Gear

Sneak Peek: 10 Innovative Products from the World’s Biggest Tech Show

Linx IAS 5 / 10

Linx IAS

Recently, it’s tough to talk about the game of football without also talking about injuries, including concussions. But helmets aren’t the only things evolving. The Linx IAS is a wearable device that pairs with an app that gives you an idea of just how hard a player on the field took a hit. It’s still early to tell if consumers will really buy this and if coaches will adopt the system, but it’s at least a good start in trying to address a real problem in the game. [soon available for pre-order; linxias.com]

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Erik Sofge 6 / 10

InBody Fitness Tracker

You can’t have an electronics show without a tracker of some kind. This one from InBody tracks similar things as other fitness trackers you’ve probably used — your heart rate, how you’re sleeping, how many calories from all that beer you just ran off — but it also looks at your body fat and muscle mass. Once you add in your current weight, you have to touch it with your fingers while you’re wearing it, which sends a signal through your body (though we’ll have to wait to see if it actually works). And if you want something a little less sporty, they offer another version (the one pictured doesn’t measure body fat or muscle mass) that lets you choose from other band styles. [$179; inbodyusa.com]

Parrot 7 / 10

Parrot Zik Sport

Building on the success of its Zik and Zik 2.0 luxury Bluetooth headphones, Parrot introduced a fitness-minded offshoot, with a truly weird design. The basic features are all there — active noise cancellation, wireless syncing, and an intuitive equalizer interface — but the Zik Sport also employs a new approach to keeping earphones in your ears. The band flexes, but its grip is firm, pressing the earbuds into place while a pair of black pads sit above your temples, relieving the mechanical pressure. The pads also store the battery and the electronics (which might otherwise fit into an over-the-ear model’s earcups), including components that help measure heart rate, elevation, and other fitness-tracking stats. We don’t have a release date or price, but we can confirm that the Zik Sport fits securely. And as awkward as those headpads look, anything that keeps you from constantly jamming earbuds back into place is an innovation worth watching. [parrot.com/usa]

Courtesy Withings 8 / 10

Withings Activite Pop

You probably remember Withings most for making it possible to wear your activity tracker with a tie without anyone noticing. Now, the Swiss-based manufacturer is back with the Activité Pop, a continuation of its previous watch. At a cheaper price, it can still do just as much as its older brother and packs an impressive battery life, but there are more styles to choose from. Plus, you don’t have to wear a leather band around your wrist the next time you head out for a run or to the gym. [$149.95; available in March; bestbuy.com]

Courtesy Kiqplan.com 9 / 10

Fitbug Kiqplan

Fitbug would never say this, but its latest product is basically an admission of defeat. The company has been making fitness trackers long enough to know that the category is plagued with abandonment issues, as customers gradually (or immediately) ditch their trackers once the data loses its luster. Enter the Kiqplan, a series of apps that give you specific tools to reach a specific fitness goal, over a 12-week period. So instead of passively collecting data about your workout routine, the Belly Blaster Kiqplan, for example, focuses on the numbers that relate to your gut, and provide targets as well as exercise videos to help reduce it. What’s impressive about this series, though, is that Fitbug doesn’t require that you use one of its products. Kiqplans are compatible with other companies’ fitness trackers, as well as many smartphones. So even if it’s a gamble, there’s no need to invest in new hardware. There are four plans available so far, for $20 each — expensive for a glorified app, but well worth it if you see results. [$20; kiqplan.com]

Courtesy Visijax.com 10 / 10

Visijax Jacket

Even with all the right lights on your bike and reflective clothing, it still might not be enough to let the guy in the car behind you know that you’re about to turn left or right. Visijax combined those things into one jacket that packs a rechargeable battery inside. Another plus: According to the company, you can throw it in the washer when you take out the battery. [$160; visijax.com]

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