running

Four killer iPhone apps for runners

I used to run without music. Then I started bringing along an MP3 player. And finally I caved in to strapping my iPhone to my arm.

Sure, it's a little unwieldy, but it's comforting to have a phone with you just in case you need a sag wagon.

And don't forget the apps. Your iPhone can double not only as an iPod, but also a GPS watch, a route map, and a personal trainer. Here's my list of must-have apps for new and seasoned runners alike.

FlickTunes If your iPhone is coming along solely for iPod … Read more

The iPhone app that tells you when to pee during a movie

This is one of life's fundamental dilemmas.

You had a couple of beers over dinner. Now you're at the movies, and suddenly you need to go to the restroom.

But you want to know whether the monster with the green eyes, yellow lips, and voice like Charlton Heston will, indeed, eat the heroine before her beau is released by extra-terrestrial terrorists.

Thanks to RunPee.com, your problems are now behind you.

RunPee is dedicated to analyzing movies and working out the precise minute for you to annoy the other 12 people in your row, scuttle off to the … Read more

Sweet solution for your sour fruit

I have to blog about the Lemon Run, because, according to its Web site, using it a "smile starts running down on your face." And whom, my friends, can pass that up?

The Lemon Run solves a problem that many of us face. But let's let them explain it to us:

"Do you hesitate to pick up a piece of lemon from the plate before serving it to a dish of delicacy? Worry about spurting juice all over place, onto people's face or clothes? Spoil the enjoyment for everyone around you."

I don't … Read more

Report: Spam and malware at all-time highs

Spam and botnets have hit their highest levels ever, according to McAfee's second-quarter Threats Report, released Wednesday. McAfee's Avert Labs says spam recorded in the second quarter shot up 80 percent compared with the first quarter of the year.

This follows a brief reprieve from spam following last year's shutdown of the McColo ISP. June alone saw the largest amount of spam recorded by McAfee, surpassing the previous monthly high in October by more than 20 percent. McAfee now estimates that spam accounts for 92 percent of all e-mail.

By country, the amount of worldwide spam originating … Read more

Track your workouts

RunKeeper Free is a no-cost but still full-featured version of RunKeeper Pro, a fitness app that helps runners (and even hikers and cyclists and the like) track the speed, pace, distance, and location of their workouts. The app has a streamlined, two-button interface--Stop/Start and Pause--and a large display that shows time elapsed, current speed, pace per mile (or kilometer), distance traveled, and GPS strength. What makes RunKeeper Free so useful--and motivating--is its ability to track the history of your runs, showing a quick list of the date, start time, duration, and distance covered for all your runs, and even … Read more

SunRun to expand financing for solar panels

SunRun is among those companies that believe the quickest way to get solar panels installed en masse is to eliminate the hefty up-front cost.

The San Francisco-based start-up on Tuesday said that it has raised an additional $18 million, in a funding round led by venture capital firm Accel Partners. Accel is known for backing Facebook and BitTorrent.

The money will be used for SunRun to expand its solar financing beyond California, Arizona, and Massachusetts, according to the company. SunRun has previously raised $12 million from Foundation Capital, which also participated in this round, and has secured $105 million from U.S. Bancorp for financing … Read more

Rain won't stop Nike from checking your performance

Cross heavy rain off your list of excuses for not getting outside to see if you've improved your running performance.

A new version of the Nike+ Sportband--an armband that gives runners real-time information on distance, pace, time, and calories burned--now comes with a welded seal to improve water resistance, a feature that seems to be a market trend.

The new version also has a screen with a white background to enhance visibility. It goes on sale Wednesday for $59.

Nike+ Sportsband works much like the Nike + iPod Sports Kit, but with a separate armband instead of the media … Read more

Home run derby game for iPhone goes on sale

I usually write about iPhone apps at the end of the week, but today (and only today) there is a sale on a game that is too good to pass up. In celebration of the MLB home-run derby and all-star game this week, developer's Com2uS have decided to have a 1-day sale on their extremely popular game Baseball Slugger 3D (usually $2.99). You can get the game today for only 99 cents and, after having played the game, I can tell you it is definitely more than worth the money.

I had initially passed over this title because … Read more

JBoss star Bob Bickel starts a new venture

Bob Bickel, often credited with being one of the driving forces behind JBoss' success, has been in semi-retirement since Red Hat purchased JBoss, but he's apparently sticking his head out of hibernation to launch a new venture.

The venture? "A web service that makes it easy for running races to allow users to sign up online."

If this doesn't sound very open source-y of Bickel, it's because it's not. But it does reflect Bickel's shifting interests: some might remember that Bickel helped to start Ringside Networks after the JBoss acquisition, an open-source competitor … Read more