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Pool-Mate watch packs built-in accelerometer to track laps
It may not monitor your heart rate or double as a media player like some other devices for swimmers, but this new Pool-Mate watch from Swimovate looks like it should appeal to quite a few folks nonetheless, with it packing a built-in accelerometer to help you keep track of lap counts. That's apparently done by detecting the glide portion of your swim after each turn, which Swmovate says it's able to do with 99.75 percent accuracy in all pools longer than 10 meters. You'll also be able to use it to keep track of your overall time, average strokes per lap, speed, distance, and calories burned. Somewhat strangely, however, Swimovate says that the watch will only last for about twelve months, after which you'll actually have to send it back to the company to get the battery replaced. A bit of a drawback, to be sure, but the $114 price tag isn't too out of line, and you won't have to wait long to get your hands on one, with it set to ship later this month. Head on past the break for a quick video overview.
Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker approved by vacationing Billy Corgan
We don't know a single soul who hasn't wanted to hear Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness from start-to-finish whilst swimming off the coast of Phuket, but seriously, who's going to tune in on a $40 waterproof Bluetooth speaker ball? Then again, maybe Billy's secretly more concerned with his choice of swimwear and lack of sunscreen than the clarity of Iha's riffs.
Corkscrew nanopropellers may one day deliver drugs internally
Clearly, vaccinations are so three years ago. As the race continues to find the best, most mobile internal transportation device for delivering drugs to remote places within the body, Peer Fischer of The Rowland Institute at Harvard University has teamed with colleague Ambarish Ghosh to concoct the wild creation you see to the right. The glass-derived nanopropeller was designed to move in a corkscrew motion in order to plow through syrupy, viscous liquids within the human frame. The device itself is fantastically small, measuring just 200 to 300 nanometers across at the head and 1 to 2 micrometers long. Fischer points out that each of these can be controlled with a striking amount of precision via an external magnetic field, though we don't get the impression that they'll be on to FDA testing in the near future. Ah well, at least our gra, er, great-grandchildren will be all taken care of.
FINIS AquaPulse monitors, communicates heart rate to swimmers
Now that every kid on planet Earth is attempting to mimic the once-heroic Michael Phelps, it's only fair to equip them with the very best in training tools. FINIS, the same firm that's been cranking out bone conducting underwater MP3 players for years on end, has finally branched out a bit with the introduction of the AquaPulse. By utilizing an Infrared sensor, the device -- which straps onto one's goggles and rests on the temple bone -- can continually monitor heart rate and communicate it audibly to the swimmer via bone conduction in customizable intervals. Unfortunately, FINIS didn't think to integrate music playback into this for moments when it's not dishing out vitals, but you could also rock one of its dedicated music players on the non-dominant ear. Olympians-to-be can catch it this May for $139.99. Full release is after the break.
iriver, Speedo suit up for new Aquabeat underwater MP3 player
Another Spring, another opportunity for iriver Japan and Speedo to sell a few MP3 players designed for underwater use. Yes friends, the Aquabeat you've grown to know, love and disassociate with overly tight swim trunks has a successor, the Speedo LZR Racer. Design wise, you won't notice a lot of differentiation from the first, but this waterproof-to-three-meters device has twice the internal memory (2GB) and a built-in rechargeable battery good for around eight hours of continuous playback. It's said to be shipping now in Japan for ¥12,800 ($128), though we hear it won't be coming to America without first nailing down a Michael Phelps endorsement. Not that said task will be too tough or anything.[Via Impress]
Robot targeting-intercepting system inspired by Marco Polo pool game
Engineers from Duke University and the University of New Mexico have just published the results of their most recent robotic escapades in the Journal on Control and Optimization. Silvia Ferrari and Rafael Fierro, leaders of the project, say that by applying the basic principles of the children's swimming game "Marco Polo" they have been able to advance robot's ability to both detect and intercept moving targets. By equipping robots with multiple types of camera sensors camera sensors which provide coverage of all the cells within the space the robot is able to more accurately predict where the moving target is at any given moment. The team sees all types of possible applications for robots equipped with the setup, but there's no real word on when we'll see any real life applications. [Via Gizmag]
WoW 3.1 PTR: Swimming mount video
You may have noticed an interesting little change in the 3.1 patch notes: ground mounts are now able to swim! This made us curious: how does a Mechanostrider swim? How does a Kodo swim? So, Adam and I ran off to the test realms to capture video of it all. And, before you ask, no bears were harmed in the making of these videos. (The Talbuks, though, whose heads seem to be under water even when you're on the surface, we make no promises about.)
