EA is going after a piece of the Wii Fit pie with a new product dubbed "EA Sports Active." However, EA intends to differentiate it's product from Wii Fit by delivering a more Westernised exercise experience. Instead of a balance board, Sports Active utilises the nunchuck controller inserted into a leg strap to track lower body movements and a resistance band for upper body strength training. The package also includes a 20 sport software package, calorie counter, virtual personal trainer, customisable workouts and a 30-day weight loss program.

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You know that anger management technique where you punch a pillow? Imagine if instead of a pillow, you were punching shadows of a giant mattress on the wall... and instead of just punching, you were elbowing, kicking and headbutting as well. Now imagine that those shadows belong to your friends (or coworkers) and you get extra points the harder you hit them. You'll have Remote Impact - the silliest, funnest looking interactive fitness game I've ever seen in my life.

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Nintendo has confirmed the existence of their rumoured pedometer with the release of a Wii Fit meets Brain Training meets Nike+ game. Your Life Rhythm, as it is called, uses the little pod to record your physical performance, and it looks a bit weird to me.

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Despite looking forward to the iPod Touch/iPhone integration of the Nike+ running dongle for over a year now, we can't help but feel slightly disappointed at the way this app is executed on the latest iPod Touch. The Nike + iPod software itself looks great—the red and white UI design matches up perfectly with nike's own workout site—but there's just something missing. First, where's the grandfathered support for iPhone, iPhone 3G and first-gen iPod Touch? More importantly, where are the expanded features that makes great use of the Touch's accelerometer, touch screen or internet connection? Nowhere.

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From what I've heard, quitting smoking/losing weight/falling asleep can be hard. That's why there are so many fat insomniac smokers around, I guess. Fortunately I saw an ad on TV the other night that put my mind at ease, or at least would have if I was either a smoker, fat or had trouble sleeping.

Some hypnotherapist by the name of Mark Stephens is selling his treatments for each of these maladies via gadgets. To counter smoking and obesity, he's got MP4 players loaded with audio and video that he claims will help you give up the fags / junk food within days. If you struggle sleeping, there's an MP3 player with soothing music and relaxing stuff to help you unwind in bed.

The MP4 player looks as cheap as Chinese iPod knockoffs usually look, while the MP3 player looks like something I once got given as a freebie that had the world's worst audio quality imaginable.

Once you've been cured of your malady, I've no idea whether or not you can delete all that hypnotherapy stuff for some heavy metal, but part of me doubts it.

Each of the gadgets costs $297, so those obese insomniac smokers are going to have a fair amount to pay. But still, if it works, that could be a small price to pay. And everyone knows that doing stuff is easier with gadgets, right? Right?

[Think Quit, Think Sleep and Think Slim]

The FitBit's just been unveiled at the TechCrunch 50 event, and it's an interesting gizmo: it's designed to clip to your clothing where it tracks your exercise activity, a bit like Nike+. But unlike the iPod/Nike combo, it wirelessly connects to its charger/basestation which sends data to an online database that tracks your performance. And it comes with a wrist-strap so you can wear it at night. Apparently as you slip into REM sleep your wrist will tremor slightly, and the FitBit uses this to work out your sleep quality. These prototypes have no screen, but the final product will have an OLED one that includes a Tamagotchi-style avatar that'll symbolise your health status. It's due in December for US$99. [Gearlog via BBG]

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We've long known that Nike+ has been in development for the iPhone. Now we're finally getting a peek at the first shots of the interface. From what we can skim, Nike+ users will get all of the nifty performance graphs right on the phone (before this stuff was available on the web only). But the biggest improvement over the old Nike system may be Google Maps support:

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Yes there are pool treadmills, desk treadmills, and water-resistance treadmills for dogs, but the Treadwall throws the horizontal nature of previous treadmill innovations out the window. For 10-grand, you can climb yourself to death in your own living room without getting higher than 10 feet or so, making the inevitable fall when you fail to keep up with the scrolling handholds all the more manageable. But let's see how some drunken Jackass wannabees fare in the following video.

AU: Wow. I was climbing something very similar to this at the local rock-climbing centre when I was in Cadets back in 1996. Unlike the US to be so out of date...

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I don't know how much of a workout you are going to get with some rinky-dink 1 pound weights, but I like the idea behind this Dumbell Sports Bottle design. Not only would a bottle weight serve as a constant reminder about proper hydration, it would also encourage recycling. Plus, if you were to drink from the bottle, it would unbalance the weight which could benefit your muscles by working them in unique ways. It's only a concept at this point, but if you add on some litre and gallon bottles I think it could be a viable product.

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Put simply, the Jinsei Game of Life won't let you play the simple game contained inside it unless you exercise. It's part pedometer, part Tamagotchi, part Lap Around Japan, and a little bit of masochism mixed in for good measure. To complete the "stages," you must take 300 steps, at which point you'll be granted a spin on the wheel to advance your character through the game. Don't take the steps and there's not really any kind of punishment. You'll just have yet another piece of gaudy tchotchke dangling from your keys, and those little people inside will be judging you without remorse. [Takaratomy via Trends in Japan]

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