GeekSugar

Which Is Your Favorite New Video Game of 2009?

GeekSugar — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:45:32 PST

Now that you've cast your vote in some of my other Best of 2009 polls, we can focus on the games we played this year. There were a ton of shooters and multiplayer titles that hit the shelves in 2009, but that doesn't mean there was a shortage of brain busters and fun musical games for you to rock out with. It was a tough job to narrow down the field down to 10, so check them out and tell me - which is your favorite new video game of 2009?

And don't stop voting there - check the rest of my Best of 2009 polls, too!

Assassins Creed 2

7%(20)

DJ Hero

4%(13)

Resident Evil 5

4%(12)

Super Mario Bros. Wii

26%(76)

Uncharted 2

4%(13)

The Beatles: Rock Band

11%(31)

Batman: Arkham Asylum

9%(26)

The Sims 3

27%(78)

Scribblenauts

6%(18)

EA Sports Active

2%(5)

Total votes: 292

Daily Tech: EA Sports Active Opens Two Temporary Stores

GeekSugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:21:22 PST

Right up until Christmas, you can test out EA Sports Active in stores in San Francisco and Boston - EA Sports Active
Walmart's Black Friday ad has surfaced - CrunchGear
Firefox 3.6 Beta3 for Windows, Mac, and Linux users is now available to download - Lifehacker
Hulu has just teamed up with EMI to offer music videos on its free video streaming site - The New York Times
The Nokia N900 is now on sale in the US - CNET
Find out how you can download videos to your iPhone - Switched

GeekSugar's Gift Guide For Moms

GeekSugar — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 03:50:16 PST

Whether we like it or not, the holidays are quickly approaching - which means it's time to get our gadget gift guides in gear! My Must Haves list for November certainly got the ball rolling, but you're probably wondering where to start when it comes to shopping for those "hard to buy for" people on your list? Well look no further, because starting today until Christmas, you'll find helpful gift guides on GeekSugar for everyone on your list. And who better to kick things off then the most important woman in our lives - our mothers!

Lacquer Docking Station ($39)	Coby Digital Photo Frame ($40)
EA Sports Active ($53)	The Nook eBook Reader ($259)	Zeo Personal Sleep Coach ($349)

EA Sports Active Announces New Game With More Exercises

GeekSugar — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 01:43:19 PDT

With the success of EA Sports Active - the game I used for my 30 Day fitness challenge - EA is announcing a new EA Sports Active game called Sports Active More Workouts.

Coming November 17, the new game will feature 35 new exercises like water skiing and paddle surfing. It will also emphasize abdominal exercises including curl ups, crunches and punches.

I think the addition of more exercises is good, but I wish you could just download them rather than have to go out and buy the game separately.

5 Games That Work Your Bod For Fall

GeekSugar — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 03:45:08 PDT

If you've slacked off on getting fit this Summer, there's still time to whip your bod into shape before Fall. You don't want to miss showing off those shapely legs in the season's hottest knee-high boots, do you? I didn't think so. Check out five games that can get your heart pumping, muscles working, and will help you get your diet under control so you're not only healthy, but happy for the upcoming season.

EA Sports Active 30 Day Challenge: Final Thoughts

GeekSugar — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:00:37 PDT

I can hardly believe that it has already been an entire month since I started the 30 Day EA Sports Active Challenge. I'm sure for those of you who participated in the challenge, you can also vouch that the 30 days goes by fairly quickly. And because the game gives you two to three rest days a week, it's easy to add the workouts into your daily routine.

In terms of my overall results, I only lost about four pounds, but where I do see the results is in my muscles, which are a bit more toned and can actually handle some weight! Although Sports Active offers a nice cross-training program, if you're really trying to shed the pounds, I suggest pairing this game with another exercise program (say regular exercise classes, or cardio at the gym).

To find out what my pros and cons are about the game, just

read more. What I loved about EA Sports Active is the fact that you can do it at home (major plus), you decide the pace, it feels interactive since your movements are showing on the screen, and it tracked my progress daily and overall. Of all the workout programs I've done at home (including Wii Fit), this one is definitely at the top of the list. What I didn't like about it was the slow pace between workouts, how the calorie counter increased with time rather than your actual workouts, the fact that I had to go out and buy a stronger resistant band, and the Wiimote sensor inaccuracy with exercises like the bicep curls. Thankfully, Sports Active has created a forum on its website where users can ask questions, and other users can answer them. Will I continue to use the game? Definitely. Most likely three times a week in combination with my other workouts. Because it's so convenient and actually gets me sweating - how can I say no?! The Green Pixels group has also finished their challenge. Be sure to check out their overall thoughts on the experience!

