Fitness tech has evolved beyond activity trackers like the Apple Watch and Fitbit. Today, there are hundreds of streaming workout and wellness apps from brands like Nike, Equinox, and ClassPass to help track your exercises and reach your fitness goals There’s also been a boom in connected fitness equipment like Peloton, Mirror, and Tonal that are paving the way for on-demand workouts from the comfort of your home, with additional content like meditation, yoga, and mobility training to boost mind and body health.
Or you could end up like French President Emannuel Macron’s bodyguards: leaking the location of the one person you’re supposed to protect.
Le Monde found the names and addresses of roughly a dozen of Macron’s bodyguards... and then found their running routes on Strava. Including routes they ran during recon trips to scout hotels for the president to stay at.
Peloton announces its Q1 2025 earnings next Thursday, meaning it’s about time when they announce some good news to jazz up investors. This time around, it’s a holiday partnership with Costco starting November 1st to sell its Bike Plus for a slightly discounted $1,999 (in-store) or $2,199 (online, with delivery). We’ll see how investors feel about it next week.
0
It makes no sense to upgrade based on color alone. Or does it?
8
Verge Score
The Series 10 bets big on a larger display and a more wearable design. As far as iterative updates go, that’s a savvy choice.
If you’re subscribed to Fitbit Premium, you can now access various Peloton workout classes — like yoga, running, and cycling — from the Fitbit app. The Peloton classes, which Google announced last month, are rolling out to users in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia.
8
Verge Score
The first two Pixel Watches were playing catch-up. Now, Google’s starting to flesh out its wearable vision.
Here’s our first look at the new Apple Watch Series 10 and the new jet black Ultra 2. The Series 10 comes with bigger than ever screens, a new processor, a depth gauge, and the ability to detect signs of sleep apnea. Except that last one isn’t quiet ready yet. Just like many things announced at Apple’s Glowtime event.
It’s been ten years since the Apple Watch was announced. Where does it go from here?
The OpenRun Pro 2 add USB-C charging, a dedicated speaker for bass, reduced vibration, and AI noise cancellation.
0The bass is pretty good for open-ear fitness buds, but alas, my glasses foiled the ear hook design.
Foley’s pivot to founding a bespoke rug startup was reported a while back, but he’s remarkably candid about what he’s been up to since leaving Peloton in this New York Post interview.
“I’m working hard so that I can try and make money again... because I don’t have much left. And so I’m hungry and humble.”
But why rugs?
“I love rugs, I love interior design.”
0IEEE Spectrum’s Tekla S. Perry spoke to Fitbit founders James Park and Eric Friedman, as well as designers and engineers to get the complete story on how the company’s first clip-on fitness tracker — inspired by the Nintendo Wii’s motion-tracking capabilities — came to be.
[IEEE Spectrum]
7
Verge Score
It’s not so much a standalone health tracker or a smartwatch alternative as an accessory for your Galaxy Watch.
0Usually, I’m all about the bass for workout headphones, so I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the Suunto Sonic and Wing.
0
This was announced a while back. (Along with a new Dark Mode which also recently went live.) Basically, four people can now share an annual Strava premium subscription. The caveat is everyone has to live within the same country and you’ve got to be a new subscriber. The new Family plan is available in 32 countries, and pricing will depend on where you live.
[press.strava.com]
The hardware is solid. The ideas are intriguing. So long as it holds up in testing, Samsung could have a winner.
It’s the Apple Watch Ultra, but for Android. Oh, and the Galaxy Watch 7 is here, too.
0This is meant to be the best Polar’s got, but it has no business being this expensive.
And three instructors are leaving at the end of the month: Kendall Toole, Ross Rayburn, and Kristin McGee. An official Peloton statement pegs these departures as a “normal and ongoing part of the Peloton process,” while hinting that the company may hire new talent.
Real talk, Peloton is a media company now and that means instructor salaries are a huge cost in making content. It was only a matter of time before we saw this happen.
You do need a Music Premium account, but you can download playlists for offline playback. We love to see Garmin add to the ConnectIQ store, which... let’s face it, doesn’t have the largest selection as far as third-party smartwatch app stores go. Previously, you could choose between Spotify, Amazon Music, and Deezer. (But I’ve yet to meet anyone who used the latter two with the Garmin.)
Popular Peloton instructor Kendall Toole announced today she’s leaving the platform. Earlier in April, instructor Ross Rayburn announced he was taking a break. And just last month, CEO Barry McCarthy stepped down amid another round of layoffs.
Any other company, I’d worry about customers jumping ship. But I spoke with several Peloton diehards and asked about this exact situation. They told me they’re not going anywhere.
0
A number of private equity firms are thinking about buying Peloton and taking it private, according to CNBC. That’s after the company’s bad quarter (and lack of strategy) led to both a 15 percent staff layoff and CEO Barry McCarthy stepping down. How will the PE vultures fix things? They have “zeroed in on cutting Peloton’s operating expenses,” of course. That’ll fix it, sure.
0
Skip Crossrope unless you really love skipping rope.