Wii Fit alternative: The Atari Family Trainer

Posted in Exercise Gadgets by Conner Flynn on May 14th, 2008

Wii Fit alternative: The Atari Family Trainer
Obviously the Wii Fit will be one of the best sellers for Nintendo this summer, and the concept of fun exercise is very appealing to large mammals. It’s appealing to Atari too. Atari is releasing their own version of a fitness game called Family Trainer. In Atari’s version, you don’t use a step-on board like Wii Fit, the Family Trainer uses a floor mat similar to the DDR pad.(Is this thing going to slide and hurt people?)

Family Trainer features several virtual outdoor challenges like river rafting, log jumping, etc. Atari has plans to release Family Trainer in Europe this September. No information on pricing, but expect it to be comparable to Wii Fit.

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Nyko recharges your Wii Fit Balance Board

Posted in Wii Accessories by Conner Flynn on May 8th, 2008

Nyko recharges your Wii Fit Balance Board
We all hate buying batteries and if you’ve bought Wii Fit, chances are you and your enormous love handles are going to go through many batteries. Luckily for you, Nyko has a solution in the form of their new Energy Pak for the balance board.

The Pak installs on the bottom of the board, making it easy to plug in and recharge without having to take the device out or turn the board over. Because God forbid you burn the 1 or 2 calories it would take to turn the board over. You can get yours starting May 19th for $19.99. Now get to work tubby.

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Charge your gadgets while you exercise

Posted in Exercise Gadgets by Conner Flynn on May 8th, 2008

Charge your gadgets while you exercise
Pssst. Hey. You. The guy with all the gadgets and the huge gut. Put down the comic book and the PSP, give me a sec. Wanna charge your gadgets and get some exercise at the same time? Maybe get a girl? Check this out.

This pedal-charging device from Japan is like a Power Stepper but even better. Apparently, it will produce enough electricity to power mobile phones, media players, or any number of other gadgets. Just don’t tell anyone you have it, otherwise you will be charging stuff like a hamster in it’s wheel.

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Hydro Physio Lifestyle: The future of exercise

Posted in Exercise Gadgets by Conner Flynn on May 6th, 2008

Hydro Physio Lifestyle: The future of exercise
Apparently, the future of exercise involves lots and lots of water. Think Luke Skywalker in that Bacta tank in Empire, but for exercise instead of rapid healing. Hydro training has many benefits and it’s accepted that water based exercises boost muscular strength with little adverse affects. The Hydro Physio Lifestyle range has been designed to take advantage of the benefits of water exercising to improve the health and wellbeing of individuals with a less stressful method of training.

The Hydro Physio Lifestyle is easy to install too. Variable water heights enable different muscle groups to be worked on. This feature also makes the unit adaptable to the height and mass of each user, so no one needs to be left out.

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Walmart promoting Wii Fit for Mothers Day gift

Posted in Wii by Darrin Olson on May 5th, 2008

Wii Fit promoted as gift for Mothers DayWalmart is moving in a more creative direction for the latest upcoming holiday and is promoting Nintendo’s Wii Fit as a “perfect gift for moms” for this Mothers Day. The retail giant has thrown traditional flowers and candy out the window as the Nintendo product is dominating the Walmart website home page with pre-orders for just under $90. The orders even come with a $10 gift card to Walmart so you can come back and get yourself a little something extra later on. The site’s home page portrays kids and men using the Wii Fit board as well, not to miss out on any type of demographic.

Walmart’s Mothers Day Wii Fit pre-order promotion with the gift card runs through May 11 and the Wii Fit will officially launch on May 19 for $89.99. Walmart will ship any pre-orders on or shortly after May 21 and ensures consumers that they been working with Nintendo to have adequate inventory to fill the pre-orders.

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Overall Balance Scale says you’re out of shape

Posted in Health by Conner Flynn on April 28th, 2008

Overall Balance Scale says you’re out of shape
The Overall Health Balance Scale from Japan’s National Electric takes fitness feedback to a new level. The device hasn’t been released yet, and that may be due to the fact that it makes women look silly. Judging by the images, women have to pretend that they are piloting a plane while standing up. At the same time, it will help you avoid obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes.

It seemingly measures everything from weight and BMI, the amount of fat under your skin, organ fat, how muscular you are, and your metabolic rate. It takes all of the readings, then tells you how out of shape you are for your age on a scale of 1 to 5. If you want, put the sensor over your huge ass and see just how much junk is really in your trunk.

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Seiko Slimstick is like a tiny Richard Simmons

Posted in Exercise Gadgets by Conner Flynn on April 27th, 2008

Seiko Slimstick is like a tiny Richard SimmonsPedometers are nothing new. They count the number of steps you take. Problem is, they don’t translate that figure into what’s needed to burn off all that junk food you cram down your pie-hole. Seiko has the answer in the form of it’s Slimstick. It’s like a tiny Richard Simmons in that it won’t let you cheat, no matter how hard you try and it is an exercise know-it-all. It won’t wear short shorts, talk all lispy and get into a fight with Dave Letterman…I hope.

It measures all of the work you do as you go about your day. It doesn’t just measure the number of steps you take, it uses sophisticated dual-axis accelerometers to measure the actual amount of work that is being done. With that information it calculates the number of calories burned. It will also store information about your routine, so that it can show you how you are progressing over time. It’s only the size of a pack of gum, so it won’t get in your way. The Slimstick is available in a variety of designer colors and finishes for around $60-70. But only in Japan.

