Gear Diary » Sports and Fitness

Fact or Crap: Super Bowl – Cancer – Proposal – Greedy Girlfriend Edition

Michael Anderson — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 23:15:27 +0000

This week I had to visit a company making equipment for a project I'm working on, and due to the locations of both of our companies, it was simply easier to do the 350 mile drive each way over the last couple of days. As a result - and also the result of the rental car not having any sort of MP3 player input jack, and me not bringing any CDs - I listened to a lot of radio. I heard angering stories about Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac, Komen, and the state of financial literacy in our nation. I also heard one story that immediately sounded so good that I questioned the veracity. Tell Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Super Bowl XLVI Event Finder Launched

Douglas Moran — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:15:45 +0000

America is a hodgepodge of people from all over the world, with a correspondingly big mix of religions, celebratory days, and religious holidays. But we're Americans, so we kinda invented a few cultural things as we went along, some secular holidays that everyone-no matter your nation of origin, your creed, your color, your gender, your sexual orientation, or whatever--you can enjoy along with everyone else in the country. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

ZBoard, Like a Moped Only Way Cooler

Dan Cohen — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 16:00:45 +0000

Remember that moped you thought was the coolest when you were 14? No? Well, pre-drivers license, the idea of motorized transportation in any form sounded way cool to a lot of us. That even went for mopeds, until we actually bought one. Well this is like the moped but is a whole lot cooler.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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One Good Earbud: One Brilliant Idea?

Carly Z — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:15:41 +0000

I have said many times that running with headphones in is not a good idea. It's dangerous for multiple reasons; you can't hear cars, animals, or people coming up behind you. Even with the music turned down you lose a sense of what's around you. The common suggestion is usually to leave one earbud out, but then you're stuck with a mono listening experience. That's why One Good Earbud is such a smart idea. From their website:

One Good EarbudTM is the ideal way to safely listen to music, podcasts, audio books, and mobile calls while running, cycling, snowboarding, or working out at the gym. Our custom-designed earphone mixes both channels of sound from a stereo

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JawBone JamBox: Out Since 2010 but Still Awesome- A Gear Diary Video Look

Dan Cohen — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 23:00:01 +0000

The JawBone JamBox was released in November of 2010. Yes, that's almost a year and half ago... ancient by today's tech standards. So you might be wondering why we're covering it NOW. The reason is simple: although it was released almost a year and a half ago the JamBox is still the best portable Bluetooth speaker on the market and, thanks to updates and additional apps for it the speaker just keeps getting better and better. Thomas was quick to buy one when it was first released but I held back and only got one a few months ago. I wish I hadn't waited because it really is an incredible little device. I like it so much in fact that I purchased one for Elana to use when she is training clients. Oh, and there is another reason we shot the video now... it was the first time since I got JamBox-ified that Thomas and I were together. So here's a quick video of Thomas and me talking about the device and why it's become one of our favorite gadgets. Yes November of 2010 was quite a while ago but this is one piece of gear that isn't even close to becoming long in the tooth. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

CES: Liquid Image Announces HD Video Snow Goggles And Mountable Sports Cameras

Travis Ehrlich — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 20:00:17 +0000

The only thing bigger today than extreme sports, is extreme sports videos. The internet is full of amazing video footage of talented and sometimes crazy people hitting the big trick or conquering a huge slope. We seem to have begun to video everything we do and it often produces some pretty entertaining footage. Myself and several buddies have begun filming our deer and turkey hunts, editing them into full episode, high definition presentations of our adventures. In fact, the ability to film my own hunts is something I have struggled with using my current set up. Dragging a tripod by myself out to a tree stand or ground blind is not always possible while

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iBike POWERHOUSE Brings a Complete Fitness System to the iPod Touch and iPhone

Thomas R. Hall — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:10:20 +0000

I don't know about you, but for me, trying to get into and keep on a fitness plan is difficult. Unless you have motivation, it can be difficult to keep with it. Personally, one way I have found that works to keep motivated is to have a training partner, or use statistics to track my progress. Well, the iBike POWERHOUSE does both! The iBike POWERHOUSE is a fitness tool which combines an iPhone 3G/3GS/4/4S or an iPod Touch with a hardware device which:

A weather-proof / shock resistant patented smart case and sensors
The iBike POWERHOUSE app
Goal-specific plans developed by world-class fitness expert Hunter Allen

You simply start Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

YurBuds Ironman Pro Earbuds Stay In… Even If You Do Backflips!

