Your phone is where you'll be heading to break sweat.

1. TECHNOLOGY THEPHUKETNEWS.COM FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2016
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18
T
he mental barriers holding
you back from getting into
shape are numerous. Every-
one wants to get into shape,
but many lack the confidence,
the time, or simply just don’t
know how to get started with
joining a yoga class or signing
up for gym membership.
Don’t you worry. Smartphones and
applications really are the answer to
everything.
These five exercise applications will
help set even the laziest boys and girls
fitness regime into motion by pushing,
prodding and encouraging. Unleashing
your inner gym bunny has never been
easier!
Human
Available for iPhone, Android
Human is a clever little app that
clocks all movement both indoors and
out. All activity tracked by Human
counts towards a daily goal of 30 min-
utes in motion, or 60 to 90 minutes if
you are feeling ambitious. On particu-
larly lazy and lethargic days, the app
automatically prods the user to get
moving. Human is a great starter app
for anyone looking to be more active
without committing to a repetitive fit-
ness routine.
More info human.co
Couch to 5K
Available for iPhone, Android
Couch potatoes, do not feel intimi-
dated. Couch to 5K may sound a bit
scary, especially if you enjoy the couch
spectrum of things, but this app’s train-
ing regimen starts off easy and gradu-
ally increases the run time from one
training session to the next. Prompted
by audio cues from a personal trainer,
runners are encouraged to give the ex-
tra push and go a little further than the
previous session. Novice runners who
stick to the program can expect to com-
plete a 5K circuit within nine weeks.
More info c25k.com
Your phone is where you’ll be heading to break sweat
Johnson & Johnson
7 Minute Workout
Available for iPhone, Android
Seven minutes of exercise produces
impressive results, science says. John-
son & Johnson 7 Minute Workout fea-
tures a high-intensity workout with
easy to follow instructions and a sleek
interface. The workout is not easy for
beginners, but worth a try. After all, it
is only seven minutes!
More info 7minuteworkout.jnj.com
RockMyRun
Available for iPhone, Android
RockMyRun is an app for those who
love music and also enjoy running.
APPLICATION ABCS
Amy Bensema
bensema.amy@gmail.com
Application ABCs is a new column highlight-
ing the latest in tech, social media and
mobile phone applications for your life.
RockMyRun arranges music mixes by
tempo so that the beat aligns with a
runner’s pace. An easy jog starts off at
120 beats per minute while a hard run
is 150 beats per minute. Android users
must change the tempo manually, but
iPhone users are able to use tempos
that sync automatically.
More info rockmyrun.com
Fitocracy
Available for iPhone, Android
Fitocracy provides the competitive
edge of the gym. Points are awarded
for each workout recorded, badges for
reaching milestones and bragging
rights on its social network of more
than one million dedicated users.
Through the app it is also possible to
hire a personal trainer for motivation,
fitness and nutritional advice for an af-
fordable fee of $1 per day.
More info fitocracy.com
Whatever your fitness motivation,
these apps are well worth looking into
to get you moving a bit more.
Exercise applications for the lazy
Olli, a 3D-printed, self-driving minibus, to hit the road
A
new maker of self-driving vehicles
burst onto the scene Thursday last
week (June 16) in partnership with
IBM’s supercomputer platform Wat-
son, and it’s ready to roll right now.
The vehicle – a 3D-printed minibus
called “Olli” capable of carrying 12
people – was unveiled by Arizona-based
startup Local Motors outside the US
capital city Washington.
Olli was designed as an on-demand
transportation solution that passengers
can summon with a mobile app, like
Uber rides. And it can be “printed” to
specification in “micro factories” in a
matter of hours.
Olli will be demonstrated in Nation-
al Harbor, Maryland, over the next few
months with additional trials expected
in Las Vegas and Miami. Local Motors
is also in talks to test the vehicles in
dozens of cities around the world includ-
ing Berlin, Copenhagen
and Canberra.
Even though Google
and several automakers
see several years of test-
ing before deploying au-
tonomous cars, Local Mo-
tors co-founder and chief
executive John Rogers
said this vehicle is ready
to go into service as soon
as regulations allow it.
By “fielding”, Rogers
said Local Motors can
design and make the ve-
hicles to specification and
offer a service to local governments or
other buyers.
“Local Motors is about selling (the
vehicles) into the markets that are
ready now,” he said.
Rogers said the company has an ad-
vantage over other systems because it
is building the vehicles from the ground
up, and producing most components
with 3D printers.
“We hope to be able to print this ve-
hicle in about 10 hours and assemble it
in another hour,” he said.
He envisions hundreds of “micro-
factories” producing the vehicles around
the world.
The privately held company with
about 45 investors can easily revamp
its design based on what a customer
wants, and lacks the large infrastruc-
ture costs of traditional automakers,
according to Rogers.
The driving is controlled by a system
developed by Local Motors with several
software and tech partners. IBM is not
doing the driving but is providing the
user interface so passengers can have
“conversations” with Olli.
The vehicle relies on more than 30
sensors and streams of data from IBM’s
cloud. It marks IBM’s first venture in
fully autonomous driving, although it
has worked with other automotive part-
ners on technology solutions.
AFP
Olli in Maryland, USA (Photo:MandelNgan/AFP).