fitness

This is what we get for calling our show "The 404." Despite literally everything going wrong on today's show (sorry, live listeners!), we get it in gear for what turns out to be a hilarious show, thanks to CNET reporter Caroline McCarthy who comes in and saves the day. Today, Jeff previews us on the latest Nintendo Wii games, including the new Wii Fit Plus, Super Mario Bros, Wii Sports Resort, and more!

Caroline McCarthy of CNET News' The Social comes on the show today to give us her unique take on a bunch of different stories. First off, we want to apologize to ALL of our beloved live listeners. For one reason or another, our broadcasting engine pooped out and we were unable to broadcast live. All is not lost, however--you can still definitely download or watch the stream here! Rest assured that Jason Howell, aka Superman, is on the job. Thanks, Jason!

First up, Jeff tells us all about yesterday's Nintendo event, where he got a chance to preview a bunch of exciting new games, including the new Super Mario Bros, Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, and Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box. He also got a chance to try out the new Wii Fit Plus. Last year, when Jeff went onto the balance board to demo the original Wii Fit, the machine actually gave up and unplugged itself, committing console suicide, so we're all anxious to see if Nintendo beefed up this new version.

Caroline also surprises us with a very positive review of the new "Transformers" movie. It turns out that the movie is geared toward...teenage boys. Which makes us question why Caroline was there in the first place--what a cougar! She also tells us even more horrifying news about the upcoming Facebook movie based on Ben Mezrich's upcoming book, "The Accidental Billionaires." Caro tells us that Shia Labeouf and Michael Cera are being eyeballed to play the role of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, but the rest of us think those are both terrible choices. Actually, maybe it should be Labeouf; his portrayal of Zuckerberg would at least be more believable than his relationship with hottie biscotti Megan Fox in "Transformers 2." There's NO WAY a woman of that caliber would even sneeze in Lebeouf's general direction!

LOS ANGELES--Although the video games industry has begun to take some hits--suggesting it may not be recession-proof after all--Nintendo has managed to maintain a solid financial performance.

Its sales are up 19 percent year-over-year, according to the company, which would be impressive in any year, but is particularly so in the current economic climate.

At E3 here this week, Nintendo made a few bold moves, but tended to play it relatively safe. It unveiled a new version of its mega-hit exercise game, "Wii Fit Plus," and showed off the next-generation of its motion-sensitive controller, the Wii Motion … Read more

As we gear up for the WWDC here in San Francisco, the rumors are flying as usual about what we might see during the keynote on Monday morning. Some people say Apple will announce new iPhones, others say we will get a precise release date for Mac OS X Snow Leopard. One thing is likely: We will probably all have the ability to download iPhone OS 3.0 sometime next week. I'm crossing my fingers.

I'll be at the keynote speech to witness the excitement and find out as much as I can about Mac OS X Snow … Read more

Yesterday, Microsoft raised the bar on the mainstream-interactive landscape with the demonstration of its futuristic Project Natal. Today, Nintendo had a chance for a rebuttal, during which it chose to focus on Wii Motion Plus.

Scheduled to debut in a few weeks when it's packaged in with Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10, the more accurate plug-in to the Wiimote has its greatest killer app in Wii Sports Resort, the delayed sequel to Wii Sports. Showed off last year as well, two new sports in the package, archery and a three-point hoops contest, were demonstrated once again by Reggie Fils-Aime and Bill Trinen. The accuracy benefits were more noticeable to the naked eye on the archery demo: smaller hand motions allow for greater focus and targeting.

The Wii Motion Plus is a funny update to the Wii, because the advertising around it (virtual swordplay, archery) is exactly the same angle that was used for the original Wiimote. It arrives in a few weeks to stores.… Read more

Memorial Day is fast approaching, and we're all thinking about our plans for the summer. For those of us planning beach trips, it's time for the body to come out of winter hibernation.

