Every day we see more and more technologies blended with one another, things that you would never thought that they would mix. I remember a few years ago some company released a refrigerator with an Internet connection. I still don't know what it was good for, but maybe others found some uses for that.One of the things I never thought possible was the use of electronic technology in psychical training. Usually when someone works out, they try to lose as much as possible the extra accessories so nothing can slow them down. But these days almost no one is jogging without an MP3 or radio player. And when I think about it, it's not that much weight to carry around. So why not have something extra?
Adidas teemed up with Samsung and created a phone that acts as a personal trainer, monitoring you while you work out. The concept is nothing new but the innovation comes in the following: "miCoach is the only system that turns that data into a personal training plan based on your fitness level and goals. miCoach is designed to help all types of runners, from beginners to veterans, perform at their highest level, stay motivated and achieve their goals". So it also processes the data it gathers. That's useful, as there aren't many that now what their heart rate should be or other medical informations for that matter. I'm one of them.
The phone itself is also pretty good and within the current standards: MP3 player and Stereo FM Radio, WAP 2.0, USB 2.0 ant Bluetooth 2.0 ERD, 1GB internal memory, 176x220 TFT 262K display, 2.0MP camera (I guess this one is for when you take that well deserved break). On top of that it has a built-in pedometer, real-time coach narration during workouts (for the motivation), workout planning, managing, and tracking on miCoach.com. Since we mentioned Adidas was one of the master minds behind this project, you can imagine that the phone is compatible with Adidas adiStar sports apparel and it synchronizes with Adidas miCoach system: foot pod, heart rate monitor.
So that's another good gadget from Samsung. If you're interested in buying one Associated Press states that "miCoach hits retail stores in Europe this month and will roll out in the United States in 2009. It will cost $304 to $608 in Europe, depending on the service plan users select. U.S. pricing has not been set".
