Fitness

September 11, 2024September 11, 2024

Withings unveils the Scanwatch Nova Brilliant Edition

Withings, a global leader in connected health devices,
unveils the ScanWatch Nova Brilliant Edition, its latest offering merging timeless design with the precision of
medical-grade technology. Available for purchase in November 2024, in time for the holiday season,
ScanWatch Nova Brilliant is the most spectacularly designed smartwatch Withings has ever made. The
expanded line comes in titanium silver and stunning bicolor silver and gold, adding to the color choices
of the current ScanWatch Nova lineup, and is available in a smaller size for daintier wrists thanks to a
39mm case.

At first glance, ScanWatch Nova Brilliant Edition is a testament to elegance. Its sleek, minimalistic design
is highlighted by a fluted bezel that exudes sophistication, paired with an ultra-durable box-shaped
sapphire glass face. This smartwatch combines durability with elegance. Water-resistant up to 50 meters
(5ATM) and featuring a 5-link bracelet, it’s designed to keep up with your active lifestyle.

Scanwatch Nova Brilliant Edition in titanium silver

This hybrid smartwatch has an analog-style design and provides essential heart tracking features, notifications, messages, and information through its high-resolution OLED screen. It is available in luxurious gold and refined silver finishes, making it a versatile accessory for any occasion. The silver model features a bezel made of titanium for durability, while the gold model comes with a unique bicolor wristband. Beyond its attractive appearance, the ScanWatch Nova Brilliant Edition also houses advanced health sensors capable of performing powerful health scans, including a medical-grade electrocardiogram (ECG) for detecting atrial fibrillation. With a phenomenal 30-day battery life and leveraging the advanced health sensors and tracking
capabilities of the acclaimed Withings ScanWatch 2, its medical insights and measurements include:

On-Demand Medical-Grade ECG: ScanWatch Nova Brilliant Edition performs an on-demand medical-grade electrocardiogram to detect a potential heart anomaly at any time such as atrial fibrillation which is one of the most prevalent forms of arrhythmias, characterized by irregular heart rhythms. In just 30 seconds, users can initiate an ECG reading by touching the bezel, with results available instantly on the Withings app. Since 2020, more than 2 million episodes of AFib have been detected using Withings devices.
May indicate the onset of an illness: ScanWatch Nova Brilliant tracks body temperature fluctuations day and night, potentially indicating the onset of an illness and boosting your ability to manage performance and workout recovery. This technology combines heat flux sensors with high-accuracy temperature sensors to provide top-tier temperature variation assessments.
Assess part of the respiratory system: Users can track their blood oxygen levels (SpO2) and monitor overnight breathing disturbances. Good blood oxygenation is necessary to supply the energy the muscles need to function, and it increases during sports activities.
Help achieve more restful sleep: Wake up to a Sleep Quality Score and detailed insights into sleep metrics, including phases, depth, duration, and interruptions, along with personalized improvement advice.
Boost your activity with advanced tracking: ScanWatch Nova Brilliant Edition can track parameters such as steps, calories, elevation, workout routes (via in-app connected GPS) and can automatically recognize more than 40 daily activities such as walking, running, swimming, and cycling. In addition, it offers Fitness Level assessments through estimation of VO2 Max, which measures the heart and muscle’s ability to convert oxygen into energy during physical exercise.

Scanwatch Nova Brilliant Edition in silver and gold

Availability

ScanWatch Nova Brilliant will be available to purchase on Withings.com from early November 2024, in
the U.S., EU, and the UK, priced at $588.95, €599,95 and £ 549.95 and from mid-November at our
selected retailers.

June 18, 2024June 18, 2024

Urtopia Carbon 1 Pro preview, initial impressions

Weighting in at just 48lbs, the Urtopia Carbon 1 Pro is one of the lightest – and smartest – e-bikes available today.

At first glance, tha Carbon 1 Pro doesn’t look like an electric bike. Touting a sleek and lightweight carbon fiber frame, it looks just like a regular cyclist’s bike.

That is, until the reasonably loud Bluetooth speakers draw attention to the mini-LED smart box in the center of the handlebars.

The C1 Pro also contains a rechargeable battery in the down tube of it’s impressively compact and thin frame, making it a PEV that’s arguably the most trimmed-out bike available today..