Earlier this year, we looked at services that give you exercising tips. But good exercise, as experts say, isn't everything behind a great beach bod. Eating well is another major component.

Below is a roundup of tools that help you track your calorie intake and exercise routines, as well as help you find support from others who are working toward the same goal.

A Calorie Counter Tracking your calorie intake is important. That's why A Calorie Counter is a useful tool. It enables you to search the USDA Food Nutrition database for anything you've eaten throughout the day. Once you find what you're looking for in the results, it reveals nutritional facts and a box that lets you change your serving size. When you update your serving size, the nutritional fact image changes to show you exactly how many calories you consumed. I was happy with the size of the database, and changing your serving size takes seconds.

BuddySlim.com BuddySlim operates on the belief that trying to lose weight alone is too difficult. Because of that, it enables folks who are trying to lose weight to form communities around their common goals and inspire each other to keep exercising. The site lets you search for others by diet, exercise, goals, location, or gender. Once you find a "buddy," you can keep in touch through a free e-mail account the site provides, as well as blogs and forums. The tool itself features a weight tracker so you (and others) can monitor your progress. But the real value of BuddySlim is its active, engaging community.

The Daily Plate The Daily Plate is primarily a calorie counter. But it does quite a bit more. The site lets you track how many calories you've burned by exercising throughout the day. You can set up weight goals and track your progress toward them with charts and graphs. Although I was happy with The Daily Plate, I wasn't overly pleased with its calorie tracking. It's not nearly as useful as A Calorie Counter.

DietTV.com This site provides an end-to-end healthy lifestyle service with calorie tracking. But one of its best features is the option to create a workout regimen. It asks you for your current weight, finds out what your ideal weight would be, determines what kind of exercises you'd like to do, and creates a full-body workout.

I was able to create a regimen that included 60 minutes of exercise, four days a week, on an elliptical machine, supplemented by weight exercises to build muscle mass. It was a fantastic tool. I also liked that DietTV lets you join a support group. Since forcing yourself to work out can be difficult at times, joining the various support groups on DietTV could help you stay motivated. Each group lets you upload your weight, include photos of your progress, and communicate with others. It's a great system that more of these tools should have.… Read more

There are two major reasons to swap out the headphones that came packaged with your MP3 player. The first is sound quality, and the second is fit. The two are not mutually exclusive, but you may place emphasis on one over the other depending on your device usage. If you mainly use your MP3 player at the gym, getting a pair of headphones that both fit securely and offer some sweat resistance is key. The $40 Nike Aero Sport Headphones certainly fit the bill there, and although music doesn't sound great through this set, the sleek and sweatproof design … Read more

If you've ever worn a fitted hat, you know that they tend to shrink from your brow sweat after awhile, but who wants to wear a snap-backed cap or, even worse, a hat with one of those awful velcro straps? Nobody, but you still gotta maintain a good fit, and Nobis has your back with a Caps_Lock design that allows the wearer to adjust the size with a simple turn.

The real technology is in the built-in strap that comes with each hat. You can tighten or loosen your fit by adjusting the small dial on the side. Of … Read more

This week, Jasmine and Donald discuss a variety of music tech that's perfect for helping you motivate into summer swimsuit shape--there are even music gadgets for people who prefer cycling and swimming to jogging and gyming. Also, Donald's got some info that will help any digital audio newcomer understand formats, and Jasmine rants about Rhapsody irritants. Plus, we answer questions about subscription services and explain why they don't play nice with the iPod.

Pst! Hey you! Yes, you...the lazy bum in the desk chair. This is your computer talking, and I'm getting pretty stressed out over here. I could really use a vacation, ya know? The weather is getting warmer, the air is getting balmier, the birds are getting chirpier...and yet your waistline seems to keep expanding. How about this: turn me off, go outside, and hit the pavement. Or get yourself a nice gym membership. Heck, even go to the local pool or the beach. I don't care how you do it, but I want to see that … Read more