Dan Cohen — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:49:21 +0000

Here at CES last year I was introduced to a new earbud company. YurBuds was offering their Inspire earbuds. The bright red earpieces stood out and promised a degree of comfort and "stay-putt-edness" that is in great demand among people who listen to music while doing a strenuous activity. I was skeptical but ended up impressed by their sound. Elana, who hates in-ear headphones, tried them on and within minutes co-opted the pair the company had given me for review. (The company kindly replaced mine.) A year later Elana's YurBuds are going strong and she continues to evangelize for them every chance she gets.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Apparently she is not alone. The company had a fantastic 2011 that saw tremendous growth and a significant expansion of the offerings. Among them are the Inspire Pro headphones. The build upon the original version in some significant ways and take good headphones and make them great. Once again the company was kind enough to provide a pair for review (I expect to lose these to her as well) so lets take a quick look at what is new. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Fitbit Announces New Fitbit Aria Wifi Scale

Carly Z — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 01:30:10 +0000

Dan and Judie may be facing off to see if the Fitbit truly reigns supreme at CES, but Fitbit isn't stopping with just your everyday activities. They're also announcing a new scale that syncs over wifi right to your Fitbit account! One of the toughest things about losing weight and keeping track is actually doing the data entry and work. Fitbit is aiming to make it as easy as possible for you! From their blog:

We’re excited to let you be among the first to learn about our newest product — the Fitbit Aria Wi-Fi Smart Scale. Aria will accurately track your weight, % body fat, and BMI over time and sync your

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Velocomp Introduces iBike Powerhouse for iPhone/iPod Touch

Chris Chamberlain — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:15:53 +0000

Since I am one of Gear Diary's cooking and kitchen gadget reviewers and also write about food for a few other publications, it's all I can do to keep myself anywhere near fighting weight. One of my favorite exercise regimens as part of the battle of the bulge is cycling, both on the road and in the gym. So that's why I was excited to see the latest announcement from Velocomp that they have developed an iOS-based cycling computer that interfaces with iPhones and iPods. I usually ride with my iPhone anyway, for safety on the road and for entertainment indoors, so this integration is welcomed. Combined with a wireless speed/cadence sensor on your bicycle, the iBike Powerhouse system tracks your progress and creates goal-oriented cycling plans for your individual fitness level. Here's the rest of the information from their product release announcement today at CES in Las Vegas: Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Magellan Gets in the GPS Fitness Watch Business!

Carly Z — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 19:39:40 +0000

The GPS watch market has been dominated heavily by Garmin. Ask a runner, "Do you have a Garmin" and they aren't going to wax poetic about their Nuvi...they'll know you mean a Forerunner watch. But Magellan is looking for a piece of that pie, and they'll be debuting two new watches, the "Switch" series, designed to appeal to runners as well as "crossover sports" (triathletes, bikers, and swimmers, presumably). Based on the press release, it sounds like the Switch will have very similar features to the competition, including the ability to race against a specific pace, mark laps and miles, and use a heart rate monitor. It should be interesting to see if Magellan can unseat Garmin Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Jogging Is Scarier Than Calorie Counting?!

