Skip to main content

3L Labs puts a fitness tracker in your shoe

CES is yet to officially get underway, but various product previews and announcements are already filtering out. One of the more interesting early titbits to come out of Las Vegas is the Footlogger from 3L Labs: this fitness tracker fits inside your shoe rather than around your wrist, and could potentially help spot health problems early as well as monitor your daily jog.

Head over to the product’s rather antiquated official website for more details on the Footlogger, which incorporates a three-axis accelerometer and eight different pressure sensors. With a memory capacity of 50,000 footprints, wireless Bluetooth capabilities and a 24-hour battery life between charges, the gadget could tempt anyone looking to get a better idea of their exercise habits.

Recommended Videos

According to 3L Labs, the Footlogger will be able to record your running and walking speeds, a history of your daily movements and how many calories you’re burning as well as the number of steps you’re getting through. The company also claims its tracker can be used to measure weight distribution, so athletes could use it improve their technique, for example.

Other potential applications for the device include helping with patient rehabilitation (after spinal or nervous system injuries) or even spotting the early signs of arthritis and dementia. Eventually, you might also be able to use the Footlogger to control your favorite video game, be it a futuristic first-person shooter or an Olympics simulation.

At the end of the day you’ll be able to place your sneakers on a wireless charger. Data pulled from your activities will be crunched by 3L Labs and could be returned to you (or your coach) via SMS text or a smartphone app. As yet we have no details on pricing or a launch date, but presumably we’ll be hearing more from 3L Labs at CES — stay tuned to Digital Trends for all the CES 2014 news stories and product announcements as they happen.

David Nield
Former Contributor
Dave is a freelance journalist from Manchester in the north-west of England. He's been writing about technology since the…
Sebastian Stan lays out Bucky’s future after Thunderbolts
Sebastian Stan in Thunderbolts.

There are some spoilers ahead for the ending of Marvel's Thunderbolts. Stop reading now if you don't want to be spoiled.

Earlier this year, Captain America: Brave New World briefly introduced a new direction for James "Bucky" Barnes, a character Sebastian Stan has been playing since 2011 in Captain America: The First Avenger. In Brave New World, the former Winter Soldier apparently retired from being a reformed hero and went into politics by running for Congress. Thunderbolts reveals that Bucky won his election to the House of Representatives. But his stay in Congress was short.

Read more
Jeep Compass EV breaks cover—but will it come to the U.S.?
jeep compass ev us newjeepcompassfirsteditionhawaii  4

Jeep just pulled the wraps off the all-new Compass EV, and while it’s an exciting leap into the electric future, there's a catch—it might not make it to the U.S. anytime soon.
This is a brand new electric version of the Jeep Compass, and being built on Stellantis' STLA platform—the same architecture underpinning models like the Peugeot E-3008 and E-5008—it looks much slicker and packs a lot more inside than previous versions of the Compass.
Let’s start with what’s cool: the new Compass EV is packing up to 404 miles of range on a single charge, a 74 kWh battery, and fast-charging that gets you from 20% to 80% in about 30 minutes. Not bad for a compact SUV with Jeep's badge on the nose.
There are two versions: a front-wheel-drive model with 213 horsepower and a beefier all-wheel-drive version with 375 horsepower. That AWD setup isn’t just for looks—it can handle 20% inclines even without front traction, and comes with extra ground clearance and better off-road angles. In short, it’s still a Jeep.
The design's been refreshed too, and inside you’ll find the kind of tech and comfort you’d expect in a modern EV—sleek, smart, and ready for both city streets and dirt trails.
But here’s the thing: even though production starts soon in Italy, Jeep hasn’t said whether the Compass EV is coming to America. And the signs aren’t promising.
Plans to build it in Canada were recently put on hold, with production now delayed until at least early 2026. Some of that might have to do with possible U.S. tariffs on Canadian and Mexican vehicles—adding a layer of uncertainty to the whole rollout.
According to Kelley Blue Book, a Stellantis spokesperson confirmed that the company has “temporarily paused work on the next-generation Jeep Compass, including activities at” the Canadian plant that was originally meant to build the model. They added that Stellantis is “reassessing its product strategy in North America” to better match customer needs and demand for different powertrain options.
So while Europe and other markets are gearing up to get the Compass EV soon, American drivers might be left waiting—or miss out entirely.
That’s a shame, because on paper, this electric Jeep hits a lot of sweet spots. Let’s just hope it finds a way over here.

Read more
Charlie Cox singles out his least favorite Daredevil: Born Again episode
Charlie Cox in Daredevil: Born Again.

Daredevil: Born Again season 1 was largely reconceived after the 2023 actor and writer strikes. Dario Scardapane -- a veteran of The Punisher series on Netflix -- was brought in to be the new showrunner and he made a lot of changes to the series that were well-received. However, there's one episode that Scardapane didn't really change at all, and it happens to be the least favorite episode of Daredevil: Born Again's leading man, Charlie Cox.

During an appearance on The Playlist, Cox noted that he wasn't very fond of the season's fifth episode, "With Interest," which was a largely standalone episode that featured his character, Matt Murdock, in a bank during a hostage crisis.

Read more