The Week in Review is a collection of both all the goodness I’ve written during the past week around the internet, as well as a small pile of links I found interesting – generally endurance sports related. I’ve often wondered what to do with all of the coolness that people write, and while I share a lot of it on Twitter and Facebook, this is a better forum for sending it on to y’all. Most times these different streams don’t overlap, so be on the lookout at all these places for good stuff!
So with that, let’s get into the action!
Sports Tech Deals:
There’s still tons of deals out and about, including some renewed/bigger Apple Watch Series 6 and SE deals, if you’re looking to squeak in a deal before the end of the year. Most of these deals will end on/about Christmas.
| Product | Sale Price | Amazon | Sale Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | AmazFit T-Rex 3 - $40 off | $240 | Amazon | |
 | Amazon Echo Dot Kids - 42% off | $34 | Amazon | Despite being a tech-focused dude, our kids don't actually get much tech in their lives. However, we got these two years ago for them in their rooms, to play music. They do lots of other things, but our kids mostly just use it to play music (from Spotify and Apple Music too), and occasionally they ask it questions. It has all the parental controls I want, so it locks it down from bedtime/etc...For $34? Solid deal (The coolest 'nice touch' feature is that if you whisper to it, it'll whisper back...in the owl kids voice it has.) |
 | Apple 11" iPad - (Wi-Fi, 128GB) - $70 off! | $279 | Amazon | ⚡ This is an awesome deal. I use my iPad primarily for TrainerRoad as well as Zwift when not with a larger display. I also occasionally use it for other apps, namely Indievelo, Kinomap, Rouvy, and Peloton. But I pretty much test every smart trainer app on it. For all these cycling apps, the graphics capabilities is really pretty irrelevant, so having the absolute top-end/latest model won't make any difference. I prefer the budget options. |
 | Apple AirPods 4 - $60 off! | $119 | Amazon | |
 | Apple Watch SE (2022/2nd gen) - $100 off $249/$299 (cellular) | $169 | Amazon | It's really hard to beat $169 for an Apple Watch. Again, like the other Apple units on this list, the SE3 was announce last month - which adds an Always-on Display, among other features. But at $169 with otherwise all the same software features as the higher-end Apple Watch units, this continues to be one of the best deals in smartwatches out there. |
 | Apple Watch Series 10 - $120 off $399/$499 (cellular) | $279 | Amazon | With the Series 11 out last month, you'll see sales on the Series 10. That said, there isn't a huge difference between Series 11 and Series 10. So if you were looking at the Apple Watch SE3, this might be worth grabbing instead for the added features. |
 | Apple Watch Ultra 2 Black Titanium - $150 off | $649 | Amazon | With the new Apple Watch Ultra 3 announced last month, it's time to clear some Ultra 2 inventory. This is pretty much the 'normal' sale price for the Ultra 2. |
 | DJI Mini 4K Drone - $60 off | $239 | Amazon | If you're looking to get into flying with a DJI drone, this is a solid place to start. Of course, moreso than that, the days are very limited for how much longer you can actually buy at DJI drone in the US. So, grab them while you can. |
 | DJI NEO - $30 off! | $159 | Amazon | This is the lowest price on this drone, and is a great option if you want a follow-me drone that's pretty hard to kill, at a price point that's still super reasonable. |
 | DJI OSMO 360 - $137 off | $412 | Amazon | NOTE: This is not sold by DJI directly via Amazon. DJI itself is NOT selling the OSMO 360 in the US, and WILL NOT support/repair it in the US. That said, it's a solid deal if you're ok with those risks. |
 | Garmin Edge 540 - $73 off | $267 | Amazon | ⚡At $267, it's pretty much impossible to beat this deal in terms of bike computers. There's no competitive option that beats it on features/battery/etc at this price, or frankly anywhere near it. Sure, it doesn't have a touchscreen, but it's not as bad as it used to be (I did a stint on it this winter for a week or so, and was fine). |
 | Garmin Epix Pro - $250 off! $899/$999 | $499 | Amazon | ⚡ This is avery solid deal! The Epix Pro has the latest optical HR sensor in it, and thus has full ECG support as well. Note, this is for a 'renewed' model. In Garmin lingo, it means it went back to the (same) factory in Taiwan, and went back to the assembly line and is effectively a new watch again. I wouldn't have any concerned with a renewed model, but some might. |
