A desk job – is there no worse curse in the world? If you live an active lifestyle and have worked a desk job you know that itching feeling that can come over you after sitting for hours or not getting to workout at all. You have to stand up and walk around just to get the feeling to dissipate even a little. Stand up desks have been around for decades and a few are even paired with fitness equipment. The folks from Kickstand Furniture LTD have designed a desk for cyclists to allow them to ride and work, all at the same time.
Vapor Weight Golf Bag
Not everyone has a caddy to carry their golf bags, and for those looking to slim down, Nike has the answer with its lightest golf bag ever, the Nike Vapor X, which weighs in at less than four pounds. This sleek, sporty looking bag was created by using minimal materials to provide a lightweight design. With Nike’s new lightweight golf bag, golfers will experience more stamina and less fatigue during their round through the benefit of carrying less weight on their back.
Available at retail on November 1, 2011, the new Nike Vapor X golf bag features new, ergonomically designed strap system with therenowned Nike Max Air curved technology. This new strap system combined with several other innovative features promises to enhance the playing experience by elevating performance and maximizing functionality. Continue reading Vapor Weight Golf Bag
Kinect Sports Kicks Off Another Season
With winter just around the corner you can still get in the game, and do so from in front of the Kinect for the Microsoft Xbox 360. Kinect Sports: Season Two will let you play the warm weather sports including Tennis, Football, Baseball and Golf – plus some Darts and even the winter friendly Skiing all from your living room.
New features this year include the ability to call an audible play in football or challenge the ref in tennis with your voice, and even challenge friends over Xbox LIVE. But this year the gameplay ups the ante while getting gamers off the couch as it now includes an in-game calorie counter. You can work up a sweat, score points and lose some calories all at the same time.
Kinect Sports: Season Two will be available this holiday season from Rare and Big Park and is being published by Microsoft Studios. Tis the season to game and get in shape.
GoPro Introduces HD HERO2 Camera
Many of the point of view videos you see from outdoor sports enthusiasts are taken with a GoPro camera. I’ve been using one for several years now and the image quality and ease of use are fantastic. There is a vibrant user community for the GoPro HD HERO camera and members have pointed out improves that would be useful. It appears GoPro has been listening with the HD HERO2 release. If you want to capture your sporting activities in video or pictures, take a look at this new camera.
Medical ID Bracelet Goes High Tech
httpv://youtu.be/vqAzSTs6jG8
Medical ID bracelets are an old brand of jewelry. For years bracelets existed for seniors or someone with a condition, to assist first responders when they arrive on the scene of an emergency and find the victim unconscious. In recent years we’ve seen a push for ID bracelets designed for athletes – specifically designed for those people whose activity or training program often takes them hours and miles away from home. Now there is a new ID bracelet that not only provides your invaluable medical information for first responders, but also allows you to travel cash-free. Nathan Performance Gear and VITAband have teamed up in a long-term partnership to bring the Nathan VITAband to the masses. The Nathan VITAband is the first ID bracelet that combines the information needed by first responders and a debit card all electronically on your wrist.
Velocomp iBike Coach Pushes Riders
Gone are the days of the cycling computer with one or two buttons that cycle through speed, distance, cadence and limited readings. The smartphone is the perfect venue for the cycle computer, with the appropriate app. It’s got a nice big screen, and connectivity offers real-time maps and location data along with those stats of speed, distance and time on the bike.
Velocomp just introduced its iBike Coach for the iPhone. It’s a handlebar-mountable case that holds the iPhone and protects it from water and other damage. The case encloses the phone and protects it in the event of a crash or other blunt force.
Cutting the Cord to Brake
In cycling technology we’ve seen numerous developments that have cut the cords and removed the wires. Cycling computers have gone wireless, and even the gear shifting has been made wireless (although it is still far from standard). The next big change could be wireless brakes, as Germany’s Saarland University has created a prototype wireless braking system, which could stop a bike in just 250 milliseconds. That equates to a rider traveling at about 18.5 miles an hour stopping in about 6.6 feet – not exactly the best, but researchers think they could do better with anti-lock and traction control functionality.
Professor Holger Hermanns, who is leading the research at the Saarbrücken Computer Science department, is already reportedly in contact with bike manufacturers about a commercial version. Currently the system utilizes multiple senders to transmit the same signal, and the whole system has 99.999999999997 percent reliability, which Hermanns notes isn’t perfect, “but acceptable.” We’ll be sure to watch this technology as it could give new meaning to stopping on a dime… or in the German’s case the 10 cent Euro.
