Android Sensors

Some Android phones have the Ant+ abd I believe the 4.3 release of the Android OS also has low power bluetooth so this might open up some hardware. What p%&es me off about some apps is that the phones can capture bt data from a hr strap but they are closed to lock you into the app. For instance, Sportstracker is a great UI, in my opinion, top 3 in the space but to use the hr function you have to shell out cash to buy their encoded sensor. That said, I did this and exported files from Sportstracker to upload to Strava thinking that the hr data would be lost, but it wasn't so I have my workouts with Hr data in Strava without having to pay the Strava subscription!

If you have to get stuff, I'd agree you should get the Garmin stuff if you have hardware already.

jinkypolly wrote: »

You don't have to be a premium member to have HR data on Strava.
Also this might be useful to some; http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2013/07/viiiiva-bluetooth-bridge.html

Probably not to get basic HRM data but the premium subscription lists "Suffer Score with detailed heart rate analysis" and I can't get the BT HR strap I bought for another app to work with Strava so I presume that I'd have to buy another, separate strap for Strava - that's just mean IMO given that for years ANT+ devices have pretty much worked with anything you put in front of them whether at the gym or on a watch, etc.

Its not as if these companies can't make their systems more open, they live in a world that quickly replicates and they have no base business protection other than the look and feel of their product and their speed to market.

That link you gave looks interesting, it seems that they may have cracked the legacy hardware/new software problem. If it worked with both Strava and Sportstracker I'd be impressed, I could drop the latter even though I think their app and web UI is better than Strava.