 | Garmin Varia Radar (RTL515) - $50 off | $149 | Amazon | This is Garmin's standalone radar+taillight option, and $149 is pretty much the standard sale-price. Even despite all the new radars out there, this remains the most accurate option on the market. Now, only if Garmin would just re-release it with USB-C. C'Mon Garmin... |
 | Garmin Venu X1 - $100 off! | $699 | Amazon | This is the first time we've seen the Venu X1 on sale, since it came out this past summer. This is a good deal, though, I do wonder if it indicates the original pricing wasn't quite right here. |
 | Garmin inReach 2 Mini Satellite Communicator (2-way) - $40 off | $360 | Amazon | This is a pretty small deal for this product. This is my defacto satellite communicator when out of coverage area, and I've used it on a number of major treks over the past two years when well outside of cellular service, both in a 24x7 tracking mode for friends and family, but also there in case of emergency. Would strongly recommend for anyone doing anything in the wilderness. |
 | Garmin inReach Messenger Plus - $100 off! | $399 | Amazon | This came out last fall, and is the second time this has been discounted. The key difference with the new Plus model is that it adds the ability to send photos and voice messenges via satellite. I've used it a bit, and it's pretty cool because it makes it a lot faster to just say something rather than type it out, but the $499 price seemed excessive. $399 makes it slightly more palatable. |
 | GoPro Hero 13 Black - $50 off | $349 | Amazon | |
 | GoPro Hero 13 Black Bundle (extra battery/SD card/floaty) - $100 off! | $379 | Amazon | ⚡ This is a very solid deal. It's a Hero 13 Black on discount, but then an extra battery tossed in, then an SD card, and then a floaty. |
 | GoPro Hero 4K - $20 off | $199 | Amazon | While the new Hero Lit was announced a few weeks back, which includes a front LED light, for the most part it's the same camera inside. Note I'll have a full comparison shortly though between the GoPro Hero Lit, DJI OSMO Nano, and Insta360 Go Ultra. |
 | Google Pixel Watch 3 (45mm) - $70 OFF | $229 | Amazon | The newer Pixel Watch 4 came out last month, and will start shipping this week. I see the Pixel Watch 4 as a pretty substantial hardware upgrade over the Pixel Watch 3, notably due to satellite SOS, as well as a user-replaceable battery. Still, this is a solid deal. |
 | Insta360 X5 360* Action Cam - $50 off! | $499 | Amazon | |
 | Polar H10 Chest Strap (Dual ANT+/Bluetooth Smart) - $15 off $89 | $84 | Amazon | |
 | Polar Verity Sense - 15% off $99 | $82 | Amazon | I use this as one of my reference devices for heart rate accuracy testing. |
 | Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra (2025) - $100 off! | $549 | Amazon | |
 | Samsung Galaxy Watch8 - $35 off | $314 | Amazon | |
 | Sony Alpha 7 IV Full-frame Mirrorless Camera w/ 28-70mm Zoom - $400 off | $2,398 | Amazon | This is the main camera I use for still photography and video b-roll. I recently wrote about all the photography gear I use, linked at side here. |
 | Suunto Run - $50 off! $249 | $199 | Amazon | This is a very solid deal. It's got virtually all the software features of Suunto's higher-end watches (minus the app store), and just came out this past May. |
 | Suunto Vertical - $120 off! | $379 | Amazon | While the new Suunto Vertical 2 just came out last week, if you wanted to stock-up on MIP-based display watches before they disappear, here's your chance. |
 | Suunto Wing headphones - $30 off | $119 | Amazon | |
 | Wahoo ACE Cycling GPS - $90 off! $599 | $531 | Amazon | |
 | Wahoo BOLT V2 - $30 off $279 | $237 | Amazon | |
 | Wahoo KICKR 2022/V6 - $155 off! $1,299 | $894 | Amazon | ⚡This is actually the lowest price we've ever seen on the KICKR V6. Wahoo says we won't see a new top-end KICKR this fall, with them instead focusing on the new KICKR Bike Pro, KICKR CORE 2, and all their new bike computers/radar/etc... |
 | Wahoo KICKR Core Smart Trainer - $75 off! $499 | $427 | Amazon | This is basically the lowest price we've ever seen for this trainer as far as I know. It's still a very solid trainer, and the cornerstone to the new Zwift Ride bike as well (it uses the KICKR CORE as the base). It works with the Wahoo KICKR CLIMB too. |
 | Wahoo KICKR Desk - $30 off | $199 | Amazon | |
 | Wahoo KICKR ROLLR - $130 off $599 | $569 | Amazon | |
 | Wahoo ROAM V3 - $70 off! | $395 | Amazon | This is the first time we've seen the ROAM V3 on sale (notably the BOLT V3 is not on sale, though the larger ACE is). |
 | Wahoo TRACKR Heart Rate Sensor - $15 off $89 | $84 | Amazon |
DCRAINMAKER.COM Posts in the Past Week:
Here’s all the goodness that ended up on the main page this past week:
Sunday: Week in Review–December 13th, 2020
