Having received European CE Mark approval in September, Cellnovo out of London, UK has launched its diabetes management system that looks like a smartphone system, but is actually an integrated glucometer, wirelessly connected insulin pump, activity monitor, and cell phone-based data transfer system to share readings with family and clinicians.

To kick off the release of the system, Cellnovo launched a usability trial involving type 1 diabetics whose doctors will be able to monitor their blood glucose levels in real time as they’re being measured.

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Wearable fitness products are all the rage these days, but most of the ones on the market only track heart rate and location, and sometimes temperature and orientation. Students from Northeastern University in Boston have developed Squid, a sensor-laden compression shirt, smartphone app, and internet portal that measures and records muscle activity. The shirt contains four EMG sensors (the “tentacles”) that track muscle activity, essentially recording the number of repetitions of a resistance exercise. It also monitors heart rate activity so you can get a complete overview of your weight lifting sessions. All the data syncs with a companion smartphone app that in turn syncs to Squid’s internet portal. It’ll keep track of your workout history, but you’ll probably want to keep your workout partner to motivate you to do that one last rep.

Here’s a video about the Squid:

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Via an FCC filing we learn of a new device from Shenzhen, China-based Sensixa that can measure and record the movement and orientation of one’s head. The ear-worn device, called e-AR, is actually designed to mimic the human vestibular system that keeps you walking straight and tells you if you’ve ridden too many roller coasters. Besides the three-dimensional accelerometer, the e-AR also contains a microcontroller, battery, flash memory for storing data, and a radio for transmitting the data to a receiving unit.

The e-AR is currently being investigated for use by athletes for such applications as monitoring the effects of painful football hits, but Sensixa is also looking into the device being worn by senior citizens for those times when you’ve fallen and you can’t get up.

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Nike has released its own digital wristband for monitoring physical activity throughout the day.

The device provides readouts right on its face, but can also wirelessly transmit gathered data to an iPhone app or a computer via a built-in USB plug.  Users can then do a more comprehensive review of what they’ve been up to and can adjust their activities accordingly.

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We all know that the ear is a multifunctional, anatomical marvel. We often take for granted its ability to allow us to eavesdrop, to rock out to the latest beats, to hold up our spectacles, and to be pierced over and over again. Last week at CES 2012 in Las Vegas, Raleigh, NC-based Valencell announced their sensor technology that uses the ear’s unique physiology to gather vital health and fitness data.

The technology is called V-LINC, and it’s being built into the ubiquitous set of earbuds that you probably use every day. According to Valencell, “V-LINC technology comprises the only earbud-based continuous heart rate monitoring technology proven accurate during virtually any exercise in virtually any physical environment or condition.” According to the V-LINC website, its earbud sensors are able to measure the following biometric data:

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It’s the middle of January, which means that 87.5983% of those who made a New Year’s resolution to become more physically fit have already broken it (not scientifically verified). If you’re one of those in danger of reverting to your former sedentary ways, read on, because a new game for iOS may be your answer.

It’s called FitFreeway, and it’s the first game from software developer BitGym. FitFreeway (and BitGym’s other upcoming games) work in conjunction with your standard cardio machines without the need for any special hardware. When you work out, BitGym knows how fast you are exercising by reading the vibrations produced by your movements and the cardio machines. The iPad or iPhone’s accelerometer picks up these vibrations and translates them into game actions. In FitFreeway, the faster you bike/run, the faster your race car moves. The game also uses the device’s front-facing camera; steering the car is simply a matter of tilting your head to the left or right.

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BodyMedia has announced a personalized feedback system called BodyMedia FIT coach, which makes use of analytics software from IBM to give customized weigh loss advice. This will help people better understand how they progress and help them to accomplish their fitness goals.

The FIT coach will analyze user input, historical and current BodyMedia data to provide personal feedback. The BodyMedia FIT Armbands have already tracked a lot of data of many people up until this moment: using all this information to make a personalized advice can improve the success of consumer’s weight loss plans.

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Today at CES 2012 in Las Vegas, FitBit, the company behind the FitBit Ultra smart fitness tracker we reviewed a couple months ago, unveiled the Fitbit Aria Wi-Fi Smart Scale, a scale that goes far beyond making you feel guilty for snacking on that gallon of ice cream the previous night. In addition to tracking your weight, the Aria can also track body fat percentage and calculate your BMI based on your height. And, as the name states, the Aria is Wi-Fi connected so that a family of up to eight people can have their stats privately and securely uploaded to FitBit’s online tracking portal which contains social networking, weight management, and motivational tools.

You can pre-order the Aria now for $129.99 and it’ll hit store shelves in April.

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The 2012 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas kicks off today, but the recipients of this year’s annual CES Innovations Awards have already been announced.

As in past years, one of the award categories includes innovations in health and wellness. Like last year, hearing aids were notable in the list of award recipients. Both Able Planet Incorporated and Starkey Laboratories, Inc. won the award again for their technologically advanced and nearly invisible hearing devices.

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What if you could instantly learn to do a task, like playing piano or Kung Fu, simply by watching a computer screen? It may sound like something out of a sci-fi movie like Matrix, but research coming out of Boston University suggests that this effortless method of learning may exist in the future.

The technique is called “Decoded Neurofeedback”, or “DecNef”, and it involves using decoded fMRI to induce brain activity patterns that match a known state. For example, if you wanted to have the athletic talents of basketball superstar Shaquille O’Neal, you would obtain a brain activity pattern in Shaq’s visual cortex and use DecNef to modify the patterns in your own visual cortex using fMRI. While DecNef isn’t quite possible at current technological level yet, the BU researchers have succeeded in using it in subjects to induce brain activity patterns associated with a simple shape.

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