New ANT+ wireless protocol promises longer battery life for fitness gear

The ANT wireless protocol has long been a darling of the fitness industry and is incorporated into a lot of exercise equipment, from cycling computers to GPS watches. Now Dynastream Innovations, the company behind ANT, has launched a next generation protocol that boasts enhanced encryption, lower cost, faster connections between sensors (around 60 Kbps) and less power consumption when it comes to the ANT+ standard. It's already been released on a nRF51422 SoC by Nordic Semiconductor, along with the ANTUSB-m USB stick (shown after the break), which provides quick connectivity to PCs, Macs and Android devices. Consumers will have to wait awhile until the new protocol is widely adopted, but ANT's popularity could mean that won't be too long from now.

Filed under: Wearables, Wireless

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Source: ANT