Tuesday: Apple Fitness Plus Review: Everything You Ever Wanted To Know
Thursday: A Month Later: The Peak Design Cycling Case/Mount System
Stuff I Found Interesting Around The Interwebs:
Here’s a not-so-small smattering of all the random things that I stumbled on while doing my civic duty to find the end of the Internet (also, this is really the last two weeks, as I didn’t quite hit publish on last week’s collection):
1) EU approves Google & Fitbit deal: Notable conditions include not being able to use health/fitness data for targeting of ads for EU users only. I suspect once this is approved we’ll see the likes of Apple & Garmin go hard on this point for non-US users in…well..ads (since neither company sells their health/fitness data).
2) Stryd starts to define what their running power actually is: This is a long time coming, and while it seems super nuanced – it’s not. One of the core issues I, and many others, have with running power is the actual definition of it. Nobody agrees upon it, which is the core reason why you see major differences between Stryd, Garmin, Polar, and others – they all define definitely what or isn’t included. Sorta like if making a cake, one company says the icing should be included while another company says only cake but not filling either. Roughly. Will this increase popularity of running power? Of course not. At this point the only remaining chance of that happening is Garmin introducing truly native running power support (including things like structured workout support, being wrist based, etc…). Simply because they have the market share to make it work where others don’t – not because their algorithm is better or worse than others.
3) Westin ends New Balance workout clothes/shoes for guests partnership: While I never took advantage of this during my travels (mainly cause…when would I ever not travel with a pair of running shoes/clothes?) – I did appreciate the concept. Will be interesting to see if in a future COVID-free world if something like this comes back or not.
4) Behind the scenes on Garmin commercial production: This is the second time the company has shown some behind the scenes bits – but this was actually super fascinating, specifically how they used a private YouTube livestream to allow people at Garmin to remotely provide feedback (from a boat no less!).
5) DJI faces host of restrictions in the US: While the company isn’t on a ‘blacklist’ as some on Twitter suggested, it will make it more challenging for the company to source US based parts. But at this point won’t prevent US consumers from buying products.
6) Garmin introduces CIQ payment notifications: Essentially if an app requires some sort of payment, you’ll now see a new notice. However, Garmin Connect IQ still doesn’t have any method of actually buying an app in-house. Obviously that makes life immensely more complicated for Garmin, but at the same time, it makes it far less messier for end users.
Sports Tech Device Firmware Updates This Week:
Each week I quickly highlight some of the new firmware, app, software, and website service updates that I see go out. If you’re a sports technology company and release an update – shoot me a quick note (just one-liners are perfect, or Tweet it at me is even better) and I’ll make mention of it here. If I don’t know about it, I won’t be able to post about it. Sound good? Oh – and if you want to get a head start on things, this page is a great resource for watching Garmin, Wahoo, Polar, and a few other firmware updates.
GoPro Hero 9 Firmware Update: Increases wireless offload speeds by 30%, improves HyperSmooth 3.0, support for older mic adapter and more
GoPro Hero 8 Firmware Update: Increases wireless offload speeds by 15%, adds new remote compatibility
GoPro MAX Firmware Update: Increases wireless offload speeds by 20%, adds remote compatibility
Garmin Edge 830 & 1030 Plus Firmware BETA Update: Add new crash logging capability [Update – this beta build has been removed]
Garmin Instinct Solar Firmware Update: Added support for Explore app sync, also, pile of bug fixes
Garmin Instinct Firmware Update: Added support for Explore app sync, also, pile of bug fixes
Garmin Venu SQ Firmware Update: New watch faces, but mostly fixes/tweaks
Karoo Series Firmware Update: Mute turn cues, add Route to start, and a few other new features, plus bug fixes
Polar Vantage V2 Firmware Update: Adds training targets based on power, last lap training views (woot!), and ZonePointer for Power & Speed zones, and a few other goodies
Wahoo RIVAL Firmware Update: Adds stability improvements and GPS dropouts during openwater swimming
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With that – thanks for reading!
