After gathering feedback and doing some more testing, we’ve rolled out an update with a few small bug fixes. Here is what is included:

- Devices with smaller displays (including the HTC Wildfire and Sony Ericsson X10 Mini) that were having trouble ending workouts can now scroll to see the save/discard buttons.

- Droid X users should no longer be experiencing crashes during their workouts. This was actually a problem with how the Droid X handled CardioTrainer’s voice notifications, so if you turned it off voice notifications to avoid the crashes, makes sure you turn it back on.

- Problems with how Weight Loss for CardioTrainer handled dates were fixed.

- Small fixes to improve exercise scheduling.

Let us know if you come across any problems after installing the update, and if you don’t see it yet, check out this information in our FAQ about clearing your Market cache so that the update becomes available.

Happy exercising,

The WorkSmart Labs family

We’re really excited to announce that we’ve just released a big new update: CardioTrainer v2.5! There are some really important new features and fixes included with this version, so read below for some more details and make sure to check out the Market to get the update. If you’re using CardioTrainer for the first time, you’ve got a lot to look forward to, and you can check out our About CardioTrainer page for more information.

Weight Loss for CardioTrainer improvements:

In this update, we are particularly excited about the improvements to one of our premium features, Weight Loss for CardioTrainer. We’ve added the two most requested features as well as some extras to make it even easier to stay on track with your weight loss goals, and make the exercise a little more fun.

(1) Edit weight loss plans. Before now, you would have to reset your weight loss plan and lose all of your progress if you wanted to make any changes. Now, you can make these changes on the fly and Weight Loss will automatically update your plan accordingly, no reset necessary

(2) Weight loss graph. Getting a visual overview of your progress is really motivating. With the new weight loss graph, you can see your weight over time at a glance for a sense of how well you’re doing. Losing weight is a full-time commitment, and we think that the graph is an important tool to help you stay focused.

(3) Healthy food calorie counts. After you complete a workout, you’ll now see your calories burned in terms of healthy foods. We’re also hoping that this will help you get a sense of how many calories are in foods you eat regularly, and make healthier food choices throughout the day.

(4) UI update. We’ve also updated the user interface to be more consistent with the rest of the CardioTrainer application.

If you want to try out Weight Loss for CardioTrainer, click on the “Lose Weight” button on the CardioTrainer home screen to start your free 7-day trial. Once the trial is up, you can decide to purchase the feature for $2.99 and keep using it. Check out the screenshots, and click to see full-size:

CardioTrainer improvements:

This update includes a huge new feature for the core CardioTrainer experience — exercise scheduling — along with some other important additions and bug fixes.

(1) Exercise schedule. Right on the home screen, you’ll now see the new schedule interface that lets you plan your weekly exercise routine and get reminders when you have an upcoming workout. It’s been proven that setting up a schedule helps you stay on track with your exercise routine, and now CardioTrainer lets you schedule workouts and reminders. You’ll even see your weekly exercise schedule in the notifications panel every time you get a reminder.

We are very excited about this feature, and really think it’s going to be an essential part of how CardioTrainer helps you stay active throughout the entire week.

(2) Updated “workout complete” dialogue. When you finish your workout, you’ll see a much nicer dialogue box to either save or discard the track, with a quick view of how many calories were burned (you’ll need to have Weight Loss for CardioTrainer installed to see the calorie counts in terms of healthy food).

(3) Elevation in calorie calculations. CardioTrainer now calculates your calorie burn based on elevation changes so that you’ll finally get credit for all of those hills you’re climbing.

(4) Droid X bug fixes. This version also includes a fix for Droid X hang issues. A lot of users have reported that the program would hang after running for some time, and we examined the problem closely and found out that it has to do with a inconsistent bug in how Droid X plays sound files, which causes our Voice Notification to hang. Since this is a core Droid X bug, our best course of action is to restart the program in this case, while safely restoring your workout. This is exactly what we do now, and we are working with Motorola on a more permanent fix.

(5) Other bug fixes and small features. We’ve also fixed some display issues for the HTC Hero and Froyo users, added some new workout icons, and made some other smaller bug fixes.