Carly Z — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:30:07 +0000

If you've eaten in a major fast food chain (especially in New York), you are probably familiar with calorie counts being posted next to ads of Big Macs and greasy, delicious fries. The idea is to discourage you from wanting to eat too many high calorie/high fat foods. According to a research study done in Maryland, there's a more effective way-threaten to make people run! They found teenagers turned away from soda MORE when they were told drinking it would require 50 minutes of jogging to burn the calories. What really made my jaw drop was their logic:

Researchers monitored adolescents at four corner stores in West Baltimore, where low-income residents are at especially high risk for obesity partially tied to

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Gympact: Encouraging Health Or Just Another Gimmick?

Carly Z — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 16:15:11 +0000

When I first read about Gympact I thought it was a joke. Pledging money if you fail to check-in at your gym for at least a half hour? Really? When I realized it wasn't, it got me thinking: would I sign up for this? If I wasn't already physically active, would this have led me to working out more? The answer to both is no, but for different reasons. As of now, I don't belong to a gym. We had a membership but cancelled it after realizing I only run outside, and Sarah prefers to hike and walk the dog in place of the gym. So we don't get to benefit from Gympact, even though Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

LifeProof Proof Case for iPhone 4S Review

Dan Cohen — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 22:00:21 +0000

I've had good luck with my iPhones since the very start. While I have had to have almost every one replaced at some point it has never been the result of physical damage. Yeah, I know, now that I wrote that my iPhone will get crushed within the next week. Still, since my iPhone comes with me everywhere, it makes sense to think about really protecting it. There are a lot of heavy-duty cases available for the iPhone already but most of them are pretty bulky. Take, for example, the Case-Mate Tank we reviewed ($41 through our NGD affiliate store)or the Speck MightyVault we also reviewed($29.30 affiliate link). They offer a good Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Planet Fitness Has Way to Keep You Coming Back

Dan Cohen — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 20:15:31 +0000

Our five year old washing machine died two weeks ago and had to be replaced. We were told, at the time, that five years is about the lifespan for this type of appliance these days. That's not so surprising considering the fact that the 25-year-old dishwasher at our lake cabin is still going strong. Yes, companies want to keep you coming back as a repeat customer and the lifespan of many things is growing shorter and shorter in order to help ensure it. It seems Planet Fitness has found a way to keep their customers coming back time and again as well. It's a bit creative and fits with the New Years resolutions that people Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Announcing: San Diego’s Snapdragon Stadium

Dan Cohen — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 21:45:37 +0000

This post brought to you by Snapdragon by Qualcomm. All opinions are 100% mine.

photo courtesy of ChargersGab

When I was a kid I saw some great concerts at the Garden State Arts Center about an hour south from where I lived. Alas, the Garden State Arts Center is no longer there. The physical space is there, the set up for concerts is there, and bands still play throughout the summer there, but the Garden State Art Center is now called the PNC Bank Arts Center. Yes, in 1996 the bank purchased the naming rights to it, and it has carried the new name ever since. It's not uncommon to see major physical locations such as stadiums and theaters carrying company names these days, but I have to imagine that making the change is a complex, and pricey proposition. So imagine if a stadium was renamed ... but for only ten days. That's what's happening at the home of Judie's husband Kevin's beloved San Diego Chargers this holiday season. Yes, for a ten day period this holiday season the QUALCOMM Stadium will be renamed the Snapdragon stadium; after the ten days have passed the name will revert back. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Jawbone Offers Refunds to All UP Owners

Judie Stanford — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 15:45:44 +0000

Did you buy a Jawbone UP? I did, and I have been largely disappointed, but I haven't completely given up on it. Evidently a lot of people are very unhappy with them, and amazingly enough Jawbone has stepped up and offered a full refund to all UP owners who want one, even those who don't have their original packaging or receipt, as well as those who don't necessarily want to return them. This arrived in registered UP users' email today:

UPDATE FROM THE CEO
The UP™ No Questions Asked Guarantee
To the UP Community:Earlier this year, we unveiled Jawbone's vision to help people live a healthier life

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Kammock Roo, a Kickstarter Project Quick Look

