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Garmin Approach S3 golf watch provides assistance for 27,000 courses (video)
If you're looking for the latest dose of technology to compliment your time on the green, then take a gander at Garmin's Approach S3 golf watch. An upgrade from the Approach S1, this GPS-enabled gadget adds a touchscreen to the mix and now provides assistance for 27,000 courses across the globe. While it won't help with your swing, users will benefit from a wealth of location-based guidance such as layup distances, green overviews and precise yardages to the front, back and middle of the next green. The waterproof wristwatch offers eight hours of continuous battery life, and while its $350 retail price may deter some, it could be a wise investment should your game involve a friendly wager. Ready for more? Just hop the break for Garmin's promo video and the full PR.
Motorola intros MOTOACTV Golf Edition, doesn't come in pastel
Here's something for those who've wanted to slip their wrists into one of those MOTOACTV fitness watches, but don't really do the whole running thing. Motorola's introducing a Golf Edition of the device, which lets users track games on more than 20,000 courses across the globe, keep track of their score and compare their games to the pros. No word on whether it can be programmed to whisper "be the ball" to you throughout the day, though. More info on this wrist caddy after the break.
Take a tour of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13's Kinect functionality
Ever since Kinect was announced, we've wondered why EA has taken its sweet time to implement the tech in its Tiger Woods PGA Tour series. Why fake-golf with a controller when you could fake-golf as the controller, right? Finally, Kinect comes to the series in Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13.A series of vignettes shows off some of the Kinect features, from the obvious such as miming a golf swing, to the more impressive like using voice and hand gestures to set up shot approach. Another video after the break shows Tiger fiddling with Kinect in an earlier build of the game -- turns out being amazing at golf in real life doesn't necessarily guarantee success in-game, as you can see when Tiger slices a shot into a bunker right off the green.%Gallery-146303%
Garmin shows the way with new nüvi 3500 series, Smartphone Link and Approach G6 (video)
The shrink wrap may be barely off the last nüvi refresh, but Garmin clearly wanted to keep a little something back for CES, and here it is: the new 3500 series, the Approach G6 golfing GPS and an Android app. The new 3500s have the ultra-thin form factor of the company's "prestige" range, while adding an inch of screen space, taking it up to five. As these are the new top-of-the-line, all the nav-goodies you could want, like the Guidance 3.0 nav engine, Digital 3D Traffic and photoReal junction view (covering some 60,000 junctions in the US and Canada), as well as compatibility with its latest Android app (3590LMT only), but more on this shortly. The 3550LM gets free lifetime map updates and will cost $369.99 when it launches in February. The Bluetooth enabled 3590LMT gets all the same, plus lifetime digital 3D traffic updates plus that Smartphone Link support for an extra $30. If you're more into tearing up the fairway than the freeway, Garmin's lawn friendly Approach G6 golfing GPS is likely more your cup of "tee". Weighing a touch over three ounces, it shouldn't affect your swing, and the number of mapped courses has been upped to 20,000 from the G5's 17,500. The G6 should also be out in February, just in time for that spring trip, and will take an estimated $299 out of your children's college fund. The last of Garmin's new wares is the aforementioned Android app: Smartphone Link. Essentially adding functionality -- some free, some not so -- to your bluetooth enabled 2012 nüvi. Services such as traffic information, traffic camera images, weather and fuel prices can be piped in via the app (and your cell data plan) instead of being bundled into the GPS itself at an extra cost. Makes sense. Prices for each service will vary, but range from $4.99 to $19.99 for a year's access. For the full PR, and a video demo of the app, click that link to see more.
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]
NintendoWare Weekly: Golf, DotMan
It would be hard to overshadow this week's most prominent 3DS news, and Nintendo doesn't even come close to it with today's digital releases. If you're on 3DS, you'll have access to the Game Boy version of Golf -- and, if you check out Nintendo Video, Blue Man Group will teach you how to Dougie. On Wii you'll find a couple of color-matching puzzlers, including a demo for this year's intriguing Liight. On DSiWare, Agetec brings us DotMan, a low-cost download that looks to us like a modern update of the old Atari game, Dodge'Em. Maybe you were looking for something like that.
The Road to Mordor: 10 things to do in the Shire before you die
A couple of weeks ago I decided to embark on a long-planned project to play through the entirety of Lord of the Rings Online -- or at least a whole heck of a lot more than I ever have previously. My thought was that in the rush to level and progress, I had been skipping much of the content that makes LotRO so unique, and I wanted to force myself to slow down, take it all in, and get over the desire to hit endgame as quickly as possible. Thus, I created Slyppi, a brand-new level 1 Hobbit Burglar with the intention of experiencing the game in full. My rules with Slyppi are thus: She will clear out every solo quest in a zone (including the epic storyline but excluding tasks) before moving elsewhere. She will go through all three newbie zones and ignore the fact that the quests aren't giving her much XP. She will take detailed notes, package them up, and send them back to me for the purposes of turning them into a guide to the interesting out-of-the-way quests and places in Middle-earth. If you're anything like me, you probably die a lot, usually in very embarrassing ways (hey, that cliff wasn't there a minute ago...). Since we all have a death warrant on our heads, we might as well get the most out of our journeys, which is why I've come up with 10 things that you should do in the Shire before the inevitable occurs. Why 10? Because it's two in computer-speak!
