TFS Review: MotionLingo’s Adeo GPS Fitness Trainer
Posted February 12th, 2007 at 10:00 AM by Paul Petersen
Section: Gear & Apparel, Gadgets & Acces., Product Reviews, Special Features, TFS Reviews
MotionLingo’s Adeo has garnered much attention this year as an innovative GPS-based fitness trainer that not only tracks your speed and distance, but also accommodates full integration with any mp3 player.
I have run with many other GPS products, but the Adeo is the first to provide workout feedback via audio messages rather than a visual watch interface. This sounded like a great idea to me right off the bat and I enjoyed putting putting the Adeo to the test.
Product: MotionLingo Adeo Fitness Trainer
Price: $149.95
Rating: Good 7.1/10.0
Pros: Hands-free GPS updates; Works with all mp3 players; Lightweight; Considerably more affordable than other GPS units, Easy to configure workouts and view data; Rapidly-evolving online training log; Affordable cost compared to other fitness GPS units; Multisport support; Excellent, frequently updated software package
Cons: Often takes several minutes to connect with satellites; Unstable, GPS connection could be improved; Small, unresponsive buttons
Overall: The Adeo is a very innovative and exciting concept; one that true audiophiles will want to immediately add to their running rig. However, others may want to wait for the next generation of Adeos (to be released later this spring) because like most first generation products, there are a few issues (i.e. - GPS performance) that could use an upgrade.
Effectiveness - 7 - Out of the box, the Adeo comes with a very straight-forward user manual, a USB 2.0 connector, the MotionPak carrier, and a CD for the MotionTrak training software. Installing the software and hardware was painless, and then setting up the Adeo itself was a breeze with MotionTrak. Simply by attaching the Adeo to your computer via USB, you can customize and download “update routines” to your Adeo. These routines will give you a bevy of stats pertaining to your time, distance, pace/speed, calories, elevation, time of day, and even battery life.
You can pre-load up to three different update routines and also three interval routines. This enables you to receive workout-specific information from the Adeo. For example, you could program “Update 1″ to give you average pace every mile, but could have “Update 2″ pre-wired to give you a different array of stats at a different frequency. Updates can be triggered by covering a certain distance or by a elapsing a certain amount of time. The interval routines can be set up for speed workouts, and are defined by a custom interval distance or time, followed by a recovery distance or time. I quickly saw a lot of potential here not only for normal distance runs, but also for hands-free road intervals in fartlek runs.
I had no trouble uploading a few custom update routines from MotionTrak to the Adeo, and was soon out the door for my first run. My first impressions of the Adeo in action were fairly good. It took a couple minutes to establish a satellite connection, which is normal for any GPS during its initial use. The GPS accuracy was spotty over the first few miles (it informed me that I ran a few 3-minute miles), but then it seemed to find a secure lock and was more consistent thereafter.
The female voice calmly and clearly informed me of my pace, distance, and time statistics every mile. There were no problems interfacing with my mp3 player, and music quality was no different than with a direct connection to the player. I had no problems hearing the Adeo’s updates over my music, especially after I made some volume adjustments.
All-in-all, the audio updates were very effective. While wearing a watch-based GPS, I often find myself looking at my wrist every few minutes; I can’t resist the urge to check my current pace and distance - to the point of distraction. The Adeo freed me from my watch and let me just focus on my strides and the music or podcast. I felt that the Adeo was successful in enhancing my running experience.
After several uses, I determined that my favorite update routine is simply the “Segment Update”, in which I defined my “segment” to be 0.5 miles. Every half mile, the Adeo would inform me of my half-mile split, half-mile pace, overall run time, overall distance, and overall pace. All this without looking at my watch … glorious!
Unfortunately, my experience wasn’t all roses. I found over several runs that the weakest link of the Adeo’s effectiveness was not in the verbal updates, but in the GPS capability itself. On several occasions it took up to 5 minutes to acquire a satellite lock, forcing me to linger on the street and wait impatiently for the Adeo to tell me it was okay to start running. Once it acquired a lock, the first few miles tended to be a little rocky, and provided unrealistic mile splits that distracted me from my training. Occasionally, GPS reception would cut out completely, never to return, leaving me “stranded”.
After a few frustrating runs, I discovered the Optimizer, a utility that can be downloaded from MotionLingo’s website and loaded into the Adeo. The Optimizer is designed to improve satellite lock-on time and GPS accuracy. I followed the easy instructions to load the Optimizer, and sure enough, many of the lock-on and accuracy problems subsequently diminished.
In general, the Optimizer made the Adeo more reliable, but I still occasionally received anomalous mile splits or had trouble connecting to satellites (especially when compared to my Timex IRONMAN BodyLink System or my running partner’s Garmin 305). Due to these GPS glitches, I was never able to fully trust the Adeo as a full-time training companion, and left it at home during higher-priority interval workouts, tempo runs, and fartleks.
