Author: Enid Burns

Timbuk2 Rolls Out Bags with Bike-Friendly Features

Whether you bike your commute to work, are out for fun or extensive exercise, you may have some gear to tote along. A shoulder bag gets in the way, and sometimes even your standard backpack feels inappropriate while riding.

Timbuk2 has a few new bag designs that address the specific needs of cyclists. Those are streamlined, well-balanced and with the right pockets to store laptops and tablets, every day items and even bike-specific gear such as helmets and locks.

While the bag company showed its upcoming products for the year at CES earlier this month, some of its bike-friendly bags won’t be available until about September’s Interbike. The new line of backpacks,  includes the Amnesia, Hemlock and Q. The former is something we’ll be sure to remember as we wait for it to arrive.

The Amnesia features a ventilated back panel to help ensure that you don’t get too hot under the collar, while custom-fit straps give a truer, more comfortable fit. The refined weave 840 ballistic nylon pack offers a “swing around” side access compartment that can fit a laptop or tablet up to 15-inches. Separate front organizer pockets are available for accessories. This bag features an bottle opener on one of the straps. Once you’re off your bike you can use the paired Velcro loops on the bag’s face to secure your helmet or headphones – we recommend you keep the helmet on your head while on the bike. Continue reading Timbuk2 Rolls Out Bags with Bike-Friendly Features

TRX Offers Sponsorship for Fitness Goals

It’s still time of New Year’s resolutions to get fit or any other number of goals. Fitness Anywhere is offering a sponsorship program through its TRX Suspension bands. The goal is to pick a compelling training goal, create and submit a video to TRX’s YouTube page, and get the most views to win cash and training to support your goal. The intro video, “TRX Get with the Movement” shows people with goals from winning an iron man to simply running more or fitting into a bikini before swim season. There’s no goal too trivial if it gets you in better shape.

TRX is a suspension training system. It’s got straps that hook into the ceiling, door jam or other sturdy structure, and leverages your body weight to create exercise. The TRX straps boasts users have the ability to perform hundreds of exercises that build power, strength, flexibility, balance, mobility and prevent injuries. It is a resistance program that has a lot of possibilities, provided you have somewhere to hang your straps.

To enter for consideration to get sponsorship from TRX there are a few steps. Make a 30-second video describing your training goal for 2011 and how TRX will help you achieve the goal. Upload your video to YouTube. Promote your video entry via Facebook, Twitter and any other social or personal networking you can leverage to get more page views. The contest runs from the start of the year to April 30, 2011. Ten winners will be chosen through the course of the contest. Five winners will be selected in February, and five more in April.

The prize includes a $1,000 sponsorship to be applied towards event entry costs, travel, lodging and gear. The prize also includes a TRX Suspension Training Pro Pack; a FLIP camera for the winner to share his goal progress and TRX training; and a customized TRX training program. Good Luck!

TRX Training System

TRX YouTube Page

TRX Sponsors You details

Bike Android from Pioneer

Gadget blogs are buzzing — or should we say spinning their wheels — about an Android-based cyclocomputer in development by Pioneer. It wasn’t openly on display at CES earlier this month, and Pioneer doesn’t have anything posted on its US or Japan sites, however this video from DigInfo has an interview with one of the developers in Japan and some operational footage of the unit itself.

It will measure the typical speed, distance and cadence. Expect it also to have navigation and other typical read outs. A sensor on the crank, or pedaling meter will measure the force vectors of their left and right feet on the pedals and crank.

The computer will be Ant+ compliant, which is a wireless sensor network solution, so it will be able to talk to other devices. We expect for starters it will talk to your Android-based phone.

Last summer Apple filed a patent for a cycling app, though there haven’t been any announcements on when that will come out or if it will have even half of the functionality of this Pioneer computer.

via [Engadget and Android Fanatic]

Speck Gets Tough on the iPhone

Speck ToughSkin case for the iPhone 4 is ready to play.

Speaking as someone who has caused a quick demise of an MP3 player or two on the treadmill (the treadmill!), I think I can say that not all cases are built to withstand that type of torture. They’re made to withstand the torment of being tossed into a bag, purse or pocket. But a drop of a few feet, and at the velocity of someone running? Good bye. That said, Speck just came out with a line of Toughskin and Toughshell cases for the iPhone 4.

The ToughSkin for iPhone 4 ($39.95) is a three-layered system with an inner plastic shell that can be used all on its own, an outer rubber and rugged shell and an detachable holster with a rotating belt clip. The inner, plastic hard shell can stand on its own as a case when you’re not as active. However the rubberized outer case adds extra cushioning for your phone that will protect it if your phone launches from your hands while running or partaking in other activities. The holster has a rotating belt that you clip the phone into facing either direction. You can face your iPhone 4 inward to protect the screen from any damage, or clip it facing out so you can watch video or look at images. Continue reading Speck Gets Tough on the iPhone

FitnessClass is in Session with PumpOne

PumpOne, a mobile personal training tool, just introduced its FitnessClass App for the iPad. Available in the App Store, this FitnessClass offers on-demand, streaming fitness workouts on the Apple tablet, provided you have an Internet connection.

