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Monday 10 June 2013
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Our blog has shifted! Come and find us here.
Join the conversation in all the latest developments of Tech and Fitness.
Brought to you by Active in Time
Follow us on Twitter!
Download our Splashpath app
Download our GymJam app
Join the conversation in all the latest developments of Tech and Fitness.
Brought to you by Active in Time
Follow us on Twitter!
Download our Splashpath app
Download our GymJam app
Tuesday 4 June 2013
New developments in running shoes
I was reading Forbes magazine the other day (highbrow, I know) and there was interesting look at new shoes from a Swiss brand called On.
I've been looking a travelling to Japan next year for some trail running, so running shoes are high on my radar at the moment - anything to make it a bit easier!
The trend in recent years has been to go fairly minimalist, bare-foot running and all that primal stuff, so it's interesting to see that On have come out with shoes that are described as almost having springs on them - lots of material and lots of padding.
The clever part about them is that they provide a cushioning system that absorbs both vertical and horizontal forces but still enables you to feel the ground as you push off with each stride. They're designed Olivier Bernhard who knows running (he's an Ironman and Duathlon champion), so I'm keen to give them a try.
A shoe that's comfortable to run in... revolutionary!
Gareth from ActiveTech
I've been looking a travelling to Japan next year for some trail running, so running shoes are high on my radar at the moment - anything to make it a bit easier!
The trend in recent years has been to go fairly minimalist, bare-foot running and all that primal stuff, so it's interesting to see that On have come out with shoes that are described as almost having springs on them - lots of material and lots of padding.
The clever part about them is that they provide a cushioning system that absorbs both vertical and horizontal forces but still enables you to feel the ground as you push off with each stride. They're designed Olivier Bernhard who knows running (he's an Ironman and Duathlon champion), so I'm keen to give them a try.
A shoe that's comfortable to run in... revolutionary!
Gareth from ActiveTech
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Tech Report - Squarespace
Like most people, we've built our fair share of websites over the years - some we're really proud of, some that look like they've been designed by a five-year-old.
What's been interesting over the years is how much easier it's been getting - lots of advances that remove the need to learn complex coding or html language, empowering everyday content creators to publish online.
The latest in these developments is a new offering called Squarespace.
This this the easiest 'build your own website' tool that we've seen - and there's some great templates available to give your site a very professional look and feel.
The pricing isn't the cheapest on the market, but if you're thinking about putting a website together then this is definitely worth having a look at.
What's been interesting over the years is how much easier it's been getting - lots of advances that remove the need to learn complex coding or html language, empowering everyday content creators to publish online.
The latest in these developments is a new offering called Squarespace.
This this the easiest 'build your own website' tool that we've seen - and there's some great templates available to give your site a very professional look and feel.
The pricing isn't the cheapest on the market, but if you're thinking about putting a website together then this is definitely worth having a look at.
Brought to you by Active in Time
Download our Splashpath app
Download our GymJam app
Dirty Sanchez loves Splashpath
Matthew Pritchard is one of the team behind MTV hit show Dirty Sanchez.
Great to see he's also a keen swimmer and a fan of our Splashpath app - according to a recent tweet he's ticked off the Irish Sea challenge!
Our new Splashpath app will be launching in the UK in early July - we can't wait to show it to you!
Great to see he's also a keen swimmer and a fan of our Splashpath app - according to a recent tweet he's ticked off the Irish Sea challenge!
Our new Splashpath app will be launching in the UK in early July - we can't wait to show it to you!
Brought to you by Active in Time
Download our Splashpath app
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Saturday 1 June 2013
Swimming around the world - Auckland
We love reading about swimming clubs in different parts of the world, here's a profile of a swimming club in Auckland - read it here.
Of course you don't have to travel to New Zealand for a great swimming adventure - with our Splashpath app you can set yourself challenges all around the world, all from the comfort of your local swimming pool!
Of course you don't have to travel to New Zealand for a great swimming adventure - with our Splashpath app you can set yourself challenges all around the world, all from the comfort of your local swimming pool!
Brought to you by Active in Time
Download our Splashpath app
Download our GymJam app
Social Media Report - Storify
We've finally got around to having a serious look at Storify.
This is an app that helps you pull together news sources and social media feeds to build a coherent narrative about a particular subject or topic.
You can then share that consolidated view (and your additional commentary) with your social media audiences.
This operates in a similar space to apps such as Feedly and paper.li but it does enable you to put some personal commentary and opinions around the content which is probably an advantage as you're personalising and adding value to what you're presenting.
Keep an eye out for our stories on Storify - inevitably they will be about tech and fitness, but that's what we love!
