This glove is made from silver fiber to keep your body temperature regulated.
Gloves are an essential for winter running. It’s important to cover all skin from exposure, but fingers are more susceptible to cold. The HVAC Glove from Brooks Sports packs some tech features into its grip. Its HVAC material is made with silver-embedded fibers to thermally balance body temperature, and transfer moisture. It also kills bacteria within an hour of contact so germs don’t build up from one run to the next. The finger tips have a polyurethane coating to aid dexterity and grip objects. The HVAC Glove also has a thumb pad that can operate an MP3 player with the gloves still on. That’s key to keeping warm on your next jaunt. Brooks also built in a magnet to keep gloves together when not in use. This way wherever you throw them, in a closet or a bag, you’ll pull them out together.
Stella McCartney Tennis Performance Dress by Adidas worn by Caroline Wozniacki.
Danish tennis player Caroline Wozniacki made it through another round of women’s singles today at the Australian Open Tennis Championships. She stays cool outfitted in Adidas by Stella McCartney gear. On the court she’s wearing the Tennis Performance Dress, which is made with Adidas Climate technology. Climate Technology consists of layers of special materials and mesh panels on the sides of the garment for proper ventilation. The garment also features flatlock stitching that makes all seams flat and prevent the discomfort a seam with bulk might add.
Due out this fall, Sony PlayStation 3 Motion Controller.
Since before its release, the Nintendo Wii has been heralded as a “fitness” console. The fact that games are played better standing up with arms swinging does well to argue the point. Rival Sony Computer Entertainment today announced plans to release a motion controller of its own. It will become the de facto controller for the PlayStation 3 platform along with the DualShock controller. The Motion Controller does require an additional PlayStation Eye camera accessory to pick up a user’s movements. Before you protest, remember the Nintendo Wii has a motion sensor you have to place within a line of site of the controller to pick up movement.
Sony says the name Motion Controller is a working name and is subject to change. The Motion Controller is due to be released worldwide in fall 2010. The controller looks like a flashlight with a glowing bulb at the end. There will be games available at the time of release from both Sony and third party developers. Ape Escape, Motion Party, Resident Evil 5: Alternative Edition, and Under Siege are among the titles listed in development that support Motion Controller. Additional games include LittleBigPlanet, Pain, Flower, and EyePet. As with the Nintendo Wii controller, some games will take advantage of the motion and get gamers moving. Others games will use smaller motions that don’t offer the calorie burning benefits, and might even allow players to sit on the couch.
Add geo-tags to your digital photos with Samsung HZ35W.
You were on a hike. You took a picture of the view from the summit. When people ask, you can give them the general vicinity of the photo, or you can give the exact coordinates via GPS technology built into the camera. Samsung’s HZ35W has GPS technology built in so adventurers can geo-tag digital images. Photos are tagged with longitude and latitude and post the city, state, and country and even reference a map on the camera’s active-matrix OLED (AMOLED) screen.
A 12 megapixel camera with a 24mm wide-angle lens and 15x optical zoom, the HZ35W will snap some impressive pictures as you travel hike the nation’s parks or travel abroad. Back at home you can upload photos with their geo-tagging to show your friends where you’ve been.
Sole custom footbeds provide support without the expense of orthodics.
Walk into a running shop and you’ll see a stand for shoe inserts. They offer more support than the sockliner. They also help make a worn out pair of shoes feel better. Custom footbeds from Sole use cork, a sustainable material, to provide support, springiness, and resilience. While they aren’t made for your individual feet as the name implies, at around $40 to $50 for a pair of Sole instead of a few hundred dollars, a pair provides enough support without going the custom route.
Sole footbeds consist of four layers: a moisture-wicking top sheet, a softec cushioning layer, a moldable orthopedic base, and high-density frame. The four layers create a deep heel cup and custom arch support. Whether you use them just for activities like running, or slip them into your casual shoes, the custom supports address foot problems such as overpronation, oversupination, plantar fasciitis, and shin splints. The company also says they can aid joint pain and back and neck pain.
As part of its green initiative, Sole sources its cork from wine bottles. Sole collects used corks from wineries, airlines, and other heavy drinkers to make their product. They’ve set up a cork collection program at ReCork.org. Reclaimed cork will be used for another line of footwear.
