24 Hour Fitness Launches bodybugg Upgrade, Now Mac Compatible

Posted by Patrick Phelps Categories: Accessories, Clothing, Corporate News, Misc. Tech, PC / Laptop

If you’re a fan of the hit NBC reality series, “The Biggest Loser,” you’ve no doubt noticed that contestants wear a device called a bodybugg on the back of their right arm. The bodybugg is a biometric calorie management system available through 24 Hour Fitness, which uses four sensors to convert measurements of galvanic skin response, physical activity, and body temperature into a real-time measurement of calories burned throughout the day. Users wear the compact armband, which easily fits under clothing, over the triceps on their upper left arm - allowing you to take it everywhere you go.

According to the release, “No matter what activity a user is doing – washing dishes, playing with the kids or working out – the bodybugg calculates the amount of energy expended in each motion. Users then download their captured bodybugg data to a Web interface that tracks caloric measurements and helps them monitor their food intake and activity levels as they seek to achieve their fitness goals. The Web interface includes customized menus and a database of thousands of common foods to make calorie-tracking simple.”

Upgraded features of the new bodybugg system include:

• New sleek, contemporary look and 50% smaller size
• USB cable to upload data and charge the device
• Now both PC and Mac compatible
• A free six-month (previously only three-month) online subscription to the www.bodybugg.com Web interface for tracking progress and success.

The basic principle behind weight loss is simple: you just need to burn more calories than you take in; combining the bodybugg with it’s online services and adjusting your own personal choices based on its recommendations, weight loss may just become a little easier. Watch for a review in the near-future.

Read More | MarketWatch

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iTunes 8 now available, HD TV shows, NBC is back, Genius recommendations

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Movies, Music, PC / Laptop, Software

iTunes 8 was announced this morning as part of the whole Let’s Rock Apple announcement festivities, and there were a few nice pieces of news. First, NBC is back on iTunes with shows like The Office, 30 Rock, and Ballestar Galactics. What’s more, though, is that iTunes will now be selling TV shows in high definition. Aside from the feeling that I know my wallet is about to be drained, this is a very welcome addition. My only hope is that they allow those of us who have purchased shows in SD to “upgrade” to the HD versions at a discount. It’s only fair, right?

In other news, Apple has added “Genius” to iTunes - that being a recommendation engine that looks at the track you are listening to, and recommends other tracks in the iTunes store that it believes you would like. In addition, Genius can also create truly customized playlists on the fly, again, just by sampling what you are listening to. It will pull other songs from your iTunes library that it believes would complement your selection, without any work to be done on your part. We must admit, it looks slick. Speaking of which, they’ve also included a new visualizer, which is just off the hook. You’ve gotta see it to believe it.

iTunes 8 is available now.

Read More | iTunes

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NBC and Yahoo Sports Vie for Top Online Viewers

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Corporate News, Editorial, Home Entertainment, Internet

It would seem that even though NBC shelled out over $1 billion in rights and production costs, their online website has had some problems, including the video player not usable for those with firewalls and some clips without commentary. Still, they say that they have received 830.1 million page views, 56.1 million video streams, and 38.9 million users.

On the other hand, Yahoo Sport brags that it has 8 million users, about 1.3 million more than NBC, according to comScore Media Mix. The network’s TAMI (Total Audience Measurement Index) says that they have never gotten more than 8% total Internet viewing on a single day. Although the messages seemed mixed, Zap2it reports upwards of 30 million viewing on TV each day, leading us to believe that this is certainly becoming an Internet watching world when it comes to up-to-the-minute gratification.

Read More | Wired

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YouTube to Stream Olympics

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Google, Home Entertainment, Internet

In an agreement with the International Olympic Committee, YouTube will be streaming 3 hours of recorded Olympic coverage per day. Countries like the U.S. and UK will be blocked since they will be receiving it on BBC and NBC. About 77 territories will have access to highlight reels and wrap-ups, but they will not be showing live events. Director of television and marketing for the IOC Timo Lumme claims that “for the first time in Olympic history we will have complete global online coverage.”

Read More | The Inquirer

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NBC to Stream Olympics

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Corporate News, Home Entertainment, Internet

Have you ever watched the Olympics only to find that they didn’t televise the event you wanted to see? No need to leave your computer this summer as NBC has made plans to stream the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games when they begin August 8. They estimate 4,000 hours of events which adds up to 200 hours per day. NBC’s SVP of Digital Digital Media Perkins Miller says that viewers can isolate events by sport or individual and can rewatch those that they want to see again. Over 17 different technology partners will be involved worldwide.

Read More | CNN

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Quarterlife Makes The Big Time on Network TV

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Corporate News, Home Entertainment, Internet

If you are a fan of “quarterlife,” you will be happy to know that the series, which is up to episode 24, has been picked up to run on network teevy, namely NBC. The series about neurotic twentysomethings was created by “thirtysomething’s” Marshall Herskovitz and Ed Zwick and will premiere February 26. While we don’t see the show as exactly earthshaking, we recognize and note that other series (such as Lil’ Bush and TMZ) began on the Net and now have found a comfortable albeit moderately successful run on legitimate TV. Those that can, apparently do and literally get to capitalize their title.

Read More | NBC

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NBC Direct Allows Free Downloading

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Corporate News, Home Entertainment

NBC has announced that their new service, NBC Direct, allows users to download many primetime and late-night shows up to one week after airing. Beta testing will begin in October and includes shows such as “Heroes,” “The Office,” “Life,” “Bionic Woman,” and “Late Night with Conan O’Brien.” In the future, the company will be offering a free subscription option for pre-selection of specific programs. The DRM downloads will work on PCs, Macs, as well as other handhelds. This is good news to those of us who still watch analog TV, but not so good for those with outdated computers who may not be able to handle the overload.

Read More | NBC

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No More NBC at iTunes Store

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Apple, Editorial, Home Entertainment, Portable Audio / Video

Apple has announced that it will no longer be offering NBC programs through its iTunes Store. The network broke relations with Apple after they refused to pay more than double the wholesale price for each show. This would have forced the price up to $4.99 per episode rather than the $1.99, which fellow studios ABC, CBS, FOX, The CW, and 50 cable networks now share. Because their contract doesn’t expire until December, Apple decided not to air any of their shows until then so as not to interrupt a series in mid-season. We know a better way to catch them which will not cost us a cent. We believe it is referred to as television watching.

Read More | PR Newswire

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SNL: Complete First Season Available in iTunes

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Apple, Corporate News, Home Entertainment, Internet

If you are a fan of Chevy Chase’s Land Shark, Gilda Radner’s Rosanne Rosanna-Dana, or want to relive the joys of owning a Bassomatic, then you will be pleased to know that “SNL: The Complete First Season” is now available at the iStore. All 24 episodes from 1975 have been included in their original 90 minute format. There is also access to monologues, musical performances and comedy bits out of sequence. The eight-DVD boxed set came out in December and is priced at $49.99 to $69.99, depending on where you shop. The download will set you back $44.99. It’s always something, my little Rosanne Rosanna-Dana.

Read More | Apple

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