No Beta for Edge 830 Units, only 1030 plus.
Here’s the Edge 830 link: link to www8.garmin.com
Cheers!
thanks, you are still faster than Garmin itself, no sign at the Forums horizon for that one.
Don’t know if this still is a problem
New firmware 1.5 locks your streaming bitrate to 800kbps. Down from 2500-4000kbps.
link to community.gopro.com
Nearly bought a set of Powerbeats Pro until I realised they are an Apple product and use their nonsense cables rather than USB like the rest of the world. Disaster averted!
Are you going back in the water to test out the RIVAL firmware update?
I’m not sure I’ll jump in right now. Maybe if I need to test something else I’ll do it as a combo dish.
I’ve got some data sets from earlier this month actually that I need to update that include the OWS fixes noted in that firmware update (these are on the most recent beta now production).
Do you use (have you tried) the LUMIX as a webcam? Or do you use the GoPro 9?
hero 9; and haven’t updated the firmware (yet), so my live streams aren’t affected luckily.
So I did try the GH5 a bit, and used it for something (I can’t remember what). I found it was a bit finicky for my liking, specifically having to set the mode each time on the back display panel.
That said, the main limiter there for me is simply that I leave one GH5 almost always mounted as my main A camera, so I try not to dork with it much. The second one is the floater for b-roll/b-camera.
I found that an interesting article on running power linked above, that uses simple language to tackle the emotive initial challenge from most folks; that directly measured mechanical power is the gold standard and the only sort that matters, so why bother with all of these imprecise estimates. For running, metabolic power is more relevant it seems, as there’s not a linear relationship between mechanical power and metabolic power, as is the case for cycling. Perhaps Stryd should explicitly start calling their power ‘metabolic power’ and be really clear why; the arguments in this article are helping to win me over from being a running power cynic.
Agree. People who use running power are effectively using it as a placebo.
Trying to keep an open mind about Running Power. If nothing else it is a pleasant switch from other contemporary topics. Since there isn’t much licensing of the concept between device makers the state of things seems scattered and provisional. Looks like Ray’s first article on it was in 2017 so it has been lurking around more years than I remembered.
There are a variety of estimated numbers that people have grown accustomed to using and over time. Wind chill comes to mind. People do generally trust wind chill and adjust their outdoor clothing selection. Having a similar number that accounts for the impact of wind on running effort would be handy. Calorie burn is also an estimate. Apparently at a precision level that few are concerned about & simultaneously not trusted enough that people pay to get Running Power.
Part of the concern is that people want their numbers to be directly comparable to a rival’s numbers. We probably don’t get that with Running Power with the current state of technology. In the US at least, a squishy placebo that gets more people to exercise consistently is a win.
Physical power = metabolic power… In terms on calories used maybe, but not physiological load, which is why we have normalised power
DCR froze his bits off to make that RIVAL firmware update possible, amirite?
Indeed. I tested the beta back a few weeks ago. Seems to really help for swimming (still pretty mixed beyond that though).
Sometime since the last time I charged it, Polar OH1+ got a firmware update.
Way back on 11/23: link to support.polar.com
(editing works great!)
Nice catch! Will have to get mine updated!
Hi Ray.
Looks like the Garmin inReach Mini deals may have expired.
Amazon and REI links are for pretty close to full $350.
REI has KICKR Core in stock.
link to rei.com
If you lack the scientific background to understand the Stryd paper, here’s a very good interpretation by Alex Hutchinson: link to outsideonline.com
My take-away from Alex’ article is that Stryd as a specialist company is doing things differently and better than, say, Garmin. Unfortunately since running power is more complex to understand a running power meter is probably never going to be as popular as a bicycling power meter because it’s a much tougher sell to prospective buyers. It needs more explanation than the simple number as is the case for bicylcing, or it less suitable for easy comparision with your sporting buddies.
BTW Alex Hutchinson is the author of the very interesting book “Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance”