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Engadget editors share their current YouTube obsessions
Engadget editors share their favorite YouTube guilty pleasures during quarantine.
Garmin's TruSwing golf sensor can help you improve your game
Data-tracking sensors are becoming popular across the world of sports. In golf, we've seen this type of technology before from startups like Zepp, which created a swing analyzer that attaches to a player's glove. And now, Garmin is ready to do something similar. The company has introduced its TruSwing, a small and lightweight gadget for golfers who want to know more details about their time on the course. When paired with Garmin's Connect Mobile app, available for iOS and Android, the accessory delivers 3D animations to give you instant feedback on your swing.
SensoGlove revamp brings automatic pressure check, stops us from strangling our golf swing
Hand rookie golfers a driver and they'll frequently make the classic mistake of gripping the club as though their lives depend on it. A seasoned veteran knows that a little give and take might be needed, which is why Sensosolutions just updated its long-serving SensoGlove to better encourage a balanced hold. The new automatic sensitivity toggle will offer a recommended grip through the LCD based on how tightly the club has been held in the past; throttle the 9 iron often and you'll be asked to loosen up. Longer battery life is also in the cards versus the older model, although we're reaching out to determine how many more holes the glove will handle in one charge. No matter how you slice (or hook) it, the newer SensoGlove is shipping for $89 in versions for both hands and multiple sizes.
Pangya Tomahawk players can win in-game rewards in Treasure Hunt event
Pirates are cropping up everywhere, even on golf courses. Players of the free-to-play golfing game Pangya Tomahawk have the opportunity to win rare in-game rewards like a pirate costume by participating in a special crossover event called Treasure Hunt. For a limited time, players can take part in this online board game that could net prizes such as rare costumes, premium golf clubs, and in-game currency. Joan Kim, Pangya producer, stated that SG Interactive wanted to treat players to something a little different. The result? A board game powered by the golfing gameplay in Pangya. Players can earn chances for Treasure Hunt dice just by playing either nine or 18 rounds of golf on any of the game's courses, then use the dice rolls to move the caddy around the online game board. Every space on the board has a chance at winning in-game rewards, but there is also a chance of losing progress if defeated in the mini-games lurking on some spaces. Check out the gallery below for a look at the prize outfits. [Source: SG Interactive press release]%Gallery-162625%
Motorola MOTOACTV update adds Twitter and Facebook to keep you company during marathons
If you wish you could tweet during that round-the-block 5K, then Motorola's latest update to MOTOACTV is for you. The fitness computer will display Facebook and Twitter messages on the device as well as offering more accurate mapping, easier WiFi network setup and more flexible workout planning. Additionally, golfists who plumped for the Golf edition get some more links-appropriate features like tee location options and putt distance-tracking. You can get the update by connecting the device to your computer and Motocast will handle the rest.
New 17-hole course coming to Pangya United
Popular anime-style golfing MMO Pangya United has a new update coming its way, SG Interactive announced in a press release today. The update will bring with it a brand-new golf course known as Wiz City, which -- as you may have divined -- is home to Pangya United's witch and wizard population. The 17-hole course is the largest update to hit the quirky MMO title in over a year. If you want to get in on the golfing action (wait, isn't that an oxymoron?), head on over to the game's official site to sign up. If you do so between now and November 9th, you'll receive in-game bonuses such as Gacha Coins and Time Boosts. [Source: SG Interactive press release]
Ping iPhone cradle can lower your handicap, but you're still on your own with the gophers (video)
Finally, a reason to use your cellphone on the course that won't earn you icy stares around the old clubhouse. Golfing accessory manufacture Ping this week announced an iPhone / iPod touch cradle that clips onto your putter, using the company's iPing app to quantify your putting handicap number. The system measures your stroke type, impact angle, and tempo, comparing them against your friends and some pre-entered golfing pros. Al Czervik would be proud. The app itself is free, but the cradle will run you $30 -- both will be available online, later this month. It's certainly cheaper and a lot less bulky than systems we've seen, but don't take it from us -- listen to teaching professional Jeff Ritter in the clip below.
Callaway Upro mx offers touchscreen GPS to golfers, we long for a Caddyshack edition (video)
The folks at Callaway just announced the Upro mx, a followup to the device they so humbly referred to as the "iPhone of golf GPS technology." PNDs for golfers aren't exactly rare, but the new Upro claims to be the only one packing "hi-resolution actual aerial photography" of 25,000 different courses. It also boasts a multi-gesture touchscreen and optical finger navigation, as well a slew of viewing modes: Virtual Green offers exact putting distances, Smart View displays the best angle for each shot, and ProMode features video flyovers. Who knows, if they could land a Bill Murray tie-in we might actually be enticed to pick up a club and ... Oh, who are we kidding? The Upro mx hits stores in May at $199, and you can check out a video of the device in action after the jump -- that is, if you swing that way.
Sensor-laden SensoGlove helps you make smarter decisions than Tiger Woods
You scoff, but it's true. Do you honestly think Tiger Woods has the luxury of looking down as his golf glove while on the Masters' greens and seeing if his grip is too tight? Indeed he doesn't, nor will he ever if we understand anything about PGA regulations. Germany's own Sensosolutions has just revealed what it's calling the planet's first "digital golf glove," with the $89 SensoGlove boasting a handful of sensors that "continuously read the user's grip pressure." In real-time, users are shown that data on the sweat-proof 1.2-inch LED monitor, and it's even capable of outputting information via aural commands. Put simply, it can give you a warning if you're exceeding your target grip pressure level, and it can even show you exactly which fingers are squeezing too tightly. What it can't show you, however, is just how closely your wife is monitoring your extracurricular phone activities -- but hey, there's always version 2.0, right?%Gallery-103286%
Microsoft previews Windows Phone 7 app design process with a golfing scorekeeper (video)
You don't need us to tell you that apps have grown to become a core part of modern smartphone ecosystems. Android and iOS, the two major app-centric OS environments are growing in leaps and bounds, while a substantial part of Windows Phone 7's eventual success is expected to hinge on exactly how it matches (or betters) those guys on the app front. So, what better excuse than that to check out this concept golf scoring app from Redmond? Designed using Microsoft's favored Metro aesthetic, it really streamlines the user experience by employing "multiple touch targets [that] are spread out from one another" and distilling content down to large, easily readable data. We've got to say, it's hitting the right note with us, but do follow along after the break to learn about a few of the WP7 design quirks -- such as the drop-down system tray and the reason why rounded app icon corners are undesirable.
