MIO Debuts World's First Strapless Continuous Performance Heart Rate Monitor in an Award winning Sport Watch design with built-in Bluetooth® Smart transmitter

LAS VEGAS and VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- MIO, maker of the world's first strapless heart rate monitor watches, today announced the launch of its new MIO ALPHA, the world's first continuous heart rate monitor sport watch that accurately records heart rate continuously without a chest strap, even at performance speeds up to 12 mph.

With no uncomfortable chest strap and no need to stop and hold a fingertip to a sensor, MIO ALPHA is the only sport and fitness heart rate monitor of its kind that provides continuous, accurate heart rate readings in a sleek, comfortable, casually-styled sport watch.

Originally launched as a Kickstarter project in June of this year, the ALPHA garnered rapid, overwhelming support, surpassing its initial $100,000 goal in just a few days and racking up more than 1,300+ backers, 2,000+ units pre-sold and more than $320,000 in sales during the six-week campaign. This early success landed the MIO ALPHA on the pages of Runner's World magazine, Triathlete.com, RunningwithToys.com and Competitor.com, as well as TechCrunch.

Designed for runners and cyclists that want to track their heart rate but don't want to wear an uncomfortable chest strap, ALPHA's intuitive two-button functionality is simple to use and provides easy access to workout timers, continuous heart rate display, and both at-a-glance and audible heart rate zone alerts for optimum workout efficiency and effectiveness. ALPHA also tracks last-run statistics including total run time, average heart rate and time spent "in zone" for target heart rate.

A built-in Bluetooth® Smart transmitter feeds real-time data from ALPHA directly into iPhone and Android apps to track and graph performance data over time. With all the "heavy lifting" of data collection and analysis conducted on the smartphone, the ALPHA maintains a simple and sleek interface that makes measuring workout effectiveness fast and easy.

ALPHA's advanced electro-optical sensors detect blood volume in the wrist as it pulsates with the rhythm of the heart. An onboard motion detector and built-in noise filtration software compensate for the natural arm movement of walking or running that typically interferes with the signal in most other similar devices. By virtue of its advanced industrial design and sensor engineering, ALPHA displays and records accurate heart rate even during motion-intense activities.

"Accurately detecting heart rate through perspiration and motion is a major engineering feat. The design must be precise in order to achieve accuracy at high performance, and we were well aware of the high risk of failure," said MIO CEO Liz Dickinson. "But, where others have failed, our ALPHA design successfully overcomes that obstacle. It's incredibly comfortable, simple to use and aesthetically, it's outstanding."

MIO ALPHA comes with a USB charging dock and its rechargeable lithium polymer battery lasts up to 18 hours in use. Available just in time for the holiday shopping season, ALPHA is the perfect gift for fitness and running enthusiasts at an MSRP of $199.

To see MIO ALPHA in action and learn more, visit www.alphaheartrate.com.

About MIO

MIO is a line of patented strapless heart rate monitor wristwatches and calorie management systems by Physical Enterprises Inc. that collect and record personalized biofeedback to make reaching weight-loss and fitness goals simple and comfortable. The first strapless heart rate monitor sports watch on the market, MIO provides accurate heart rate data without uncomfortable chest straps. The company's complete line of wellness, fitness and performance products are designed for anyone seeking a more active, healthy lifestyle, from beginner exercisers to dedicated athletes. For more information, visit www.mioglobal.com.

Bluetooth® word mark and logos are registered trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG Inc. and any use of such marks by Physical Enterprises Inc. or MIO is under license.

SOURCE MIO