[Sportsandrec] Accessible Exercise Metrics

[Thornbury, Kelly]

I've come across a new product announced at InterBike that I thought was 
pretty "WOW" and I wanted to share.

The company is called IIII Innovations (for JAWS-types that is "4 Eyes), and 
the product is the Sport-IIIIs (again, Sport-eyes). It is a Heads Up Display 
(HUD) device for viewing run and ride metrics without having to look down at 
a watch or bike computer. The device connects to your glasses and has a boom 
arm with seven LED lights to tell you if you are in your target exercise 
zone.

But that's not the cool part, the really cool part is the speaker on the 
device that also gives this information in audio cues. The videos I've 
looked at about the product only announced whether you were in your target 
zones (I think it was programmed so), but the technicians at 4-eyes told me 
the unit will also give numerical data (speed, cadence, heart rate, power, 
ect.).

The unit pairs with your ANT+ devices (Garmin users) like HR straps, foot 
pods, speed and cadence sensors, and power devices. It will have (at this 
time) 1gb of exercise storage, be downloadable to TrainingPeaks and 
SportTracks, or to a 4-eyes program for analysis. Also, while it is designed 
to compliment your current watch or head unit data collecting device, it 
will also work alone.

The one accessibility issue may be in the software to program the unit 
(which will be in both PC and Mac versions); it sounds like the features to 
adjust the zones are slider bars and very graphic, but I haven't been able 
to check it out yet. The program does allow for a wide variety of 
adjustments, including training zones to programming the LEDs to customizing 
the audio prompts to adjusting the sensitivity of the tip-tap button (I 
think that is what it is called, "tip-tap"). The audio prompts can be 
programmed to announce at a tap, or in intervals.

The announced release is late October or November (currently), and suggested 
retail is $199 (again currently). People have been beta-testing, and 
"improvements" and suggestions are being explored and implemented almost 
daily (note: I did not ask about firmware updates once the unit is 
purchased, like Garmin provides regularly). 4-IIII also never considered 
advertising to blind athletes (because the unit is technically designed as a 
visual aide), but the person I spoke to seemed (or appeared to be) more than 
slightly interested at the idea.

Also, the company is designing "kit" (shirts, shorts, and Spandex...The 
shorts may have a big eye ball on the "bum" which some may not like but I 
would probably wear as my Sunday best).

Anyway, just wanted to get this out in case anyone hadn't heard and might be 
interested. Internet reviews have been a bit limited (DC Rainmaker has a 
pretty decent review; VeloNews a quick blurb in a "cool things to wear" 
article), but the representatives at IIII were very informative and helpful.

Sorry for the long post,
Kelly