Double-amputee New Zealander has mermaid dreams fulfilled
New Zealander Nadya Vessey -- who lost both of her legs to the knee when she was a child -- has just received a prosthesis that's pretty much unlike anything we've ever seen (outside of Splash). About two years ago, she approached Weta Workshop, who specialize in design and manufacturing of costumes and special effects (and have worked on projects such as The Lord of the Rings trilogy) to see if the company might be interested in making her a working, prostethic mermaid tail. Turns out they were, and they've just completed the final product. The tail, which is composed of wetsuit fabric and plastic molds, with a custom paint job and digitally-imaged effects, enables Nadya to swim quite effectively, apparently, and is an all around sexy piece of machinery. No word on what one of these slick dudes would cost in real life, but we have a feeling we couldn't justify the expense just to tool around in the kiddie pool.Update: Check out the video after the break![Thanks, Pyper]
Barrens Chat: Guess who
Have you ever woken up and known you were going to have one of those days? It's been one of those days for going on a week now. Before you say anything, I went outside of the "lines" in a few places on purpose on my elemental there. The lines and I are having a disagreement, perhaps next week we shall come to a resolution of our differences. This is something I would like to be doing right now. Maybe in a slightly larger facility, not to mention one without its own face. I once saw a screen shot on the World of Warcraft homepage that had a Gnome standing inside of her Voidwalker. So I wondered, you know those giant water elementals found here and there? Yeah, totally on top of that sport.I thought now would be a good time to use this idea, seeing as how some people are starting school again soon. Missing summer? Try this!See you next week! %Gallery-22361% Barrens Chat is a weekly comic strip that brings to light some of the stranger things in Azeroth. From emo oozes to mooching floozies, nothing is safe from the battered and bruised tablet of doom. Stop in weekly to see a new comic, spy on some old faces, or perhaps meet a new victim.
Olympic gold medalist credits Wii with helping him mentally prepare
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]
Increased lung capacity in Wrath Beta
While there's no definite word from a blue on whether it's working as intended or not, there's an interesting buff on the Beta servers at the moment: Everyone seems to have a much longer breath timer when swimming underwater. Whereas it took about 1 minute for breath to run out, now it seems to last for approximately 3 minutes. In effect then, it's like everyone has gained the Underwater Breathing racial of the Forsaken. If it's a permanent buff and not just some crossed wires, it should make underwater questing (and there is some in Wrath) a bit easier! Of course, I'm not giving up my Hydrocane just yet, either. It seems like a strange change to make out of the blue, and it does negate one of the Forsaken's racials, more or less.
Speedo Aquabeat MP3 player sinks, floats, and is terrible at the butterfly stroke
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.
The perils of crossing water on a mount
This is something we've all dealt with: my Hunter is traipsing through Terrokar right now, and nothing makes me more frustrated than hitting those little rivers on my mount and having to dismount in water. When you think about it, the logical reasons for our mounts disappearing once we hit water are pretty sound -- you don't want that cat or wolf you worked so hard for to drown. But on the other hand, it's a huge annoyance -- not only does it slow you down while crossing the water, but you have to wait another second afterwards to resummon the mount.On larger bodies of water, this isn't so bad, but those little rivers are nothing but trouble (and Gnomes have it even worse). Even cowboys knew how to ford with their horses -- why can't we do the same with our mounts?Zarhym, the new CM, doesn't seem very empathetic, so odds are that this won't change anytime soon. We can only hope that in future designs, Blizzard stays away from putting the deeper water all over the landscape, where it acts as nothing but an annoying roadblock in front of our next quest. It's not like we don't have enough problems with the water as it is.
