Lifestyle

We're convinced that the electronics industry is conspiring with our personal trainer, because he knows that built-in gadgets are the only way to get us on the cardio machines. The latest invention goes far beyond the iPod fitness equipment we mentioned earlier; this diabolical device really hits home--with games.

And we're not talking DDR either. The "ProForm 20.0 Elliptical CrossTrainer" includes a backlit console with a screen mounted right in front of your flushed face, according to Newlaunches. As if that weren't enough, additional cruelty comes in the games themselves, which the manufacturer says … Read more

And you thought the iPod bed was weird. The collision of two consumer technology trends--iPod docks and media furniture--may have seen the ultimate mashup in the iPod fireplace.

Yes, you heard it right. Cal Spas, the purveyor of Marin County-style hot tub culture products, has done it again in offering a musical hearth complete with built-in speakers and iPod docking station. It's not just for looks, either. BornRich reports that this "Home Resort" piece puts out a full 65,000 BTUs.

But, believe it or not, there's some stiff competition. Why confine yourself to … Read more

Dance Dance Revolution may very well be the future of working out.

Case in point: the MX9 Workout Master by Motivatrix is a full-body workout machine in which sensors on a platform and in a ring above detect a user's movements and input them into a monitor. There are a variety of games, exercises and choices of music to choose from, and the display will keep track of the user's performance. Sound like a video game? Well, that's the point.

"Your body is a joystick...this is a way to take those Nintendo kids and give … Read more

Are you willing to pay $28 for a light bulb?

No? Well, how about this light bulb?

The mind-boggling Lamp/Lamp isn't actually a lamp. It's a cleverly designed 30-watt bulb with two sets of screw threads.

Screw one end into an outlet, and it creates the optical illusion you see in the photo to the left. Turn it on, and watch as houseguests do triple-takes.

Designer Hironao Tsuboi is the brains behind the Lamp/Lamp. If you like it, you'll probably appreciate the other home products Tsuboi designed for 100per.com.

Tsuboi's other designs include … Read more

Have you ever played a game of Super Mario Bros. and wondered what it'd be like to be one of the bricks?

Sebastian Schmieg's Roy Block project may hold the answer to that question. Schmieg, a student at Merz Akademie in Stuttgart, Germany, created Roy Block as an interface experiment.

There are no traditional game controllers. Instead, players use two small wooden blocks, which are pressed against the screen. Rather than controlling the protagonist in the game, the player controls the environment by moving the blocks.

Confused? Just watch the YouTube video below.

We've seen MP3 players for swimmers, but JVC's Digital Audio Player XA-AW33-W is the first we've seen that's custom-made for the bath. At least, it's the first one we've seen that's made to float.

The player holds up to 256MB of songs, and is battery-powered so that you won't need to worry about frying yourself in the tub. Its stand lets you listen to the player in unfloating mode, and the song-loading process is handled by a USB connection to your PC--when it's out of the tub, of course.

On the … Read more

"Nerds!" --Ogre, Revenge of the Nerds

Since the dawn of time (or at least the 1980s), avid computer users have been ridiculed for lacking social skills and an ability to party.

But anyone who has seen the documentary Real Genius or seen the schools featured on this list of top college pranks knows otherwise.

Nerds do party. They just party efficiently. That's why these drink-deal locators exist: to help us find cheap drinks between here and the nearest library.

UnThirsty: This is a Google Maps mashup that lets you search for happy hours, food specials, … Read more

Since its launch last November, the Nintendo Wii has made waves among retirees and new gamers.

Now, Nintendo's generation-transcending game machine is making waves in the literal sense.

According to this post on Joystiq, Norwegian Cruise Lines will feature Nintendo Wiis on all cruises. As this photo attests, they're talkin' big-screen action.

Judging how hard it is to find a Wii in stores, cruise ships will no doubt become a huge target for pirates. Marrrrrrrio!

Astronaut Sunita L. Williams wouldn't miss the Boston Marathon for anything. Even if she's not on planet Earth.

As luck would have it, space is where Williams will be on April 16, the date of the 2007 Boston Marathon. She'll be competing anyway.

According to the Associated Press, Williams is registered for the Boston Marathon and will compete by running on a treadmill in the International Space Station.

Although Williams will be the first person to run the Boston Marathon in space, she won't be the first off-site competitor. Since 2005, U.S. soldiers in Iraq … Read more