Wow! It’s been a while since we blogged.  Sorry about that.  We’ve been pretty busy working on some awesome new products for you.  We promise to be better!   Stay tuned for another post on the cool things we saw at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last week (one of our lame excuses for not blogging lately).  

In other news, we’re pumped that the Wahoo Fitness Blue HR Heart Rate Strap for iPhone 4S is finally in the market and even more excited that you all seem to be enjoying using it!  We’ve had a few questions on Facebook and Twitter about the Wahoo Blue HR and about Bluetooth Smart in general, so below is a little Q and A that might be interesting to y’all.  Let us know if you have any other questions. 

What is a Wahoo Blue HR? 

• In case you’ve been under a rock, the Wahoo Fitness Blue HR Heart Rate Strap is a hardware (strap and sensor) and software (app) tool that allows you to track your heart rate on your phone.  Worn on the chest, this wireless device gathers electrical activity data to derive your heart beats per minute.  It operates on Bluetooth Smart (aka Bluetooth 4.0, Bluetooth Low Energy, BTLE) wireless technology and it the first of its kind, available now!

Will it work with my iPhone 4?

• Nope.  The Wahoo Blue HR ONLY works with the iPhone 4S right now, but in the future it will work with other “Bluetooth Smart Ready” devices.  Rumor is that the next several generations of iPhones and Android devices will all have Bluetooth Smart wireless technology integrated.  This product will NOT work with the iPhone 3, 3GS, or 4. 

Will it work with other Bluetooth Devices?

• Nope.  Bluetooth Smart is a completely new type technology and therefore is not backwards compatible with other generation of Bluetooth devices.

Can I use ANT+ and Bluetooth Smart Wahoo Sensors at the same time?

• Yes! We built our product so they play nicely together.  Therefore, if you have our ANT+ iPhone Bike Case collecting data from an ANT+ Speed and Cadence Sensor and/or Power Meter, you can also read your heart rate from a Wahoo Blue HR- all simultaneously.  You can also wear your Bluetooth Classic (any generation up to, but not including, Bluetooth 4.0) wireless headphones at the same time, without interference of any kind. 

Is there a limit to the number and type of sensors I can use at the same time?

• There is, but you’d have to turn yourself into The Bonic Man/Woman to reach it.  We’re told that there is “no practical limit” to the number of sensors that can run simultaneously, and as mentioned above, as long as you have an ANT+ receiver (Wahoo Key or Wahoo Bike Case) you can mix and match ANT+, Bluetooth Classic, and Bluetooth Smart sensors without interference.  Go wild.

What Apps can I use with the Wahoo Blue HR?

• You can use the free Wahoo Fitness App or any of our awesome partner apps.  If your compatible App isn’t working, make sure you have the most updated version.

What’s the difference between ANT+ and Bluetooth Smart?

• Bluetooth Smart and ANT+ are both 2.4 gHZ Wireless technologies. They both allow your iPhone to read data from sensors that run on their respective wireless protocols.  ANT+ is great because it’s a standardized protocol that’s prevalent in the Health and Fitness industry.  This is good for you because if you buy an ANT+ Sensor you know it will work with any ANT+ receiver, regardless of brand name.  Bluetooth Smart has a slightly better connectivity range.  Neither can read signals underwater because water is a great insulator against 2.4 gHZ radio waves.   Both technologies are low energy, meaning they can run for about a year or two on a small coin cell battery without recharging.  This means no plugging in and a simple battery replacement when your original battery dies.  We like both technologies- they’re just different.  We have plans to continue making both ANT+ and Bluetooth Smart sensors in the future.

How do I use it? 

• Thoroughly wet both electrodes on the strap with water or electrode gel.
• Snap one end of the strap to one side of the sensor. Either end of the strap can connect to either end of the sensor, just make sure the Wahoo Fitness logo is facing up.
• Wrap the strap around your back, snap the free end in place, and adjust so that the sensor is located on your breastplate, or just below your breasts. Make sure the strap is snug, yet comfortable.
• Once in place, move within 5’ - 10’ of any device that receives Bluetooth Smart wireless data, such as the iPhone 4S and pair the device to your phone with any compatible App.

How do I pair it with my device? 

• Each App pairs a little differently. Make sure the Bluetooth setting on your device is turned on and that you have latest version of your favorite compatible app. 
• The Wahoo Blue HR heart rate strap pairs in the app, not in Bluetooth settings in your phone.  Note: This is a different process than how Bluetooth Classic devices traditionally pair.
• Follow pairing instructions of whichever app you are using.  In the Wahoo Fitness App you’ll need to go to “Quick Settings” and choose “Add New” under “Sensors Used.”  You’ll have to be wearing your Wahoo Blue HR in order for the App to find the sensor.  When you see your heartbeat on the screen, choose “Save.”

