Look folks, we won't deny that hardcore usage of the Wii could result in weight loss, but we have all ideas Japan's Kosuke Kitajima relied a lot more on swimming laps religiously and eating a set diet than playing Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games. Nevertheless, the Olympic gold medalist, who snagged said medal in the men's 100-meter breaststroke earlier this week, did mention that he used the game to prepare his mind. "See, Mario does the breaststroke," he stated, "and thus, it's perfect mental training for envisioning the actual Olympic hall." We'd say that's being mighty generous, but whatever gets you to the other end first, right?

[Via Joystiq]

If anyone is going to make a decent waterproof MP3 player this time around, it would have to be someone like the tight bathing suit-producing Speedo brand. The Speedo Aquabeat -- made by Iriver -- contains 1GB of storage, plays for nine hours on one charge, come in three colors, and weighs just 35 grams. So what's so Speedo about them? These players (and earphones) are good for up to 3 meters below the surface and they float -- so you can just leave the things floating about while you go mix another margarita. Retail price is $145, available now from your local Speedo dealer or high school coach -- just listen for the whistle.

Here's a novel idea: rather than stressing over the choice between solar or hydroelectric power sources to keep that green data center running, just build the thing near a community pool. Apparently that's exactly what's happening in Uitikon, Switzerland, as an IBM-built center erected for GIB-Services AG is using its excess heat to warm a local swimming pool. Put simply, the warmth emitted by the computers will be piped through a heat exchanger to boost the temperature of water used in the neighboring pool, and while the town had to cover some of the equipment costs to make it come together, it'll reap the oh-so-steamy benefits for free.

[Via FashionFunky, thanks Yash]

It's taken 'em nearly three years to get around to it, but Finis have a new version of their SwiMP3 underwater MP3 player coming out. Like the original, the SwiMP3 v2 uses bone conduction, rather than regular earphones, to transmit sound directly from your cheek bone to your inner ear (it all sounds a little creepy, but bone conduction is pretty much the best way to listen to stuff underwater). Version 2 of the SwiMP3 is a little smaller and sleeker than the original, though it still doesn't have all that much storage -- even after two-and-a-half years they've only managed to bump the SwiMP3 from 128MB up to 256MB. Still, with a specialized player like this you really only need enough music for your swim, right?

Swimming is fun, but drowning, most certainly, is not. The makers of SenTAG know this, and have developed a system that monitors swimmers' depth and motion, alerting them, with a series of alarms and LEDs, if they might be in danger. The set-up, which is designed mostly for public swimming holes, consists of radio/ultrasound transmitters (worn around swimmers' wrists) and a base station that alerts rescue personnel if someone isn't responding to the alarm. No building modification is required for installation, meaning there won't be any wires running through or around the water and operating cost is kept relatively low. The most exciting part for us, though, is that the whole rescue process is now one step closer to being completely electronic. Eventually, the SenTAG could be used to signal a Strider robot, which could drag the victim back to land where the CPR bot could be applied. But, don't worry lifeguards, that day is still a long way off.

Hanging out at the beach is always a lot of fun, but swimming in the ocean is, like, really tiring, so when our friends all decide to go in the water, we usually cop-out by making up some lame excuse about a leg cramp. Thanks to a new product on the market called the Seabob, however, we may soon be able to enjoy the surf as much as we enjoy sitting on our towel drinking daiquiris, as the German-engineered device promises to do for swimming what the Segway has done for walking,  Seabob is able to propel its rider along the surface of the water at 12-miles-per-hour, and then dive down to nine feet with only light pressure applied to its controls, although overriding the electronic depth-limiter lets experienced divers cruise as low as 130 feet. Power comes from a 3.6-kilowatt electric motor delivering 570-newtons of thrust, and a handy LCD display keeps you informed of water temperature, diving depth, and the 60-minute battery's remaining capacity. As we learned from Segway, leading a sedentary lifestyle doesn't come cheap, so until they initiate a loan program, don't be surprised if you end up shelling out over ten grand for one of these models after taxes, shipping, etc.

[Via Stuff]