GymPact: Get Paid to Work Out Posted by Meagan on April 17, 2013 No Responses » Apr 172013 Staying motivated is one of the biggest hurdles people face when it comes to working out, especially for those who are just beginning an exercise program. As someone who has been a (fairly) consistent runner for almost two years now, even I struggle to get myself out of the door. A training schedule for an upcoming race definitely helps motivate me, but still, talking myself out of going for a run is much easier than I would like it to be some days. Now, however, thanks to GymPact, not only do I have to consider the detriment to my training when I skip a run, I also have to consider the financial cost. Continue reading “GymPact: Get Paid to Work Out” » Technorati Tags: Android, app, application, exercise, GymPact, iOS, motivation, running
2012 All Stars Posted by Steve on December 24, 2012 No Responses » Dec 242012 The year is nearing its end and after getting 15 inches of snow in a 24 hour period, the TR Crew is gearing up for another Wisconsin winter. More than that, the world didn’t come to an end on Friday. So, we wanted to make sure we took a moment to share with you some of our favorite products from the year, offer some last minute ideas for the holidays (for those of you who didn’t do your Christmas shopping, yet, because of the impending apocalypse), and give shout outs to some of the other great gear, apps, etc. we’ve gotten to test out. Enjoy! Continue reading “2012 All Stars” » Technorati Tags: barefoot running shoes, barefoot shoes, fitbit, Fitbit One, fitness gadgets, iOS, Merrell Bare Access Arc, Merrell Barefoot, minimalist shoes, New Balance Minimus, Nike Running, Nike+, ON Cloudracer, On Cloudrunner, running, Skora Form, sockwa, xero shoes, zombies run
Zombies, Run! Follow-Up and FAQ Posted by Meagan on April 5, 2012 6 Responses » Apr 052012 It has now been a little over a month since the release of Zombies, Run! for iOS and I wanted to follow-up on my initial review to offer a few more insights, as well as address some FAQs I’ve compiled. Overall, I would say that my feelings towards Zombies, Run! have not changed in the past month. While I don’t use the app every time I run (I’m trying to stretch out the available missions as long as possible!), it is still a fun and motivating addition to my workout. One of the best parts of the game is that Six to Start has done a really great job making the audio clips and story feel real. If the game refers to a “red windmill to your right”, I often find myself looking to the right to try to find what they’re talking about! It’s particularly awesome when there is something around you that matches the description of a feature mentioned in the game. Continue reading “Zombies, Run! Follow-Up and FAQ” » Technorati Tags: app, FAQ, iOS, iphone, running, running game, Six to Start, zombies, zombies run
Fitbit Comes to Android, Gets New Food Plan Posted by Meagan on March 22, 2012 No Responses » Mar 222012 A couple exciting things have come down the tubes from Fitbit this week. The most recent, announced today, is for all you Android users out there. The (long-awaited) Fitbit app for Android is now available (for free) here. For all intents and purposes, it looks like this app offers the same features and functions as the iOS version, which, for me, has been easy to use and is one of the better-made fitness-tracking apps I’ve come across. Note that having the app does not mean that you will be able to sync your Fitbit to your phone. You will still have to use the base station attached to a computer to upload/download information to/from your Fitbit, but any info that you do upload will be instantly sent to the app as well as to your account on their website. Continue reading “Fitbit Comes to Android, Gets New Food Plan” » Technorati Tags: Android, fitbit, fitness tracker, iOS, iphone, weight loss
Zombies, Run! Available Today for iOS Posted by Meagan on February 27, 2012 1 Response » Feb 272012 Yesterday, I survived a helicopter crash, escaped from two zombie mobs, and searched an abandoned hospital for vital supplies to help the survivor’s colony–all during my run! In case you’re curious what the heck I’m talking about, this is all thanks to Zombies, Run!, “an ultra-immersive running game and audio adventure for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and Android” created by London-based company Six to Start and writer Naomi Alderman. For a quick summary of the story behind the game and an overview of how it works, see my earlier post here. Today, I’m excited to report that Zombies, Run! is available for download on iOS. The base game costs $7.99. Because I pre-ordered the game, I was able to access an advance copy on Friday and did my first run with it yesterday. I therefore wanted to take this chance to share a few initial thoughts with you. Continue reading “Zombies, Run! Available Today for iOS” » Technorati Tags: app store, iOS, iphone, RunKeeper, running, running game, zombies, zombies run
CES 2012 – Health and Fitness Gadgets Posted by Steve on January 20, 2012 No Responses » Jan 202012 For those of you unfamiliar with CES (Consumer Electronics Show), I’ll start by saying that it is the world’s largest consumer technology trade-show featuring over 2500 exhibitors (and if any reader out there wants to give me a ticket for 2013, I would be very appreciative). The 2012 event wrapped up on January 13th and the show brought some exciting new innovations into the limelight. There are a few items from the health and fitness genre that we felt deserved our attention. Continue reading “CES 2012 – Health and Fitness Gadgets” » Technorati Tags: 4iiii, Basis, Bluetooth, CES, ces 2012, Consumer Electronics Show, fitbit, fitbit aria, fitness, health, Heart Rate Monitor, iOS, iphone, Iqua Beat, running, scale, Sportiiis, technology, Wahoo Fitness, weight loss
