CES 2012 – second generation Striv ‘pedometer on steroids’ on its way

I actually feel a little disingenuous calling the Striiv a pedometer as it really is unlike any other pedometer, but I’ll stick with that label for now. In case you missed its launch a few months back – US only, not anywhere else at the moment – the Striiv is being billed as a personal trainer in your pocket. It takes the basic pedometer features and builds on them to deliver a very interesting device that really does help you to understand how much you move during the day.

It’s a small gadget which you attach to your belt, with an unusual (for a pedometer) colour screen. It works brilliantly as a basic pedometer, but its key feature is that it gives you challenges or lets you play games, to encourage you get even more active. If the gamification elements sounds interesting then you’ll enjoy Myland which allows you to fill an island with wildlife and plants as your steps increase.

If your personal health and fitness aren’t enough motivation then if you download your performance into a PC Striiv and its corporate partners donate money to charity on your behalf – the more you walk the more they cough up.

At CES 2012 its makers announced that a second generation model was on its way later this year which would enable the device to connect to social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.

The device costs $99 and is available from Amazon, and soon Best Buy. No news on UK availability.