Since the introduction of the Wii, the video game industry has been releasing more and more titles and peripherals designed to make gamers more physically involved. And now that even Tamagotchi-like devices are getting in on the action, it doesn’t look like this trend is going to stop anytime soon. Come December, Bandai will be releasing these pedometers (about $48 each) that feature a miniature RPG game based on the anime series Space Cruiser Yamato (Star Blazers) and 3000 Leagues in Search of Mother.
Using a built-in 3-axis acceleration sensor you’ll be able to progress in the games by simply carrying the pedometer with you whenever you go for a walk. Each game has a specific goal that will be completed in 90 days, but I guess it really depends on how physically active you are. I can’t imagine you’ll see much progress if this thing gets thrown in a drawer after just a couple of days. But for even more encouragement, users will also be able to login to an interactive website where they can keep track of their body weight and other health stats.
With this scale’s massive 4-inch, high-contrast LCD display, not being able to read the numbers will no longer be an excuse when it comes to monitoring your weight. And in addition to providing a precise weight measurement in 0.2-lb. increments, the scale also features bioelectrical impedance analysis to calculate your body fat percentage, body water, muscle mass, body mass index and basal metabolic rate. The display will also stay on for 10 seconds allowing you to step off and read it instead of having to stare down between your feet, and the scale can store readings for up to 12 different people. And on top of all that, the stainless steel finish and inverted LCD just looks really cool. You can get it from Hammacher Schlemmer for $99.95.
I’ve found few ways to relieve stress that feel quite as good as going a few rounds with a punching bag. After a little while you get into a zone where you forget about all of the troubles of your day, and focus only on the bag. The best part is that it’s a pretty good work out to boot. Sure, most punching bags don’t make good company, but there is at least one that will entertain you as you beat on it.
This Love Hate Punch bag was designed by artist Stefan Gross. It is illuminated with a red light (likely to represent anger or stress) that gradually changes to white (likely representing peace) as you continue to strike it. If you let up too long or slow down, the color will return to its original state. This would actually be a great way to keep your pace during a workout, if only it were available for purchase.
As someone who speaks fluent Simpsons, when I first saw this Home Swimmer device I immediately thought of the episode where Bart is forced to join ballet after missing out on signing up for all of the popular sports, including ‘T.S.’
Skinner: [over PA] Attention, students. It’s time once again to choose a gym class for the coming term so let’s all prove how adult we can be by filing to the gym in a calm and orderly manner…even though it’s first come, first serve, and the most popular sports fill up fast. [A mass hysteria takes over as everyone rushes to the gym] Willy: [getting trampled] Aah! Too many wee ones. Richard: This gets uglier every year! Any sign of Bart and Milhouse? Lewis: No…and if they don’t get here soon, it’ll be T.S. for them. Ralph:[at "tethered swimming"] I don’t feel right.
And I can’t say for sure if the Home Swimmer was inspired by the sight of Ralph thrashing around in the Springfield Elementary pool while tethered to the edge, but deep down I’d like to think it was. Basically it’s another take on the ‘endless pool’ concept which allows you to swim for hours without ever hitting the edge and having to stop to turn around. While it might seem a little embarrassing to use in public, for home use it’s cheaper than installing an actual endless pool which uses a constantly running current of water to keep you stationary, and considerably cheaper than installing an Olympic sized pool in your backyard. The Home Swimmer system comes with all of the poles, straps and connectors you’ll need in addition to the belt that keeps you in place, and is available from the company’s website for $89.99.
We all know that riding a bike is an all-around better solution to driving a car when it comes to emissions (not to mention physical fitness) but the Innervision 1 takes things one step further. Created by industrial designer Matt Clark, the IV-1 bike’s frame is made entirely of recycled plastic, but thanks to a specially designed “spaceframe-like” inner structure of triangles and molded beams, it’s as strong and rigid as a regular aluminum bike frame.
