Sure, your pet hamster's amazing leg strength may someday power a house, but can it beat you in a race? A pair of Chicago-based artists might be able to help you solve this mystery. The duo recently hooked up a homemade tachometer to a hamster's exercise wheel and mapped the data to a treadmill's motor. The fur ball's RPMs are transferred in real time, which gives it the ability to control its bipedal competitor's running speeds. The team cautions that no animals were harmed during this experiment, however a human ego may have been bruised after trying to keep up with a tireless rodent.

Filed under: Science, Alt

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Source: Daniel Jay Bertner (Blog)

Most app developers have few incentives to build their own hardware, let alone the resources. With 25 million mobile users, Runtastic has both -- so it only makes sense that the company is bringing a slate of complementary exercise gear to the US for the first time. The initial catalog won't shock cyclists and runners who have ever toyed with tracking their progress, but it's certainly complete. Along with Runtastic's take on a GPS watch ($150), there's also an app-friendly heart rate monitor ($70), a speed sensor ($60), an armband and a bike mount. While the peripherals only truly make sense for Runtastic loyalists, they're available today through Amazon -- and they might seal the deal for athletes who want a harmonious blend of hardware and software.

Filed under: Cellphones, GPS, Wearables

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Source: Runtastic

Although more than a few runners track their progress through apps like RunKeeper, it's doubtful that many of them like reaching for their smartphones just to check their pace. Thanks to an updated RunKeeper app, they'll only have to look at the Pebble smartwatch on their wrist. Both Android and iOS users can now glance at the Bluetooth timepiece for vital stats, such as pacing, or start and stop their runs. Only a handful of us will have the needed combination of app and wristwear to justify the update at the source links, but don't despair if you're not part of the Pebble flock. RunKeeper's staff say they "look forward" to supporting wearable technology as a whole, which should let many more athletes keep their eyes on the path ahead, and their hands out of their pockets.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wearables, Mobile

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Source: App Store, Google Play