CES had so many things to put on your wrist. Some were cool, most were just a waste of money. But nearly all of them want to tell you how many steps you take. Fortunately, some tracking devices don’t need your wrist and are ready for more than just a way to see how far you walked (spoiler, I walked a lot at CES).
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The XON Snow-1 bindings track your snowboarding form with a flex sensor that attaches to your snowboard and load-balance sensors in each binding to track your balance. The data, in conjunction with the Bluetooth-tethered companion app, can be analyzed to help make you a better rider.
It’ll even work with supported cameras to overlay the data, so you can see the information as you ride to determine where you need to improve.
While the skiing version of this technology involves putting a sensor on your gear, the Snow-1 is a pair of bindings, which may not be ideal for advanced riders looking for gear that’s specifically made for their type of riding style. But as a teaching tool, it could be a great way to help riders get rid of bad habits before they take root.
The Snow-1 is expected to launch sometime this year with no word on pricing.
➤ XON
Apple refreshes iPod Touch lineup with new colors and iSight camera, now starting from $199
Apple has announced a refresh of its iPod Touch lineup today which will see the devices offered in a new range of colors and include an iSight camera on the rear.
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Available in pink, yellow, blue, silver, space gray and red, the new devices will start from $199 for the 16GB model – a reduction from its previous $229 price tag. The larger capacity 32GB and 64GB models cost $249 and $299 respectively.
In addition to the 5-megapixel iSight camera – which supports 1080p HD video recording – the devices feature a 4-inch Retina display, Apple’s A5 processor and a forward-facing camera.
Apple said the devices are set to go on sale today in the US and worldwide “in the coming days”.
➤ Apple Brings Vibrant Colors & iSight Camera to Most Affordable iPod touch Model
Google Play Games gets gifts, multiplayer invites, cross-platform Android and iOS multiplayer support
At the Game Developers Conference (GDC) today, Google announced a slew of improvements for Google Play Games, its cross-platform game service and SDK for Android, iOS, and the Web. New features include game gifts, multiplayer invites, and cross-platform multiplayer with newly added support for iOS.
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Game gifts are exactly what you’d expect: a new service that lets players send virtual in-game objects to anyone in their circles or through player search. Multiplayer invites is also quite straightforward: the Play Games app allows players to add each other to their game.
As for Google Play Game services, multiplayer support has been expanded to include iOS. This means both turn-based and real-time multiplayer capabilities are now cross-platform on Android and iOS. Developers will want to know that the Play Games Unity Plug-in will be supporting these new cross-platform multiplayer services.
Speaking of developer news, Google is also introducing an early Play Games C++ SDK to support achievements and leaderboards. Google Analytics will soon be available directly in the AdMob interface so developers can see how users are interacting with their app, as well as whether they are tapping on in-app purchase ads.
Next up, the company is launching enhanced Play Games statistics on the Google Play Developer Console, which show game analytics for Play Games adopters. Developers will have access to a daily dashboard that visualizes player and engagement statistics for signed in users, including daily active users, retention analysis and achievements, as well as leaderboard performance.
Last but not least, the Google Play Store will soon get 18 new game categories to help sort through the growing number of titles. These features are all rolling out gradually, starting on March 18, although Google wouldn’t say in what order to expect them.
See also – Google updates Play policies to ban apps and ads modifying devices, require games use its in-app billing service and Google Play Games gets new developer features: Key player stats, alerts, and twice the Cloud Save storage
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