My Garmin Edge 530 is likely my favorite edge computing device. The performance data my Garmin cycling computer collects when mountain biking and the ability to share that information with family and friends comes in handy. You can compare rides, gauge fitness, determine whether the trail a friend rode is one you might like to try and even challenge friends to special contests.
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Now, I’m no longer of the age where I’m interested in challenging friends to beat my personal record up the local fire trail. No, I’m more interested in getting friends and family out the door. The iPhone’s ability to invite others to share their Garmin data fortunately encourages taking more time away from the screen and, literally, going outside.
Garmin devices, from wearables to portable head units such as the Edge 530 shown in Figure A, mate with the company’s Connect app, which is a free download for iPhone users.
Figure A
Using an iPhone, you can dig deep into several elements, including speed, distance, heart rate and elevation data, as shown in Figure B.
Figure B
To connect to friends and family members’ Garmin profiles and share corresponding activity information using an iPhone, open the Connect app, then tap the More icon present in the bottom right corner, shown in Figure C.
Figure C
Next, tap Connections, then select Invite Friends, as shown in Figure D.
Figure D
After you tap Invite Friends, multiple options for forwarding the corresponding invitation will appear using the iPhone’s standard sharing menu. Options include sending the invitation via AirDrop, Messages, Mail or a number of social media applications. Once you’ve sent your request, the recipient will receive a corresponding Garmin invitation, an example of which is shown in Figure E.
Figure E
Tapping on the Garmin message and subsequently accepting the invitation adds the corresponding Garmin profile to each individual’s Connections page within the Garmin Connect program. Tapping the Garmin Connect app’s News Feed icon on an iPhone, meanwhile, prompts the app to display not only the rides and corresponding statistics from your activities, but those from all your connections, too.
Thanks to edge computing conveniences and integration with an iPhone’s mobile capabilities, you can keep tabs on friends and family, monitor their activities and maybe even find sufficient inspiration to get yourself out the door. In my experience, that’s much more fun than scheduling service for a piece of industrial equipment thanks to having received a predictive maintenance alert, but we each must learn to embrace edge computing trends at our own pace.