GeekSugar

Geek Tip: Fight Hand Cramps, Carpal Tunnel With These Exercises!

GeekSugar — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 13:00:07 -0700

Although doctors say that mouse and computer use is not a severe occupational hazard for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, my hand cramps up somethin' fierce after working all day. To fight those cramps, discomfort, and hand boredom in general, do these quick hand exercises from eHand for mousing relief!

Sit or stand while doing the following exercises, and hold all stretches for a count of five!

Extend your hands.
Stretch both your wrists and fingers like you're doing a handstand.
Then, straighten your wrists and relax your fingers.
Make tight fists with both hands and bend them downward.
Straighten both your wrists and relax your fingers.
If you can stand up, shake out your arms and hands.
Remouse!

Source

Virgin Atlantic Eases Flying Fears With a New App

GeekSugar — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 07:33:59 -0800

I wouldn't go as far to say that I'm one of those people with a fear of flying, but when I hear a weird sound under the wing, or there's a loud clunking noise right before take off, I can't say I easily shake it off.

During a family trip once, my dad ended up sitting beside a woman who was beyond terrified to fly. She was not only crying uncontrollably, but she also clenched both of my dad's hands during takeoff. . .a relaxing way to start the trip for him! Well Virgin's Richard Branson has decided it's high time (ha ha, get it?!) that he fixes this anxiety to fly problem and in doing so, Virgin has just launched a new Flying Without Fear app. The app costs $5, but it's said to include relaxation exercises and fear therapy, and a customized program to prepare you for future flights. It also comes with a fear attack button for emergencies and you get 2,000 bonus Virgin points, just for signing-up!

I'm a bit of a skeptic, but for $5 it's worth taking for a test flight. I can just see it now - everyone being calm and collected until the flight attendant says, "You must now turn off all wireless devices, including iPod Touches and iPhones." Yikes!

First Look at the Wii Fit and Rules for the Fitness Test

GeekSugar — Fri, 16 May 2008 08:02:50 -0700

Yesterday, I hit the gym. . .I mean, the Wii Fit for a taste of what's to come in my 30 day Wii Fit Fitness Test. Although I wasn't expecting to break a sweat, I did have a nice dewy glow after trying out a few of the Wii Fit's features. My fave so far? Hula Hooping!

You may be wondering what rules I'll be setting for myself this month as I begin the 30 day Wii Fit Fitness Test. They are simple, but I can promise that I'll stick to them to give you the most accurate results possible. I'll even stop hitting the gym and make Wii Fit my only source of exercise for a full month! Am I scared? No. Cause even if I don't lose a pound, I'm sure I'll have a blast anyway.

To check out the rules and some of our initial reactions to a few of the games, just read more.

So here are the rules: I'll be Wii Fit-ting for 30 minutes each day, maintaining a Fit Approved healthy diet (no extremes here!), as well as maintaining all other normal daily activities that I engage in now (walking to the bus, walking to the store, etc.). Plus, I'll include a weekly run down of my planned activities so if you get your own Wii Fit, you can join in! This should be a true test to whether or not this baby packs a weight loss punch!

To kick off the festivities, a few of us gathered around the flat screen and tried out the Wii Fit for the first time. After registering my height and birthday, WF weighed me in and gave me my BMI (body mass index) and goals to work towards. I have to admit that exercising with the Wii is way more fun than I anticipated, leaving me excited to hit the balance board again tomorrow!

Running
Running with the Wii Fit has you holding the Wiimote in your pocket (or even your hand) while you run in place at different speeds with your guide as you jog through a scenic park. And once our tester was finished, he openly admitted that it was harder than expected.

Hula Hoop
I used to love my hula hoop when I was a kid, so this was totally fun for me! Just by rotating your hips, the Balance Board can sense your motions and has you twisting to catch more hula hoops to up your score. I was breathing harder at the end, so I can imagine that if you really put 100 percent into this exercise that you could get a pretty good ab and hip workout!

