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nike-fuelband.jpegNIKE have added a new gadget to their range of digital fitness products today. The NIKE+FuelBand sits on a user's wrist, and is designed to track everyday movements that could encourage people to live more active lives.

Pairing up with the NIKE+ website or a free iOS app over Bluetooth, the NIKE+FuelBand uses an incentive system called NikeFuel. A normalized score that awards equal points for the same activity regardless of physical makeup, users can set a daily goal of how much NikeFuel they want to earn through being active during the day.

Whereas previous NIKE fitness systems have required users to set aside time for a workout, the FuelBand instead uses four slightly more passive metrics (Time, Calories, Steps and NikeFuel) that can be tracked throughout an entire day, letting users gradually adapt their days to make them a little more active.

The wristband itself lets you track how close you've come to reaching your target goals over a day through a series of 20 LED lights, gradually building from red to green as you approach your set achievements.

"The NIKE+ FuelBand is a way for Nike to further evolve the exciting possibilities of merging the physical and digital worlds," said NIKE, Inc. President & CEO Mark Parker.

"Nike has always been about inspiring athletes, and the NIKE+ FuelBand will help motivate them in a simple, fun and intuitive way."

The NIKE+ FuelBand already has the backing of some major names in the world of sport too, including seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstong, Oklahoma City scoring champion Kevin Durant and 2011 IAAF women's 100 metres World Champion Carmelita Jeter.

"What's great about the idea of NikeFuel and the FuelBand is the way it provides real information and numbers to show how much people are doing all day, every day," said Armstrong.

"That's what will get people challenging themselves to do more and better their own scores. It's a tool to get people more active."

The Nike+ FuelBand will be available in the UK from the 1st May, priced at £139.

CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE: Geek Chic Apparel

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geek-chic-banner.JPGThe Geek shall inherit the Earth!

Far too long have we sat in the shadows, pouring over our alphabetised VHS collection of Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes, plotting our rise while caressing a handful of D&D 12 sided dice!

Now the rest of the world seems to be catching up with our nerdy style, with plenty of stars trying to ape our inimitable fashion sense.

Show them how its done by grabbing some of our favourite clothes and accessories this Christmas from Tech Digest's gift guide to getting the geek-chic look!

When you're done here, be sure to check out the rest of Tech Digest's 2011 Christmas wishlists too.

thinkgeek-guitar.jpgBudding guitar heroes looking for a musical messenger bag should tune their ears to the sound of the ThinkGeek Electronic Rock Guitar Bag.

With a mini amp strapped to the front, the bag's front face has a guitar neck printed onto it, lined with buttons representing each of the major chords. Hold the buttons down and run your thumb over the fingerboard and you stum out note-perfect chords every time.

ThinkGeek list the main features as:

- Play all major chords, perfectly in tune every time
- Mini guitar amp speaker clips to the bag
- Speaker volume goes to 11 and has an adjustable tone knob
- Big enough to hold a 17" laptop and other necessities
- Two large pockets, six small pockets including a zippered cell phone pouch
- Heavy duty guitar-style bag strap
- Thick jet-black canvas construction with faux leather accents
- Magnetic clasps hold main flap closed
- Requires 4 x AAA batteries (not included)

Grab one from www.thinkgeek.com for $49.99.

Each year Orange come up with a barmy, green-friendly gadget to coincide with the UK's Glastonbury music festival. For instance, last year they revealed the "Hot Stepper Power Wellies" that charged mobile phones just by using the heat from your feet. They've really out-done themselves this year though; this morning they have revealed the Orange "Sound Charge" t-shirt that powers your mobile phone by using sound waves!

Using the same piezoelectric film that's found in hi-fi speakers, the Sound Charge absorbs the kinetic energy of sound waves, which are then converted by quartz crystals into charge stored in a connected battery.

Orange have calculated that sound levels at Glastonbury will average out at around 80dB over the weekend generating 6 watt hours of power. So, if you wear the shirt at all times and have your phone sitting in the front pouch connected to the charging pin, you should be able to fully power two regular mobile phones or one smartphone.

We can't think of a better place to test the Sound Charge, though wearing an item of clothing that's powering an electrical current during Glastonbury's almost customary downpours may not end with the desired results!

Check it out in action in the video above.


The iPad 2 launch is almost upon us, with Apple's latest tablet device hitting UK stores tomorrow. Much has been made of the dual cameras, sleeker size and faster chip, but what of the accessories you'll be able to pimp your slate out with?

We pick ten of the best accessories gunning for your green, ready to accompany your next-gen tablet device.

Click below to get started

Alongside the iPad 2 launch last night, Apple also revealed a handful of new apps ready to be downloaded alongside the new slate. We've written an in-depth guide to the new Garageband app, which you can read by clicking here.

Garageband for iPad has the potential to totally democratise music making. Not only will you not need an expensive PC rig to write hit tracks, as all the hardware and software you'd need can potentially be housed in the $499 tablet, but you need not have any real musical skill either. Smart Instruments, easily allowing novices to lay down pleasing chord progressions with a number of instruments, will allow any iPad 2 owner to become musically creative. Forget bedroom recording, the iPad 2's mobility will create a whole new wave of street producers.