This is an app that helps you pull together news sources and social media feeds to build a coherent narrative about a particular subject or topic.
You can then share that consolidated view (and your additional commentary) with your social media audiences.
This operates in a similar space to apps such as Feedly and paper.li but it does enable you to put some personal commentary and opinions around the content which is probably an advantage as you're personalising and adding value to what you're presenting.
Keep an eye out for our stories on Storify - inevitably they will be about tech and fitness, but that's what we love!
Brought to you by Active in Time
Download our Splashpath app
Download our GymJam app
Social Media Report - paper.li
One of the new social media apps that we've come across recently is paper.li.
We're loving it because it enables you to effectively become a news publisher - you set the topics and news sources that interest you, the app pulls the feeds together, you can then edit and highlight/select the stories you want to focus on, then you can publish it and share it with your audiences across different social media channels.
In a way it's a way of using other people's content to create your own voice and point of view, maintaining your profile on your target social media platforms.
Worth exploring.
We're loving it because it enables you to effectively become a news publisher - you set the topics and news sources that interest you, the app pulls the feeds together, you can then edit and highlight/select the stories you want to focus on, then you can publish it and share it with your audiences across different social media channels.
In a way it's a way of using other people's content to create your own voice and point of view, maintaining your profile on your target social media platforms.
Worth exploring.
Brought to you by Active in Time
Download our Splashpath app
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Tech Report - Social Media Audit
From time to time it's worth doing a bit of a Social Media audit on yourself. Some key questions:
Here's a few tips on how to self-audit your social media presence and take a few steps to get ahead of the game:
Use the technology and switch on your personal digital strategy.
- Have you got all the main social media platforms covered?
- What is your presence like on social media?
- What image are you presenting to the world via social media?
Here's a few tips on how to self-audit your social media presence and take a few steps to get ahead of the game:
- Do a Google search on yourself. For most people a simple search on your name won’t reveal many results, so try narrowing the search by including key terms that people might associate with you - such as “name+profession”; or “name+hobby”. Also do an image search - it’s often surprising how your name might attach to various images online. Hopefully your searches won’t find anything that might embarrass you or undermine your credibility. If you do find something at least you’ve identified it and can take steps to have it removed, or at the very least you’re forewarned about what information is in the public domain.
- The next step is to think about what you what your online presence to say about you - in a professional sense. In many ways social media has made the traditional distinction between “public” and “private” almost irrelevant, but there are some steps you can take to proactively manage how the world sees you. An easy place to start is Facebook - a sensible step is to limit your personal Facebook profile to your friends and family, but also creating a public Facebook page that can be shared with professional networks and the wider world. Tone of voice and getting your content right for your target audience are also important considerations for platforms such as LinkedIn and Twitter. We’ve seen too many public relations disasters where people have had misjudged Tweets blow up in their face - and yet people continue to make that mistake.
- Proactively use your digital channels to enhance your profile and business prospects. Use your online activity to demonstrate to the world that you are an expert in your field, that you have insightful and intelligent comments to make, and that you are up to date with the latest developments in your industry. This doesn’t necessarily you need to write extensive blogs, but choose wisely the material that you share across your online platforms, join relevant discussions and groups on LinkedIn, and use the power of social media to connect with key people in your industry and engage with them via comments on their updates or postings.
- Use tools such as Buffer and IfThisThenThat to fully leverage your activity and that you maintain a prominent profile within the consciousness of your target market.
Use the technology and switch on your personal digital strategy.
Brought to you by Active in Time
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Swimming around the world - Helsinki
Love reading about different places to go swimming around the world - this article makes Helsinki sound like a pretty attractive option! Swimming in the Olympic pool, naked swimming options, and plenty of saunas - read it here.
Of course you don't have to travel around the world for a swimming adventure - just use our Splashpath app to design your own challenge!
Of course you don't have to travel around the world for a swimming adventure - just use our Splashpath app to design your own challenge!
Brought to you by Active in Time
Download our Splashpath app
Download our GymJam app
Gym Food!
Getting some high quality energy food into you after a big swim or work-out at the gym is obviously really essential, but it can be a bit tricky to find the right food at the right time - convenience is key!
Quite excited to hear about a new product that solves some of those problems - read about it here.
Quite excited to hear about a new product that solves some of those problems - read about it here.
Brought to you by Active in Time
Download our Splashpath app
Download our GymJam app
Social Media Report - IFTTT
In my latest attempt to stay up to speed with the rapidly evolving landscape of Social Media, apps, and extensions, I've been trying to get my head around IFTTT - it stands for "If This Then That", a way of creating rules to automat a lot of your online activity.