Tightrope Walking
Walking across a tightrope high above the ground isn't really anyone's idea of fun, unless it's on the Wii of course! Balance is the name of the game as you walk from one building to another dodging dangerous obstacles by jumping in the air and landing on the rope. . . without falling!

Skiing
Skiing down hill was much much harder than I thought it would be. But truth be told, I'm not much of a skier in the first place! You must slalom through the gates at a good pace to get a great score. I definitely need to practice more of this in my 30 days!

Tune in next week for my first official diary entry as I take on the Wii Fit for a 30 day fitness test!

Wii Fit Fitness Journal: Week Three

GeekSugar — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 10:03:23 -0700

My 30 day Wi Fit Fitness Challenge is fast approaching the home stretch, and I couldn't be happier with the results! In just three weeks, I'm down four pounds, which may not seem like a lot, but it's pretty awesome considering I stopped my usual routine of going to the gym and didn't change my eating habits. Although I might miss my goal of losing eight pounds, I think losing any inches (and getting closer to a healthier BMI) is a pretty good testament that the Wii Fit really does work.

I spent a ton of time getting down with Rhythm Boxing, and increased my aerobic fitness (surely at the dismay of my downstairs neighbors) with the Free Run this week. I'm not so enthused about jogging in the real world, but when it comes to running with Wii Fit, I'm a calorie burner! Who knew!? To hear more about why I'm so into the Free Runs, and get a few more tips on how to fire up your Wii Fit workouts, just read more.

The best part about the "Free Run" is that you can change the channel, watch a movie, or catch up on episodes of The Hills, while jogging along. Your trainer will update you through the Wiimote and tell you if you are keeping a good pace and how much longer you have to go until your goal time. My only complaint? I wish you could increase your free run time in smaller increments - jumping from a 10 minute run to a 20 minute run might be a bit much for a novice runner to handle!

But to get a really awesome, sweat-inducing workout while running, try lifting your knees up high or taking a wider stance to work all the muscles in your legs. And I can't stress enough about how holding small weights in your hands while you're running (and really swinging those arms) will get your blood pumping - and tone your shoulders to boot!

Oh, and that Jackknife Trainer Challenge? My abs are burning just thinking about it! Have you been loving your Wii Fit this week? Tell us about your favorite exercises, and share your progress in the comments below!

Wii Stripper Pole Game: Fun or Sexist?

GeekSugar — Thu, 08 May 2008 06:30:47 -0700

I've been a little bit hesitant to write about the Wii Fit Stripper Pole game because I'm a little conflicted. But since it appears that it's going to happen, here we go! A Stripper Pole game disturbs me a little, but since it's part of Wii Fit, I think of it as the same level as those stripping exercise classes that popped up a few years ago and seemed cheeky and fun. It's also a fun, hopefully private (close those shades) way to work out and explore a fantasy, so what's the harm, right?

On the other hand, with the release of GTA IV and its supply of hookers once again, I'm leery of the intent here and I can get in that place of worrying about where the video game industry is placing their female fans. How do you feel about a stripper pole game?

Gizzy the Data Worm: Totally Geeky or Geek Chic?

GeekSugar — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 13:30:01 -0700

I thought I had my geeky USB fix when I discovered the USB Exercising Dog last week, but guess again folks, I don't think anything can top Gizzy the data worm. Yes, beneath all that hand-made designer fuzzy goodness lies a 4GB flash drive awaiting all your juicy files. When I first spotted this interesting USB drive on technabob, I had a hard time believing it was worth the $68 it costs. But then when I read his little bio on NifNaks, I couldn't help but find him somewhat irresistible. "He loves super-tart gumballs, and won’t eat anything orange. He enjoys bungee jumping, but most days he’s content just to sit around and read a book. Gizzy is of course an amazing speller and will knock your socks of in Scrabble." On that note, what do you think? Too geeky?