Design - 7 - The Adeo weighs 2.1 ounces and is about the size of a business card. It is fairly non-obtrusive, especially when you consider that it is not only a GPS, but also a data-logger. It is about the same size as the Timex IRONMAN BodyLink System, but larger than the Garmin 205/305 unit.
The internal battery of the Adeo charges by connecting it to a computer with its USB cable. People will differ in their opinions regarding the merits of internal rechargeable batteries vs. external batteries. I personally like having a rechargeable, built-in battery that I don’t have to mess with, so was pleased with this aspect of the Adeo. Its battery is rated to yield 6 hours, and takes 4-6 hours for a complete charge; some workout warriors may find this to be limiting, but I found the battery life to be adequate for my daily needs and the charging to be easy and efficient.
The Adeo’s most notable design flaws are the buttons. Although a simple reference to the user manual quickly taught me their respective functions, the buttons themselves were physically too small and hard to push. They were generally unresponsive and often took two or three pushes to engage. Using the Adeo with gloves on, during cold weather was particularly cumbersome.
The Adeo comes with the MotionPak, a carrying belt that holds both the Adeo and an mp3 player. Many have found the MotionPak to be bulky, cumbersome and uncomfortable, so I tried out the MotionClip case ($19.99), which mounts to a belt, pocket, or armband. I did not like the movement of the MotionClip while attached to my running pants, but soon devised an acceptable rig by clipping it to an old armband.
Unfortunately, the MotionClip does not have a place to put an mp3 player, but I circumvented that with Velcro tape and a little creativity. It was a little awkward, but it worked. I hope that in the future MotionTrak will produce an armband that will hold both the Adeo and an mp3 player, or that new versions of the Adeo will actually be able to play mp3’s, in order to mitigate the extra mp3 player component.
Value - 8 - At $150, the Adeo is one of the most affordable GPS training devices. When you factor in that it seamlessly integrates with any mp3 player, it becomes a great deal. When you additionally consider that it comes with the intuitive MotionTrak software, a free online training log, and a growing online user community, it becomes an outright bargain, especially for those who love to listen to music and podcasts while they exercise.
The only factor that causes me to give the Adeo an “8″ for value, rather than a “9″ or a “10″ is the sub-par GPS performance. Satellite connection time, connection stability, and overall accuracy did not seem as good when compared to more expensive sport-GPS units.
A great “extra” feature provided by MotionLingo is the MotionTrak Online training log, which works in tandem with the MotionTrak desktop software. The training log can also be used for free by non-Adeo users. After using the Adeo, MotionTrak desktop will automatically upload your training information to the online log. What you get is a something like a personal webpage that shows your past and upcoming activities, shoe mileage, and even your local weather forecast (along with the most recent TFS articles!).
The log allows you to track and analyze your workouts using various calendars and graphs. In addition, your GPS data is automatically uploaded and inserted into a Google Maps interface, allowing you to view your route for each activity on a street map and/or aerial photography.
MotionTrak Online is also establishing the foundations of a unique user community. You can currently view “Top 10″ lists comparing mileage, pace, and other stats for all worldwide MotionTrak Online users. 
I was pleasantly surprised to at one point find myself in the Top 10 for 7-day mileage totals! I could see how this aspect of the log could become engrossing; runners love stats. The MotionTrak Community is still in development, but promises blogging, activity sharing, virtual competitions, and much more.
As a pure training log, MotionTrak Online is quite adequate, but not as advanced or user-friendly as dedicated, stand-alone online training logs such as RunningAhead. However, it is the community innovation that sets MotionTrak Online apart from other logs.
I should also note here that the MotionLingo technical support staff is excellent. I contacted Support twice with questions, and both times they responded within 24 hours via email and answered my questions in a constructive, friendly manner. This easily accessible support increases the value of the product.
Another aspect of the Adeo that increases value is that fact that MotionLingo is constantly improving the software and firmware. You can check for updates using the MotionTrak software, and subsequent downloads and installations are easy. Technical Support also mentioned to me that new versions of the Optimizer will be released in the future, which I hope will further increase the effectiveness and accuracy of the GPS. Very few products will improve while you have it, and this promise helps me overlook some of the Adeo’s current inadequacies.
CONCLUSION:
MotionLingo’s Adeo is definetly an innovative product and succeeds in providing hands-free GPS training feedback at a relatively low cost. Audiophile runners will definitely want this product NOW. It should also be noted that the Adeo software, firmware, and online training log are all rapidly evolving - and may entice skeptics to jump on the Adeo bandwagon as well. I do have reservations with the current GPS performance, but have high hopes for continued development of the Optimizer.
