fitness

Atari's trip back to the future

The more things change, the more they stay the same. That, at least, can be said of Atari.

The company will be releasing a game that appears to compete with Nintendo's much-anticipated Wii Fit and its Balance Board, but it turns out that Atari had a board controller of its own back in 1982--we're talking the same year that Tron came out. According to Boing Boing, the "Joyboard" was a four-switch device that worked like a foot-controlled joystick but was eventually abandoned as "too finicky for nuanced control."

It seems doubtful that any of … Read more

First look at 'Wii Fit'

Can a video game get you in shape? Nintendo says that Wii Fit will definitely point you in the right direction. With more than 40 exercises and activities, the game helps you keep track of your BMI (body mass index) over a period of time, allowing you to become more aware of your body.

While the game may not have you losing pounds left and right, it'll certainly help you improve your balance and posture--it can even make you work up a sweat.

The Wii Fit package comes with the Wii Fit software and balance board. The board is … Read more

Atari has its own version of 'Wii Fit'

The Wii Fit isn't even out yet, and already competition is gearing up. Atari just announced that it will launch its own exercise game, called Family Trainer.

The main difference in Atari's version--other than the lack of hype and branding power of its Nintendo rival--is that it uses an interactive mat rather than the Wii Fit's Balance Board. The move is somewhat awkward because the game apparently still requires use of the Wiimote, as Tech Digest notes, and Atari's Family Ski is designed to use the Wii board as well. The games, meanwhile, sound only mildly … Read more

Recharger ensures marathon 'Wii Fit' sessions

Time's running out: You've got only two more days to get the Wii Fit and offend mom on Mother's Day--or at least pre-order one, as it's not available until May 19. And to make up for the tardiness of the misguided gift, there's even a way to add insult to injury with a rechargeable battery.

Nyko will be shipping its "Energy Pak" for the "Wii Balance Board" on the same day the fitness game is released to provide maximum sweat time, according to Gizmodo. The recharging brick plugs into the bottom … Read more

Where 320 people can't be wrong

EPISODE 94

Libe Goad joins the guys of the 404 to talk about how the Wii gets hacked, GTA IV gets a lot of cash, get in shape with Wii Fit, Boom some Blox and some silly-ass stop signs. We also make fun of her husband, but shh...don't tell him.

Listen now: Download today's podcast

Buzz Out Loud 717: Dedicated to yo' fat momma

Yo' momma is so fat. How fat is she? She's so fat she has two Wiis, one for each...OK, never mind. In other news, Microsoft walked out on Yahoo. Is it for good this time? What does it mean for you? (As usual, a big fat nothing, unless you're a Yahoo stockholder.) Also, on the deathwatch today: E3, Cuba's ban on home computers, and Google audio CAPTCHA. Listen now: Download today's podcast EPISODE 717

MicroHoo is dead, long live MicroHoo http://www.news.com/8301-13860_3-9935100-56.html http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9935250-7.html http://kara.allthingsd.com/20080505/ yahoo-execs-reaction-i-need-some-prozac/ … Read more

'Wii Fit' for Mother's Day gift? You shouldn't have

If this report is true, then some marketing executives are even more out of touch with reality than we thought. And that's saying a lot.

According to Reuters, Wal-Mart is planning to make a huge push for the Wii Fit as "a perfect gift" for Mother's Day, splashing promotions for the game across its Web site this weekend. We won't even get into the fact that the holiday falls on May 11 this year, more than a week before the game is even available on the U.S. market. Rather, as always, it's the … Read more

BenQ's new handset manages your health

BenQ might not jump into your head when it comes to mobiles as fast as, say, Boris Johnson when you say "useless foppish toff," but it's still in the game. Its new C36 handset looks almost identical to 3's Skype handset we looked at back in October (and still use). It's a music phone with support for MP3, WAV, AMR, and good old MIDI files, has a 176 x 220 LCD display and--chickety-check this out--"health management."

No, it won't perform the Heimlich maneuver when you're choking on a granddad-friendly Werther's, … Read more

Up close with Shigeru Miyamoto and 'Wii Fit'

CNET was more than happy to attend an exclusive roundtable Q&A regarding Wii Fit with Nintendo mastermind Shigeru Miyamoto on Thursday afternoon at the Le Parker Meridien in New York. Miyamoto led the presentation with an in-depth look at the origin of Wii Fit and the challenges that came along in developing such an ambitious platform.

Interestingly enough, Wii Fit was conceived by Miyamoto in the process of his own personal awareness of his body weight. By graphing his weight over a period of time, he was able to see a visual representation of how it fluctuated. With his family encouraging him to keep in shape, Miyamoto did so by creating a personal game out of the whole thing--as a result, Wii Fit was born.

What separates Wii Fit from other "working-out-can-be-fun" concepts is that it creates a game around each person who plays it. Nintendo hopes that this personalized experience will attract people who would otherwise not be playing video games--and we think they're on to something. By making Wii Fit an easy-to-use, practical, and accessible device, it can appeal to just about anyone who can stand on a scale. Wii Fit may not have you dropping pounds as fast as intense exercise and dieting would, but it can definitely make keeping track of your progress a whole lot easier and definitely more entertaining. Miyamoto explained that Wii Fit makes you more aware of your body, which is the first step toward improving your health. Wii Fit is already starting to pop up in gyms across Japan and we'd imagine a similar response here in the states.… Read more

Coming soon: A holodeck in your home

The day is fast approaching when a holodeck in our living room may not be so far-fetched. First shown at CeBIT 2008, the Fitness@home virtual training system (PDF) is a first step toward a simulated reality facility, though we can hear Star Trek fans snorting at its baby steps. Still, this brainchild of Berlin's Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Architecture and Software Technology (FIRST) is the closest we've seen in conjuring up some virtual-reality wizardry to place you anywhere you fancy: Mt. Everest, if you plan to do some serious StairMaster climbing, National Geographic-style; the Beijing Olympics, if … Read more