With the Christmas shopping season around the corner, you might be tempted to save a few bucks on a gift for the golfer in your life. There are a number of online retail websites, auction sites and classified sites that list new golf equipment at a substantial savings, but are you really getting a good deal if they are fakes? The U.S. Golf Manufacturers Anti-Counterfeiting Working Group has developed a website with tips to help you avoid buying a fake.
httpv://youtu.be/n2BsFYOcszU
Our friends (and sponsor) CrossCore released a new video this week that showed exactly how “extreme” the CrossCore Rotational Bodyweight Training training can go. While the company says, “You may never perform these moves but doesn’t it make sense when purchasing a bodyweight trainer to purchase one with no limits?” shouldn’t you at least be able to try?
It is hard to believe but the holidays are right around the corner. If that special someone is in need of a new training watch, Timex has just announced a $50 mail-in rebate program on its brand new Timex Ironman Run Trainer GPS watch.
Beginning this week, Timex is putting its newly released and highly touted GPS watch for runners, the Timex Ironman Run Trainer, on sale through a $50 mail-in rebate. This GPS watch tracks speed, distance, heart rate and can even map completed runs in Map My Run or Google Earth. The watch also works with the highly regarded Training Peaks software program for post-run analysis. And now it is $50 cheaper too. Video and rebate information after the jump
It shouldn’t have to come to this, rewarding people for biking and walking – since better fitness should be the reward itself, but Recyclebank, a company that already rewards people for taking everyday green actions with discounts and deals from local and national businesses, announced last week a partnership with Transport for London to develop a program to reward people for cycling and walking in London.
This program incentivizes people to cycle or walk in the British Capital to help reduce pollution, ease congestion and boost fitness among Londoners. Members will collect points for every journey they make by bike or on foot; these points will be redeemable for a growing range of offers and discounts from Recyclebank reward partners.
This rewards program is another example of many initiatives that the Mayor of London and TfL have taken to build and improve public paths and parks, and the many other initiatives that make up the city’s bicycle rental program, launched in 2010.
“Walking and cycling are the healthiest and greenest ways to travel and we are truly inspired by the excellent work TfL has done to encourage people to make greener transportation choices in London. We are excited to partner with TfL and look forward to motivating Londoners to take greener actions,” said Jonathan Hsu, CEO of Recyclebank. “Our hope is that this program becomes something that other cities can emulate to reduce their environmental footprint, realizing the collective impact of individual green actions.”
The program is being delivered at no cost to TfL and will be free to join for anyone who cycles or walks in London. We think it is a good way to get people to make that first step – and hopefully many to follow.
While we hope not to see a bear market on Wall Street, the barefoot training shoe market is off and running. Adidas announced this week the launch of its new adipure Trainer, the first barefoot training shoe designed specifically for the gym. This shoe promotes pure and natural movement that can help strengthen muscles, build balance and promote dexterity.
“A lot of engineering went into making your foot a high performance machine,” said Mark Verstegen, founder of Athletes’ Performance. “To achieve your full potential during a workout, focus on how your foot interacts with the ground in the same way you think about how your hand interacts with a ball or a bat. Using your foot’s natural power and movement will help you strengthen muscles you never knew you had in your feet, lower legs and throughout your core.” Video after the jump
Earlier today we mentioned the Polar Bottle pet photo promotion and figured it would be the perfect time to mention another product – the Bike-a-Buddy. The Boulder, Colorado based company, afitdog, has a very simple to use and simple to install product that allows a dog owner to safely bike with their dog.
Riding a bike at night has numerous hazards, namely that fact that drivers can’t see them. But now a start up from Utah father and son team Rick and Brandon Smith might add some light to the night. LED by Lite essentially consists of four strips of silicone-encased LED bulbs, where two mount to the front fork and two to the rear. Following the tradition of car lights it is meant for white in the front and red in the back, but unlike car lights these can be seen from 360 degrees.
All four strips are waterproof and are designed to be removed and reinstalled in just seconds thanks to the QAD (Quickly Attaching and Detaching) System. The lights are powered by a BlackBox12-volt lithium-ion battery pack, which can be charged with a wall adapter or from a computer via a micro USB cord.
While American’s expect a football to be shaped like… well, a football, the rest of the world knows football as the game played with the round ball. It might not seem like there is much that can be done to the football/soccer ball, but actually Nike begs to differ and its new ball could be the biggest game changer since the introduction of the now legendary white footballs, which were introduced in 1951 to help spectators see the ball during night matches.
Introducing the Nike Seitrio Hi-Vis ball, which builds on the legacy of excellence in the T90 football range that has served as the official match ball in the world’s leading leagues including Barclay’s English Premier League, Italy’s Serie A and Spain’s La Liga. Continuing to bring new innovations to football, the Hi-Vis ball features Nike RaDaR technology, which means Rapid Decision and Response.