I’m talking ChatGPT voice assistant, Bluetooth stereo speakers for your favorite streaming apps,3 PAS modes with a (somewhat) hidden Turbo mode, a headlight (and taillights) with turn-signal indicators, and even an embedded e-sim for recording your routes, calories burned, fingerprint lock/unlock access to the smart bar, and most importantly anti-theft GPS tracking to deter would be bandits from being tempted to take it – and an electric fence alarm for the ones who dare to try.

It’s all brought together by the Urtopia app’s detailed control center for the bike:

While we haven’t had the e-bike for long, so we need a bit more time to take the bike through its paces and determine if it’s ready for the mainstream. But we will have a better idea in the coming week or two. Our full-on review of the Urtopia Carbon 1 Pro will be published shortly.

For more info: Urtopia Website

February 5, 2024June 3, 2024

Xiaomi Watch s1 Active Review

The S1 Active is a lighter smartwatch than the vanilla Xiaomi Watch, with a slightly more durable and sporty build. Although it’s not sold in any major retail stores, and Xiaomi Pay is still not available in the U.S. – it’s just as assessable as more readily available smartwatches on the market.

Health Stats in the Mi Fitness App

November 17, 2023December 13, 2023

Top E-Bikes of 2023

Cycling is one of the most extensive forms of cardio, with mountain bikes at the top of the list of workout methods. E-Bikes, or electric bikes – tackle this task easily while adding the convenience of a moped-like battery-powered motor that adds pedal assist for a near-effortless commuting alternative.

Many are beginning to enjoy the benefits of getting around on an e-bike, with many people using it as their main mode of transportation.

We’ve done our research and compiled a list of the top e-Bike models and companies that capture the adventurous lifestyle of motorcycling in their brand and following.

Class 1 e-bikes

The e-bikes in this category usually stick to the tried-and-true design of traditional Cycling bikes, where the rider only uses Pedal Assist. In this class the top speed you can achieve on your e-bike is 20 mph before the motor shuts off. In this class, you are granted access to the same roads and trails that are available to non-motorized bicycles. Although some of the bikes in this category can be unlocked by contacting the manufacturer, they ship out of the box locked to this Class speed to meet local laws and regulations regarding motorized vehicles.

Helm City

The Helm City is arguably the most bike-looking e-bike available, with a removable battery that looks like a slender water bottle – the City by Helm is an e-bike that will blend in with the sleekest acoustic mountain bikes. It’s also an e-bike that comes with a throttle, so technically it’s not a Class 1 e-bike. It’s lightweight (38 lbs) and sleek looks place it in the Class 1 category.

Cowboy 4/4 ST

Cowboy’s 4th iteration of their sleek e-bike has a dedicated cockpit for your smartphone, an inconspicuous battery with a integrated brake light, and advanced anti-theft tracking.

VanMoof S5

The Vanmoof S5

Urtopia Chord

The Chord by Urtopia looks like it’s shaping up to be one of the smartest e-bike’s on the market. One of the lightest (46 lbs) e-bikes with the longest range (75 miles) and smart features that will put your smartphone to shame.

Euphree

The City Robin X by Euphree

Velotric Thunder 1

Class 2 e-bikes:

The e-bikes in this category gives the rider access to both Pedal Assist and a throttle. Typically Class 2 e-bikes can achieve a top speed of 20mph and can be ridden where traditional bikes are allowed to (bike trails, etc.) – although terrains that are more suitable for off-road is best as the power of the throttle can damage the turf on bike trails.

The EBC Model J

The Model J by the Electric Bike Company is the bike of your dreams

While the Electric Bike Company is a pioneer in electric bike manufacturing, the Model J is the newest bike added to their extensive lineup of awesome e-bikes. With the ability to be equipped with 3 batteries that add a whopping 195 mile range per charge, the Model J is the e-bike of an urban commuter’s dreams.

Super73 R-Brooklyn (R-Adventure Series)

Super73 is one of the most recognized brands making electric bikes, The R-Adventure Series is Super73’s flagship model and features Full suspension, improved weight distribution, and longer seats which makes it a comfortable option for Urban Commuting. The 73 R-Brooklyn (pictured below) features the powerful Rugged-series drive system, a new LED headlight and LZRD tires for city and street racing.