City of Heroes to venture underwater?
Sometimes the tiny unannounced changes are the most fun. City of Heroes Issue 12: The Midnight Hour, currently in Open Beta, has sneaked a little extra feature in under the radar.Ordinarily, characters in CoX who fall into the water simply splash about on the surface. You can swim around there, but diving has been impossible, with the tantalizing exception of one narrow shaft in Grandville. This had been the only place where characters could submerge completely, although there was no underwater swimming, just a very surprised Coralax on a coffee break.
Play Summer Athletics on your Wii
Because we really needed another multi-sport game collection on the Wii, dtp entertainment (the German publisher behind the upcoming Next Top Model DS game) is releasing Summer Athletics this ... well, summer. The activities in this title will include jogging, cycling, hurdles, javelin, archery, hammer throw, and swimming. We're not sure how all of those will translate with the Wiimote -- the jogging might be similar to what we've seen from Wii Fit, and we suppose the archery, javelin, and hammer throw events could work. But hurdles? Cycling? Swimming? We'll be interested to see how those turn out.You can also check out the game's teaser site here, which has some nice-looking images from the PC version of the game.[Via press release]
Heat from data center used to warm Swiss swimming pool
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]
One Shots: Druid on a stick!
Sure enough, we mentioned we're all about some old-school shots, and we got lots and lots of them! Today's One Shots comes to us from Grimthorn Redbeard, who sent this one along with the caption of "Druid on a stick." Technically, that's really not so much what it is, as it's a graphical bug in EverQuest that used to pop swimmers up onto the decks of boats while swimming -- but it made us laugh all the same! Old-school, new-school -- we don't care! Feel free to send in your interesting, beautiful, funny, or just strange screenshots and stories to us here at oneshots@massively.com. Your adventures could be featured here next! %Gallery-9798%
Around Azeroth: Ship + moon = ??
Reader Arsenie sends along this shot of the full moon along-side a pirate ship off the coast of Tanaris. What's unusual about the image, besides a nice composition (hey, are you sure we're not playing Pirates of the Burning Sea?) is the fact that these ships are way, way, way out at sea. Arsenie tells us that on the map they look like islands and that it took two corpse runs (fatigue is a killer) to get this shot!Have you managed to visit a unique spot that no one else has seen? Gone through trials and tribulations to find that perfect screenshot? We'd like to see it on Around Azeroth! All you have to do is e-mail aroundazeroth@wow.com with a copy of your screenshot and a brief explanation of the scene. You could find your pictures and story featured next!%Gallery-1816%
Demon water wings
Many of the game mechanics in WoW have improved over time. Some of them we received word of in patch notes. But I can't seem for the life of me remember when my Felguard began to swim. It's a simple thing, but to me it makes all the difference considering the amount of time I've spent in lakes farming water motes. I've racked my brain, but I come up empty when I try to find that exact moment when instead of sliding clumsily through the water in standing animation he began to frog his way through the water. When did he have time to take lessons? Is there some demon water training course he took while I was summoning succubae to assist me in Shadow Labs? The same could be said of the water elementals in various oceans and lakes around the game. When exactly did they spring to life instead of traveling woodenly around their watery homes? I am often struck by the subtle changes made to the game without announcement or fan fair. The added artwork that began to decorate walls around Stormwind sometime last year is a good example, or the addition of supplementary items strewn in front of Darnassus. It's the details that count, that add atmosphere and story to the environments we play in. Have you noticed any subtle changes to the game?
SwiMP3 v2: Bone conducting underwater MP3 player gets an upgrade
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?
