Aerobic fitness
is one of the best ways to get — and stay — in shape. It requires
getting your heart rate up, bt it's also important to keep track of
your pulse so that it stays within a helpful range and you don't end up
oveur-doing it. A new app from a pair of MIT graduates can help you do it using only your iPhone or iPod touch.
Rather than rely on a cumbersome sensor band, the Cardiio app (download for iPhone) uses the iPhone's front-facing iSight camera
to scan your face and determine your pulse. This works because as your
heart rate increases, more blood is pumped to your face, and as it is
the amount of ambient light your face reflects decreases. The Cardiio
app is able to detect these variations in reflectiveness and use them to
determine your pulse within three beats per minutes, according to its
creators, husband and wife PhD team Ming-Zer and Yukkee Poh.
The app sells for $4.99 and user
reviews on the iTunes Store are largely very positive so far, with
comments praising its accuracy and ease-of-use. Now, if only they could
come up with an app that could scan our faces and display our
cholesterol levels, we'd be all set.
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