EA Sports Active 30 Day Challenge: Week Four

GeekSugar — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:00:12 PDT

As I near the homestretch of my EA Sports Active 30 Day Challenge, I am thoroughly impressed with how much muscle strength I've gained and how I feel generally healthier. After my issues with the Wii sensor and resistance bands last week, I decided to skip the bicep curls and upright rows since I couldn't seem to get my new resistance band to work with them (yes - even when I was going reallly slow and following the instructor!). Thankfully the game still gives me lots of upper-body workouts so I don't really notice that the other workouts are gone. I think I've lost around four pounds so far, but I'm not so concerned about the weight loss as I am about turning fat into muscle.

To find out what else happened during the challenge this week, just

read more. Although this game provides you with two or three rest days during your weekly workouts (when I started, I seriously thought 30 days meant you work out for 30 days!), there have still been days I've had to miss. What I love is the fact that the game picks right up where you left off, shows you your progress, and doesn't get mad at you (like a personal trainer) when you skip a day. But what sucks about a video game is you can't say, "Hey, I actually went to the gym on the weekend, can you factor that into my progress?!" I was chatting with my sister on the phone last night and because she just had a baby, she's trying to figure out ways to work out that don't consume a ton of her time . . . and ones that she can do at home to stay close to her little one. She was thinking about buying Wii Fit, but I think she'll really love this game with the cardio and variety of workouts. I'm going to take it with me during a visit next week, so we shall see! Now let's see how the Green Pixels crew are doing during their fourth week of the challenge!

Must Haves For July

GeekSugar — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 01:45:56 PDT

June was a big month for new gadgets and tech toys, but don't fret, there's plenty of drool-worthy items to go around. My top picks for this month can either be given as gifts, be added to early Christmas wishlists, or make the perfect splurge purchase! And did I mention that they are all fresh for Summer? So what are you waiting for? Time to assess the gadget goods!

EA Sports Active 30 Day Challenge: Week Three

GeekSugar — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:00:26 PDT

It's hard to believe I'm already in the throws of week three of the EA Sports Active challenge. I learned a lot after last week's trials and tribulations, so I decided to step it up a bit this week.

I took to Target and purchased a fancy resistance band that included handles and all, and as backup, I also got a box of three bands offering different resistances. I got all excited to take my upper body exercises to the next level, but as soon as it got to bicep curls with upright rows, there was zero communication between the Wii and my movements. What had I done? I was still holding the Wiimote and nunchuck in the same position.

After many attempts and putting new batteries in the Wiimote (by this time I was halfway through my workout and was getting really frustrated), I decided to take the basic band I purchased and put it on the black handles which were included in the workout - so it looked exactly like the red one except with a stronger resistance band. Bingo, that seemed to work just fine. But now that I'm catching on to the exercises fairly quickly, I am easily irritated when the game tells me I'm moving too fast and it won't pick up a signal with my Wiimote. Has anyone else had this happen? The Wii sensor was on the top of my TV, so I even tried moving it down to see if that would help.

To keep reading about my experience with the Challenge this past week, just

read more. I can't say I feel like the pounds are shedding off, but I do feel stronger and my muscles feel tighter. Since there's a bit of a delay between each exercise, I try to use that opportunity to run longer, or do more reps of each exercise. I've started ignoring the calorie counter since it still goes up when I'm not doing anything (like having Wii sensor issues). I can say, it's one of the few at-home fitness regimens I don't dread doing. Wondering how the Green Pixels group is doing this week? Check out their progress!

EA Sports Active 30 Day Challenge Update

GeekSugar — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 14:00:13 PDT

My 30 Day EA Sports Active challenge continues, and for those of you who left comments and feedback about your own experience with the challenge, I must say, I am already feeling many of the same things!

In the beginning, I was really skeptical that this game could actually get me sweating and burn calories, but as each workout ups the calorie-burning level, you are guaranteed to be sweating within the first 10 minutes. And although this game isn't full of a ton of cardio (there are some running exercises which incorporate knee-ups and kick-ups), you'd be surprised how many calories you burn while working your muscle groups (those jumps in the inline skating exercise kill!). EA Sports Active really increases your strength and helps you build muscle - something I failed to include in my previous trips to the gym.

To keep reading about my experience this past week, just

read more. This week was all about learning. Learning that I need to invest in a different resistance band for the exercises (the one provided is too weak for me so I don't get much resistance); learning to go with the pace of the instructor or else the Wiimote becomes unresponsive; and learning to breeze through instructional videos to shorten workout times. Have you learned any other tips or tricks? Be sure to see how the Green Pixels crew are doing in the challenge as well!