The 73 R-Brooklyn in the Blu Tang Colorway

Spark Cycleworks Bandit

Class 3 e-Bikes

QuietKat Jeep Rubicon e-bike

The Rubicon is an electric motorbike by QuietKat made in partnership with Jeep – which takes their Jeep e-Bike and adds up to 42% more range. QuietKat is one of the leading companies making E-Bikes, and their motorbike styled e-bike is arguably some of the most durable and reliable on the market.

Volcon Brat

C3Strom Astro Pro

The Astro Pro is an electric motorbike by C3strom – which takes their C3strom Astro and adds a bigger battery. Their motorbike styled e-bike is sleek and stylish.

Onyx CTY2

The Onyx CTY2 | 60V is the latest refresh of the successful CTY e-Bike from Onyx.

Ride 1Up Revv1

Tenways AGO X

The AGO X by Tenways is an urban all-rounder e-bike built for any type of terrain.

Himiway Cobra Pro

Honorable Mentions

Juiced Crosscurrent X

Juiced Bikes is another have an extensive line up, The Crosscurrent X is one of the most full-featured E-Bikes available today.

FLX Babymaker II

FLX’s Babymaker II and Weapon X cover both ends of the spectrum for riders

Zoomo

Dirwin

The Dirwin Pacer Commuter e-bike has a 500w/1000w peak Bafang motor, 300lbs max load, and 25mph Max Speed.

April 20, 2023April 20, 2023

The Model J, from the Electric Bike Company has an $1199 introductory price and massive range

The Electric Bike Company, has more models than the late High Hefner and as more customizations than Android smartphones – has added a new bike to their extensive collection.

The Model J (J stands for Journey), a super-73 inspired e-bike comes with a 28 mph max speed (reprogrammable), up to a 195 mile range, and it comes equipped with Pedal Assist and Throttle.

The Electric Bike Company has the longest e-bike coverage guarantee on the market with a 10 year warranty (5 year for battery), with a full-stop assembly and paint shop located in the USA, so you can rest easy knowing your purchase will be backed by a team that confidently stands behind their product.

There are an huge amount of options to design your e-bike exactly how you want it to look, thanks to the Color Customizer platform available on the Electric Bike Company website.

Customize your e-bike to your liking by with

For more info, be sure to visit EBC’s website to take advantage of the introductory offer of $1199 (pre-order), which goes up to $1499 once it officially goes on sale.

November 15, 2021April 17, 2023

Withings Scanwatch Review

Withings have finally received FDA clearance to release their hybrid fitness wearable – the Scanwatch, in the U.S. While this wearable isn’t exactly new, features like EKG, 24hr heart rate tracking, and 30-day battery life, make it one of the most advanced watches on the market. Here we take a deep dive to see if the Scanwatch is worth your time and money.

If the photos don’t show the premium finish of this hybrid watch, rest assured the quality is upper echelon. Withings Scanwatch is made of Stainless Steel including the back where the sensors are housed – with Sapphire glass covering the watch face, which comes with a black or white dial. Our review unit, which was provided by Withings – had the white dial.

Specifications

● Clinically validated detection of atrial fibrillation by ECG

● Heart Rate scan every 10 minutes using a PPG sensor

● Clinically validated SpO2

● Automatic activity tracking (walking, running, swimming, distance, and calories burned)

● Training mode with up to 30 activities (measurement of distance, pace, and altitude)

● Fitness level assessment with VO2 Max

● Sleep monitoring (length, quality, sleep phases)

● Smart smartphone notifications

● Altimeter records floors traveled

● Water-resistant up to 5 ATM

● Up to 30 days battery life

Fitness Features

The Scanwatch has a circular OLED screen right below the 12, that shows the time, BPM, steps, distance walked by the mile, floors, EKG, sp02, Workout and Breathe for wellness, providing details which you can view with a press and twist of the watches’ crown. While those quick views contain a ton of info, it’s the Withings Health Mate app that gives you detailed stats on your fitness.

The Health Mate app goes a long way in adding smart health tracking and wellness features to the Scanwatch, complementing its hybrid nature by handling the heavy lifting most other watches handle on the device – at the expense of battery life. Not to mention its awesome UI and deep integration with other platforms like Apple Health, Google Fit, and Samsung Health.

Conclusion

Touting all the fitness tracking features the latest smartwatches on the market have to offer – without the intrusive, geek-Esque appeal – the Scanwatch is easily one of the best fitness wearables on the market. It has impressive 30-day battery life (I got two weeks before the watch drained the battery to 60%), the high-end build of a Swiss timepiece, and enough sensors to stay in the cutting-edge for the next few years. The Scanwatch is the watch for those who like the classic look, but want all the latest health perks a fitness tracker has to offer.