Zombies, Run! Posted by Meagan on January 3, 2012 1 Response » Jan 032012 Screenshot of logo courtesy of www.zombiesrungame.com. Today, I came across one of the coolest motivational tools I have ever seen for runners (or walkers), and I’m super excited to share it with you, readers! What is this super-awesome new tool, you say? Well, let me introduce you to Zombies, Run!, “an ultra-immersive running game and audio adventure for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and Android” created by London-based company Six to Start and writer Naomi Alderman. Like other running apps, Zombies Run! will provide you with your distance, time, pace, and calories burned for each of your runs, as well as allow you to play your own music. Unlike other running apps, though, Zombies, Run! actually gives you a reason to run in the form of a zombie apocalypse story. In the game, you are Runner 5, one of the survivors of a zombie apocalypse. Each of your runs will be treated as a mission, and, as you run, you will get updates and orders through your headphones that will lead you through the storyline of the game. Continue reading “Zombies, Run!” » Technorati Tags: Android, app, fitness, iOS, iphone, ipod touch, run tracking, RunKeeper, running, video games, zombies, zombies run
Fitbit & Lose It! [UPDATE] Posted by Meagan on December 23, 2011 No Responses » Dec 232011 Photo courtesy of Fitbit Inc. Logo courtesy of FitNow Inc. For all you Fitbit and Lose It! fans out there, I’m happy to report that two-way syncing is now available between your Fitbit and Lose It! accounts. This is a feature that Fitbit had been hinting at for quite some time on their App Gallery, and, last night, the TR Crew was very excited to discover that it has now been released. As I mentioned in my earlier review of the Fitbit Ultra, the food logging portion of the Fitbit website is really the weakest part of the whole experience of using the device, because it has a relatively limited database, where only brand-name or restaurant foods are included. This means that the user is often left trying to guess, for example, which restaurant’s version of sesame chicken is closest to the one they made at home. The option of creating foods to add to a personal database is available, but, in the case of a home-cooked meal, this could still involve some amount of guesswork. When you’re trying to lose weight through careful calorie-counting, having to guess is not a reassuring or helpful thing! Continue reading “Fitbit & Lose It! [UPDATE]” » Technorati Tags: Android, app, calorie tracking, fitbit, fitness, iOS, Lose It!, weight loss
Nike+ GPS [UPDATE] Posted by Steve on December 21, 2011 2 Responses » Dec 212011 Picture of the new feature to be added to Facebook's Timeline. (Courtesy of Facebook.com) Just wanted to write a quick post about the recent update to Nike+. If you haven’t already seen our Nike+ review, please check it out. The update for the Nike+ application to version 3.3 went live on December 19th and, to our surprise and delight, it offers some exciting new features. The updates are as follows: ★ Updates to improve compatibility and performance. We’ve integrated Tweet Sheet to make sharing on Twitter even easier. ★ Now you can choose to link to your route map or run curve when you share your run on Facebook. ★ Indoor/Treadmill runs can now run in the background on iOS 5. We’ve updated our engine to further enhance GPS and Accelerometer accuracy. ★ Fixed large game of Tag issues and general bug fixes. Continue reading “Nike+ GPS [UPDATE]” » Technorati Tags: Facebook Timeline, iOS, iphone, ipod touch, nike apology, Nike Running, Nike+, running
Nike + iPod vs. Nike+ GPS Posted by Meagan on December 16, 2011 12 Responses » Dec 162011 [UPDATE]: To view the most recent Nike+ GPS (now Nike+ Running) app features, check out our post that includes our thoughts on the update and in-app photos! Note that many of the differences between the sensor system and the GPS-based app remain the same as those described in this post. Now there’s just even more features included with the GPS app that continue to make it the better value! Nike+ is one of several popular run-tracking applications currently on the market, and is the first motivating tool I used to get myself started, and excited, about running. Initially, I used the Nike + iPod sensor (with my iPhone 4 and a pair of Nike running shoes with a built-in spot for the sensor), but I am currently using the Nike+ GPS application. In this post, I’m going to present a summary and comparison of the two Nike+ options, as well as an explanation as to why I ultimately chose to use Nike+ GPS. For a quick overview of the features offered by each application, see the included chart near the end of the post. Nike + iPod Sensor What You’ll Need: The Nike + iPod sensor is priced at $19 and is compatible with the iPod Touch (4th generation or later) and the iPhone (3GS or later). If you have an older iPod nano, you will need the Nike + iPod Sport Kit ($29), which includes a wireless receiver to connect the sensor to the iPod. The new iPod nano, the iPod Touch and iPhone are able to connect wirelessly to the Nike+ sensor without this additional attachment. The sensor, which is about the size of a (rather thick) quarter, fits into a small pocket beneath the liner of any Nike+-compatible shoe and tracks your distance traveled and your pace using an accelerometer. I’m told that you can also buy a small pouch that can be attached to the shoelaces of any running shoe, so there are options that allow you to skip the cost of acquiring a pair of Nike running shoes. Continue reading “Nike + iPod vs. Nike+ GPS” » Technorati Tags: apple, fitness, iOS, iphone, iPod nano, ipod touch, Nike + iPod, Nike+, running
