MP3 players serve many purposes in our lives. They drown out the crazies on public transportation, keep our road rage in check during rush hour, ensure that we're entertained on long flights, and help us stay motivated at the gym. In fact, one of the top reasons why people buy portable audio devices is to have them as fitness companions. And you may not know it just by looking at them, but the iPhone and iPod Touch are excellent tools for watching your weight and keeping in shape--you just need the proper enhancements.
First and foremost, if you're going to be exposing your skinny little iPod to the indelicate environs of the gym, make sure you wrap it up in a nice, protective case. Then it's onto the fun stuff: apps. The iPhone and iPod Touch have a vast array of third-party applications tailored for just about any purpose you can put your mind to, and that includes fitness. But rather than letting you wade through the sea of options out there (and, in fact, maybe ocean is a more appropriate metaphor), we've rounded up five of our favorite fitness apps right here. OK, OK...actually, there are seven, but we just couldn't resist throwing in some tangentially related selections.
MP3 players fulfill many roles for the people who use them. For some, a portable audio device is true to form as an essential commuter companion; others turn their players into home audio systems by attaching them to speakers. But one of the most popular uses for an MP3 player is as a workout motivator, which is why companies have packed fitness-friendly extras into the devices over the years. The most recent example is found in the Haier America Trainer, a 2GB player with a surfeit of features aimed at getting you in shape. At $60, the Trainer is a solid investment for gym rats who want to get the absolute most out of an MP3 player.
Yeah, we're not sure what the title of our show means today, but it's what happens when you let the chat room run the show. We think they want us to take off our clothes. Anyway, we're back to our old antics today: Bittr, Wii, Wolverine, iPhone, and pedometers.
As you can see, Slate.com already stole our idea for a skit mocking Twitter. We were going to shoot a video about a one-character status update. Some times, "F" is the only character that describes exactly how we're feeling at the moment.
On today's show, we talk a bit about how Nintendo is almost literally printing money with its Wii console. Apparently, it costs Nintendo 45 percent less to make a Wii than when it first came out. Nintendo is also trying to make more bank by releasing a pedometer, a device that measures foot steps--not an alarm for child predators. Also, we've got some info on a new iPhone app called Bad Decision Blocker that blocks your ability to make drunk phone calls. Seriously, though, if you need an iPhone app to stop you from making drunk calls, you need to 1) stop drinking 2) leave your phone at home, and 3) go see a therapist about your lingering girlfriend issues.
Finally, we get to our favorite "It came from Fox News!" segment. This time around, a Fox News commentator was fired for reviewing a pirated copy of the new "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" movie. Yeah, smart one. Fortunately, Jeff stopped selling DVDs of "Two and a Half Men" a few months ago. And a reminder, please call in with your most death-defying story to win your copy of "To the End of the Death: Our Epic Journey to the North Pole and the Legend of Peary and Henson" by our guest, Tom Avery. Yeah, long, long title.
EPISODE 315
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(Credit:
Crave Asia)
Toshiba and KDDI, the second-largest mobile operator in Japan, have teamed up to squeeze a calorie counter and pedometer into a mobile phone.
The result? An unusual-looking mobile phone called the Sportia. Not only does this mobile looks "fat," its weird-looking buttons are almost too small to use. Furthermore, the directional buttons are placed on the left side of the phone instead of the usual top central position. The overall design is simple and unattractive, not what one would expect of normally fashion-conscious Japanese phones.
According to Softpedia, the Sportia will be available in mid-June, but only in Japan. The price is yet to be known.
(Source: Crave Asia)
Plotting routes is one of Wayfinder Active's many uses.
(Credit: Wayfinder)The full product launch of Wayfinder Active is arriving in North America just in time for seasonal outdoor pursuits. This free edition of the premium GPS phone navigation system, Wayfinder Navigator, includes goodies that are just right for outdoor enthusiasts taking their phones on a stroll, jog, hike, or geocaching expedition. There are tools for monitoring your speed, distance, and caloric burn, for mapping routes and points of interest, for pulling up a dynamic compass, and for sharing routes or stats. For solo wanderers, there's also a panic button for calling out your location to an emergency buddy.
Appropriately, Wayfinder Active is hooked to an online social community, where members can share photos, thoughts, and routes, the latter of which are auto-uploaded online using the standard GPX format. Users can also download routes to their phones from the community, and purchase topographic maps by state, province, or country.
Watching the demo was enough to make me want to run out and buy a GPS-enabled phone, or at least go on a leafy, hilly hike. Wayfinder Active is available for most GPS-enabled Java phones, with BlackBerry coming next. Get it online or point the cell phone browser to http://active.getwf.com.
Read up on all the latest cell phone and software news from CTIA Wireless 2008.
(Credit:
Gizmodiva)
Pedometers are probably among the oldest digital fitness gadgets around, continually morphing into new forms for both man and beast. But we didn't think they'd have any potential as fashion items until we saw these latest models from Japan.
The "Slim Stick" seems fairly mundane so far as features are concerned, with the requisite tracking for calories burned, miles walked, and the like. Where it stands out, according to Gizmodiva, is a sleek design in silver, gold, or pink that resembles some kind of high-tech Pez dispenser. Function and appearance aside, this takes represents an important trend in Japan, where robots seem to be replacing the country's growing elderly population by the minute.
(Credit:
Karmaloop)
The original Adidas "Micropacer" was a bit ahead of its time when it came out in 1984. Back then, few could have predicted that running shoes would eventually be home to GPS devices, iPod transmitters, and their own MP3 players as they are in 2008.
But today the 24-year-old line can hold its own as the fitness/apparel/technology trend shows little sign of abatement. The Micropacers have a device built into a special tongue that includes a pedometer, range finder, and stop watch, Uncrate says.
Pictured here is the "Venice Carnival Edition" from the line's "Flavors of the World" collection, which may explain the white mask on the left and the bird silhouettes on the back and side. But we have no idea why they bothered with such subtleties when all you'll see is the giant white pouch on top. Speaking of subtle, whatever you do, please don't pull out those short shorts from high school.
(Credit:
Seihin)
Not ready for rodents
(Credit: Hyperbike)There's a great line in The Truth About Cats & Dogs, when Janeane Garofalo's character--a veterinarian radio talk-show host--dispenses this advice to a caller: "You can love your cats and not love your cats." That scene came to mind upon viewing this hamster pedometer that actually keeps track of wheel rotations to ensure your pet furball is in peak physical condition.
Sadly, it's not the first such product. As Tokyomango notes, a dog pedometer has been on the market for some time. (And don't get us started on those pet translators.)
If people were really serious about rodent fitness, they'd come up with something like a hamster-sized version of the "HyperBike."
(Credit:
Tokyomango)
Humans can be so inconsiderate. There are tons of fitness products made for people, but what about animals? One item that at least beings to address this glaring disparity is this doggy pedometer from--where else?--Japan, of course. The gadget, as Tokyomango notes, "kills three birds with one stone by being a pedometer, a timer and a dog tag." In our next installment of Crave's Canine Chronicles, we'll discuss personal trainers for your pooch.
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