GeekSugar

Top Spin 3 Makes Its Worldwide Launch Today

GeekSugar — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 04:45:26 PDT

I swear, when it comes to gaming, anything related to sports is always an instant hit - well, that and anything with the word Mario in its title, naturally. Last week we met up with Anthony DeLuca of 2K sports, and a producer of the new tennis game Top Spin 3, which goes on sale today. If you've ever played Wii Tennis, Top Spin 3 is comparable, yet it's much more of a visual and realistic gaming experience. Created for the Wii ($50), Xbox 360 ($60), PlayStation 3 ($60) and Nintendo DS ($30), Top Spin 3 features stunning graphics, improved audio, and a selection of top ranked tennis pro players like Andy Roddick, Maria Sharapova, Roger Federer and Monica Seles, so you can really get your game on!

Top Spin 3 For the Wii: With the Wii version of Top Spin 3 you can choose from 16 licensed players on 10 real-world venues to play from and during game play, you hold the wiimote exactly as you would a tennis racket. It also comes with some fun party games. The not-so-hot? To continue reading my review, just

With Top Spin 3 for the Wii, you have to control each player's court movements with the joystick. I wish the game incorporated something similar to the Wii Fit's running, where your movements were more accurately portrayed in the game (i.e., running back and forth on the court). Something else that caught my attention was its lack of sensitivity. I found myself swinging my racket before the ball even passed over the net and it still managed to hit the ball. Overall a fun game, but I wouldn't recommend it for hardcore tennis players or avid gamers.

Top Spin 3 For the Xbox 360: For those of you who want a game that's fully customizable through and through with stellar graphics, this version of Top Spin 3 is for you. Once you select a player you can give them hairstyles, tattoos, change their outfits and completely re-construct their face to your liking - trust me, it's totally addictive! You can even give them animated movements and hilarious expressions. The game displays dynamic weather changes over the course of the game, and you'll even notice players accumulating stains, producing sweat and showing fatigue. Play against people from all over the world to test your skills.

Top Spin 3 For Nintendo DS: The Nintendo DS version gives you the freedom to play against friends with its wireless communications. It also comes with fun mini-games to help you better your game and offers a choice of 16 different licensed players to choose from.

Games can be purchased online here.

Top 10 Mistakes You Make on the Elliptical Trainer

Prevention — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 04:08:59 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar!

By Lisa Hoehn, Prevention

As the weather drops, more and more people head straight to one machine in their gym - the elliptical trainer. According to a 2008 report from the International Health, Racquet, and Sportsclub Association, the number of users of elliptical trainers in health clubs grew sevenfold from 1997 to 2007. And while you may be proud of yourself for making it to the gym and squeezing in some cardio, taking a lackadaisical approach to your elliptical workout and casually spinning your legs while reading a magazine or watching TV isn't going to blast away those holiday cookies. Here, 10 mistakes you frequently make on the elliptical and how to fix them so you maximize calorie burn while adding fun to your ho-hum routine.

Top Workout Ideas For When the Gym Is Too Crowded

1. You’re too lazy to enter your information.
Most machines are calibrated for a 150-pound person - but personalizing your stats will help you get a more accurate calorie read. Aim to burn around 100 calories per 10 minutes, says Jennifer Cassetty, an exercise physiologist.

2. Your resistance is zero.
You might feel like a million bucks spinning at a mile a minute, but without resistance, you’re not going to see results, says Röbynn Europe, a personal trainer at Chelsea Piers in New York City. Make sure that you’re using enough resistance to push and pull through the stride. Then continue at a moderate pace until you feel like you’ve done all you can do. "You shouldn’t feel like you have even five minutes left in you when you step off," she says.

3. You're a sloucher.
Standing up straight helps to lengthen your abs, giving you a chance to engage your core and even work your upper body muscles, Cassetty says. Certified personal trainer Neal I. Pire, MA, CSCS, president of Inspire Training Systems in New Jersey, recommends hopping on a machine with an upper body component so you can engage even more muscles - and blast more fat. Can't find a machine that lets you pump your arms? Let go: some research suggests that leaning on machine armrests during exercise reduces calorie burning.

How to Buy a Cardio Machine

4. Your machine sounds like it’s going to take off.
If you can hear the purr of the machine while you’re exercising, it means that you’re going too fast without enough resistance - which means you're not getting the most calorie burn out of your time, Cassetty says. Keeping a steady, moderate pace at a resistance that forces you to use your muscles will get, and keep, your heart rate up.

