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BestStuff Giveaway: Win SOUL by Ludacris SL100 Headphones

jessica — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:29:59 +0000

Today is Friday - what better way to start off the weekend than with a brand new giveaway? Up for grabs is the SOUL by Ludacris SL100 high-definition headphones. What makes these on-ear headphones special? Besides the fact that they were created in collaboration with Grammy award-winning artist Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, these professional sounding headphones deliver true studio level sound quality AND feature a stylish urban look – a combination hard to find in personal audio options available today.

The SOUL by Ludacris SL100 headphones are lightweight, yet packed with an advanced driver and circuitry design for powerful, deep bass with midrange and high clarity. The SL100's have a sleek folding design, breathable headband pad and ear cups and come with a hard protective case for on-the-go storage.

Compatible with iPhone, iPad and iPod players and also most smartphones and multimedia devices with 1/8" (3.5mm) or 1/4" headphone input jack, the SOUL by Ludacris SL100 headphones have gold-plated connectors for a seamless signal transfer. Also included are standard and iPhone detachable cords with in-line remote control. They have an MSRP of $149.

To win the SOUL by Ludacris SL100 on-ear headphones, simply go to our contest page and fill out an entry form - that's it!

The giveaway starts January 27 and ends February 9, 2012 at midnight. One winner will be chosen at random and notified via email on or around February 10, 2012. The giveaway is open to US residents only.

ENTER TO WIN NOW!

Enter to Win SOUL by Ludacris SL100 Headphones!

jessica — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:21:06 +0000

Welcome to BestStuff.com's giveaway! Enter below for your chance to win the SOUL by Ludacris SL100 headphones!

The giveaway starts January 27 and ends February 9, 2012 at midnight. To enter, simply fill out the entry form below. Don't worry...we won't share your info with anyone - it is for shipping purposes only. One winner will be chosen at random and notified via email on or around February 9, 2012. You must reside in the United States to win. Good luck!

Sony "Springs it Up" with New VAIOs

David Novak — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:09:07 +0000

After CES, Sony is still coming out with new announcements. The latest is a spring refresh for its line of VAIO laptops. The Z Series now sports a Carbon Fiber Silver option, and have LTE 4G radios as customizable options. The laptops also now feature the latest Intel Core i5 and i7 processors, and RAID solid state drives. Prices start at $1949.99 for the new Z Series.

The S series have been upgraded to the latest Intel Core processors, while the 13" and 15" models can be upgraded to a Core i7 processor. The S Series also includes Hybrid Graphics with an AMD Radeon HD 6470M (512MB VRAM) or AMD Radeon HD 6630M (1GB VRAM). The 15" model will come standard with a 15.5" Full HD display (1920 x 1080) with IPS technology. Prices start at $799.99 for the 13" S Series and $979.99 for the 15" S Series, and they will be available early February.

Lastly, the C Series laptops have been given major facelifts, and now sport eye-catching designs on the lid/back of the displays. Users can choose Kaleidoscope Pink/Elegant Flower or Geometric Black/Modern Geometric for 14" and 15.5" versions of the laptops. If you're looking for a fancy laptop, the Sony VAIO family is always a stylish option.

David Novak is an internationally syndicated columnist. His column, the GadgetGUY, appears in over 120 newspapers around the world each week, enjoying over 3 million in readership. The GadgetGUY has his pulse on everything related to new gadgets, computers, camcorders, car tech, cameras, gaming, TVs, computers, wireless devices, media devices, cell phones, home appliances, wearable technology, sports science, power tools and gadget news.

iharmonix Q-i-sound Wireless Bluetooth Speakers Arrive in April 2012

jessica — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:00:00 +0000

Over 20,000 new products were announced at the recent Consumer Electronics Show (CES), making it impossible to cover each and every product the week of the show. One little gem we wished we would have experienced hands-on is the iharmonix Q-i-sound Bluetooth speakers by Qmadix. Not your typical boxy design, these ultra-portable wireless speakers deliver stereo sound for a better music listening experience and also feature microphones for hands-free calling.

Great for use with laptops, tablets, smartphones, or any other Bluetooth-enabled device, the speakers – once paired with the device – can be separated from each other by up to 15 feet, and can be placed up to 33 feet away from the tablet or smartphone itself. Each speaker is equipped with a rechargeable lithium polymer battery which charges in 3 ½ hours and lasts for up to eight hours of continuous playtime, 240 hours (10 days) on standby.

A handy zip-up carrying case makes traveling easy and keeps the iharmonix Q-i-sound speakers protected when you're on-the-go.