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.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: solar panel roads, floating golf, and the 2,564.8 MPG race car
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green. Building technology got a tremendous boost this week as Inhabitat reported on a new type of graphene super paper that is 10 times stronger than steel and six times as light. We also took a look at several remarkable new infrastructure projects popping up around the world - from a self-sufficient floating golf course in the Maldives to London's gleaming new cable car system, to the Netherlands' plan to supercharge its roadways with solar panels. Speaking of hot asphalt, this week the ultra-efficient Alerion race car blazed a trail at the Shell Eco-Marathon, clocking in an incredible 2,564.8 miles per gallon. Meanwhile, Fisker announced that its sexy electric Karma sedan will hit the road this summer, and we were surprised to hear that Marcelo da Luz was forced to pull his solar-powered X of 1 car across Ontario due to road regulations. The New York Auto Show also kicked off with a blast this week as Lexus unveiled its next-gen LF-Gh concept hybrid and Porsche rolled out a 911 GTR 3 in a Facebook colorway that got a lot of "likes". Finally, we looked at several futuristic example of wearable technology this week including a pair of RoboCop-like glasses that are capable of scanning 400 faces per second at public events. We also brought you a brilliant LED backpack that lets cyclists send signals to drivers, a pollution-detecting t-shirt, and a clock that tells time by knitting a new scarf every year.
Through Turbine's palantír: Developers outline LotRO's future
In J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, characters would use magical orbs known as palantírs to see and communicate with far away places. While Massively's own palantír is at the shop, we had access to the next best thing -- a one-on-two chat about Lord of the Rings Online's future with Turbine's Aaron Campbell and Adam Mersky. A lot's been happening since LotRO's free-to-play version went online last fall -- the closest thing to a relaunch that this game is likely to ever see -- and both Campbell and Mersky have one important message for fans: We're just getting started. Even as the Turbine team gears up for LotRO's third expansion, Rise of Isengard, the devs want you to know that they're also dedicated to bringing a good amount of content between now and then. Everything was on the table during this discussion, from this weekend's anniversary celebration to next month's update to the new expansion. Join us after the jump for a look through the palantír to see what information we can pry from the future!
Golf revises its rules to account for HDTV, DVR technology
You can watch the currently underway Masters Tournament this year in high definition and even 3D, but it will be a little harder to be a part of the action from your couch thanks to just-enacted rules by the United States Golf Association. Recently there have been multiple incidents of players being disqualified for not reporting breaches of the rules that were spotted and called out by viewers at home, equipped with HDTVs and DVRs able to detect minor infractions that might have otherwise been missed during play. Two examples specifically referenced are Padraig Harrington's disqualification at Abu Dhabi after his ball moved slightly when he replaced his marker (would be a penalty, but not a DQ now) and when Camilo Villegas moved a divot as his shot was rolling (still a DQ.) The rules are on the USGA website but you'll have to pardon us, we have some calls to make to David Stern about exactly how many steps you can take without dribbling the ball.
ESPN 3D exec explains why golf is such a good fit for the network
With the second consecutive year of the Masters Tournament being broadcast in 3D, if you're wondering why golf and 3D are such a good match look no further than ESPN 3D coordinating producer Phil Orlin's post on the new Front Row blog. He points out the varying terrain of the golf course and the ability to accurately read greens as reasons why 3D works so well at Augusta, and that watching it that way is the closest thing to seeing it in person. You can see for yourself when 3D coverage of the tournament kicks off today at 5 p.m., and while we're sure more people will be watching than did last year the question is still how many?
DirecTV Masters Mix channel gets a few new twists for 2011 golf tournament
The 2011 iteration of DirecTV's multiview style Masters Mosaic channel has been lightly refreshed with two new channels and extended coverage. The channel itself will for the first time be available 24 hours a day during the Masters Tournament for those who want to keep up on the stats and highlights, while there's also an extra hour of coverage from ESPN on Thursday and Friday. The stats themselves have been expanded to pull down an individual player's performance on demand. As seen above, the Masters Mix channel itself has a new look, plus the new Additional Featured Group and Masters In-Depth channels. The full press release with all the details is after the break, or hit the source links DirecTV's minisite to see more screenshots plus demo video, and ESPN's coverage breakdown including 3D.