Dan Cohen — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 20:00:13 +0000

Gear Diary is a big fan of Kickstarter, and we have supported a number of different projects in the last year or so. One of them was the Kammock Roo, a new take on the hammock. The project was fully funded and our "rewards" came a few weeks ago. Judie is waiting to give the two she bought as gifts, but I brought mine with me on vacation. Here's a quick video overview and some pictures. Here's Judie and her ever-present Diet Coke… a video look follows after the break. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Random Video: Treadmill Talent

Carly Z — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 14:30:17 +0000

I don't know who this woman is, or whether she practiced this routine for hours or spontaneously busted out at the gym. I do know that this is highly entertaining, and if I tried it I'd go flying off the treadmill. Fair warning, you will get an unfortunate earworm from this video...but it's SO worth it!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Via Runners World Forums Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Ten Lessons Learned from Steve Jobs’ Biography: An Entrepreneur’s Take

Dan Cohen — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 21:00:03 +0000

My friend Peter K is a speaker, author, health and success coach, nutritionist and physical therapist. (His website Peter K Fitness tells his story, introduces his method and explains how his approach has helped countless people lead a healthier lifestyle. Some impressive testimonials are there too!) Peter is Elana's health coach and played a huge role in her becoming as fit as she now is. (It also turns out that I had the privilege of officiating at his wedding more than a decade ago. A connection we did not make until Elana met him for her first training session.) Peter is an entrepreneur at heart. He recently read the Steve Jobs biography and, to use his own words, the "book really resonated" with him. He jotted down a few thoughts while reading it and shared them with me. I, in turn, asked if I could share them with all of you. And so, with no further ado I present to you "Peter K's What Steve Jobs taught me about being successful in business". Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

TailgateChamp APP: Be at the Tailgate and the Thanksgiving Table

Douglas Moran — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 23:15:38 +0000

You know, it's funny: just earlier this evening I was listening to a report on NPR's "All Things Considered" about how "today's generation" expects connectivity everywhere, and how various sports facilities are trying to upgrade what they offer so as to cater to the iDevice-owning, social networking crowd. And then I open the ol' in basket here at Gear Diary, and what do I see? A news item about an app that you can use to enhance your tailgating experience. Here's what Brunner Mobile says about it:

Got your Thanksgiving tailgate feast ready for the Thanksgiving Day NFL games? With games on Turkey day in Detroit, Dallas and Baltimore, it is impossible to make it

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How Fast Is an Elite Runner?

Carly Z — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 16:15:59 +0000

When I ran the Virginia Beach Rock n Roll half-marathon, one of the highlights for me was right around mile 3.5. The course looped out and back, so that was the crossover point where us "back of the pack" runners were officially lapped by the elites. When Ryan Hall, arguably the best American professional runner today, came flying by us, the entire crowd chanted, screamed, and cheered. It was amazing to catch even the slightest glimpse of an elite in action. The entire pack of professionals was running full miles in less time than it often takes me to run a half mile! It is hard to wrap your mind around just Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Jawbone UP First Impressions

Dan Cohen — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 16:00:19 +0000

Although it is only just being released this morning, I was able to pick up one of Jawbone's new UP wrist bands yesterday. It truly is the height of "geek chic", and whether or not it will be a passing fad waits to be seen. I wanted to share a few initial impressions of it but first let's look at what it does and does not do. The UP is like a super-duper pedometer. It tracks your steps and can "challenge" you to do more. Or, if you set it at "X steps planned today", it will tell you when you Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Holiday Gift Guide: For Winter Running and Outdoors Lovers

Carly Z — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 19:15:18 +0000

(image courtesy Cedar Valley Ridge)

Last week my dog finally accepted we were going for walks while it was still dark in the morning. This morning I ran dodging ice patches. And I'm slowly pulling all my workout pants out of storage. Yes, winter is almost here, and with it comes a whole new set of gear needs. If you're looking for how to stay active in the winter, or if you're starting to note good stocking stuffers for the runner/hiker/active person in your life, we've got you covered! You can read through our entire list of mini-reviews, or just skip to the section you need! And remember, no amount of reflective or safety Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

