STACK #192 Oct 2020

LIFE TECH FEATURE

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Wear with All continued

Solar, so good In a perfect world we’d all remember to keep our

Garmin Fenix 6S Pro Solar What it does: The

wearables charged. But the reality is with busy lifestyles we often overlook doing it and there’s nothing more frustrating than your smartwatch running low on battery power when you need it most. This is where Garmin’s solar charging lenses are invaluable. It doesn’t matter whether you run, cycle, sail or ascend mountains, if you’re active in the great outdoors then Garmin’s transparent Power Glass lenses are working all the time, constantly harvesting the sunshine to charge your smartwatch and extend its battery life. How much sunlight is being received is displayed on a solar intensity widget on the watch so you can track progress. Now that is smart!

smallest size (42mm) in the Fenix 6 series of Garmin’s range, the 6S Pro Solar is equipped with everything the Instinct has – including the solar charge function for extending battery life – and a whole lot more. A robust smartwatch, the layers of features

and functions are incomparable, offering data collection and analysis across almost every conceivable activity. The build quality is top shelf, while the colour face display can be customised to suit all tastes and information

requirements. So, if you need glasses to read, simply choose a face with a larger font. Music lovers can squeeze

Garmin Instinct Solar What it does: This is the entry-level Garmin Instinct Solar smartwatch, but that doesn’t mean that it skimps on features. A long battery life is augmented with a clever photovoltaic layer on the watch face that collects the sun and tops up the battery for adventurers permanently on the go. This rugged military-grade watch features Corning Gorilla scratchproof glass and is water- resistant to 100m, and multi-Global Navigation Satellite Support means that you’ll never get lost. Packed with sports tracking features and functions to monitor exercise steps and calories burned, it also has a blood oxygen sensor and a Body Battery mode that assesses the energy levels of your body – a low reading will have you thinking twice about that 10km run in the evening. Is it for me? The Garmin Instinct Solar has wide appeal and is suited for hardcore trekkers, athletes and casual users looking for a tough, reliable smartwatch to track their every step. Compatible with iOS and Android. 2,000 songs onto the 6S; connect a pair of Bluetooth headphones or earbuds and leave your phone at home. Garmin Pay allows flexibility with contactless payment, and another neat touch is the built-in Fall Alert that sends a message to three emergency contacts if the smartwatch senses a tumble. The unprecedented number of pre-set maps in the watch even includes 41,000 golf courses and 2,000 ski runs! Is it for me? This is the watch you want if you’re into extreme adventures. Comfortable, dependable, versatile and easy to use, the full scope of features and sport tracking options puts the phenomenal Fenix 6S Pro Solar in a class of its own. Compatible with iOS and Android.

Magic Steps It doesn’t matter where you come from, everyone you ask seems to know that 10,000 steps a day is the benchmark by which all daily activity should be measured. Hit that target and you can enjoy an extra slice of cake or a glass of wine, right? But who exactly came up with that number, and what’s the theory behind it? Well, we need to go back to 1965 when a Japanese doctor called Yoshiro Hatano invented a pedometer and called it ‘Mano-kei’, a word that translates to, yep, you guessed it, 10,000 step meter. So, what was the science behind such a calculation? Er, none. It was a marketing campaign used to sell the pedometer for the company that Dr. Yoshiro Hatano was working for. Still, that 10,000 step count is great goal to aim for.

38 OCTOBER 2020

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