Author: KineticShift

Master the Shot with SHOT Master

Whilst not everyone can become a master of the fairways and dominate the greens, every golfer can probably improve their technique and with it their overall game. That’s the idea behind SHOT Master, an interactive golf guide and e-tutorial that helps golfers improve their skill. It features carefully organized and detailed game improvement tips and easy-to-follow videos that can be conveniently used wherever the golfer goes. 

SHOT Master is the brain child of independent developers Charles Casteel, Jr. and Charles Casteel, Sr., an Information Technology expert, and professional golfer and golf instructor Willie Roberson. SHOT Master specializes in those rough shots, such as being stuck behind a tree in the rough or trapped in a bunker. It is a great tool as a golfer finding themselves in these “rough” situations can simply take out their iPod touch or iPhone and find out in a nice detailed tutorial how to get the best shot from where they are stuck.

“We are pleased to fill a void for the avid golfer to get help in real time. We know there are some very difficult golf shot and we wanted to create a coach that can be with the golfer at all times”,  said Charles Casteel, Sr., SHOT Master part-owner and developer. “Golfers all over the world can improve their game by mastering some of golf’s most changeling shots by using our Golf App while on the golf course from the convenience of their iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad.” Continue reading Master the Shot with SHOT Master

Kinetic Shift Goes to the Auto Show

One trade show is in the rear view mirror – a fitting statement as we’ll be reporting this week from the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Last week was about gadgets, gear and small devices from the Consumer Electronics Show, and this week we turn our attention to auto technology with a fitness angle.

North American International Auto Show

Lighten the Load – Starting With the Shoes

It is a New Year and if you’re thinking about a “New You,” Lady Foot Locker is there to help. Getting fit can mean getting lighter, and now the shoe retailer is helping runners on their way with an effort to provide lightweight running shoes. These are among the most technical shoes and the market, and include a range of products from Nike, Asics and even Reebok.  Lady Foot Locker has even launched an online campaign built entirely around the concept of “Lightweight Running,” with a great selection of shoes and beyond.

Lady Foot Locker Lightweight Running

Fitness on the Brain(Waves)

Some people just have fitness on the brain. We like those kind of people, but we understand that not everyone has mental concentration to get in the mindset to workout. But now B-Bridge International has unveiled the first brainwave athletic trainer. It is powered by NeuroSky, a maker of mass-market Brain Computer Interface technology.

The BrainAthlete system is designed to help consumers track their athletic level of concentration, and find the “zone.” It is built into a standard golf visor, and contains three non-invasive contact points in the headband. These monitor the EEG electrical activity from the wearer’s brain and determine the mental state, allowing users as well as trainers to track concentration levels during a workout activity. This can be later analyzed and to help training.

“When it comes to expert level players or athletes, the difference between win or lose, gold or silver is often the athlete’s mind,” says Dr. Lee, NeuroSky’s CTO.

NeuroSky has been already working with the technology with the USA Olympic Archery team for more than four years, and now the partnership is looking to take a swing at the golf market. Time to concentrate on the game, and see if your mind was really there when it counted.

NeuroSky Official Website

B-Bridge International Official Website

Blue Mountain Puts RFID Chips in Lift Tickets

This year Blue Mountain Resort in Pennsylvania became the first of its kind in the region to use radio frequency identification (RFID) cards as an alternative to traditional lift tickets. Instead of the traditional paper lift ticket that can dangle from your parka, the Blue Passport card slips in your pocket, and you simply walk through a turnstile, rather than needing to be scanned by an attendant.

Users are advised not to keep old tickets with new ones, not to put cell phones in the same pocket and to be sure to remove season passes (as well as any pass for that matter) prior to washing or drying the parka. Other than that, you can buy the ticket once and even recharge it for another day online, which can even save users a few bucks. The creators were so excited about this technology, they even made a video for it!

Blue Passport Official Site

CES 2011: The Gymbox Goes for Free the TV Challenge

Last August Samsung kicked off its “Free the TV Challenge” to spur development of new connected TV content, and developers from across the country were invited to submit their best ideas for 2D and 3D TV applications across a range of categories. Finalists were selected from this range of submissions and the winners of the challenge will be announced this week at the Consumer Electronics Show.