FanVision provides NFL Fans an Enhanced Stadium Experience

Travis Ehrlich — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 13:15:03 +0000

I have spent the majority of my life in stadiums. Some are big, some are small; in some I am a fan, in some was a player, and in some I am coaching. Bottom line is that I feel comfortable in a stadium. It is just who I am. My father went to high school in Houston, so while growing up we made many a trip to stay with my aunt who happened to live just a few miles from the Astrodome. By the time I was in Jr. High, I knew the dome like the back of my hand. We would come to town all summer and catch the Friday, Saturday and Sunday

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The Fila Skeletoes 2.0 Review

Carly Z — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 22:00:40 +0000

To best describe Fila Skeletoes, you need a bit of background. When I started running last year, I became enamored with the barefoot running concept, but found my feet just couldn't adjust to it. So I tried Vibram Five Fingers, which were great for walking around but didn't work well for me for running. After a great deal of experimenting with shoes, I finally settled on a lightweight pair of normal running shoes, paired with wearing Vibrams for casual use. It puts me in the odd position of being neither fish nor fowl; not really part of the "barefoot running" community, but also not 100% an advocate of "traditional" running shoes Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

USBFever’s Release o’ the Week: iSoldier – the Mighty Stand for Your iPhone

Douglas Moran — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 12:00:42 +0000

You just never know what those folks at USBFever are going to come up with. Often, it's something fairly straightforward--a bike mount for your iPhone, or a headrest mount for your iPad, or something like that. But every once in a while it seems that they get that wild hair crosswise in their gizzard, and they do something kinda different. Like this week's iSoldier stand for your iPhone. Silly? Cool? Strange? Who knows? But there it is. Along with, of course, all the rest of the stuff that they put out for this week. Decide for yourself! This week's full list of USBFever gear:

iSolider - The Mighty Stand for your iPhone /

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Review: GPSRunningWatch for Android

Carly Z — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 16:00:50 +0000

Running is a pretty simple sport. All you need is a pair of shoes, a good pair of shorts, and a cheap watch. All the extra bells and whistles are optional (and really, even shoes and watch are optional -- just don't run naked, as police tend to frown on that.) But there are always ways for technology to creep in, and GPS watches such as Garmin's Forerunner are near-staples in the running community. For those of us who don't want a small computer on our wrists, or who carry a smartphone anyway on a run, there are apps that offer similar data. I'm a huge fan of Handy Runner for Android, but I'm always up to try Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Keep QuikClot on Hand, and You May Save a Life

Judie Stanford — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 15:45:47 +0000

QuikClot is an emergency wound dressing loaded with blood clotting agents. You can go to YouTube and watch some extremely graphic training videos of QuikClot in action, but I suggest that you not do so if you have a weak stomach. If you are able to handle the graphic images, I'm sure that you'll agree the results are pretty impressive. I had never heard about QuikClot until I stumbled on a recent Lifehacker post, "How to Survive a Gunshot Wound." Yikes. QuikClot is the consumer version of a Z-Medica product that has long been used by the military, law enforcement and emergency medical responders to stop blood loss in what would ordinarily be Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Robots Taking Over the World: One Electronic Fitness Trainer at a Time

Douglas Moran — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 15:00:52 +0000

Whenever I'm out there trying to psych myself up to exercise, I kinda wish I had a personal trainer, or a friend, or something that would kind of, ya know, prod me. Keep me going. Keep me on task. Tell me how I'm doing. You know what I mean. Well, it's the 21st century, baby! We gots us robots to help us now! And Wahoo Fitness wants to bring those helpful robotic friends to you, to help you do all those athletic things you should be doing, but just aren't, you lazy waffle-butt, you! Surf on over and check them out. Full information below.

Ever wonder what the world would be like if

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