BODiBEAT

Yamaha have announced a new wearable MP3 player that they claim is the first to match the music to the rhythm of your workout. They have performed studies that show that music helps to reduce the perceived discomfort of exercise and that this is maximized if the music's beat is synchronized to the pace of the exercise. While this might seem intuitive it's interesting that there is some scientific proof to support it.

The BODiBEAT is typically arm mounted and contains a 512MB MP3 player. You load it with songs like any other player but the clever part is that it selects the song with the appropriate tempo for your movement. This is done using accelerometers that detect the impact of a footfall. To assist your exercise, the BODiBEAT is loaded with work management functions related to distance and time.

The BODiBEAT is expected to be available later in the year and should cost $300.

For more information see: http://www.yamaha.com/bodibeat/