Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Directly rewarding efforts with results, now that’s the way to get someone moving. As we’ve seen time and time again, providing a clear, undiluted motivator is a perfect way to make fitness a top priority in life, and that’s exactly what Takara Tomy is hoping to achieve with its pocket-friendly Jinsei Game of Life pedometer. Essentially, this device is a portable version of the famed Game of Life board game, but users are purportedly not allowed to take a turn unless they take 300 steps first. Additionally, two players can take on one another via the “communication mode,” but there’s a good chance the most chiseled among you will take home the gold regardless of luck. Out this month in Japan for ¥3,675 ($34).

[Via CScout Japan]

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Wearables

The latest word on effective cardio exercise is that you should go for short, intense intervals rather than waste hours on the Stairmaster. Shorter workouts, you say? Good with us, but what about the gear to go with all that? The Airun Plus shoe is designed for the HIIT exerciser who wants to track his BMI and caloric burn rates all the while controlling shoe weight. The built-in Smart Technology controller records BMI and calorie burn results while the weighted insoles can be added or removed based on your needs. Weight and speed information comes from a sensor in the right shoe, while the entire kick is designed with shock absorption and safety in mind. Ready to buy? If you’re serious about your body, these things will run you £112.50 ($224) and they come all the way from England.

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Filed under: Gaming

From the get-go, Nintendo’s latest console was seen as a dream come true for folks who’d love to lose a few pounds, yet would rather log a few hours on the couch rather than the track. Shortly after the Wii Fit’s launch, we’re already seeing another wave of dedicated users reporting weight loss, and the trend is even bleeding into the medical field. According to Sue Stanley-Green, a professor of athletic training at Florida Southern College, the Wii Fit and other fitness-related games have “great potential for core strengthening and rehabilitation and may boost compliance with rehabilitation exercises.” She also noted that these games were “being used more and more in nursing homes,” and particularly with youngsters, titles such as Wii Fit are the only ones that stand a chance at getting them active. We can’t decide if that’s a positive thing or just downright depressing.

[Thanks, Juergen]

Read - Wii Fit in rehab
Read - Wii Fit weight loss

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Filed under: Gaming

Okay, so you’ve had ample time now to shed a few pounds courtesy of Wii Fit. Whether or not you’ve been diligent enough to stick with it is another thing. Regardless of your level of dedication, we’re certain there’s a few things Nintendo could have done differently to make the entire experience a bit better. Heck, our own Ryan Block has already chimed in with a few things that he would like to see tweaked, so what’s stopping you? Post up your comments while training for bonus points.

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Filed under: Gaming

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

While there’s a plethora of products out there meant to log your running miles, Seiko’s looking out for those who’d rather jump rope or do some heavy lifting rather than placing a beating on their knees. The adequately minuscule Slimstick (15-grams; 2- x 6.4- x 0.89-centimeters in size) is meant to reside in the pocket of a given exerciser and track calories burned along with an “overall workout value,” which can be benchmarked against one’s goal. To do so, it packs a dual-axis accelerometer and a decent amount of fairy dust, and yes, it promises to do all the things your paltry (or lazy, as it were) pedometer simply won’t. Your next fitness buddy is available now for just ¥5,775 ($55), or ¥6,980 ($67) with a presumably supreme “strap set.”

[Via technabob]

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Filed under: Wearables

For those breaking into a sweat trying to decide whether or not the Nike+ SportBand is really worth your hard earned dollars / euros / pounds / Schrutebucks, simmer on down. The runners over at the Stuff offices have snapped one up and tossed out their two pence. Summarized as a “Nike+iPod system without music,” the unit was given fairly high marks all around. It was noted that calibration was highly recommended before taking on the London Marathon, but that setup was a real lesson in simplicity. Design wise, most everything was kosher save for the detachable face (Link USB drive) that may not fit perfectly in slim laptops sitting flush on a table and the non-backlit display that proved difficult to see at night. Believe it or not, critics still found the SportBand to be a joy to use despite the aforesaid quirks, but given the drawbacks, we’d certainly recommend trying out a pal’s before throwing down for your own.