It won't connect! What do I do? 

• Check that the electrodes are wet.  Lick them good.
• Make sure you have good contact with your skin and that the strap is snug across your chest.
• Check that the Wahoo Blue HR is ‘awake.’ It ‘sleeps’ with inactivity to save battery.  Do a few jumping jacks to get the blood flowing.
• Make sure Bluetooth is turned on in your settings.

How do I change the battery?

• The battery in your Wahoo Blue HR should last a year or so and is cheap and easy to replace when it dies. The battery is located behind a cover on the back of your heart rate sensor.  Use a coin (nickels work best) to turn the cover counterclockwise to open. Replace with a 3-volt CR2032 battery.

The excitement. The anticipation. The leaks and the PR stunts. The gossip.  And finally, the iPhone 4S.

Apple’s veiled approach to releasing new products always generates to a lot of excitement and even more rumors, and the chatter around release of the iPhone 4S was no exception.  Even as developer of Apple compatible products, Wahoo Fitness and others were left in the dark, forced to wait for the official Apple announcement before beginning any development on compatible products.  Well, here at Wahoo we don’t like to wait.  One of the things we love about working for a small company is that we can be flexible and get things done quickly.  And we can take risks.  Big risks.

While the rumor mill was pumping out chatter on what the iPhone 4S would include, we had our ear to the ground.  We like to think of ourselves as leaders in fitness technology and wanted to do the best things for our users. And with what we were hearing, we decided to take one of those big risks and go out and develop some products that we hoped would be compatible with the new iPhone 4S.  Lucky for us, the bet paid off.  And lucky for you, we’ve got some AWESOME new products for iPhone 4S users coming down the line.

In case you haven’t heard, the iPhone 4S has integrated Bluetooth Smart technology—it’s “Bluetooth Smart Ready”. This is the latest generation (4.0) of Bluetooth wireless technology and features ultra-low power consumption.  TheBluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) released a great statement about all the potential uses of Bluetooth Smart:

“Bluetooth Smart devices are designed to gather a specific type of information—are all the windows on my house locked, what is my insulin level, how much do I weigh today?—and send it to a Bluetooth Smart Ready device. Examples include heart-rate monitors, blood-glucose meters, smart watches, window and door security sensors, key fobs for your car, and blood-pressure cuffs—the opportunities are endless.”

At first read, you are probably thinking, “Great! I can now do a few more awesome things with my iPhone 4S (and other Apple products like MacBook Air).”  But this statement actually means a lot more – it's a seminal event in Apple’s accessory strategy and is a huge benefit to the end users. It’s an open door for inventive, creative companies to develop any accessory they can dream up and use Bluetooth Smart technology to connect it to an iPhone. In the past developers (like us) had to wait for established and approved protocols in order to connect something to an iPhone.  Wahoo Fitness has been successful in pushing the boundaries with the ANT+ technology, but Apple just took it to a whole new level. Now there are no restrictions. This is a classic example of Apple “thinking different” – and Wahoo Fitness is committed to embracing this shift and making awesome, cutting-edge fitness sensors for smartphones, no matter what flavor of technology.

So coming to you (soon!) is the first ever Bluetooth Smart Heart Rate Strap, Wahoo Blue HR, which will connect directly to your iPhone 4S without the need for a Wahoo Key.  Of course, your existing ANT+ Wahoo Key and ANT+ Heart Rate Straps will work as well.  We only ordered a limited quantity, so if you want to be the first to have one you'll have to join our Wahoo Blue mailing list for the lastest news and for pre-order information.  

Investing in products that work with this new technology is just another way Wahoo Fitness is working hard everyday to connect smartphones to fitness and make tracking your workouts as easy and seamless as possible so you can worry about the technology less and “Wahoo!” more.

Running with an iPhone

10 months ago when I started at Wahoo Fitness, I was a Garmin addict. I love long course running and triathlon and after 2 years of training with my trusty Garmin 305, it was going to be tough to pry if off my wrist. This GPS watch had been my partner on too many hill repeats to count (actually 324 or so after checking my Garmin Connect account) and I wasn't ready to give it up.

