Again, Wahoo Reinvents Fitness on the iPhone
Wahoo’s popular ANT+ Fisica dongle, which allows the iPhone to read signals from fitness gadgets like heart-rate monitors, pedometers and bike sensors, is probably most widely used fitness iPhone accessory since its release a little over a year ago. And today, Wahoo took the first step toward killing it.
That’s because the Atlanta-based outfit just unveiled their new $80 Wahoo Blue HR heart-rate sensor. The Blue HR uses the new low-energy Bluetooth v4.0 connection every new iPhone 4S comes equipped with, instead of the dongle-facilitated ANT+ connection. Which is great, because a) it’s less expensive than buying the dongle (which is $80) and then also having to purchase an HR sensor, and b) there’s no dongle to fiddle with. Wahoo is first to announce a Bluetooth v4.0 fitness device for the iPhone.
The Blue isn’t locked to a specific app; popular apps RunKeeper and MapMyFitness are already compatible, as is Wahoo’s own free app.
We’re not sure yet how power consumption compares with that of ANT+, but it should be more or less comparable. Unfortunately, while Bluetooth v4.0 isn’t just Apple technology and should be included on Android (et. al.) high-end handsets as well, the 4S is the only Apple handset with the tech — it doesn’t exist on the 4 or below. Also, the HRM is the only piece of kit with the tech; no pedometer, powermeter or bike sensors are equipped with it just yet — so if you’re on a bike and need cadence you’re still stuck with a dongle, even with a 4S.
When he was eight, Eli Milchman came home from frolicking in the Veld one day and was given an Atari 400. Since then, his fascination with technology has made him an intrepid early adopter of whatever charming new contraption crosses his path — which explains why he's Cult of Mac's test editor-at-large. He calls San Francisco home, where he works as a journalist and photographer. Eli has contributed to the pages of 
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