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Wii Fit date confirmed and priced at $89.99

Posted in Wii Accessories by Darrin Olson on April 17th, 2008

Wii Fit coming to the US May 19 for $89.99This news may be a little bit old for some, but just in case you hadn’t heard the Wii Fit game from Nintendo which is bundled with the Wii Fit Balance Board has gotten an official release date and now an official price. $89.99 will be the price tag associated with Wii Fit on its May 19 US launch date. This price includes both the game and the board bundled together.

In the short time since the announcement, pre-orders for the Wii Fit on Amazon has moved up into the number one position with an 885,500 percent increase in just a day, not to mention all the accessories. Needless to say, it looks like this is going to be another hot item for Nintendo this year.

Nintendo

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Wii Fit pre-orders sell out in a day

Posted in Wii by Conner Flynn on April 8th, 2008

Wii Fit pre-orders sell out in a day
Wii Fit is set to become the fastest selling Wii game ever. It’s outdone all previous records on Play.com by selling out its entire allocation in just one day. Wii Fit will be launching in the UK on April 25 and according to Play.com they have been “overwhelmed” by demand for the new game that isn’t really a game, but rather a fitness aid.

When it debuted in Japan 4 months ago, the exergame sold more than a million copies in the first month. That’s in a nation with around five million Wiis in use, so that’s nothing to sneeze at. Play.com is expecting to get more in stock before launch. It seems that people really do want to get healthy. Well, as long as there’s a Wii involved at any rate.

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Get fit with Ubisoft’s DS Pedometer

Posted in Nintendo DS by Conner Flynn on March 11th, 2008

Ubisoft’s DS Pedometer
We told you about Ubisoft’s My Weight Loss Coach for the DS in February. Now more info is becoming available on the pedometer that goes with it. Unlike Wii-Fit, this will allow you to get some exercise outdoors.

Just carry it around with you all day, whether jogging or walking, then plug it in to your DS’s GBA slot to download data. Motivation is up to you. After all, quitting is as easy as shoving your DS in a deep dark corner somewhere and forgetting about your goal. Plus it’s easy to get distracted by Mario Kart or Metroid. Just an FYI, the guy in the pic doesn’t need this, he’s not fat. But he could use some Just For Men hair coloring. He does look happy about his little toy though.

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miCoach fitness mobile from Samsung and Adidas

Posted in Mobile Phones by Darrin Olson on March 5th, 2008

miCoach fitness mobile phone from Samsung and AdidasIt looks like Samsung and Adidas have paired up to take on the likes of Apple and Nike+ in the fitness gadget market. The miCoach F110 mobile phone brings on similar workout tracking capabilities and then some.

The miCoach comes packaged with a heart rate monitor and a “foot pod” for tracking your steps wirelessly to the phone. The device will then keep track of your pace, distance and heart rate giving you audio feedback on your progress and exercise level during your workout.

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PEGA SportGage Wii pedometer

Posted in Wii Accessories by Conner Flynn on February 24th, 2008

PEGA SportGage Wii pedometer
PEGA SportGage Times Recorder works just like a pedometer. It will record how much you move when you play your favorite Nintendo Wii games and it can reach to 9,999. It’s powered by a button cell battery. So if you actually enjoy using your Wii for exercise, you might want one of these. Although you certainly don’t need this device to tell you that you are getting a workout.

For instance I know damn well that I’m working out while playing Mario & Sonic at The Olympics, because right now my arms are killing me and I get winded during the longer events. (Games did not used to be so much work) Still, if this appeals to you, and you feel like you need a little incentive, get one for $11.13. But what’s with the bone design? You know your dog is going to eat this right?

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Burn belly fat Hello Kitty style

Posted in Hello Kitty by Conner Flynn on February 15th, 2008

Burn belly fat Hello Kitty style
The pink angel of the apocalypse is at it again, still bent on world domination and bending young women to it’s will. But I have to say, if Hello Kitty is trying to win me over with the above pic, I’m nearly there, dorky belt and all. That’s because at first glance this device seems to rid well shaped women of their clothes, put a pink Wiimote in their hand and give her protective padding for the workout I have in mind. I’m obviously under the Kitty’s influence, so let’s move on.

This is the Hello Kitty Slender Shaper and claims to burn off fat from your midsection with a shaking action. And, as mentioned, comes with a Wiimote of sorts, so you can shake your groove thing faster or slower with just the push of a button. The entire package, with carrying case will cost about $127.52.

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CES 2008

Garmin Forerunner 405 tracks workouts, uploads wirelessly

Posted in CES 2008, Exercise Gadgets, GPS, Garmin, Watches by Darrin Olson on January 7th, 2008

Garmin 405 Forerunner GPS watch tracks routes while running and uploads to your computer without wiresGarmin has a new exercise gadget debuting at CES this year called the Forerunner 405, designed for runners to aid in training and track routes. The new 405 is also a little more stylish than previous models with similar functionality, keeping the size to a minimum so the gadget doesn’t look like such a gaudy chunk of electronics on your wrist.

The Forerunner 405 is GPS enabled and allows outdoor runners to keep track of their speed, distance, heart rate and location through the watch. This model also features a cool new bezel around the display that lets users navigate and change settings on the watch by simply tapping it and sliding their finger around the metal circle.

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