A new gadget can transfer Apple Watch heart-rate tracking to workout machines

The Apple Watch has made on-smartwatch clinical-grade heart-rate monitoring the ultimate feature for wearables since 2018. However, this does imply the slight drawback of creating the impulse to check one's wrist for real-time ECGs while doing anything that might affect such a read-out, exercising included. This may get counter-productive quite fast, especially while using a work-out machine that requires the user leave their hands in the same place over time.

North Pole Engineering may have solved problems like this with its new product, heartbeatz. It is a new little doo-dad that can connect with any treadmill or exercise bike that is also equipped with the ANT+ wireless communication protocol. The company asserts that heartbeatz will thus confer the ability to display an Apple Watch heart rate read-out on said machine.

heartbeatz comes from the makers of other similar devices such as the GEM ANT+ to Bluetooth low-energy converters and the WASP line of IoT gateways. It is clearly targeting the high-end Peloton brand of exercise equipment with its latest product, although it should also work with other bikes or running machines with the necessary connectivity. 

North Pole Engineering's heartbeatz is currently up for pre-order on the OEM's own store. It is also US$10 off its regular price of $69.95 for a limited time, and is currently projected to ship from December 2, 2019.

It should be noted that this device is cleared to ship to the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and those countries covered by the European Commission's CE product safety certification. In addition, as it will be shipped from the US, customers in its other target markets may be liable for extra shipping or customs charges.