Peloton Bets Big on Body-Tracking
Uncanny Valley | WIRED8 Huhti 2022

Peloton Bets Big on Body-Tracking

Peloton has had a turbulent couple of years. After the ups and downs of the pandemic economy came a rash of bad press spurned by a series of tragic product accidents. The resulting stock dips and executive shake-ups put the fitness tech company's future in flux. But now, Peloton is trying something new. Or at least new-ish. The Peloton Guide is a device with a camera that sits on your TV and monitors your workout. (Just don't call it a Kinect.) It's far more modest than Peloton's large, fancy stationary bikes and treadmills, and something Peloton hopes will lure in more subscribers. Still, it's another bet on our continued interest in at-home workouts—a market that may not be as robust as Peloton hoped it was.

This week on Gadget Lab, WIRED executive editor Brian Barrett joins us for a conversation about Peloton's newest product and the company's future.

Show Notes:

Read Lauren’s story about the new Peloton Guide. Here’s Adrienne So’s review of the Guide.

Recommendations:

Brian recommends the novel Middlemarch by George Eliot. Lauren recommends the Apple TV+ show WeCrashed. Mike recommends the memoir The History of Bones by John Lurie.

Brian Barrett can be found on Twitter @brbarrett. Lauren Goode is @LaurenGoode. Michael Calore is @snackfight. Bling the main hotline at @GadgetLab. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@booneashworth). Our theme music is by Solar Keys.

Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Jaksot(428)

Introducing: The BIG INTERVIEW with WIRED's Katie Drummond

Introducing: The BIG INTERVIEW with WIRED's Katie Drummond

A conversation series that only WIRED could host, led by WIRED’s Global Editorial Director, Katie Drummond. Every week, Katie sits down with influential figures in culture, politics, business, science...

19 Elo 20252min

WIRED Roundup: Why GPT-5 Flopped

WIRED Roundup: Why GPT-5 Flopped

In today’s episode, Zöe is joined by WIRED’s Jake Lahut to run through five of the best stories we published this week — from how the Trump administration is creating and sharing memes to make fun of ...

15 Elo 202517min

Palantir: The Most Mysterious Company in Silicon Valley

Palantir: The Most Mysterious Company in Silicon Valley

Palantir Technologies is arguably one of the most notorious American corporations. Cofounded by tech billionaire Peter Thiel, the company has worked with ICE, the US Department of Defense, the Israeli...

14 Elo 202534min

WIRED Roundup: OpenAI Announces New Government Partnership

WIRED Roundup: OpenAI Announces New Government Partnership

In today’s episode, Zoë is joined by WIRED’s Jake Lahut to run through five of the most important stories we published this week — from how bitcoin miners have been racing this year to beat the tariff...

8 Elo 202521min

The Vibes-Based Pricing of "Pro" AI Software

The Vibes-Based Pricing of "Pro" AI Software

AI chatbot premium subscriptions like ChatGPT Pro and Claude Max currently cost around $200, but it’s not entirely clear why. Lauren and Mike speak with WIRED’s Reece Rogers to find out what’s behind ...

7 Elo 202529min

WIRED Roundup: ChatGPT Goes Full Demon Mode

WIRED Roundup: ChatGPT Goes Full Demon Mode

In today’s episode, Zoë is joined by WIRED’s Louise Matsakis to run through five of the most important stories we published this week — from Meta continuing its AI talent poaching spree, to how much f...

1 Elo 202522min

How to Not Die in Silicon Valley

How to Not Die in Silicon Valley

Blood boys. Cryogenic freezing. Living by the algorithm. Silicon Valley is known for a culture of health optimization, but some recent biohacking ventures are becoming more extreme–aimed not just at l...

31 Heinä 202535min

WIRED Roundup: Is Silicon Valley Losing Its Influence on D.C?

WIRED Roundup: Is Silicon Valley Losing Its Influence on D.C?

In today’s episode, Zoë is joined by WIRED’s Jake Lahut to run through five of the most important stories we published this week — from Trump’s newly unveiled AI plan to how supermassive black holes c...

25 Heinä 202521min