Written by Liz Gannes
Posted Tuesday, October 27, 2009 at 2:59 PM PT

My Treadmill Is Twittering! The Next Frontier for Connected Devices: The Gym

Netpulse announced last night it had raised $3.1 million in Series A funding led by Javelin Venture Partners to bring interactive media to gyms. We were curious about the idea of connected fitness devices and followed up with Netpulse CEO Bryan Arp today to learn more.

Basically, Netpulse offers software and accompanying services to turn a computer screen hooked up to an exercise machine into an interactive entertainment center. Gyms buy a $600-800 15-inch touchscreen terminal for each of their treadmills, bikes and ellipticals, or spend more for a new fitness machine with the screen already integrated. Then users can watch the club’s TV subscription, access on-demand music and video, read RSS feeds, plug in their iPods to their own content, and track their exercise sessions, all coordinated by touch through Netpulse’s interface.

Not all this is ready yet; San Francisco-based Netpulse has yet to announce its content partners, and Arp said integration with OpenID, Google, Twitter and Facebook will come next year. That part sounds pretty cool; users will be able to maintain accounts, a la Nike+, to track their workouts across machines. Pretty soon you’ll be able to auto-Twitter your 5k splits and challenge your friends to beat you, and perhaps even stream one of your Netflix movies at the same time. Ain’t technology great?

Netpulse itself has been a long time in the making. The company was founded back in 1996, though the current team bought the assets in 2001. Arp said the company is “right around profitability,” though it only has “a couple thousand screens” deployed at the moment (the next-generation platform is due before the end of the year). “It doesn’t take much capital to do what we’re doing,” Arp said. And he contended that Netpulse will be able to quickly take things to the next level due to its close relationships with fitness equipment manufacturers.

Though Netpulse as a company may just be finally, finally getting off the ground, this fitness entertainment space seems incredibly promising. First of all, you have built-in paying customers handing over a fee to their gyms every month. And secondly, any workout worth its salt lasts at least a half an hour — can you say engagement with long-form content? But on the negative side, runners’ high may not necessarily help with ad retention.

Sphere Tweet This (82)

Topic: Software, Startups

Comments (3)

Actually the last line in this article could be debatable! Just like exercise improves mood and mental outlook, it also improves your brain’s ability to concentrate. Maybe you’ll retain more advertising! Hah!!

Recent studies have shown that people who engage in aerobic exercise — anything from ice-skating to taking a brisk walk — at least two days a week — have better concentration levels than do non-exercisers

D. Kennedy — 10:02 AM on October 28, 2009 Reply
I wonder how long it is before we’ll see something like Gym Buddy implemented to take this to a wider platform – http://bit.ly/8QBmC

The current implementation leaves a large amount of the gym not covered, as well as track and field type training… but the potential is there

Offbeatmammal — 11:13 AM on October 28, 2009 Reply
Looking for a huge traffic increase to your site?

Purchase packages of 1k, 5k, 10k twitter friends

Carl — 7:19 AM on November 11, 2009 Reply

Linkbacks (11)

[...] My Treadmill Is Twittering! The Next Frontier for Connected Devices: The Gym [NewTeeVee] Hello there! If you are new here, you might want to subscribe to the RSS feed for updates on this topic.Powered by WP Greet BoxNetpulse announced last night it had raised $3.1 million in Series A funding led by Javelin Venture Partners to bring interactive media to gyms. Read More [...]

My Treadmill Is Twittering! The Next Frontier… — 6:30 PM on October 27, 2009
[...] into an interactive social entertainment experience, landed $3.1 million in venture funding. Oh the promise of a treadmill that allows you to use Twitter. Excuse me while I sprint away from this idea. Why? My workout is one of the last places where I [...]

Between the Lines mobile edition — 7:07 AM on October 28, 2009
[...] Connected devices in the gym. [...]

5Words: | Technologizer — 10:17 AM on October 28, 2009
[...] Connected devices in the gym. [...]

5Words: Mozilla Patches Up Firefox Flaws… — 10:19 AM on October 28, 2009
[...] for treadmills? A common gripe from those who dread working out? Boredom. But according to NewTeeVee, San Franciso-based startup Netpulse thinks that the usual iPod and magazine combo isn’t [...]

A Halloween Entrepreneur and More Credit… — 10:39 AM on October 28, 2009
[...] Hamsters Tweet? Twitter and Facebook are coming to a treadmill near you. My Treadmill Is Twittering! The Next Frontier for Connected Devices: The Gym __________________ Cecilia Tom, RKC2, Z Health Level 4 San Francisco prAxis Kettlebell [...]

Can Hamsters Tweet? - Dragon Door Forums — 1:21 PM on October 28, 2009
[...] Link: Netpulse (via New Tee Vee) [...]

Gym treadmills to get Twitter friendly |… — 1:21 PM on October 28, 2009
[...] My Treadmill Is Twittering! The Next Frontier for Connected Devices: The Gym, newteevee.com [...]

SearchCap: The Day In Search, October 28… — 2:05 PM on October 28, 2009
[...] via My Treadmill Is Twittering! The Next Frontier for Connected Devices: The Gym. [...]

My Treadmill Is Twittering! The Next Frontier… — 3:28 PM on October 28, 2009
[...] Posted by Cecilia Tom, RKC Twitter and Facebook are coming to a treadmill near you. My Treadmill Is Twittering! The Next Frontier for Connected Devices: The Gym I am so glad that I am older than most who visit, and read, and sometimes contribute to this [...]

Can Hamsters Tweet? - Page 2 - Dragon Door… — 2:10 AM on October 30, 2009
[...] And what spawned this rant, you ask? Check it out here – interactive workouts by Netpulse. [...]

Twitter while you run « Diane Raymond… — 10:01 AM on November 5, 2009