Airlines Passes Out DS Lites Instead of Peanuts - Kinda

GeekSugar — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 09:06:06 -0800

At the risk of sounding like an exaggerator, I would like to announce the best airline news ever. Nintendo and Southwest Airlines have teamed up to give some of the airline's most-traveled flyers a surprise gift, and it's not peanuts, stale cookies or free booze. Fifty of Southwest's Rapid Rewards Members have been mailed a Nintendo DS(TM) Lite and a copy of Brain Age(TM): Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day. The gifts are being offered both as a thank you and to help these travelers pass the time during their next trip.

The Nintendo DS Lite is a portable video game player much like the Moto, which one of our favorite celebrity geeks Kristin Bell was recently spotted playing. Why did Southwest dish them out to their frequent fliers? read more

"We are helping our Members welcome the New Year with low fares, frequent flights and, of course, exercise ... exercise for their mind while they travel," said Blair McGrain, Director of Marketing Planning and Customer Loyalty. "We are thrilled to partner with Nintendo to give our Members some FUN in the New Year."

How did they do it? Members were selected by Southwest Airlines for their longtime loyalty and accumulated miles, the Rapid Rewards Members who received the Nintendo DS and copy of Brain Age have collectively flown more than 79.2 million miles, spent more than 132,854 hours in the air and represent more than 600 years of membership. Nintendo DS is the world's best-selling hand-held video game system, and has sold nearly 7 million in the United States alone.

Geek Out Roundup: Your First Cell Phone!

GeekSugar — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 11:00:04 -0700

Last week I asked all of you to geek out and share your very first cell phone as a way to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the mobile phone. It was actually glam sugar's idea, so I have to give her a little shout out for initiating the idea, which ended up being a real exercise in jumbo gadgetry.

I have to make a special note of verily's Motorola MicroTAC, which has all the best "first cell phone qualities." Yes, it was a flip phone, but it was also large and in charge.

"My first phone was a hand-me-down from my dad, who needed a cell phone for his job," says verily. "This was considered a revolutionary phone because it was a "small" flip phone instead of the giant bricks that preceded it. I have an iPhone now, so I've definitely come a long way!" Oh yes my fellow iPhoner, you sure have!

To check out other people's first cell phones, scroll through the widget below.

USB Finger Dance Mat - DDR For Your Hands

GeekSugar — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 15:04:39 -0700

Why should your feet get to have all the fun when it comes to dancing? USB Finger Dance mat offers all the DDR fun for your hands, and for an extra geeky flair, it can be plugged in to a USB port at your computer.

I happen to be the woman that's been beaten by a 9-year old at the regular DDR game so I think exercising my other digits might be a constructive way for me to start my training. The gadget sells for UK£ 9.99 (about $20 USD), but is currently sold out. I'll keep you posted, because this one is in the running to make my Top 10 USB devices list.

Do you know of a wacky USB gadget you think geeksugar readers will like? To learn how to post photos of your favorite gadgets in the group, read more

I know that this long list looks scary, but trust me, once you get the hang of it, it'll be a snap the second time around.

First of all, join the My Favorite Gadgets group
Click "Create and Share!" on the left hand side
Choose "Blog"
Give your photo a Title
Leave the category as "general"
Change the channel to "technology and gadgets"
Add keyword(s) (for example mine for this photo was "My Favorite Gadgets")
Click on the "Add Image" link below the "body" box
A popup window will happen - click on "Browse" to find your image on your computer
Once you have the image chosen, click "Submit"
The popup will show you your image, choose size: "normal" - if you want, you can give it a title (which will show up as a caption)
Click "Insert" and the popup will go away
Your "body" box will now have some text in it. Leave it as is. If you want to add some text before the picture, do it before the code that has appeared.
Click Submit

So join the My Favorite Gadgets group and start posting your great photos! Yours just might end up on the geeksugar homepage!