The bicycle is aimed at improving and solving multiple issues involved in production. It is also designed to utilize automated processes and more cost efficient materials (plastics).
The bicycle consists entirely of reinforced and unreinforced recyclable polypropylene. The patent-pending bicycle features a two component frame: the plastic INNERFRAME and the plastic outer structure, both dual components.Ideally, the material would be sourced from recycled plastic sources (IE: old bottles etc) to reduce environmental impact and costs.
The INNERFRAME, which gives the bicycle it’s rigidity, is most easily described as a spaceframe-like structure that features triangulation and molded “beams” to increase it’s strength. Additionally, this prototype, utilizes reinforced polypropylene for the inner chainstays. One main objective was to make the frame fully recyclable and it, absolutely, is.
And while I’m sure that those who specifically ride a bike for environmental reasons will like the idea behind the Innervision 1, hopefully the fact that it’s made from recycled materials will give it a price tag that will appeal to all bike riders.
If you’re on a diet or trying to lose weight, traveling can be a difficult time. Large restaurant meals and fast-food can wreak havoc with your waist line, and it’s usually never good news when you step on the scale when you get home. But now you can stay on top of your diet while you’re away with this compact travel scale. The foot pads are pretty much as small as they can get while still being able to effectively measure your weight, and can be ‘collapsed’ towards the middle, making the scale small enough to put in a carry-on bag. It features a backlit LCD display that shows pounds or kilograms, and is powered by two lithium batteries.
You can think of the DigiWall as a gigantic version of the WiiFit. But instead of doing physical activities like pushups or skiing, you actually climb it like any other indoor climbing wall. The grips are equipped with individual sensors for hands and feet that allow a computer system running in the background to track the movements of various climbers on the wall. And like with the WiiFit, the DigiWall is designed to make physical activities more entertaining by disguising them as interactive games. On the DigiWall these include ‘Catch the grip’ where you try to touch as many climbing grips as possible in one minute, or even a giant version of Pong where your whole body is used as a paddle as you compete with a player on the other side of the wall.
The DigiWall doesn’t have a traditional video display like a computer monitor, but instead uses the light-up climbing grips to form a large but low-resolution monochrome display. It also relies on a seven channel speaker system for audio feedback, and can even be turned into a giant musical instrument if you wanted to let your creative juices flow. The DigiWall was originally developed at the Interactive Institute’s Sonic Studio in Sweden, but is now a real product that’s available for sale. It comes in 6 meter wide by 2.6 meter high sections that can be combined to create a larger wall, but if you want pricing info you’ll have to request a specific quote.
For some reason my local mall also happens to be a major tourist attraction, so it’s unfortunately always crowded with out-of-towners who have apparently never seen things like an indoor fountain. On the plus side, the large volume of people traffic means there’s always some kind of over-the-top marketing promotion going on.
This week Nintendo was in town showing off their new Wii Fit peripheral. Now I’m a fan of the Wii, and there have been a few games that have really used the Wiimote controller in new and interesting ways, but I’m kind of undecided on Wii Fit. As a balance board that can be used with skateboard or skiing games it has promise, but at one point someone was using a demo kiosk to do pushups. Did we lose a war or something? How did pushups manage to squeeze their way onto my gaming console? I’m all for innovation, but there’s no high score or secret level that’s worth a round of pushups. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to spend the next 20 minutes struggling to get up off the couch.
Pedometers are meant to measure the number of steps you take to give you a sense of how far you’ve gone, and by extension, how much exercise you’re getting. Unfortunately, there are some people out there who don’t walk… normally. The Seiko Slimstick uses dual-axis gyro sensors to to determine not only how many steps you take, but also what sorts of steps they are, to better reflect the amount of calories you’re burning and the overall quality of your exercise. It only weighs 15 grams (2cm x 6.4 cm x 0.89 cm) and clips right on to your clothing. It’s currently available from Seiko Japan in a couple different colors for between $55 and $67.
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