July 25, 2021April 17, 2023

Mobovi Ticwatch Pro 3 GPS Review

The Ticwatch Pro 3 isn’t the watch that I’d imagine would end up at the top of my favorite smartwatch list, but it has. The unassuming, seemingly average FTSN-screened wristwatch brings a twist – not only to WearOS devices – but the smartwatch landscape as a whole.

Out the Box

The Ticwatch Pro box and packaging is rather standard, packed with the essentials and nothing more: the watch, a proprietary magnetic charging clip, a power brick, the user guide, and a few marketing materials upselling Mobvoi’s products. The box itself does a great job selling you on the specs of the device.

On the Wrist

The 454×454 AMOLED display is immersed in a watch case that measures out to 47 x 48 x 12.2 mm, which gives the Ticwatch Pro 3 a masculine build and one more suitable for big wrists. The AMOLED display is covered by a low-powered, secondary FSTN screen that’s always on. The Dual display, assisted by the Snapdragon Wear 4100, gets around three days consistently, while putting the device in Essential Mode gives you up to 45 days with the FSTN screen only.

The watch itself has a stainless steel chassis, with the back side (that’s pressed up against your skin when wearing) made of polycarbonate (plastic). In daily usage, the back makes it more comfortable, complemented by the Silicon band. Orange stitching outlines the watchband, giving the device a more premium look without sacrificing comfort.

WearOS Shines on the Ticwatch

After using the Ticwatch Pro for a few weeks , it becomes obvious that under-powered devices with outdated processors were the culprit behind the rad rep the WearOS has. The once clunky, slow UI is now snappy, responsive and glitch-free. Granted, the Mobvoi Launcher has navigation sensibilities that the ‘curved tab’ style grid of the stock UI – which you would turn back in in settings if that’s yours thing.

Display	1.4” Retina AMOLED 454 x 454 + FSTN display + Low-Power backlit LCD Always-on display
Processor	Snapdragon Wear 4100
Wireless	Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0
NFC	Google Pay-enabled
Sensors	Gyroscope, Accelerator, Barometer, Heart-Rate Sensor
Audio	Loudspeaker, Microphone
Navigation	GPS+Beidou+Glonass+Galileo+QZSS
Waterproof	IP68 and pool swimming suitable
Storage	8GB ROM, 1GB RAM Memory

Health and Fitness features

Mobvoi has a fitness suite of apps that are as extensive as any. Granted, they’re one-task ponies, features are broken down by app opposed to the suite like approach of Apple and Samsung Health. TicHealth is the central hub for checking on your profile stats, and brings all the data from TicPulse (heart rate), TicSleep, TicOxygen (blood oxygen,TicBreathe, TicHearing and TicExcercise all into one central location. Google Fit is present, rounding out the fitness and workout abilites.

1000+ Watch Faces

The beauty of the AMOLED display is really brought to life by the variety of Watch Faces Mobvoi has on offer, and the it really adds personality to the Ticwatch Pro 3.

Conclusion

What Mobovi has engineered is nothing short of commendable, to say the least. The Ticwatch Pro 3 has single-handedly broken the cycle of WearOS devices being bested by the Apple Watch and Galaxy Watch due to ecosystem cohesiveness and smooth response time. Mobvoi has also given is flagship wearable unique features and a quality build that competes with the big dogs, at a price that manages to undercut them.

For anyone looking for a full-featured smartwatch that improves the expectations set by prior WearOS devices, the TicWatch Pro 3 is currently the undisputed king.

February 28, 2021April 17, 2023

Black Unity Apple Watch 6 (28-day review)

Commendable gesture by the one of the most popular tech brands, or ingenious marketing move?

Apple started off February by throwing a curveball out of left field no-one saw coming – a tribute to Black History Month with the Black Unity Apple Watch series 6. If you didn’t know by now – I’m a Black person of West African descent – Nigerian-Ghanian/ American to be specific. Nevertheless, I’m what you would call an FBA – Foundational Black American – my mom and dad, along with their parents’ parents, were born in the USA. Needless to say, I thought this was great initially. “Finally, a product I can wear that l allows me to embrace my culture, that’s forward-thinking and modern. A smartwatch at that”, I thought.