That's not to say Garageband is purely for beginners. Here Tech Digest list 10 successful bands and artists who use the program on Macs, and will undoubtedly make the jump to the iPad 2 when on the road too.

3D Tech - Christmas Gift Guide 2010

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3d tech guide header.jpg
If 1991 was "the year punk broke", then 2010 similarly could be called "the year 3D broke". By broke, we mean "broke through to the mainstream"; going from a novelty cinema fad to a must-have technology in any budding gadget fans armoury, there's no escape from the wave of 3D gear heading your way this Christmas.

But what to buy? Everything from 3D TVs to cameras to games now boast 3D capabilities, and with so much to choose from it can be tough to sort the wheat from the chaff. Especially if you're not wearing the right active shutter glasses when doing so.

Avoid any 3D-related headaches then with this Tech Digest 3D Christmas Gift Guide, pooling together the best 3D tech up for grabs this festive season.

Click below to get started


Joystick Junkies and Exspect have teamed up to bring a new range of retro-themed gaming accessories to computer game fans in time for Christmas

Taking inspiration from the classic era of 8-bit arcade titles, the pixelatted pick n' mix has something for pretty much every gamer.

First up is a few items for Xbox 360 owners. A play and charge kit plus voice headset can be picked up for £19.99, or just the play and charge battery packs alone for £12.99. Both sets come in either "pixel" or "goblin" styles.

Nintendo DSi owners can pick up Hard Shell cases for £9.99 or a Play Case for £12.99, both in a rnage of colours and styles, with a particularly nifty Space Invaders theme up for grabs.

Notebook gamers can "cherry pick" themselves a messenger bag with the iconic old-school cherry motif on the side for £29.99.

"We had great reception for our Joystick Junkies preview products at E3 earlier this year," said Mike Sanderson General Manager, Exspect. "We've streamlined the range and designs to what our customers said they wanted. Combining great quality, great designs and a great price point, we're confident consumers will love our new Joystick Junkies range."

Check out the gear in the gallery below, and then head over to Play or Amazon to pick up anything that may tickle your fancy.

ThinkGeek

Ever wished you were the next James Bond, with all those incredible gadgets? Well, ThinkGeek has just release of a new interactive t-shirt that even Q would be proud of. The Electronic Spy Camera Shirt, as the name implies has a tiny and stealthy hidden digital camera built directly into the shirt, so you can document your live in complete secrecy. I am sure News of the World will be outfitting all their reporters with these immediately.

Inspired by classic spy films, this t-shirts have a color digital camera will allow spies-in-training to capture 150 photographs at 640 X 480 resolution, which can then be uploaded to a computer via the included USB cable.

You can pick up the shirt now on ThinkGeek.com for $39.99.

1-leedsenginee.jpgLeeds University's School of Civil Engineering has received a £100,000 grant to work on a bullet-proof vest that is made out of cement.

The vest uses ultra-strong cement mixed with recycled carbon fibres and could work out to be up to 90% cheaper to manufacture than the current alumina-based vests.

The British army has been widely criticised for not providing the soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan enough armour and protection.

Dr Philip Purnell, who is leading the research team said: "Cement-based body armour would not only create a whole new market but it would also take some of the pressure off the demand for hi-spec alumina models so that people like soldiers, who really need this kit, can get it."

I'm glad I'm not in the army. I wouldn't fancy lugging a cement vest around in the desert.

(via The Yorkshire Evening Post)

lightsaber-umbrella.jpgThe answer you're looking for is no. No, you can never have enough Star Wars themed merchandise - certainly not in rainy old England where not even a Jedi mind trick can prevent a downpour.

Instead, equip yourself with the £19.99 lightsaber umbrella. It's got three internal LEDs, which light up the shaft when you hit the button, but, sadly, you'll have to make all the sound effects yourself - probably quite fun when you're cutting through all the pedestrain traffic.

Three AAA batteries are not included, which is a shame because that's what it require to work, and the whole thing is 84cm long. Suitable for those 12 and over apparently.

You know, I don't think I can use the word "shaft" with a straight face any more. How did you fair reading it?

IWOOT

Squeeeee! I want these more than life itself. Some enterprising Spanish Lucasarts fan has copied scenes from Monkey Island and Day of the Tentacle onto Converse sneakers.

They're both one-of-a-kind and on sale on eBay for €250. Go get them, get them now. Once they're in your inventory, USE them with FEET and GOTO the post office. Then weep as no-one recognises them. That's okay. We're an exclusive club.

monkey-island-shoes.jpg

(via RPS)

tokyo-flash-watches-eds.jpg

Let's be honest about Tokyo Flash watches. They're a conspiracy by Japanese people to undermine Western culture by making sure that nobody knows what the time is - ever. The Kisai Denshoku, here, and its buddies are designed to look irresistibly appealing but completely useless as chronographs.

tauntaun-sleepingbag-zoom.jpgThe Star Wars fans among you will have gasped with disbelief already just from clicking the link, but the uninitiated will be wondering "wtf?". In The Empire Strikes Back, Luke is lost in the snows of ice planet Hoth, and is bloody cold, so he chops open a big hairy creature - a Tauntaun - and climbs inside to survive the night.