Nike has tested the ball in the lab and on the field and the result is the Nike RaDaR technology, which makes it easier for players to see the ball better and capitalize on split second scoring and passing opportunities. In the game of football, precision sight is of utmost importance, and the Nike Seitiro is engineered to stand out on pitch even when conditions are not ideal. The yellow and purple color combination flaunts additional fluorescence and brighteners, making it even more visible in low light conditions than previous generations of Hi-Vis balls.
The Nike Seitiro features patented hi-vis casing, performance graphic, and unique five-layer construction, along with aerodynamic stability. The new ball saw its official debut on the pitch this past weekend. Chances are we’ll be seeing a lot more of it.
If you heading outdoors as the seasons change you might want to consider bringing along a light, and one to consider is the robust and weather proof O-ring protected River Rock’s Perfect Circle Flashlight (MSRP: $14.99), which is made from anodized aircraft aluminum.
It features a precision formed lens that can project a precise focused hard edge, yet soft full moon shaped, light beam. This is good for inside and outdoor activities while providing greater illumination that those cheapie keychain lights. At 20 feet it could project a perfectly round 41-inch circle of light.
It can also emit a constant hands free flash – about 80 flashes per minute for signaling. It offers 30 hours of constant one or more than 60 hours of flashing with one AA battery (included). At just 4.5 oz. and only 4.4-inches it is the perfect pocket light that lives up to its name.
Sports Tracker has announced that it has released its Bluetooth Heart Rate Monitor. The chest strap device pairs with a smartphone app, allowing users to view heart rate and other stats in real time, while also sending the data to the cloud via the company website or through social media. Users can monitor speed, distance, time, number of steps, elevation and of course calories burned. The device can even geo-tag photos you take while working out, and can be linked with a map once synced with Sports Tracker website.
As the name implies it features Bluetooth wireless connectivity to a smartphone, and has a range up to 20 meters or 65.6 feet. The Sports Tracker can be charged via USB and can run for up to 40 hours on a single charge. It is available worldwide, while the free app is available for Android and Symbian handsets, as well as the iPhone. We’ll be watching to see when this arrives stateside. Video after the jump
According to a recent survey conducted by the Consumer Electronics Association, fitness technology – the stuff we like to cover at KineticShift – is big business. The sports and fitness category now represents a $70 billion annual business in the United States, with hot product categories including activity-tracking armbands, waterproof mp3 players, GPS-enabled HD cameras, high-tech heart monitors, gesture recognition and full-body tracking user interfaces for games and sports simulators, high-tech sport goggles with GPS locators and many others.
“Technology has changed the game for everyone from professional athletes to weekend warriors,” said Robin Raskin, founder of Living in Digital Times, and organizer of the FitnessTech Expo and Summit at the annual International Consumer Electronics Show.
The upcoming CES in January will also continue to see the marriage of tech and fitness as TV personality and fitness guru Jillian Michaels will discuss the impact of digital innovation along with her recent partnership with Pittsburgh-based BodyMedia. Continue reading Fitness Technology Looks to be Big Business
In the old days “track and field” use to mean the sport, but today data tracking allows for better training and conditioning on-field and on-court. Adidas has unveiled its new miCoach SPEED_CELL, the first device to capture information from motion in every direction and measures key performance metrics including speed, distance and time during practice and competition.
The device, which sits inside a specially designed cavity in the outsole of the shoe, can work with a range of sports including soccer, football, basketball, tennis and running, allowing users to monitor, evaluate and increase their performance.
“Understanding individual performance data is one of the best ways to improve your game,” said Mark Verstegen, founder and president of Athletes’ Performance. “For the first time, amateur athletes can have access to the performance tracking and analysis technology available to professional athletes.” Continue reading Adidas Takes to the On-Field Tracking
Hunting gear isn’t typically made with a woman in mind, but Fieldline has addressed this issue with a new line of backpacks that feature durability, comfort and convenience and are tailor made with the female hunter in mind. The new Fieldline Women’s Black Canyon Backpack can take just about everything in stride, from foul weather to blazing hot sun, and for the sometimes brutal use and abuse of women who depend on their gear to keep them comfortable, safe and well-equipped.
The new Fieldline Women’s Black Canyon Backpack is roomy enough to accommodate essential items, but scaled down for a female wearer’s size and shape. The padded back and yoked shoulders further ensure stability and comfort, while a three-pouch organizer, three-quarter-inch-opening main compartment and one-side water bottle pocket offer versatility in stashing everything from extra layers to GPS units to snacks. The pack also features a nifty Gear-Lock Modular Locking System, which offers customization for the user, allowing the pack to transform into multiple configurations, before a trip or even on the fly.
The pack is available in Mossy Oak Break-Up or Realtree AP to make users inconspicuous in virtually any environment, but with just a dash of pink to show some personality too!