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Posts Tagged ‘Gadgets’

Nike Unveils New iPhone App Just for Runners

06 Sep


Nike has just rolled out a new iPhone app for runners, available for download now [iTunes link].

The Nike+ GPS App for iPhone will pull in data from the device’s accelerometer and GPS to give runners an effective, accurate and useful tool for getting in shape and staying motivated. So far, it’s available in English only and sells for $1.99.

Although fitness apps abound in the App Store, few carry the street cred or instant name recognition of Nike.

The app will allow runners to visually map and track every run, indoor and outdoor, “free range” or treadmill. Nike says the app even works when a GPS signal is unavailable. Mapped routes show a breakdown of the runner’s pace at various points during the run, as well. You can track your distance, time and number of calories burned.

One interesting aspect of the app is the “Challenge Me” feature. It helps runners challenge themselves to run greater distances, longer times or quicker paces than their previous runs. Aside from giving challenges, the app also provides in-run, on-demand motivational messages from pro athletes and celebrities.

And of course the app carries the now-obligatory social sharing features. Through integration with NikePlus.com, runners can save each run to their online profiles and share the run through the site, Twitter and Facebook.

We have no word so far on when to expect Android, BlackBerry or other apps, but Nike says the app will work for iPod touch (second, third and fourth generations), iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4. The company makes no promises about how the app will function on an iPad; then again, if you’re running with your iPad, you might need less motivation to run faster and more motivation to give the tech gadgets a rest.

Here’s a video sent to us by Nike showing some of the ins and outs of the app:

What do you think of Nike’s app so far? Is this something you’d use for your running routine, or will you stick to the free apps already available?


Reviews: Android, App Store, Facebook, Twitter

More About: App, fitness, iphone app, Nike, Nike+GPS, runner, runners, running, sport

For more Apple coverage:

 

Woody Guthrie pencils

01 Sep

These Woody Guthrie-themed pencils are emblazoned "This Machine Kills Fascists," the motto Guthrie famously inscribed upon his guitar. Not sure how they compare to Blackwings, though!

These machines kill fascists (Thanks, Sara the Teacher!)



 
 

Adorably deadly Mini Cannon returns

08 Aug

Boing Boing reader gatetree points us to a comeback video from the Mini Cannon (blogged earlier by Mark) and notes,

The mini-cannon videomaker seems to have followed almost every suggestion from the boingboing post of his first video in May.
[via Submitterator]



 
 

Shark Knife will terrify your enemies with macho impracticality

27 Jul

The shark knife isn't going to win any beauty contests, but that's OK, because shark knives aren't about looking good, they're about getting the job done. And the job here is looking insanely tough, but with a tender, whimsical side. The Klingons have a word for this, most often translated as "trying too hard."

Shark Knife (via Making Light)



 
 

End Call button for the iPhone 4

21 Jul
 Twitpic Photos Large 131133375

Aaron Draczynski made an "End Call" button for the iPhone 4. (It's not really for sale).

 
 

New Telescope to Create 150 Petabyte Database of the Universe [Space]

03 Oct

The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) is "a proposed ground-based 6.7 meter effective diameter (8.4 meter primary mirror), 10 square-degree-field telescope that will provide digital imaging of faint astronomical objects across the entire sky, night after night." What's that mean? Well, it means, if it's built, we'll have a telescope attempting to catalog the entire night sky into an absolutely massive 150 petabyte database. Awesome!

The LSST isn't slated to open up shop until 2016, but when it does, it'll record a whopping 30TB of data a night by aiming itself into the sky and recording what it sees. It'll be used to "trace billions of remote galaxies and measure the distortions in their shapes produced by lumps of Dark Matter, providing multiple tests of the mysterious Dark Energy."

What's more impressive is the setup they'll need to get all that data recorded. Check it:

* the Mountain/Base facility, which does initial data reduction and alert generation on a 25 TFLOPS Linux cluster with 60PB of storage (in year 10 of the survey)
* a 2.5 Gbps network that transfers the data from Chile (where the telescope itself will be based) to the U.S. and within the US
* the Archive Center, which re-reduces the data and produces annual data releases on a 250 TFLOPS Linux cluster and 60PB of storage (in year 10 of the survey)
* the Data Access Centers which provide access to all of the data products as well as 45 TFLOPS and 12 Petabytes of end user available computing and storage.

Pretty amazing stuff. [The Register]


 
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Carbon Nanotube Manufacturing Breakthrough Could Mean Bye-Bye Steel [Nanotubes]

30 Sep

Carbon nanotubes have been popping on Giz for a while, touted as one of the next wonder-materials—but a new development in their manufacture means they may not remain "future technology" for long. In fact the work of a team at CSIRO and the University of Texas at Dallas means that commercial-scale production of sheets of carbon nanotube "textile" is possible at up to seven meters per minute.

And these are no ordinary textiles either: they're transparent and way stronger than a sheet of steel. The team's technique involves chemically-growing "forests" of nanotubes that self-assemble, and is reported in Science currently. If it proves true we may see nanotube materials replacing metals like steel pretty soon—though I'm not sure how many people would balk at flying in a plane with wings you can partly see through. [Physorg]


 
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StarTech USB-to-VGA Docking Station

09 Sep
StarTech USB-to-VGA Docking Station

StarTech has a brand new USB-to-VGA 4-in-1 Docking Station that was specially devised to make it a snap when one wants to add multiple ports to a desktop or notebook system using a solitary USB 2.0 port. This makes it lean more towards a port replicator instead of a docking station, and comes wtih the following specifications :-

  • VGA port
  • Four USB ports
  • One USB Mini B port
  • One 10/100 Ethernet port
  • Two 3.5 mm audio (mic, line out) ports

You can pick up this accessory for $129.99. Nothing essential, but definitely nice to own.

Add a comment | From: StarTech USB-to-VGA Docking Station | Visit Ubergizmo

 
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The Running-Powered Bike is Pure Ludicrousness [Lolz]

04 Apr

Oh… oh my. This is a running-powered bicycle (although technically, it's a tricycle, which gives it even less dignity). There are no pedals; instead, you run with the seat jammed up in your crotch and hop on the foot holds when you get enough speed going to coast. It is amazingly ridiculous, and it only gets funnier when you see the video of some dude running on it with, as I said, the seat jammed up in his crotch.

[DesignBoom]


 
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