Upgrade your ride with the Xplova X5 cycling computer
This combination of GPS and video camera comes from PC maker Acer.
- Author of the award-winning, NY Times-reviewed nonfiction book The Tetris Effect; Longtime consumer technology expert for CBS Mornings
The Xplova X5 might have the quirkiest new product name I've seen this year. But, it doesn't help explain what this product is. Owned by PC giant Acer, Xplova is a company that makes GPS-enabled devices for cyclists, and like Garmin and a few other bike-tech leaders, it calls them "cycling computers."
First seen at Acer's New York press preview on April 21, the new Xplova X5 combines a GPS unit, a heart rate tracker and a video camera, and the company says this is the first time a product like this has included video recording capabilities.
The boxy device clips onto your bike's handlebars, giving you a view of the IPX7 water-resistant touchscreen GPS display, which can capture location and performance data. GPS data can also be synced and saved to the Xplova website, and data from friends can be shared to either keep track of their location, or to challenge each other for best times or most difficult ride.
Up close with all the new gear Acer announced at this morning's press event (pictures)
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But it's the built-in video camera that makes the X5 stand out. Rather than trying to hit a record button while you're riding, the unit can be set to automatically record short highlight clips based on user-defined triggers.
Those triggers can include heart rate -- so a video recording starts when you hit a peak heart rate -- or via GPS, when you pass by a notable landmark or a specific set of coordinates. The short 3-second clips can be compiled into a single video, ready for social media sharing.
There's no price or availability details on the Xplova X5 yet, but Acer says it should be for sale in the third quarter of 2016.