[Via BikeRadar.com: World’s first wireless electronic bicycle brake]
Fränk & Andy Schleck Interviewed for Japanese TV
httpv://youtu.be/0CofKpGRdb0
We thought that we would pass along a little bit of humor for your weekend. Make sure to start watching past the first minute to see the 2011 Tour de France 2nd and 3rd place finishers, Fränk & Andy Schleck, get squeamish on the couch as they are interviewed for Japanese TV.
Ushi Hirosaki of Tokyo Broadcasting, is a Japanese interviewer. Together with her partner Hiromi Tojo she travels around the world to surprise international stars with her shameless questions.
Made in America: Iverson Snowshoes
With so many products now made of carbon fiber and plastics there is the concern on how these materials will eventually be recycled. Products should be made to last, but that doesn’t have to be last forever in a landfill. Fortunately, there are still items that are made to last from natural materials. These items allow you to think about which grandchild might be inheriting them instead of how will they be disposed. The people at Iverson Shoenows believe in making a product that will last – not one season or even a few seasons, but a lifetime. Since 1954, Iverson has been crafting some of the finest quality snowshoes and they are still making them in America.
Based in Shingleton, Michigan for over 50 years, Iverson has been making their snowshoes from premium Michigan White Ash, full grain rawhides and pure copper hardware. The consumer side of the business was started by Clarence Iverson after word got out about his design and construction of snowshoes for the State of Michigan. His design solution was simple – create a snowshoe to walk on top of the snow instead of through it, there by reducing the energy expended and provide maximum weight distribution for optimum flotation. All while making a product that would withstand the brutal backcountry of the Upper Peninsula. Continue reading Made in America: Iverson Snowshoes
Electric Commuter Bike Could be Game Changer Says Designer Gabriel Wartofsky
What is holding back bicycle commuting in the United States? Washington-born designer Gabriel Wartofsky has suggested that it is the lack of options available. To this end he has been working on an electric assist bike that could help users get to the nearest transit hub or final destination sweat-free, grease-free, and without a hassle.
Nike Soccer Shoe Laser Strike
httpv://youtu.be/cHLVsEO84oA
Nike just released its Nike T90 Laser IV soccer shoe. The “football” shoe is 20 percent lighter than the previous version. It features a streamlined silhouette that provides enhanced fit and lets wearers feel the ball. The forefoot area has a newly configured adaptive shield design that works with the foot’s natural motion to boost performance. Constructed from high performance synthetic leather, the upper provides a soft and close-to-the-foot fit. On the sole, a new stud design enhances speed and movement, without added weight or pressure.
To coincide with the launch, Nike Football created the T90 Strike Counter on Facebook. This app allows users to log their goals, and recreate the action in a 3D image. Report the spot on the pitch from where a goal was scored; where in the goal the ball went, and what part of the boot (shoe) was struck the ball. The data render a 3D image that can be shared with friends. Participants can also check out the 3D image and input from pro football players.
Improved Pilates Platform That You Can Stick With
While Pilates can be done at home, this is a case where more equipment is always a good thing. The problem with this however is that it can take up space very quickly. For urban dwellers, those with limited space or just anyone who doesn’t want a “gym” in their home, there are fortunately a few alternatives.
The latest is the Wrist Saver Block from Stick-e, a multipurpose foam block with handle that is designed to provide a safer, more stable and more comfortable workout. The light weight block with an internal handle optimizes wrist positioning during upper body weight bearing exercises, yoga poses and pushups. As a result, it provides better comfort and strength.
(Videos after the jump) Continue reading Improved Pilates Platform That You Can Stick With
Stick it to the Cold with Joshua Tree
As the days get shorter and the temperatures drop, cyclists and runners who still want to get outside to ride or run are always looking for ways to keep warm. Shorts have given way to tights to keep the legs warm, but there might be a base layer that you are missing – embrocation. If you are not familiar with this product, embrocation is a cream that is rubbed onto skin, particularly the legs, before going outside for a sports activity. This cream has a warming sensation that promotes the blood circulation to the extremities, which in turn keeps you feeling warmer and helps stave off the mental toll on your workout due to the cold temperatures.
There are quite a few companies making embrocation, but they all come in a cream form that needs to be applied using your hands and fingers. This is not a big deal until you rub your eyes without washing your hands or having worn gloves, just like rubbing your eyes after cutting a hot pepper, they will burn.
The Joshua Tree Skin Care of Pinckney, Michigan has announced the release of a new line of embrocation in a stick form. Similar to a deodorant stick, this new line of organic embrocation should be easier and safer to apply. This new line of embrocation has three levels of ’heat’, referring to how hot your skin will feel – similar to the feeling of being in the sun for an extended period of time.