Lose a Finger to Snap a Photo

There are plenty of gloves out there to keep your hands nice and toasty whilst you ski, snowboard, skate or partake in other winter wonderland activities. But try taking a photo… not so easy is it? The solution offered typically just involves removing the glove.

But the POW Pho-Tog Gloves were designed with input from action sports photographers, and feature a convertible finger as well as pocket on the backhand. This allows the thumb and point fingers to go “fingerless” for easy camera access. The gloves feature hook and loop cuff closures for easy adjustment as well, and are made of softshell and neoprene, with a Clarino Synthetic leather palm, so they’re keep you warm up to 32 degrees.

And while designed for using a camera, these will be good for using a portable music player, making phone calls or just anything else that would require you to take off your gloves. We like that a lot.

POW Gloves Official Website

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

Fitness Journal: Let It Roll With the Tru-Trainer

If you are familiar with cycling, you are probably familiar with the training device called ‘rollers’. Rollers are a very simple training aid consisting of three aluminum or plastic drums which the rider can only maintain their balance while riding. If they cyclist stops pedaling, they fall over. This might sound a bit dangerous and unnerving to learn, but if you can master riding rollers, not only will you get a physical workout, your handling and pedaling efficiency will greatly improve.

Even though there are many manufacturers who make rollers, they have remained virtually unchanged for decades until recently. TruTrainer rollers, manufactured by CycleDyne LLC in Brownsburg, Indiana, claim that their rollers have the closest feel and feedback to actually riding on the road. The secret to their rollers is the drum furthest to the rear is actually a flywheel. The only real visual difference between TruTrainer rollers and others on the market is the second drive belt connecting the two rear rollers. Continue reading Fitness Journal: Let It Roll With the Tru-Trainer

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

Won’t Dry Your Eyes But Will Warm Up Your Feet

Walking through really cold wet snow means wet cold boots. It is the kind that could practically bring you to tears. There isn’t much that you can do about that, except maybe warm up the boots in the car in the car. DryGuy offers a line of  boots/shoe warmer and dryers including one model that offers AC/DC power (Model – DG00301). These won’t exactly dry your eyes, but better still they can warm up your boots, and do so from the car! These use a ram-air ventilation system so that air can be forced through the shoes to remove wetness or warm up cold boots in a short amount of time.

DryGuy also has a line of regular boot drivers as well, so no need to throw the boots in front of a heater anymore. You can call the DryGuys instead.

DryGuy Official Website

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: MP3 Player Would Be U-Boat Commanders

This week Fitness Technologies Inc. will show off the world’s smallest waterproof MP3 player. Given that there aren’t all that many MP3 players out there that are truly waterproof we didn’t know what small meant. An MP3 player smaller than a U-Boat could be considered small!

But UWaterG2, from FitnessTechUSA, is far from submarine size, let it can dive to 10 feet/3 meters. The micro-sized player is just 0.4-inches by 1.25-inches by 1.75-inches. It is available now in 2GB, 4GB and 8GB sizes, as well as five colors. It features “Twist & Lock” earphones to completely seal out water, and provide againt corrosion. Best of all at less than $60 this MP3 is priced for the able seaman yet is worthy of a U-Boat commander.

FitnessTechUSA Official Website

CES 2011: GammaTech Gets Tough

There are times when the going gets tough, and in some of those times you need to keep the computer going. At this week’s Consumer Electronics Show GammaTech will roll out its line of military-grade rugged notebooks and tablet computers.

Among the line of products to be shown include:

*  The D12C – 12.1″ mobile rugged, convertible notebook computer
*  The D15C – 15.6″ rugged portable notebook computer
*  The MT10L – 10.4″ Intel Health Mobile Clinical Assistant tablet PC

So move over iPad, you might be great for the living room. But for those who need to do more than sit on a couch, GammaTech is the name to beat.

GammaTech Official Website

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.

Step This Way

While many people probably walked miles during the pre-holiday season while shopping, many more probably let their fingers do the walking instead. One downside to e-commerce is that it makes it all too easy to click away and have gifts shipped right to your door. And then during the holidays chances are walking wasn’t high on the list.

Now with a New Year hours away it is time to get the legs moving. To help keep track of the distance you put in, Omron Healthcare has now released a new pedometer that utilizes dual-accelerometer technology. The Omron HJ-112 Pocket Pedometer can accurately count steps. The small device can be place vertically or horizontally on the hip, or even stashed in a pocket or in a bag.

“At Omron, we want to empower Americans to achieve and maintain personal fitness goals by providing easy-to-use and accurate fitness products,” says Jill Person, product manager. “The fresh start of a new year serves as the perfect time to set goals, start tracking steps and stay motivated with the HJ-112 so you can achieve your personal best.”

The Omron HJ-112 GOsmart Pocket Pedometer can track steps, time and distance, as well as calories and fat grams burned. It even stores the last seven days of data so you can track a full week’s worth of your exercise. It is available now for $34.99 from Omron, as well as Amazon.com. So click away with your fingers, but get out and get walking.

Omron Healthcare Official Website

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