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  • The BioSport Headphones Track Heartbeats
Technology Articles > Photo, Video & Audio > Headphones > The BioSport Headphones Track Heartbeats

Intel and rapper 50 Cent have teamed up to create a new set of headphones that measure a wearer’s heartbeat without the need for a chest strap or watch of any kind.

The BioSport In-Ear Headphones will keep tabs on how your heart is pumping while you run, walk, or do any other kind of sport. Here’s how those earphones work.

Simplifying Fitness Tracking

The BioSport headphones rely on an optical sensor that measures and monitors a wearer’s heart rate. That information is then sent down the headphone wire to a connected smartphone. From there, a wearer can load or access any number of fitness tracking apps that are available, the headphones will connect with those apps without the need for a wearer to use a watch or chest strap, as most current fitness apps do if heart rate is part of the equation.

The earphones will work with the popular RunKeeper app, and they will also work with other fitness apps. Since the headphones must work in conjunction with a smartphone, there’s no need to charge the headphones (just your smartphone). Intel wanted to make the headphones appealing to the fitness-tracking crowd, which today is pretty much anyone that has a smartphone and is remotely into fitness. The headphones are also water-resistant.

The Sound Quality

So, how’s the sound quality coming from a set of Intel headphones that measure heart rate? That much remains to be seen, though Intel does assure the public that these are headphones first and a fitness tool second. Why 50 Cent? The rapper has his own audio company called SMS Audio, and Intel made a smart move hooking up with the celebrity, though SMS Audio isn’t quite as popular as Beats or other rapper-endorsed headphone companies.

I have to admit, though, that the idea of headphones that automatically keep track of one’s heart rate without the need for a chest strap or other fitness-tracking device do sound appealing. If you’re into fitness you know that keeping tabs on your hear rate is the most important thing, and it’s a vital part of losing weight also.

The thing is, though, the SMS and Intel aren’t alone in the heart rate tracking headphone arena – LG and various other companies already offer headphones that track heartbeats. Given that information, the question now becomes whether or not Intel’s newest addition to the company’s lineup will be better than all the rest.

Availability and Pricing Details

Intel told press today that the headphones will be available in the fourth quarter of 2014 – which is sometime between October and December. Pricing has not been released yet, though you can expect these headphones to be priced in line with what those other companies that have created similar headphones offer.

From the looks of the headphones, the new BioSport headphones will be colorful, playful, and light. Stay tuned to this blog for additional details about the BioSport headphones when they are released later this year. How much would you put up for headphones that track heartbeats? Let me know below.