While the excitement of the Tour de France is typically on the road, there is much to see that isn’t part of the official coverage on TV. From the antics of the fans, to what it takes to prepare a pro team for this grand event, and finally just to the day to day happenings there is a lot “Beyond the Peloton.” And it can now be experienced from the official Cervelo TestTeam YouTube Channel, as it is presented in High-Definition from documentary film makers Joe Finkleman and Booker Sim, who let you return to France to see what the race footage failed to capture.
In addition to the event, the channel gives some great insight via past videos such as the New Cervelo Project California, or the how the Cervelo TestTeam ROTOR Q-Rings no doubt helped get the teams’ riders in the spin of things. So if you’re already waiting for next year’s Tour de France, this site might help you pass the time.
With the aboutGolf simulator you won't have to search for lost balls in the woods
People pay good money to join a golf club, and even more money to travel to some of the world’s most scenic courses – but despite this fact there are times when you just can’t get outside for a round of golf. One way to avoid the weather and still get in a full 18 holes is to take advantage of the latest indoor golf simulator technology. And we’re not talking about a simple putting green in the corner or even golf on the Nintendo Wii, because while the video game experience is good, it isn’t quite like the real deal. For that you’ll have to turn to companies such as aboutGolf, which recently announced that it was the “secret weapon” in Canada’s University of Waterloo recent season.
The technology was utilized by the University of Waterloo’s engineering school, which took it to a new level with UW golf equipment and biomechanics researchers. This included studies of the technology, where engineering students used the aboutGolf PGA TOUR Simulator with new shaft and clubhead deisgns, as well as biomechanic modeling, motion capture, and golf ball simulation and optimization. This collaboration allowed UW’s men’s and women’s golf teams as part of their training for the 2010 season. Read the rest of this entry »
If you can’t get out to the ballgame, but still want to root, root, root for the home team you can do so from home of course, but it isn’t quite the same. You’re always stuck watching what the TV director wants you to see. That is until now. This year AT&T and WGN-TV are offering a new TV app that lets users view up to four different camera angles of the Chicago Cubs home games at one time. Users can choose from the main WGN-TV Chicago game broadcast as well as six alternate camera angles. This gives viewers the ability to feel like they’re in the stands at Wrigley Field. Read the rest of this entry »
Try some stretches before you try this at home and pull something
Think you have what it takes to throw down with Jackie Chan or Jet Li? Chances are you probably aren’t at their level and never will be. So what is an aspiring Kung Fu master to do? You could spend the next few years training, honing your skills and doing all that Karate Kid styled “wax on, wax off” stuff. Or you could fake it and show off your skills in a video game. Of course that means sitting on a couch, which we don’t recommend. As an alternative to just more button mashing, there is the Kung-Fu Live fighting game, which will let players show off their badass fighting skills for the PlayStation Network this fall. The game is currently being developed by the Virtual Air Guitar Company, a Helsinki-based independent game producer and computer vision specialist. And yes, virtual air guitar does sound a bit redundant to us too. Read the rest of this entry »
Today pre-season football training isn’t just limited to weight lifting, running sprints and hitting the tackling dummies. Elite athletes are looking for that special edge to become faster, smarter and stronger, because this edge can truly mean the difference between winning and losing. Now it looks like many NCAA athletic programs and other performance institutions around the country are casting an eye on sports vision training equipment. Who knew that eye-hand coordination could be something you could actually use as part of your training, but that’s exactly what Dynavision D2 can bring to the field or court. Read the rest of this entry »
Earlier this year Adidas unveiled its miCoach system, which put sensors on a runner’s shoes as well as a device on the arm to measure distance, pace and even stride rate. Users could get a lot of information, and could even sync the data to a website. Now the company has taken the next step by introducing a miCoach application for the iPhone and BlackBerry that is meant to work as a virtual personal and real-time trainer.
As with the miCoach devices, this app utilizes GPS capabilities, where real-time pace-based coaching and tracking is provided. The app essentially transforms a smartphone into a personal guide complete with voice coaching, personalized and sports-specific training regimes, workout calendar and workout feedback. The app also monitors, manages and analyses progress over time. Read the rest of this entry »
Microsoft founder Bill Gates, who is currently co-chair and trustee of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, will offer the keynote address at the upcoming 2010 mHealth Summit to be held November 8 – 10 in Washington, D.C. Gates will address the potential of mobile technologies to improve health outcomes in the developing world. This interactive discussion will take part on November 9 at 1:00pm ET. Read the rest of this entry »
Plan on visiting London any time soon and you might not have to hail a black taxi cab to get around; instead you might be able to rent – or “hire” as they say in the British capital – a bike instead. The city, which is also in the process of installing new bicycle friendly lanes, has introduced 6,000 new high tech bikes for people for to use.
