Performance monitoring modules and apparatus

A performance monitoring apparatus comprising:

• a performance monitoring module and a general purpose portable telecommunications device including at least one of a netbook computer, a mobile telephone, a smart mobile phone, and a super phone,
• wherein the portable performance monitoring module comprises:
• a signal receiver arranged to collect performance signals from at least one performance sensor;
• a processor adapted for processing the collected performance signals to generate performance data, and for outputting the performance data to a general purpose portable telecommunications device;
• and
• a communication interface for facilitating data communication with the portable telecommunications device,
• and wherein:
• the performance monitoring module or the processor of the performance monitoring module is arranged to communicate with the portable telecommunications device via the communication interface upon receipt of request from the portable telecommunications device,
• the processor is configured as a slave processor to respond to control instructions of the portable telecommunications device, and
• the portable telecommunications device is configured to collect geographic, weather or other data from a telecommunications network or other sources and generate reference instructions or guidance information for a user by utilizing at least one of performance data and environmental data collected by the performance monitoring module while the performance monitoring module is operating to receive performance signals from said performance sensor.