Then it hit me – “Man, this is really good marketing. So good – it almost feels opportunistic.” Eventually, I checked my pessimism. As an Af-Am man, who’s used to seeing our culture being exploited and misappropriated – I have a tendency to be guarded and apprehensive. So I bit the bullet and bought the Black Unity AW series 6.

What’s in the box?

The Black Unity Apple Watch 6 (Right) and the Milanese Band (left) which doesn’t come included – because – well, variety is the spice of life .

The Black Unity Apple Watch 6 comes with the Black Unity Sport Band, the Black Unity watch face pre-installed, with ‘Black Unity’ laser-etched into the back crystal of the watch casing – in custom Red, Black, and Green Apple Watch packaging. Everything else included, is as expected of the latest smartwatch by Apple – so essentially, it’s the Apple Watch Series 6 through and through.

It has the same specifications and build quality as the original Apple Watch Series 6 – a smooth, unibody build with a digital crown on the right side and a single button below it, the same aluminum case made of “100 percent recycled aerospace-grade alloy’, same Always-On Retina LTPO OLED display that over 30% larger than the series 5, same S6 processor with 32GB of internal storage. For the full rundown, check the spec table below:

Display	Always-On Retina LTPO OLED Ion-X glass display, 1000 nits
Processor	S6 Sip with 64-bit dual-core processor
Wireless	W3 wireless chip, LTE and UTMS, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5
NFC	U1 Chip (Ultra Wideband)
Sensors	Blood oxygen sensor, Electrical Heart Sensor and 3rd Gen Optical heart sensor, ECG, emergency SOS and fall detection
Audio	Loud Speaker, built-in mic
Navigation	GPS/GNSS, compass, always-on altimeter
Waterproof	Water-resistant 50 meters
Storage	32GB

For a more inconspicuous look, switch the bands up and no-one would even know it’s a BU AW 6.

How does it work? – Daily Usage

Aside from being a smartwatch that tells the time and allows you to make and receive calls/texts, the Apple Watch has the most complete ecosystem of any wearable available on the market today. the App Store literally has more apps from notable brands than the Amazon Appstore has for Kindle Fire tablets. That’s insane. Fox News, CNN, ESPN, YouTube Music, The Weather Channel – all have official apps. So does Pandora, iHeart Radio, Starbucks, and Audible. Granted, some are companion apps to their iPhone counterparts. But, most are standalone apps that can be used on the watch alone – if you’re into that sort of thing.

The fitness features are what I was most looking forward to – making the most of my workouts while obtaining my Certified Personal Trainer and Nutrition Coach certification. Testing the Apple Watch as a virtual health and fitness assistant is what I was most excited for.

The Fitness App contains three rings to help you achieve your fitness goals – one red ring for movement, a green ring for exercise, and a cyan/blue ring for standing. Once you set your fitness goals, you can complete to rings by achieving your tasks: mines was set to 810 calories for Move, 30 minutes of Exercise, and 12 Hours of Standing. As you can see, today hasn’t been what I would call an active day for me:

The health sensors more or less work as you would expect from other wearables, with the EKG and Blood Blood Oxygen being the latest and greatest additions to the AW 6s capabilities. Fall detection remains a defining feature – and one that has been touted to have saved many lives once activated.

Fitness+: Apple’s latest lunge at Subscription services

Apple’s Fitness app expands into video workout and personal training territory with Fitness+. It’s a subscription-based wellness service that offers classes on Dance, Rowing, Cycling, Treadmill, Core, Yoga, and more. Your heart rate, calories burned, and more vital signs show in real-time next to your workout on the iPhone,iPad, or even the Apple Watch. It could prove to be useful during this pandemic were in – where safe access to gym spaces is scarce.

Conclusion

The Apple Watch Series 6 is simply the most advanced smartwatch on the market. It could do better in the battery life department, where other wearables like the Fitbit Sense offer up to 6 days. But it’s one of the best smartwatches available, only rivaled by the Galaxy Watch 3 as far as smartwatch features are concerned. Still, its plethora of exclusive features and vast app ecosystem makes the Apple Watch Series 6 the wearable to beat. And if you get the GPS+Cellular version, you don’t even have to own an iPhone – as long as someone in your household does (to set it up for the first time) – you can even rock the Apple Watch Series 6 with an Android! And for someone like me who loves supporting causes that are beneficial to my well-being – the Black Unity Apple Watch is a win-win.