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Filed under: Wearables

Right on cue, Nike’s making things official with its oft-rumored (and still unpriced) Nike+ SportBand and even had the time to toss in details about Nike+ Coach, too. The band, which opens up features at the NikePlus website along with enabling runners to check out distance, pace, time and calories burned, is indeed marketed as a standalone device for those who’d prefer not to have a DAP flanking their arm when exercising. Moreover, the outfit’s online Nike+ Coach system will allow runners to have the information they need to appropriately train for long distance events or achieve customized goals. Get those kicks cleaned up prior to April 10th — after all, that’s the day you’ll be sprinting out to pick this thing up, right?

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Filed under: Cellphones

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Filed under: Wearables

Make of it what you will, but Germany’s own Mac Life has apparently grabbed hold of a few more details concerning that SportBand we saw sashay into the FCC’s database late last month. Reportedly, the unit isn’t meant to replace the Nike+iPod system; rather, it’s an alternative for runners who’d prefer not to have earbuds in and a DAP on their person when logging their treks. As expected, time, speed, distance and calories will all be tracked, and each run can be captured and stored on the outfit’s website after you thumb a ride back home. We’re told to expect said device in April for €59.95 ($93), but only time will tell if that’s an accurate assertion (and true worldwide).

[Thanks, Susanne]

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Filed under: Wearables

Oh sure, we’ve seen gadgets used as motivational tools before, but Sega Toys is apparently banking on you not being a hothead. Otherwise, you just might fling its Body Trainer headset from your dome as soon as you hear “please exercise a little bit harder” over your incessant panting. Nevertheless, those with oodles of self-control may actually benefit from having a personal trainer (of sorts) in their ear while working out, and by monitoring the wearer’s heartbeat via a sensor, it can blurt out messages at the appropriate time to help users through their session(s). Reportedly, this nifty exercise buddy is set to launch in Japan this April for ¥5,775 ($54), and while we’ve no idea if this thing is destined for US soil, we can definitely see it being used more so for its musical abilities and less for its steadfast encouragement.

[Via CNET]

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Filed under: Gaming

Although we’ve seen some interesting uses of the Wii for rehab and exercise — and even seen some positive results — a new study says that so-called “active” gaming is really no more active than simply sitting around. The research — funded by Nintendo’s UK marketing division, ironically enough — compared the calories burned by five gamers playing Wii Sports Boxing, Tennis, and Bowling to the calories burned by the same group simply sitting around playing Project Gotham 3 on the 360. Although Wii Sports definitely burned more calories, it wasn’t very significant: an increase of “less than two percent,” according to the report. Of course, that doesn’t mean that other active games like DDR or even a vigorous Rock Band drumming sesh won’t burn more calories — so don’t give up your gaming-fitness dreams just yet.

[Via Ars Technica; Image courtesy of Nick Cueva]

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Anyone who reads the fine site Book of Joe knows that the man behind the blogging empire is religiously devoted to working out while writing, and prides himself on having integrated a treadmill into his workspace. Well manufacturer Steelcase thinks that this trend has grown beyond one individual multitasking in his underwear, and is poised to introduce a nicely-designed product called the Walkstation which seems more at home in a CEO’s office than your messy living room. Not many details are available on this converged piece of furniture co-designed by the Mayo Clinic’s Dr. James Levine (who’s been working in this specialized field for at least two years, apparently), but supposedly there’s an all day demo going down on October 25th at 4 Columbus Circle if you happen to be in the New York area. And if you do go, try to show up in a cab just to be ironic.

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

We’re still not entirely sold on exercise gear that yaps back at you, but if you’d rather your machinery do the counting, the Talking Digital Hand-Grip Exerciser is right down your alley. The title pretty much tells all, but this hand exerciser boasts an integrated LCD and a built-in drone (or its vocal box, at least) that proudly announces how many squeezes you’ve completed and the current, total, or maximum grip force. Throw down $12.99 for this and couple it with your Konami push-up counter for a workout that’s sure to be unbelievably invigorating.

[Via UberReview]

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

Trust us, we know how tough it is to count to 999 in our head while closing in on a cool thousand push-ups, so we could not be more excited to see Konami’s push-up counter. Okay, our entire team couldn’t hit 1,000 collectively in one sitting (okay, maybe so on a good day), but for those macho, macho men out there, this thing will certainly keep you motivated as you look to max one out and hop over to another. Feel free to start the chin-to-big red button-action as soon as you muster up ¥1,764 ($15) required to claim one of your own.

[Via TechDigest]

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!