run

A smartphone is all but essential gear for runners, walkers, bikers, hikers, gym rats, and other exercise-minded folks. For one thing, there are the apps. As a semi-regular runner, I can't live without RunKeeper (one of many great tools for tracking your route, distance, speed, and the like).

Then there's safety; it makes sense to keep a phone on hand in case of emergencies, like a twisted ankle or UFO abduction. I've been known to get lost on occasion, too.

But here's the problem: How do you carry something as heavy and bulky as a smartphone? … Read more

Just yesterday I wrote about a running game based on the viral video Baby Monkey (riding backwards on a pig). It's a fairly simple running game, but it got me to thinking about what would be the best games in the escape/running/survival genre (I'm not sure there's a standardized name for this genre). When I saw that a new game came out (the third in this collection) that added even more to the escape genre, I knew I had the theme for this week's post.

Escape games are not for everyone. Regardless of the setting, these games are the type that get you worked up, with your heart beating fast, trying to get as far as you can to beat your high score. All it takes is one mistake and you'll need to start over, so those with video game rage issues may want to skip this collection--we don't want anyone throwing their iPhones across the room.… Read more

CarTunes Music Player is the perfect app for the road or the gym. It lets you use gestures as music controls so you don't need to look at the device to control your music.

Upon launch, CarTunes will go through a brief tutorial showing you the main gestures to play a song, how to quickly move from track to track, and other options using a swipe-controlled interface. Simply touch to play, swipe left or right to switch tracks, or touch and hold in the middle to control a volume knob. To add songs and control the apps settings, swipe … Read more

When it comes to getting fit or losing weight, there's no shortage of books, blogs, diets, workout videos, or group exercise classes to help you out. 

Now, tech fiends can add another category of helpful resources: mobile apps. Androids and iPhones both have a large selection of exercise and weight loss apps, but how do you chose among them all?

To help you reach your fitness or weight loss goals faster, I found the most interactive, effective, and fun apps available. Here are three of the best, free apps for Android and iOS to help you get in shape (in no particular order):

RunKeeper (iPhone, Android): This free app lets you track your outdoor activities like hiking, jogging, and running.… Read more

If you can't be bothered to go on a burger run or pick up toothpaste at your local store, AirRun can hook you up with people who'll do it for you.

Described as ideal for those who are "lazy or unemployed," AirRun is another peer-to-peer commerce service like Gigwalk, TaskRabbit, and Zaarly.

The free app for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch is location-based service, with "seekers" looking for people to do things for them and "runners" who take on jobs for cash. Runners build reputations on seeker reviews.

Only people in the same community can see posts about jobs. They can be anything from changing adult diapers to standing in line at the DMV to ridding a yard of snakes.

As this vid explains, seekers decide how much they're willing to pay for services. Payment can be made with cash, checks, credit cards, and PayPal.

Launched in April, AirRun has seen about 4,000 downloads so far. What do you think? Would you use it? … Read more

For those who have succeeded in cutting the cord on their cable television, solutions for sensible TV streaming are, to say the least, a challenge. The Elgato HDHomeRun, announced today, offers up a small box that connects to a router and TV antenna and streams HD TV content via Wi-Fi anywhere in one's house. More importantly, unlike other Elgato products, the HDHomeRun comes with dual TV tuners for watching simultaneous recordings/viewings of two different channels on two different computers.

The $179 HDHomeRun is a small box that offers a lot of the same features as the small USB-stick Elgato EyeTV Hybrid, which we recently reviewed. The Hybrid, however, required physically interfacing with a Mac or PC via USB. The HDHomeRun more conveniently handles the video transfer wirelessly, and still works with (and is packaged with) Elgato's EyeTV3 Mac software for DVRing and managing TV content and programming.… Read more

Looking for a little adventure without getting arrested, getting lost, or upsetting the locals? Try the Cannonball Run Rat Race.

Based on the 1981 movie Cannonball Run, drivers and their co-pilots search for six sequential clues that will lead the winner to a locker full of cash.

According to Cannonball World Event's managing director, Tim Porter, the race is like: "'The Cannonball Run' meets 'Raiders of the Lost Ark."' A 21st century spin might be "Cannonball Run" meets "The Amazing Race." In the "Cannonball Run" movie, Burt Reynolds, Roger Moore, and … Read more

SunRun said that it has secured $200 million from a bank to finance the installation of residential solar panels, a sign of confidence in a business model that avoids the upfront cost of solar.

The company said that a subsidiary of US Bancorp will provide the money, which will be the largest single fund for financing residential solar projects. US Bancorp has already made financing available to SunRun in separate deals.

Prices for solar panels themselves continue to fall but, with installation half the cost of an array, the upfront cost remains a barrier to residential solar. The financing model … Read more

Lane Splitter is a fun distance game that challenges you to weave through traffic at high speed on a motorcycle. The graphics are crystal-clear on the iPhone 4, with well-detailed cars and interesting scenery as you blow by on your motorcycle. The idea is that you're late to your wedding, and you must speed through traffic wearing your tux in order to make it on time. The game uses the iPhone accelerometer for steering and touching the screen gives you a burst of speed that results in a wheelie and less control--perfect for getting out of the way when … Read more