I will never forget The X-Files. When I was a kid, I used to live for Friday nights so I could watch The X-Files while my parents were out. I’m still terrified of sewers after the Chernobyl worm man episode. So my geeky heart is all aflutter with news of SIX NEW EPISODES!
We love our BOB jogging stroller. It’s great for running as well as everyday strolling, especially if you find yourself on rough roads or if we want to walk along rail trails. It can be a little weird to get used to pushing a stroller and running, and KidRunner has an expensive but intriguing solution: pull your kid instead!
One of the new features of Pebble Time and Pebble Time Steel, in addition to a color screen, is what Pebble calls “Smartstraps“. Basically, the new Time/Time Steel watches will have connectors near the straps that will allow the straps to add new hardware options like GPS or heart-rate monitors to the watch, making Pebble Time extremely upgradeable and modular.
My wife, Sarah, recently decided to get a fitness tracker. She’s been going to the gym more, and heading out walking, and wanted a way to view her activity on a daily basis. I showed her various fitness tracker options, ranging from Misfit to Jawbone to Fitbit, and she specifically chose a Fitbit Flex, almost purely on the Fitbit name.
I posted recently about my quest for a new fitness tracker, and I found one that (so far) I love. It’s only been 24 hours but it seems to check off all my boxes…and it wasn’t any of the ones on my initial list! It isn’t even that new, but my new Pebble is exactly what I was looking for!
Late last year, Apple gave Fitbit the boot from Apple retail stores. There was a lot of speculation as to why Fitbit was kicked out, but most people assumed it was due to Fitbit pulling out of Apple’s Healthkit initiative. Competitors (and Healthkit partners) like Jawbone, Mio and Nike remained in the stores. Until this week, when everyone was booted!
Back when I worked in retail, I didn’t have a lot of downtime. When I did have a rare day off or afternoon free, I spent it reading, and I devoured a big chunk of Terry Pratchett’s “Discworld” series during a particularly stressful time. Terry Pratchett passed away today; it’s a sad day for literature and fantasy in particular.
My son loves (LOVES) the book “Goodnight iPad“. I’ve read it so many times I have it memorized, so I usually “read” it to him once it is lights-out. Half the time he’s asleep before I finish. Last night I realized some of the book’s technology references are already outdated, and it’s only four years old!
I tested the fitness tracker waters with the Pivotal Living 1 and stuck with it despite the bugs. Unfortunately, I forgot it wasn’t waterproof, and a dip in the pool brought on the death of the PL1. It’s time to replace it, and I’ve narrowed my choices down to the Fitbit Charge HR, Withings Activité Pop, or Garmin Vivosmart.
We were in Costco a few weeks ago, and the quinoa they were carrying was a different brand than we’ve bought in the past. We set out to find out if the new quinoa was safe for our son’s allergies, and we learned two things: Amazon and Costco are very nice, and no one can track down “Nature’s Intent, LLC“.
There are many bags that offer charging and backup batteries for your gadgets; unfortunately, most of these scream “tech bag”, and aren’t terribly pretty. Worse, they’re not the kind of thing you can carry into the office or a meeting, especially if you want to look professional. Leoht Tech Handbags has a Kickstarter with a potential solution!
If I had to break down my online presence by companies, I’d say I’m split between Microsoft and Google. Microsoft Onedrive is my main backup, and OneNote is just awesome, while Google handles my email, calendar and contacts. My jump from Windows Phone to Android was easy, but as Clinton Fitch points out, it’s because of Microsoft and not Google.
This week’s flurry of news and smartphone announcements, combined with the impending launch of the Apple Watch, has me thinking a great deal about my next phone. Now, Android versus iOS versus Windows Phone is one part of the debate, but even when I narrow it down there’s another piece: how many accessories are out there?
We’ve talked about safety and gear when running outside before (Mike has done a great job of covering the important points), but it’s important to remember safety doesn’t get checked at the gym door. If you’re doing anything, from treadmill running to weightlifting, make sure you know how to be safe. I learned that the scary way this weekend!
You can’t say HTC doesn’t listen to their critics. Every year their HTC One series has shown improvement and polish, and the new One M9 addresses many of the issues from the M8 and expands on what it does best: namely, there’s an improved camera and even better speakers!
HTC is busy at MWC this year; first they announced the One M9, and now they have a companion fitness product, the HTC RE Grip. It’s a fitness tracker with GPS, and it syncs with Under Armour (which means it will work with My Fitness Pal as well as the MapMyFitness products).
Sad news in the world of science fiction-Leonard Nimoy has passed away at the age of 83. He was an icon as Mr Spock, the half-Vulcan science officer on Star Trek, as well as a fixture in various other science fiction shows (like Fringe). His contributions to pop culture cannot be understated, and he will be missed by fans everywhere!
Sanuk is one of those shoe brands I always wanted to try but never had the chance. They have a reputation for amazing quality shoes that are also ridiculously comfortable. So when Sanuk gave us the chance to check out their winter line, I was ecstatic to put their reputation to the test!
Siri (or Cortana, or Ok Google) often get dismissed as gimmicks, or something you use for driving or otherwise using your phone hands free. My wife Sarah, however, can attest to a situation where Siri was an absolute hero for our family — Sarah used Siri to call Poison Control during an emergency!
I have a slight obsession with minimalist shoes. Due to surgery, my left knee is remarkably picky about types of shoes and as a result, I do much of my workouts in Vibram FiveFingers. I recently rewarded myself for a month of gym-going with a new pair of Vibram FiveFingers KSO EVO, a huge upgrade from my 6-year-old KSOs!
There’s been a huge debate lately about wearable devices like Fitbit, Jawbone UP, smartwatches, etc. First, wareable.com pointed out most buyers of fitness trackers are ALREADY fit (and well-off), and then a study came out indicating wearables were no more accurate than the pedometer in your existing smartphone. So who’s using them and are they helping anyone?