The problem? I am head of sales and marketing for Wahoo Fitness. I am supposed to be pimping our products! The first 10 times I ran with Chip (our founder), I still had my 305 and I took a lot of crap. I loved riding with my iPhone in our Bike Case but it was tough for me to make the switch on the running side. I soldiered on with my Garmin, leaving the house with the GPS watch on my wrist, iPod Nano clipped on my hat, and sometimes my iPhone in a plastic baggie in my fuel belt (for long runs). My pre-run countdown was now 20 steps long (grab Garmin, charge Nano, wave hand around in the air to get satellite signal…) 

After a month, i made the switch to running with my iPhone. To quote the old adage, "Change is good but transition sucks."  I'll be honest,  it took me three runs to get it right--  the right screen, the right voice prompts, the right settings. BUT, I think back to the first time I ran with my Garmin.  For the first 6 weeks I ran with three fields - time, distance, and instantaneous pace. The pace jumped all over the pace and drove me crazy. It wasn't until a friend (who also had a Garmin) showed me his field settings that I was able to see the right data and use it as an effective training tool.  

Fast forward 9 months. I love running with my iPhone. I use either the Wahoo Fitness App or Runmeter (I had access to the beta with HR - sweet!). I listen to either NPR podcasts or Pandora while I run (love the internet access). I leave the house with one device - nice and simple. And to dispel a myth - the GPS in your iPhone is just as accurate as any GPS watch, sometimes even more accurate!

 If you’re interested, here are my voice prompt settings for the Wahoo Fitness App. Note: I like listening to Sunni - she's my training partner! It's cool listening to her voice over my music.

 

How to set up voice prompts: 

Quick settings --> Trigger settings 

Every 1 mile

- Auto Lap
 

Every 0.5 mile (voice prompt)

- Time: Running W/O (total time)

- Pace: Workout

- Pace: Lap (I want to know if I am running this mile faster/slower than my workout average)
 

Every 0.2 mile (voice prompt)

- Pace: Current (I use a footpod to get this, great for intervals)

That's it! We would love to hear about your experiences running with an iPhone or Android - email us your stories at IAmARunner@WahooFitness.com!

How do we love ANT+?  Let us count the ways...

As you know by now, Wahoo Fitness’s mission is to connect smart phones with fitness sensors—making the technology seamless so you get all the data you want without out the wires, charging up, plugging in, clipping on, etc.   And we couldn’t do what we do best without our friends over at ANT+.

So what is ANT+?  It’s a super efficient wireless technology that’s used in many fitness, wellness and home health applications.  In fact, many existing fitness sensors, like heart rate monitors and bike speed and cadence sensors, already use this technology.  ANT+ allows these sensors to send your fitness data wirelessly to any ANT+ receiver so you can see and track your fitness stats. 

For example, if you run with a Timex heart rate watch, your heart rate monitor measures how many beats per minute (BPM) your heart is beating, depending on how much energy you’re exerting, and then sends that data via ANT+ to the receiver in your watch, where your BPM is displayed. 

Well, often those ANT+ receiver devices are expensive and only work for specific functions (ie JUST read heart rate).  That’s where Wahoo comes in.  Our Wahoo Key for iPhone and Bike Case for iPhone add an ANT+ transceiver to your iPhone, which allows your phone to receive and display all the data sent from any ANT+ sensor.   It’s the magic behind what we do.

 
Why we love ANT+ (and why you should too!)

• Since Wahoo products run on ANT+ technology, you can use most fitness sensors currently on the market with our products.  So if, for example, you already own a Garmin heart rate monitor, you don’t have to buy a different one to use with our Key or Case.  The technology is the same and it will work seamlessly.  (We still like our sensors best, but we play nice so you can benefit!)
• It supports multiple sensors at once so you can run with a heart rate monitor AND a foot pod or ride with a speed and cadence senor AND a power meter.  Actually, it can run up to 8 sensors at a time, which is way more than you’d probably ever need, but a neat fun fact nonetheless.
• It’s engineered for efficiency.  As their website explains, ANT+ has “been designed to simplify network development and optimize network operational efficiency.” Obviously.  What that means in English is that ANT+ devices can run for years on a simple coin cell battery, compared to days or months other wireless technologies would last.
• Our products feature an ANT+ transceiver, which means they can send AND receive data.  Most often you’ll want them to receive data (info from your heart rate monitor, speed and cadence sensor, etc.), but they can also send data.  Want to calibrate your Quarq power meter?  Your Wahoo Bike Case or Wahoo Key can send all the data to your power meter needs to make it uber-accurate. 

So thanks ANT+.  We think you’re great.