of your heart rate. There’s even a wireless scale. And the GPS tracks where and when you ran, which can even be plotted on to a map.
It’s the perfect gift for a fitness freak and at just more than R2 000 it isn’t too expensive – all things considered. The software works on Mac and Windows and delivers a rich set of information. Since it’s the only fitness accessory I’ve tested, it’s obviously the best. But you’d have to ask that guy in the pink shorts how it compares with others.
And Garmin has joined in with a range of watches and other toys that use GPS technology, along with heart-rate monitors and the like. And they’re not just for runners. The Garmin FR60 is the latest in its collection. Though it looks like a handsome sports watch, there’s way more to it than that. In the box I received there was also a heart rate monitor that straps to your chest, plus a “foot pod” you clip on to your shoes for monitoring your running speed and tracking your trail. These connect wirelessly to the watch so you can monitor them while exercising.
The FR60 and its menagerie of wireless attachments can also be used for other sports, such as cycling and, apparently, swimming. Weather didn’t allow me to test the latter. Or cycling, for that matter, which is just a weird sport. And I can’t do the Lycra bit. But if I were inclined to annoy motorists on Witkoppen Drive then there’s an optional bicycle clip that allows for the FR60 to be clipped on to a metal menace.
The FR60 also includes a USB dongle that plugs into your computer and allows the watch to wirelessly synchronise with software to record your information. That uses a technology called “Ant+” and Garmin says it has a range of accessories that can connect to your computer, and each other, that way, including the heart rate monitor and foot pod that ship with the FR60.
Being a fan of sports, except gyms and roads, I’m not the most experienced of equipment reviewers in that department. But I’ve been known to run away from danger and I occasionally whip around the block to see if I can still do it. The FR60 was an amusing toy to do that with and I’m sure it’s very handy for people who like reducing their lifespan with regular overexertion.
For such people the FR60 will tell you how many calories you’ve burned, how your times compared to previous runs or cycles and provide records of your heart rate. There’s even a wireless scale. And the GPS tracks where and when you ran, which can even be plotted on to a map.
It’s the perfect gift for a fitness freak and at just more than R2 000 it isn’t too expensive – all things considered. The software works on Mac and Windows and delivers a rich set of information. Since it’s the only fitness accessory I’ve tested, it’s obviously the best. But you’d have to ask that guy in the pink shorts how it compares with others.
