iPhone News Updated

iPhone can monitor fat burning

U.S. professors say using smart phones to track physical activity may improve a person’s health.

At the University of Houston’s Computational Physiology Lab in Texas led by Ioannis Pavlidis, researchers Pradeep Buddharaju and Yuichi Fujiki are developing a new, free download called Walk n’ Play for the iPhone. Available from Apple’s App Store, the Walk n’ Play has 3,000 users to date, the researchers say.

The newest version allows players to compete in real time against another iPhone user or against a simulator and watch the calories burn off as they do their everyday walking.

“You just keep the phone attached to your waistband or carry in your pocket as you normally would, and it records every little motion you do — from walking to climbing stairs — and translates it into calories burned,” Pavlidis said in a statement. “The game operates on a 24-hour cycle and tallies everything up daily.”

Unlike a pedometer that counts steps, the Walk n’ Play counts in calories, adjusts for factors such as mass, and introduces a social, competitive aspect, Pavlidis said.

“Modern conveniences have changed our way of life,” Pavlidis said. “The basic idea behind the application we’ve developed is for people to get motivated and back to living more active lifestyles.”

Copyright 2009 by United Press International

[Thanks: http://www.timesoftheinternet.com]

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