The Adeo’s desktop software is easy to use, and provides excellent customization and training analysis. The MotionTrak Online log, although not as robust as some other online training logs, provides an excellent Google Maps interface to overlay your workouts, and is also very strong in the online community aspect. I am excited about the potential of MotionTrak Online.
The Adeo in general has a tremendous amount of potential. I have taken the liberty to make a “wish list” for future improvements that I think would transform the Adeo from a good product to a great product.
- The essentials: Improved GPS connection time, stability, and accuracy. Continued Optimizer releases.
- Integration with a heart rate monitor. I realize that more components equals more cost, but it would begreat to hear your current, average, and max heart rate through audio updates
- MP3 storage and play ability. This would negate the need to carry an extra piece of equipment and make the rig less cumbersome.
- Bluetooth-enabled. Wireless headphones would be great with the Adeo. I, for one, would gladly pay more for this feature.
- Better carrying apparatus. I found both the lumbar pack and the belt clip to be unwieldy, especially at high speeds. Wirless connectivity between the Adeo and an mp3 player would be ideal. A stable wrist or arm strap is aso something to consider.
- Waypoint upload and pre-set directions. Imagine mapping out your turns, water stops, and features of interest before your workout or race, and then programming the Adeo “warn” you when you are within a certain proximity of the feature, or traveling off path!
For more information on the Adeo, visit the MotionLingo homepage and check out these articles:
- One of the best concepts of the year: Adeo Fitness Trainer
- TFS’s Top Picks of 2006: Gear and Accessories
- TFS Podcast 2: Interview with MotionLingo’s Jeff Lovejoy
Editor’s note - The overall rating was calculated by weighting Effectiveness as 70%, Design as 20% and Value as 10%.
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Tags: Adeo, computer, fitness trainer, gadget, Garmin, garmin forerunner, garmin forerunner 305, garmin forerunner, gps, GPS enabled, gps system, interval, ipod, MotionLingo, MotionTrak, mp3, multisport, personal trainer, product review, review, technology, timex, timex bodylink, timex ironman, timex ironman bodylink system, training assistant, training device, training log
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February 12th, 2007 at 12:00 pm7.1 / 10 is pretty generous. I’ve been using the ADEO for several months now and the long satellite lock times and erratic tracking have me leaving it on the table more often than taking it along.
February 13th, 2007 at 12:31 pm[…] In the growing world of athletic speed/distance monitoring, runners are presented with two primary choices: GPS units (ie - Garmin 305, Timex Bodylink, MotionLingo Adeo) or accelerometers (ie - Suunto Foot POD, Polar Foot Pod, Nike+iPod). I have trained with several different fitness GPS units and had variable success, and “foot pods” provide an intriguing alternative because they can be used indoors, under any sky condition, and boast of potentially high accuracy. I had the opportunity to try out the Suunto Running Pack (T3, HRM, and Foot POD), and put it to the test over three rigorous weeks of training. Design - 6 - The Running Pack consists of three components: the T3 Fitness Trainer Watch, the Foot POD Wireless Transmitter, and a heart rate transmitter. All of these components are compact and efficient; making the overall trio less bulky than some competing products. The HR monitor is a standard chest transmitter, similar in design to the Polar and Timex transmitters I’ve used. Nothing to write home about in terms of design. […]
May 4th, 2007 at 9:41 amI was very disappointed with the Adeo. Not only with the unit, but the support staff as well.
A 5 mile accurate run, said I only ran 4.5 miles. It also said I burned over 3,000 calories. The the first day I ran it said I burned just over 500. (the same run the same man ,160 pounds)
The staff did not read my whole e-mail about this problem and just told me to go to their website and/or download the optimizer.
When I pushed the issue about a refund. They wanted to charge me 15% if I did not follow the instructions carefully.
The president of Motion Lingo finally told me, he thought I had a faulty unit, but I should Google the term restocking fee. I guess they make their business decisions based on the Internet.
I am waiting for a promised full refund, But I think I will be out the twenty and change it cost to ship a faulty unit to me and then back to Motion Lingo.
May 14th, 2007 at 5:23 pmI note some of the newer mobile phones have gps tracking on them and also have more mature audio interfaces.
They also have flight mode for when you don’t want to be disturbed.
I can see an opportunity there. Are there any software products for it?
November 24th, 2007 at 12:48 amHi, When you do workouts with a help of fitness trainer, they will set you up with a program which is simple to your health, age, and fitness specifications. Your fitness trainer will set up a eating plan, strength training plan, cardiovascular plan, and a progress chart.
January 2nd, 2008 at 8:03 amThey will set him up with a program which is simple to his health Fitness Trainer .
August 7th, 2008 at 7:41 amHow so great this fitnees this site is very nice .
September 6th, 2008 at 5:52 am