New Exilim golf-friendly digicam hitting Japan; the Pro from Dazaifu never had it so good
Golf fanatics will stop at nothing in pursuit of upping their game, and as you know, all sorts of gadgets have been modified to suit their purposes, from PNDs to digicams. Apparently Casio's Exilim line has been a favorite, and now its golf-centric camera is getting something of a spec bump. The Exilim EX-FC160S sports a 10 megapixel backside illuminated sensor, 5x optical zoom at 37mm, and support for 240fps video with an optional 30fps slow-motion playback. Available in Japan come August 27, in a limited production run of 5,000 units.
Trust in Casio's Japanese Exilim EX-FS10S, it'll turn your bogeys into birdies
Sure, we could rattle off a list of specs -- and if you're curiuos, it's a 9.1 megapixel sensor with 3x optical zoom and 720p video -- but you know what's really gonna have Casio's Exilim EX-FS10S flying off shelves? The ability to stand it behind your tee and show you exactly how you screw up your swing, with special help of the company's trademark 1000 frames per second burst mode. The catch is, while the EX-FS10 is already available in US, only the Japanese model seems to have your golf buddy. Bummer.
Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 10 lands in June, comes with MotionPlus
Say it with us now: "Phew!" When Nintendo announced that its Wii MotionPlus dongle would be hitting US shelves on June 8th, we all wondered why Wii Sports Resort (Nintendo's first MotionPlus-enabled title) was set to ship over a month later. Now, EA Sports has relieved worries that early adopters would have no software to use with their new toy by announcing that Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 10 will hit North America on June 15th. Better still, the Wii version will be available with a MotionPlus add-on bundled in for just $10 more than the standalone title (which will run $49.99). As great as all this is, Europeans still come out better, as they'll also see Grand Slam Tennis ship in June with a MotionPlus packed in. Ah well -- it's just a peccadillo, we'll let it slide this time.
OnPar's touchscreen GPS rangefinder could almost be a phone
If uPlay's uPro was the "iPhone of golf GPS technology," what then would you call this? Savant GPS has just come clean with what's likely to be the most sophisticated GPS rangefinder to date. The simply-titled OnPar measures in at 4.17- x 2.8- x 0.63-inches and features full touchscreen (3.5-inch) operation. It's also claiming to be the planet's first "GPS rangefinder with a dynamic hole layout display and GPS positioning that provides instant distances to anywhere and remaining distance to the green, personalized club averages, and simple score and shot tracking." The unit is designed to hold up to 300 golf courses with no membership fees or course map fees, and it'll be available for the taking (er, purchasing, we should say) early next month for an undisclosed price.[Thanks, Scoopster]
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Qualcomm's mirasol display tech shuffles into GPS prototype
Qualcomm's mirasol display technology has had quite a rough time gaining mass appeal, but if it could really break into, say, the GPS market, it might just be onto something. Here at CES, G-CORE will be showcasing the first ever GPS device to utilize the tech, though it's probably not the GPS you're dreaming of. The Mini Caddy is simply a GPS Range Finder, though the application makes sense given just how frequently such a device will be viewed in direct sunlight. Within it will be a 1.2-inch bichrome mirasol display, 1GB of internal memory and map data of up to 25,000 golf courses worldwide. Obviously, no pricing or release information has been decided upon, but you catch the release in full after the break.
GolfLogix teams with Garmin to give caddies a break
With Brandt Snedeker upstaging Tiger's return to the greens, we have to wonder if he didn't get ahold of GolfLogix's latest gizmo before heading out to the tee box. The self-named GolfLogix handheld GPS exercises an exclusive agreement that allows the company to "utilize its proprietary golf software on Garmin's popular eTrex line of GPS receivers." Since this still-debatable technology has been given the USGA and R&A blessing, folks looking to more accurately judge the distances, terrain, and unforeseen hazards up ahead can legally take advantage of its 1.25- x 2.25-inch LCD, automatic advancement to the next hole, large on-screen numbers, water / shockproof enclosure, personalization features, and backlit screen to get an edge. The built-in 12-channel GPS receiver claims to be accurate within two meters, and while we're not exactly sure how much internal memory is included, it can hold "multiple courses" simultaneously. The unit itself should start shipping soon after its stint at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, and while one free course download comes with the $349 pricetag, you'll probably want to invest the yearly $29.95 for unlimited course access if you plan on moving around much.
Scorecard
Earlier today one of my co-workers came up to me and said, 'Hey, this is a silly question but do you know of any apps for OS X that will let me track golf stats?' Since I am a leading Apple pundit (in my mind), the pressure was on. Luckily, I did know of an app that does just that, Scorecard.I did a quick search on TUAW, and was horrified to find that we haven't mentioned it before. This Universal app tracks every stat a golfer could be interested, as well as tracking weather conditions, and many other data points to track and improve your golf game.Scorecard costs $29.95, and there is a 5 round demo available.