I think it's worth persevering with.
There's a fair bit of set up involved - it's all straightforward, just a bit time consuming, and you have to have a relatively clear sense of how you manage and control the information you are sharing or pushing to the world.
An example of the types of rules or recipes that you can create is:
If I create a post on Blogger Then replicate that post on my Wordpress site; or
If I check in on Foursquare Then publish that on LinkedIn.
It should save time and it should help to ensure that you don't forget to fully leverage your content or activity across all of the available channels or platforms.
I think it's worth persevering with...
I think it's worth persevering with.
There's a fair bit of set up involved - it's all straightforward, just a bit time consuming, and you have to have a relatively clear sense of how you manage and control the information you are sharing or pushing to the world.
An example of the types of rules or recipes that you can create is:
If I create a post on Blogger Then replicate that post on my Wordpress site; or
If I check in on Foursquare Then publish that on LinkedIn.
It should save time and it should help to ensure that you don't forget to fully leverage your content or activity across all of the available channels or platforms.
I think it's worth persevering with...
Brought to you by Active in Time
Download our Splashpath app
Download our GymJam app
Social Media Report - Feedly
One of the big complaints about social media (from an end user point of view) is that there is simply too much - too many different channels and platforms, too much information, too many conversations and topics and trends that it’s impossible to keep up with everything. Add on top of that all of your traditional and mainstream sources of news and information and suddenly you are overwhelmed by information.
Feedly could be the answer that you’re looking for.
Feedly enables you to combine all of your different sources of information - the various websites, RSS feeds, Facebook pages and groups - all into one platform that you can theme and structure and organize in a way that makes sense for you.
How does it work in practice? It saves you time and also the worry that you might have missed something. Instead of having to look at ten different websites, you can look at one. As you read the updates and articles delivered to you from your selected news sources, you mark them as read so that you are only ever looking at the freshest content. See something interesting that you want to come back to? Put a pin into it and save it. Want to share something with your networks? Use the inbuilt Buffer extension.
Definitely worth trying.
Feedly could be the answer that you’re looking for.
Feedly enables you to combine all of your different sources of information - the various websites, RSS feeds, Facebook pages and groups - all into one platform that you can theme and structure and organize in a way that makes sense for you.
How does it work in practice? It saves you time and also the worry that you might have missed something. Instead of having to look at ten different websites, you can look at one. As you read the updates and articles delivered to you from your selected news sources, you mark them as read so that you are only ever looking at the freshest content. See something interesting that you want to come back to? Put a pin into it and save it. Want to share something with your networks? Use the inbuilt Buffer extension.
Definitely worth trying.
Brought to you by Active in Time
Download our Splashpath app
Download our GymJam app
Social Media Report - Buffer
Keeping up with the latest developments in social media can be a bit of a challenge, there’s constantly new apps, new platforms, new ways of sharing, organizing, publishing information and content.
Some things take off - some things don’t, but you kind have to keep your finger on the pulse of everything just so you don’t miss ‘the next big thing’.
The latest app we're trying out is called Buffer.
This is a way to help you share content across multiple platforms (without you having to manually do it) plus it also helps you schedule when to share your content for maximum impact.
They key platforms that it connects with are Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
It’s easy to install and easy to then click on the buffer extension to share your target content.
It would be useful if you could add in every platform that you’re managing, but I imagine that all of that is in development.
It’s probably not the silver bullet to solve all of your social media requirements, but Buffer seems to be a useful addition to help maintain your online presence by regularly pushing out low-level, non time-critical content.
Worth trying.
Brought to you by Active in Time
Download our Splashpath app
Download our GymJam app
Swimming clubs around the world - Sydney
We love reading about swimming clubs in different parts of the world - here's a profile of The Wett Ones club in Sydney, Australia - read it here.
If you don't have time to travel to Sydney to swim, why not try one of our virtual swimming channels on our Splashpath app? Swim across the channel? Cross the Thames? Swim the Nile? All from the comfort of your local pool...
If you don't have time to travel to Sydney to swim, why not try one of our virtual swimming channels on our Splashpath app? Swim across the channel? Cross the Thames? Swim the Nile? All from the comfort of your local pool...
Brought to you by Active in Time
Download our Splashpath app
Download our GymJam app
GymJam in the Huffington Post
Nice mention for our GymJam app in the Huffington Post - read the article here.
GymJam helps you to find your nearest gym, check the opening times and the class schedule. That's a couple of less excuses you've got!
GymJam helps you to find your nearest gym, check the opening times and the class schedule. That's a couple of less excuses you've got!
Brought to you by Active in Time
Download our Splashpath app
Download our GymJam app
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