We found there to be some very interesting finalists, but we’re pulling for Gymbox, which provides weekly, full-length workouts on demand. These include Step Aerobics, Kickboxing, Yoga, Pilates, Core Strength, Treadmill, Cycle, Strength Training, and Stretch. New classes are added weekly so you never have to repeat the same workout twice.

Free the TV Challenge: Gymbox

KineticShift One Year Later

It was a year ago that we launched KineticShift with a simple goal: to cover the best products, devices and trends to help make a better you. In that time we reported from the Consumer Electronics Show (we’ll be back in Vegas this week), the Electronic Entertainment Expo and Interbike. We’ll be back at those three shows this year, and we’ll be reporting from other shows as well, including the SHOT Show later this month.

We’ve seen a lot of great products and it has been a great ride – including a ride in the Nevada desert with Cervelo Test Team during Interbike. Rather than waste time, energy and space recapping what we saw in 2010, we’ll keep it simple and say it was a great year for innovative products.

We hope that Gary Shapiro, president of the Consumer Electronics Association was right when he said to us in a phone interview last week that as far as innovation goes, “2011 will knock your socks off.”

We’re hoping to have them knocked off!

CES 2011: CE to Help People Get Fit

In a few hours people will be making their New Year’s resolutions, and for many that will be to get back in shape and be healthier. As we launched this site about a year ago, we think that technology can help. And according to a new study by the Consumer Electronics Association, fitness technologies could be the key to helping consumers stay motivated and keep their resolutions to get fit in the New Year.

The CEA’s newly released research study: Getting Fit With Consumer Electronics shows almost half of U.S. online consumers used a fitness technology in the past year, and 37 percent anticipate purchasing a fitness technology in the next 12 months. According to the study, 54 percent of consumers cite lack of motivation as the main reason not to exercise. The study also found 76 percent exercise alone without the guidance of exercise professionals, and 74 percent of consumers exercise at home. Fitness technologies can help these consumers assess their fitness level; set realistic, achievable goals; track the amount of physical activity they get each day; monitor their calorie intake; track progress on fitness goals; and ultimately help make the journey more fun and engaging.

“Fitness technologies can play a significant role in motivating consumers,” said Rhonda Daniel, manager of market research at CEA. “Compared to consumers who are not using fitness technologies, consumers who use these devices view exercise more positively, and are more likely to enjoy exercising and to view it as important to their health.”

Next week’s show will include a Fitness TechZone, which will showcase the newest innovations and tools for the sports enthusiast, and spotlight key trends impacting the collective multi-billion dollar sports, fitness and outdoors markets. Sponsored by Living in Digital Times, the Fitness TechZone is a focused lifestyle exhibition and conference embedded within the International CES, the world’s largest technology tradeshow and the global stage for innovation.

We’ll be sure to report from the zone. Stay tuned and Happy New Year.

American Cancer Society Hopes ‘New Year, Choose You!’ Inspires Women’s Resolutions

One-in-three women will get cancer in her lifetime, yet nearly half of all cancer deaths could be prevented if women maintained a healthy weight through diet and regular exercise, avoided tobacco products and got recommended cancer screening tests. To support this practice, the American Cancer Society created the Choose You Movement. This initiative helps women transform their health-related lifestyles through social networking and online support. Continue reading American Cancer Society Hopes ‘New Year, Choose You!’ Inspires Women’s Resolutions

Write About Your Fitness in the ACE My Body, My Life Essay Contest

The American Council on Exercise (ACE), a non-profit fitness certification, education and training organization, will start it’s My Body, My Life essay contest January 4, 2011. The contest is designed to uncover and share motivating stores of perseverance, hope and compassion behind people’s desire to live at a healthier weight. The contest is in conjunction with the organization’s national campaign against the obesity epidemic. Continue reading Write About Your Fitness in the ACE My Body, My Life Essay Contest

CES 2011: UnitedHealth Group Plans Fitness Challenges for CES Attendees

Two fitness challenges will push the health agenda at CES 2011 for health insurance agency UnitedHealth Group. Participants will compete for an iPad and Xbox 360 with Kinect over the course of the conference running from January 6-9. Continue reading CES 2011: UnitedHealth Group Plans Fitness Challenges for CES Attendees