The program starts with 230 full-length workouts and plans to add more from well-known fitness instructors including Kathy Smith, Cathe Friedrich, Chris Freytag, Ellen Barrett, Iliara Montagnani, Michael Olajide Jr., Patricia Moreno and Patrick Goudeau. Classes cover a variety of modalities such as bodyweight bootcamp, med ball core, hip-hop dance, yoga, Pilates, kettlebells, dumbbells, Swiss ball and TRX sessions.

Two pricing options make the FitnessClass App easy to work with for many iPad users using In App transactions. Preview workouts for free using the App. Then purchase an on-going subscription to a series, or purchase individual workouts. You can access any purchased, or subscription-based, workouts any time as long as you have an Internet connection. Continue reading FitnessClass is in Session with PumpOne

NAIAS: Smart Shows its Ebike

At the North American International Auto Show, also referred to as the Detroit Auto Show, Daimler’s smart ebike concept bike was on display. We wrote about the bike last fall when electric car manufacturer smart planned to display it at the 2010 Paris Auto Show. We thought it was worth showing again now that we got to take a look at it, and find out more details.

It’s a striking bike. The simple modified triangle design looks futuristic. While it looks light, it weighs in at approximately 50 lbs. With a full charge, the bike has about a 50 mile range though that varies on how much you use the electricity versus pedaling. There’s four modes of electric assist that seem to kick in as needed rather than controlled by the rider. At 50 lbs. I can see wanting the assist more often than on any of my current bikes, especially when faced with a hill. You recharge the battery slightly when you brake, so you can squeeze a few more miles to a ride if you’re strategic. Continue reading NAIAS: Smart Shows its Ebike

Fitness Journal: Wearing the BodyMedia Fit

Trade shows, especially for journalists, are a time for getting work done. Meeting exhibitors and seeing product. It’s easy to lose sight of your fitness routines. As the Consumer Electronics Show approached and the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (Bluetooth SIG) approached me to wear an activity meter and compete for the journalist who takes the most steps, I was intrigued. There are a few shows including CES and the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) where I know I log a lot of steps because I’m running (sometimes literally) back and forth between several spread out halls to get to appointments and to see the show. I’ve always been curious just how many steps I’ve taken and calories I’ve burned at these shows. Now I had the perfect tool to give me the answer. Not only that, but immediately after CES I was headed to the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, and was curious to see how that show compared in steps and energy output. Continue reading Fitness Journal: Wearing the BodyMedia Fit

NuVal Nutrition Scoring Systems Expands to all United Supermarkets

Now that many restaurants post nutrition information on their menus, wouldn’t it be great to get similar access on shelf labels at the grocery store? You can pick up a box and look at the label, but grocery store chain United Supermarkets is going a step farther with its NuVal Nutrition Scoring System. The Texas-based supermarket chain posts food scores on the label along with price per unit. Continue reading NuVal Nutrition Scoring Systems Expands to all United Supermarkets

CES 2011: Mini Video Camera Takes on Water Activity

If you’re having too much fun doing water sports or want to film all three stages of your next triathlon, the SportsCam Waterproof Mini Video Camera from Swann Security may just be for you. The SportsCam is sheathed in a rugged waterproof case and has a handful of mounting options to secure it to your person or equipment and get you set up for filming. Continue reading CES 2011: Mini Video Camera Takes on Water Activity

CES 2011: BodyMedia Measures Each Step at CES 2011

This year several companies and organizations are giving pedometers to attendees of the Consumer Electronics Show to settle the curiosity that is, how much walking did I actually do? The answer for many people at trade shows, especially CES, is a lot. The folks at BodyMedia are giving select attendees a BodyMedia FIT Armband BW that measures activity and logs it via Bluetooth to the BodyMedia FIT mobile app.

BodyMedia is an online and mobile application that watches your activity and calories to help you achieve your select goals such as weight loss, maintenance, and increasing your activity level. At registration, the application asks you a few questions on vitals, and then lets you set your goals. If weight loss is your plan, you can set the goal of how quickly you want to lose and it gives you a date on when you can expect to reach your goal. For instance, if you plan to lose a total five pounds and choose half a pound a week, then it will set the end goal for two and a half months. Continue reading CES 2011: BodyMedia Measures Each Step at CES 2011

Count Calories and Win $500 at Whole Foods

New Year’s is a time for resolutions, and many of those pledges have to do with weight loss and health. Several websites, including About.com’s Caloriecount.com, will help with the resolution. Caloriecount.com is a calorie counter database where you log all the food you consume to total your daily intake of calories. To create an incentive the website will award three gift certificates to Whole Foods valued at $500 each. Continue reading Count Calories and Win $500 at Whole Foods

Porsche’s Downhill Direction

Sledding may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Porsche, but Porsche’s design division just released its Porsche bobsleigh. If you’re dreaming of a Porsche under the tree this year, the bobsled might do well. It’s 8.8 lbs of an advanced composite material and an ergonomic design that will have you zooming down the hill. The runners are shaped to point inward like parabolic skis make for better steerability and speed. Continue reading Porsche’s Downhill Direction