Tiger Woods 12 features improved PlayStation Move functionality
The PS3 version of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters supports the PlayStation Move, though the functionality is greatly improved over last year. EA has not only improved the sensitivity of the swing itself, but added in the first-person True-Aim system seen in last year's Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 on the Wii. Now, because my review focuses so much on the caddy (and because the PlayStation Move arrived very late from Sony), Move didn't make it in before deadline. However, that added time to mess around with the mechanic has proven to me that the PS3 version is far more sensitive to slight swing variations and wrist movement, which makes the learning curve a bit steeper. Still, after only an hour, my proficiency increased. And because the Move is so sensitive, it was a lot easier for me to gauge how much power I was putting into a swing compared to using an analog stick. Combined with the graphical fidelity of the PS3 version, I can say without a doubt that PlayStation Move makes Tiger Woods on the PS3 the preferred version.
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters review: Limited learning
Sitting here, staring at a screen of accomplishments in Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters, I can't help but think what a long, crazy journey it's been. I went from a nobody with barely a shot on the amateur tour to the highest level of the game, The Masters. I surprised a lot of people, including a few of my idols. Not that I was alone on this journey. The entire time, I had a secret weapon: the best caddy in the biz. I can't tell you his name, but he came into my life and changed it forever. He taught me things I never would have suspected about the game and we both developed our skills, together, spanning a career that would become the greatest the sport has ever seen. I'm still not sure he knows my name. %Gallery-112499%
gamigo's Golfstar MMO tees off
Free-to-play publisher gamigo has added a sports title to its MMO roster in the form of Golfstar, a new title that officially teed off earlier today. Golfstar features five game modes (stroke, match, skins, tournament, and team tournament) and allows for up to 30 players to compete simultaneously on a single course. The game also features a progression element in the form of outfit and accessory collecting, and your virtual golfer can procure clubs, clothing, and a variety of "practical accessories that will make playing easier" according to a gamigo press release. Head to the official Golfstar website for further details, and check out the gameplay video we've got for you after the cut.
The Road to Mordor: Fishing frenzy
Way back in the olden times of yore, henceforth referred to as "2008," Lord of the Rings Online released its first -- and to date, only -- hobby in the game: fishing. While we wait for a second hobby to make its way into the game (the popular rumor is golf), I thought it'd be interesting to take a look at this interesting side activity in LotRO. I'll admit that fishing bores me, both in real life and in virtual games. In both, it's a lot of waiting, a ton of non-interaction, and the occasional flashes of activity. The end result is edible and odd but nevertheless compelling to some folks. MMOs have a long history of incorporating fishing as a minigame or side activity, usually given to players as something to do when they're waiting on something else. I've noticed that roleplayers are big fans of the rod-and-reel, probably because it's defiantly against the grain. In a world of power-levelers, danger-seekers, and quest-undergoers, taking large chunks of time to stand in one spot and watch for a couple of pixels to bob shows that you walk a path less traveled. I get the impression that there are many people in the game who don't even know that fishing exists or perhaps who dabbled once and never gave it another thought. Even if fishing isn't typically your bag, Turbine's dangled a few tempting rewards from the hooks of fishermen's labors -- enough that it prompted me to take a closer look this week.
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.
Daimler and BYD's GOLF electric car getting closer to completion?
Daimler AG is of course best known as the producer of Mercedes-Benz vehicles, cars that usually sit toward the higher end of their respective classes. BYD, on the other hand, makes batteries, cellphones, and inexpensive cars that often look an awful, awful lot like other, rather more expensive ones. Strange bedfellows, these, but according to a "knowledgeable individual" quoted by The Wall Street Journal the two are getting closer to finalizing plans for an electric vehicle, freezing the design ahead of production to begin toward the end of 2012. The car is said to be called the GOLF, standing for Green, Oxygen, Light, and Friendship -- though that L could also double for Lawsuit given VW already sells its Golf in China. This partnership is similar to what BMW is doing, working with Brilliance China Automotive to get a foothold into the potentially Chinese EV market, which is already starting to heat up and should only continue to do so over the coming years.
'And my club!' Rhys Davies signed for PGA Tour 12
EA announced today that it has signed Rhys Davies for Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters. How awesome is that? The actor, who we've enjoyed as Gimli in the Lord of the Rings, along with memorable performances in Sliders and Indiana Jones, would likely be doing something like voiceovers for the game. Oh, wait, wrong guy. He'll actually serve as "brand ambassador " He, meaning Rhys Davies the golfer, not John Rhys-Davies the actor. That hyphen makes all the difference. "We're extremely excited to be partnering with Rhys Davies. He had an exceptional rookie year on the European Tour in 2010 and is sure to achieve even greater success in 2011," said Shaun White, senior PR manager at EA Sports. And here we thought Shaun White was over at Ubisoft.