We would love to hear your feedback, so please leave comments below or send questions to support@worksmartlabs.com.

Best regards,
The WorkSmart Labs family

We get lots of messages from users asking for recommendations on how to carry their phone during their workouts. Many people are new to the idea of taking their phone with them when they exercise, but it’s an important part of the CardioTrainer experience. We’ve done research on what options are available, and also listened to feedback from our users on Facebook and in the CardioTrainer User Group. We would like to share our suggestions for what equipment is essential to have the best experience when working out with CardioTrainer.

Armbands: The biggest advantage to having your phone on your arm during workouts is that you’ll have easy access to CardioTrainer in case you have to pause or change a setting. You can still use the phone’s touch screen through the case’s plastic screen, which means you don’t have to keep taking it out and putting it back in again. Our favorite armband that we have tested so far has been this Tune Belt Sport Armband model that fits lots of different shapes and sizes of Android phones on the market now (HTC G1, Motorola Droid, Google Nexus; also note that any of the armbands designed for iPhones also work very well). Some people love using an armband, but others have reported that it’s uncomfortable, especially if it’s too tight, and that it can give you an uneven weight distribution. Also, as the weather gets nicer, you’ll have to watch out for that armband tan!

Around the waist: If you would rather not have the phone on your arm, we really like the iFitness Running Belt because it’s very comfortable, has room for keys and ID, and lets you snake out your headphones for listening to music. Using a Body Glove Snap-On Cover, which also folds into a stand, works well too. If you’re going to be moving around a lot, just make sure the belt clip is locked so it doesn’t swing freely. The big disadvantage to having your phone around your waist when working out is that the phone isn’t easy accessible. However, it gets the device out of your way and makes it easy to run your headphones under your shirt so the cord bounces around less.

In the pocket: Other users have just said that they leave their phone in their pocket. If you do mostly walking, this is a perfect solution because it’s simple and won’t cost anything extra.

A note on counting steps and GPS reception: As long as your phone is held somewhere on your body, whether it be arm, waist or pocket, you won’t have a problem getting GPS reception or counting your steps. Clothing won’t interfere with the GPS signal, so it is not necessary to wear thin clothing or hold the device in your hand. If you’re on the treadmill and using the pedometer to track your exercise, it’s important that the device is placed somewhere that lets the device get a conistent measure of where you’re going.

Headphones: Bluetooth headsets, such as the Altec Lansing Backbeat models, are great because they’re wireless, but they are more expensive than non-wireless models. If you’ve found that earbud style headphones don’t stay in when you are running or moving around, consider some behind the neck models like the Phillips Rich Bass Neckband Headphones. These are great because they cover your ear, rather than stick inside, and have a special design to prevent the cord from getting yanked from the ear pieces (they’re also first in this list!). With all of these models, if you’re going to be sweating during your exercise, make sure that doesn’t harm your equipment! IMPORTANT: Please make sure you’re still aware of your surroundings and watch for vehicles that you might not hear when you have headphones on.

When it rains: Wet weather is no excuse to stay inside and skip a workout, so if you’re going to be heading out when it’s raining, make sure you protect your phone. A simple plastic bag over the device while in it’s carrying case will help to make sure the rain doesn’t get to it. We can’t take responsibility if your phone gets wet—and definitely don’t want that to happen!—but just make sure you take care of your device if you are going out in nasty weather.

Water bottles: If your workouts are long enough that you’ll need hydration on-the-go, there are lots of different options for carrying fluids with you. The Amphipod RunLite 4 gives you four smaller water bottles—either 8 or 10 ounces—that can be positioned around your body in any direction and snap in and out for easy access. Another option is the handheld Ultimate Direction FastDraw Plus water bottle. The nozzle is designed to prevent any dripping, has a pouch for your ID’s and keys and a grip to make it easy to carry during your runs. Carrying water adds extra weight, but is a key part of training if you are exercising for longs periods of time or in hot weather.

What did we miss? We want to hear what has worked well for everyone else, so please share any other suggestions for essential equipment to use when exercising with CardioTrainer.