Now your kid can crawl into the guts of a hairy snow-creature too! Though actually, it doesn't seem to be available, which means it was probably an April Fools joke. The response seems to have been so great, though, that ThinkGeek is actually going to try and make the things. Here's what they say:

"Due to an overwhelming tsunami of requests from YOU THE PEOPLE, we have decided to TRY and bring this to life. We have no clue if the suits at Lucasfilms will grant little ThinkGeek a license, nor do we know how much it would ultimately retail for. But if you are interested in ever owning one of these, click the link below and we'll try!"

That link is on the product page, which can be found here. Go give it a click. I demand an adult-size version, too.

Product Page (via @gorocket88)

coat-bag-tent-1.jpgIf you travel a lot, you appreciate convergence gadgets - those ones that combine two or three different gadgets into one. Is this going a bit far, though? It's a coat that also serves as a bag and a tent(!).

The product of designer Justin Gargasz, this is just a concept so you won't be able to buy it, but it's pretty well-constructed. Made of Cordura, the excess material when in jacket form is rolled into the lower back to provide lumbar support. The arms of the jacket act as a handle when you're in bag mode.

The only problem that I can forsee would come if it rained. If you've got a soaking wet tent, are you really going to want to put it on to try and keep you dry the rest of the day? One for dry weekends only, I think.

(via LikeCool)

hyundai-watchphone.jpgOh dear, I hear the rumblings of the forming of a bandwagon. The £1,000 LG G910 wasn't enough for you all? Hyundai doesn't think so, because it's making its own variant - the similarly-named MB-910.

As well as being a watch, it's a tri-band phone, with 3 hours of talk-time battery life, bluetooth (for a headset), SMS, MMS and video playback. No video calling, I'm afraid. Best feature of all? POLYPHONIC RINGTONES! Hurrah - I missed those.

Available within the next few months ("Q2"), Hyundai's watchphone will cost £200. A bit more reasonable than LG's effort, at least.

(via Reg Hardware)

SNES-sprites.jpg
If the release of the mighty Street Fighter IV has taken over your brain then you're probably staring at this SNES sprite image of Ryu and Cammy through watery eyes and slavering chops, and the good news is that you can indeed buy them.

Yes, along with a host of Mario and Zelda characters and pretty much anything you ask for, Alborada's shop on Etsy will provide for the very reasonable price of 35 Yanky Dollar at the very most. They can stick them on fridge magnets, clothing or you can use them as bedroom door guardians. I guarantee no one will enter.

Etsy (via @jamesvdb)

lg-watch-venn-diagram.jpgGosh, that's rather a lot. Mobile Today reckons that the LG watch phone that we covered here will be exclusive to Orange and cost a massive £1,000. Wow. You could get 112 retro casio watches for that price.

The mere thought inspired Nate Lanxon from CNET to create the wonderous venn diagram over the the right there.

The G910 watch-phone was announced at MWC last week, and LG showed it off at CES too. Considering its appalling specs, requirement that you constantly wear a headset, and - now - massive price tag, it's clear that Orange see this as a novelty for rich people, not a real device.

(via Mobile Today and CNET)

lg-touch-watch.jpgWow, things move fast from prototype to production these days. The LG GD-910 that we saw at CES is now the LG G910 Watch Phone, and due for release later this year.

It's got a 1.4" touchscreen face, HSDPA, and video calling capabilities. There's also a text-to-speech engine for reading out texts to a bluetooth headset, and voice recognition stuff too. For maximum geekiness, precede every voice command with "Computer:".

As well as the Touch Watch, there's also the Arena, previously written about here. We were promised specs and a release date, and by jove, we've got them. Or most of them, anyway.

There's a 3" touchscreen, running at WVGA resolution. It supposrts DivX and Xvid codecs. It can record DVD-resolution video, and video at up to 120fps for super-slo-mo playback. There's 8GB of internal memory, and that can be expanded by another 32GB of MicroSD action.

Thumbnail image for lg-arena-km900x.jpgThere's an immensely joyful 3.5mm headphone socket, and the aforementioned HSDPA, GPS and Wi-Fi. There's a 5-megapixel camera, too, and geotagging for photos. There's a tonne of inbuilt Google apps, too. All this is packed into a 105.9 x 55.3 x 11.95mm shell.

What's missing? Well, I'd like a flip-out QWERTY keyboard, and maybe an upgrade on that camera, but beyond that, I can't think of too much. The Arena seems like a very capable handset. I hope that it delivers on its promise, but I don't think it's topping the N97 in my "can't wait for" phone list. How about you?

twitter-tshirt.jpgMy Twitter followers are important to me. No, really, you all are. But I'm not convinced that they're important enough for me to want to wear them on my chest all day. Still, you might be closer to them than I am, so for £20 you can stick them on on T-Shirt and look down every ten minutes at your lovely disciples.

Also available are mugs (for £11), bags (currently out of stock) and business cards (£5.50). Just think to yourself before you make your purchase - will you genuinely still be wearing that thing in six months' time?

Twitter Mosaic (via TechCrunch)

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