Learn four more fitness mistakes after the break.

25 Things to Do With Old Jeans

Wise Bread — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 16:00:46 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart Wise Bread story here on Savvy!

Recycling fabric is a powerful green living and cost saving strategy. Denim is one of the coolest fabrics to do it with. It's sturdy, gains character with age and can be acquired very inexpensively at yard sales or in your own "old clothes" closet. Some of the coolest ideas I've found?

Pot holders. In my opinion, these look far better out of used denim than the new stuff. And you can incorporate your own style via choice of trim or a patch stitched to the outside. Here's a link to some tips for making your own.
Cool quilts. You can do this in many forms. Different shades of denim patchwork options abound and are certainly sturdy and fun. Unfortunately, one of the coolest ideas I've ever seen I've been unable to find pictures of. It was done with pieced denim, but they had left on all the details like pockets, buttons, belt loops, etc. It made for a really fabulous unique quilt with a lot of attitude. If anyone has a link to a picture of one of these, please post below in the comments section.

For more ideas, read on.

Box Office: Puss in Boots Claws Its Way to the Top

BuzzSugar — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 03:05:00 PDT

Animated cats earned box office glory this weekend, as the Shrek spin-off Puss in Boots came in first with a $34 million haul in its first week of release for the biggest Halloween weekend opening ever. It beat last weekend's box office winner, Paranormal Activity 3, which came in second with $18.5 million. Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried's futuristic thriller In Time, which was also new this weekend, came in third with $12 million. Footloose hung on to its fourth place spot with 5.4 million. Finally, new release The Rum Diary, starring Johnny Depp, just barely squeaked into the top five with a disappointing total of $5 million.

Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures

From the Fit Community: Baked Whole Grain Eggplant Parmesan

Fit Community — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 11:48:45 PDT

FitSugar reader For the Love of Fiber slashes the calories in an Italian standby, eggplant parmesan, and shares the recipe in our Healthy Recipe group.

This is a modern and fiber-loving spin on an old Italian favorite, best reserved for a relaxing Sunday dinner, when you have some time to dedicate to the prep of this amazing dish. Using whole grains to bread the eggplant and baking instead of frying makes all the difference. If you're feeling really authentic, you can make an easy sauce (or should I say "gravy" for all you Italians out there) from scratch, but a good quality store bought sauce will do just fine.

Stretch your dollar and add even more fiber to the mix by serving over a small bed of whole wheat angel hair or spaghetti, such as Mara's Pasta and you'll have more than enough leftovers for tomorrow's lunch and/or dinner. Perhaps an eggplant parm sub (whole grain roll, of course!)? Just reheat in the oven, toast the roll, toss together a nice salad of mixed greens, and you've got another hearty meal. Use organic ingredients when possible.

Read on for the recipe.

Download of the Day: Spin Play For iPad

Kristen Hawley — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 04:23:18 PDT

Thing that is awesome: discovering new music. Thing that is more awesome: discovering new music curated by a top music magazine on your iPad. Spin magazine has just announced its new iPad app, Spin Play, the basic version of which is free. It includes a stream of constantly updated news and reviews. For $2 per month or $8 for the year, users receive over 60 streaming songs and over 30 exclusive performance videos curated by Spin editors.

Annual subscribers receive notifications when new issues are available to download through Apple's recently-introduced subscription model. A user's subscription will continue to automatically renew each year at the same price until canceled by the user. And, as the just-released iOS 4.3 for iPad includes AirPlay, app users can take advantage of wireless music streaming, too.

Download Spin Play for free from the App Store.

Prom: Harmless Fun

Shannon Vestal — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 15:30:05 PDT

The Disney film Prom is exactly what you would expect from the studio known for its parade of princesses: sweet, candy-colored, and completely wholesome. Aimee Teegarden stars as Nova, the typical overachieving student who is at the top of her senior class and heading up the prom committee. She has tasked herself with ensuring that the prom is a perfect night for everyone, believing that it can somehow right all the wrongs for any student who's had a less-than-ideal high school experience. When an accident destroys the prom decor she has worked so hard on, the principal assigns the school's resident slacker, Jesse (Thomas McDonell), to help her, much to Nova's chagrin.