As part of a system that went live last week, users can register online for a year’s membership or pay an access fee for the week or day – ranging from £45 for a year to £1 for a day. After accessing a bike the rental costs are a tad high too, with an hourly rate of £1, and if you keep the bike for more than 24 hours you’ll get hit with a £50 fee. That’s probably too hefty a cost for most commuters, and some have asked why regular riders wouldn’t prefer to buy their own bike. Jon Snow, a presenter for “Channel 4 News” and also presidents of the National Cyclists’ Organization further offered a first-hand opinion of the bikes for The Financial Times, noting that the bikes are a bit heavy, especially compared to his own titanium ride. Read the rest of this entry »
Plenty of iPhone apps that customize workouts for you, but how many track your progress based on movement. Fitaid from India-based developer Positech uses the phone’s accelerometer to sense your pace based on the goals you set. The program estimates your V02Max; tracks against plan and provides audio cues to speed up or slow down; and customizes those cues and settings to match your goals and abilities.
Fitaid’s developer Positech has goal to provide sophisticated scientific tools to a mainstream audience looking for ways to self-manage their health and improve wellbeing. The founder, Siva Raj, claims to have faced his own personal struggle with staying fit and used his experiences to develop Fitaid.
The use of the accelerometer to sense movement, which tracks any activity on a user’s feet including stepping to salsa or playing Frisbee, is a vital innovation and a good use of the technology of the iPhone. We hope to see more applications like this, and for a wider array of smartphones.
If movies and TV shows are to be believed someday the machines will take over. When that day comes – and Terminator and The Matrix plus the iPhone and hybrid cars are enough to make us think it is just around the corner – we’ll all likely be bossed around by robots. Until then you can have a robot help you with your diet. That’s the idea behind the new Autom, a personal robot developed by Intuitive Automata, which was designed to be a motivational tool as part of a weight loss regimen. The Autom robot was officially unveiled at an entrepreneurial event in Barcelona, Spain in June, 2009.
The robot is actually based on the PhD thesis of MIT graduate Cory Kidd, co-founder and chief executive of Intuitive Automata Inc., who suggested that interactive technology could help people lose weight. Thus the concept behind Autom is that people who keep track of their food and exercise whilst dieting will have more success, and if you don’t have someone to help you manage this information the robot can help.
While running might be the most basic workout there is; after all you don’t actually “need” anything. You just look at a spot and run to it. But over the years technology has changed the way we run, with everything from the shoes to the clothing and now with the apps. Yes, there is an app for running. So while the app runs on your phone, it can help you better pound the pavement over the long miles.
Over the past six months we’ve looked a few running apps, but our colleagues at The Detroit Free Press, which is the sponsor of the Detroit Marathon (Oct. 17), offered an excellent round-up of the best running apps and websites. Thanks to Free Press Web Editor Mark W. Smith for compiling the list. We’ll look for you on the road in October Mark!
Wouldn’t it be grand if you could just click to get on a diet and lose weight? You could click on an app, and see the pounds just fall off. Well, there is NOT an app for that, but there is a new app that will let you keep track of what you’re eating and your workouts. The FitClick Diet and Workout Tracker is the first to offer a full suite of diet and workout features. The app, which is available for the iPhone, works as a calorie counter and food journal, while it can provide customizable diet plans plus workout routines – so you can burn to earn. The tracker portion can calculate calories burned from more than 800 exercise demo videos. Users aren’t tied to one set routine either, and can instead create their own diet plans and workout routines, or if you’re looking to get straight to it, you can use one of the thousands of member-created programs that are already available.
The app further contains a database of 118,000 foods along with 12,000 recipes. Additionally, the FitClick iPhone App can work as a full-service companion to the FitClick website, providing real-time access to diet, fitness and weight loss programs. Users aren’t tied to one set routine either, and can instead create their own diet plans and workout routines, or if you’re looking to get straight to it, you can use one of the thousands of member-created programs that are already available.
Game, set and match… and all in your living room. This is what Ubisoft’s Racquet Sports allows users to do, with a multisport game that includes tennis, ping-pong, badminton, squash and beach tennis. While originally released with the Nintendo Wii, this get-off-the-couch game will be heading to the PlayStation 3 this fall. It will of course be compatible with the PlayStation Move so you’ll get the chance to hit the court in your living room. The game promises pinpoint gameplay mechanics that bring every serve, swing and backhand to life.
Racquet Sports features 30 rich graphical environments, and many probably look better than your local tennis court too, and are certainly places where you’d expect to get in the swing of things. These include real-world landmarks such as the beach of Copacabana, the foot of Mount Fuji and even the skyline of Dubai. These include animated backgrounds, dynamic sounds and even day and night modes. Players will further have the ability to customize their onscreen persona, and can perform with 11 different athletes, each who has a distinct personality and flair. There are 30 outfits, 30 hairstyles and even 15 different racquets available as well to keep things fresh.
Players will also have the chance to play together cooperatively or against each other, with up to four players taking the court. About the only thing missing is the chance to jump over the net, but at least you won’t have any balls to chase when this one arrives this fall!