What does a turntable, a bar, and a padded cushion do for your fitness? If it’s the Frank Sepe Fitness Disc, it provides cardio and strength training, and maybe even some toning to your core. The system’s foundation rests on its turntable. Not unlike the lazy susan you might have in your kitchen cabinet. This one is much stronger, with the capacity to hold up to 300 pounds. Stand on the turntable and twist back and forth for the foundation of your workout. To aid in resistance training, the Fitness Disc also comes with a bar that is weighted at 4 pounds, and can be separated into two- two pound batons. The bars count as part of the Fitness Disc workout, but also aid in balance while twisting.
It’s not just a twist, it’s said there’s over 100 exercises you can do with the Disc, and there’s four DVDs included in the box, along with a padded disc that you can use for floor work such as crunches. The Fitness Disc, like many home workout equipment, is gimmicky. This one just may have some strength in that it’s a low impact cardio and strength workout. A quick demo with Frank Sepe showed what you can do with the bar, and got our heart rates up. We look forward to spending a little more time with the Fitness Disc at home to try its effectiveness.
Frank Sepe Fitness Disc the Premier Workout System information page
Frank Sepe Fitness Disc the Premier Workout System product page on Home Shopping Network
HYmini generates power from wind to charge your portable devices.
Wind power doesn’t only come from towering turbines. The HYmini from miniWIZ is a handheld gadget that collects wind energy to recharge portable devices. (The unit can also charge from an additional solar panel or hand crank if there isn’t enough wind to turn the fan.) It stores enough juice to charge a 5-volt device, such as a cell phone, MP3 player, iPod, PDA, or digital camera. The catch? To use the wind power you must get movement from the fan. While you can set it on a picnic table and hope it’ll get enough wind blowing on it to bring your cell phone back from the dead, the device works better when there’s faster action, like when it’s mounted onto your bike or strapped to your arm while you’re out for a run. It’s also an eco alternative to plugging into the wall or trickle charge via a USB connection.
At Kinetic Shift we’re just getting started. It’s a new year, and many of you are getting started, too. When I was handed a sample of Maidenform’s Flexees Fat-Free Dressing Tank, I was excited things were taking shape. This slim-fitting camisole has an extra layer of microfiber sewn into the midsection to flatten the less desirable curves. The fit is a little tighter to slip on than other tank tops, but feels snug yet not overly tight when on. Slipped under tops or even worn on its own, it’s incredibly flattering. Even if you don’t have a tummy or other bulges to hide, it makes a great tank and worth the splurge of about $30. The Flexees line has a range of undergarments that show the results of your working out a little better than actual results. Some, like the Fat-Free Dressing Tank Top, don’t have to be worn just as undergarments.
It’s been a few years since I ran, due to my feet having problems with pronation. At my podiatrist’s recommendation I ditched my standard running shoe, Saucony Stabils, for a pair with slightly less support. But the pair of Sauconys I went with also had less motion control. The shoes gave me problems instantly. My feet lost circulation upon starting out for a run, other foot problems then developed, and so did pain develop elsewhere in my body. I stopped running.
Those old running shoes never got the full wear and tear they were supposed to get, and therefore it was two years before I could justify replacing them (running shoes require replacement roughly every six months, twice a year, even when they’re used infrequently). I wasn’t sure I would start running again, but once I handed over the plastic at the store for a new pair of Saucony ProGrid Stabil CS, I suddenly had the urge to run. I got home with my new shoes just as dusk was setting in, but that didn’t stop me from heading to Central Park for a run around the Harlem Meer. It felt great, even though I ran for just a portion and walked the rest of the loop. I’ve kept it up for a few weeks now.
Though I have orthotics I should use instead of the standard inserts, I’ve left in the original support—the shoes are offering the support I need. Every runner has unique requirements when it comes to a shoe. The Stabil has technology to make it appropriate for runners who pronate, or whose feet angle in. The biggest features are packed into the midsole of the shoe. The C S Zone, a special material that is built into the sole of the shoe under the arch of the foot, is added support that controls the foot against pronation, while keeping the foot flexible. More added support is provided through the Arch-Lock, or strapping that extends from the sole to the lace eyelets. Other features alternate cushioning and support where appropriate.
At some point I’ll have to start using my orthotics, but I like the inserts’ sock liner that offers moisture wicking and rebound properties to support most runners. The ProGrid has been around for several years, but Saucony continues to update it with the latest technology to support any running regime.
It’s been a few years since I ran, due to my feet having problems with pronation. At my podiatrist’s recommendation I ditched my standard running shoe,