The prom is the linchpin for several other student storylines as well: one long-term couple breaks up just before the big night, one girl dreads the event because she's worried about telling her boyfriend that she won't be going to the same college as him after graduation, a younger couple is brought together, and one hapless character can't find a date to save his life. All of these stories make Prom at once feel like you never really get to know anyone (or care), but it also makes the film easily digestible. To find out what I liked about Prom, just

The one storyline you can get invested in is the opposites-attract relationship of Jesse and Nova. Though Jesse is the archetypal bad boy, you know that it's only a matter of time before those after-school decoration meetings lead to something more. It's a romantic formula we've seen time and again, yet the charm of Teegarden and McDonell makes it delightful. The burgeoning attraction between Jesse and Nova is totally innocent, as are all the other romantic entanglements. Everyone's problems are as benign as they can be, the shell of real teenage problems. Realistic? No. It's a sugarcoated version of high school.

This prom itself is the most innocuous of all time - American Pie this isn't. It's really aimed at kids who aren't in high school yet, as a lofty fantasy of what's to come. Still, it arouses nostalgia in anyone who went to their prom, and by the time Jesse and Nova finally get to take a spin on the dance floor, you're happy to see them get their perfect, PG kiss.

How to Wear Summer Trends

OnSugar Blog — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 03:04:55 PDT

Getting Summer trends right is important; here's what OnSugar blogger Beauty and the Budget has to say on the matter.

You already know what the latest trends are, and now you're dying to know how to wear them! Of course, everyone can put their own spin on a trend, but these ladies did it best when incorporating this summer's hottest trends into their ensembles. How can you get the look?

Tip #1: Let your printed jumpsuit stand out with minimal accessories. Some of the hottest rompers and jumpsuits this season have bright, bold prints. To really make the romper stand out, keep accessories to a minimum, like this neutral toned headband and jacket. It will make the jumpsuit the focal point, without overdoing it.

Tip #2: Style your basics using complementary colors; pair with neutral accents. One way to spruce up those boring basics is by pairing contrasting colors together. If you're unsure of what colors are complementary to one another, take a look at a color wheel. The complementary colors fall directly across from one another. A few examples are purple and yellow, blue and orange, and red and green. A neutral bag and shoes will tone the ensemble down a bit, making it easy and wearable.

Tip #3: Try an all white or cream ensemble. Mix up textures to make it pop! A neutral monochromatic color scheme is big this summer, but the look can be a bit dull. To style this trend right, be sure to add textured pieces into the mix, like this silky top with linen shorts. Lace and/or ruffles are also a great combination!

Read more from Beauty and the Budget, or start your own OnSugar blog, and we might feature you on FabSugar!

Your Guide to Beauty Events For Fashion's Night Out

Annie Tomlin — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 12:24:46 PDT

This year, Fashion's Night Out is even bigger than last year's event - which, considering how difficult it was to move through the style-loving crowds, is saying something. Tomorrow, New York City will host hundreds of events that bring designers, stylists, celebrities, and fans together. The schedule of events is overwhelming, to say the least, so we're rounding up some of the beauty highlights. Chanel manicures, Swarovski updos, and a Backstreet Boy? Sign us up. See the top FNO beauty events after the jump.

Smart Snacking With Tips From C&J Nutrition

Guest Writer — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 13:10:24 PST

The following post was written by C&J Nutrition, a duo of registered dietitians based in NYC and LA, to help you get a handle on this week's Get Fit For 2011 giveaway snacking challenge.

We are big fans of snacking. Why do we love snacks? Our top 3 reasons are . . .

Knowing we'll be having a snack in between one meal and the next makes it easier to stop eating a meal when we're "satisfied" versus "full."
Snacking keeps us from arriving at meal time ravenous - helping to avoid "grab the first thing I see and eat a lot of it" situations.
Snacks help us fit in nutrients we may not otherwise get enough of in our meals. Low on calcium-rich foods in meals? Try yogurt as a snack. Not fitting many veggies into meals? Pair some crudites with hummus. Short on fruit? Dip apple slices into peanut butter.

We're regular snackers and suggest AT LEAST one snack per day to all of our clients. We recommend pairing two of the three main nutrients (carbohydrates, fat, protein) together into a snack. Other than this general premise, we get pretty creative with our snacks and hope you take some of our ideas and give them your own awesome spin.

Apple slices with peanut buttery dip
Baby carrots and grape tomatoes with hummus: Pair 1/2 cup grape tomatoes with 1/2 cup baby carrots and 1/4 cup Tribe Origins hummus. (Tribe doesn't use any artificial preservatives!)

Keep on reading for more snack ideas!