The iharmonix Q-i-sound Bluetooth speakers by Qmadix will be available in either black or white on April 2, 2012. They have an MSRP of $139.99.

New PENTAX Optio VS20 Features 20X Zoom, Two Shutter Buttons

jessica — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 19:30:48 +0000

PENTAX added a new compact superzoom digital camera to its arsenal this week – the Optio VS20 featuring a 20X optical zoom lens (28-560mm equivalent). This camera also has a unique design – it features a shutter release button on both the top and side of the camera which gives it added stability at long optical zooms, as well as a more comfortable grip when shooting portraits, high-rise buildings, sports action, and panorama frames. There's even a vertical tripod socket for stabilized vertical support.

Additional features:

A 16.0 megapixel CCD sensor with mechanical sensor shift Shake Reduction for stabilized, blur-free images even in low lighting
A large 3.0 inch, wide view (approx. 170 degrees) LCD for easy image capture and review
Auto Picture mode that automatically chooses the best camera settings
Triple Shake Reduction (SR) for sharp, blur-free images and video
A new Handheld Night Snap mode captures images with minimal blur and noise in low light settings
Other new scene modes including Fish-eye, Sketch modes and a Stretch filter for more creative options

The PENTAX Optio VS20 will be available in noble black and brilliant white on www.pentaxwebstore.com for $249.95 in February 2012.

ASUS B23E 12.5-inch High-End Ultraportable Announced

David Novak — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:47:53 +0000

A lot of new notebooks are coming out of CES 2012, and ASUS seems to be leading the pack with their new Ultrabook line. But it's also got a high-end ultraportable ready to go for business users as well. This device is known as the B23E and will be available with Intel Core i3, Core i5, or Core i7 processors under the hood, complete with a 12.5-inch 1366 x 768 pixel LED backlit anti-glare display. Its ultra-simple profile and black hood look the part for your everyday computing action in the office or in the home.

The ASUS B23E business Ultrabook also features 8GB of RAM and a maximum 750GB hard drive in a magnesium-aluminum alloy case. Other expected Pro-series niceties are also in tow, including a spill-proof keyboard and an anti-shock mounted hard disk. Additionally, it will connect along 802.11n WiFi, Bluetooth, and gigabit Ethernet. Of course there's also a single USB 3.0 port, one USB 2.0 port, and a USB/eSATA combo port. Inside you'll find such business oriented gems as LoJack, BIOS password protection, and a fingerprint reader. The whole package comes with a magnesium alloy case and the contents are protected with an anti-shock hard drive. It also has a three-cell 4,400mAh battery, which should provide plenty of juice.

The ASUS B23E not flashy, but will certainly get the job done. It'll run Windows 7 Home, Professional, or Ultimate operating systems. The version with Windows 7 Home Premium and an Intel Core i7 processor will cost you between $922 and $999 USD, and it is available now.

Check out the specs below...

Specifications:

Processor	Intel Core i7 2640M Processor Intel Core i5 2540M/2450M Processor Intel Core i3 2350M/2330M Processor
Operating System	Genuine Windows 7 Ultimate Genuine Windows 7 Professional Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium Genuine Windows 7 Home Basic This version contains all product updates (SP1)
Chipset	Intel QM67 Express Chipset
Memory	DDR3 1333 MHz SDRAM, 2 x SO-DIMM socket for expansion up to 8 GB SDRAM
Display	12.5″ 16:9 HD (1366×768) LED Backlight anti-glare
Graphic	Integrated Intel HD Graphics 3000
Storage	2.5″ SATA 750GB 5400rpm/7200rpm 640GB 5400rpm 500GB 5400rpm/7200rpm 320GB 5400rpm
Card Reader	5 -in-1 card reader ( SD/ MS/ MS Pro/ xD/ MMC)
Camera	2 Mega Pixel web camera
Networking	Integrated 802.11 b/g/n Built-in Bluetooth V3.0+HS 10/100/1000 Base T
Interface	1 x Microphone-in jack 1 x Headphone-out jack (SPDIF) 1 x VGA port/Mini D-sub 15-pin for external monitor 1 x USB 3.0 port(s) 1 x USB 2.0 port(s) 1 x RJ45 LAN Jack for LAN insert 1 x HDMI 1 x E-SATA (USB2.0 Combo) Ports 1 x Express card 1 x Smart Card
Audio	Built-in Speakers And Microphone
Battery	3Cells 4400 mAh 48 Whrs
Power Adapter	Output: 19 V DC, 3.95 A, 75 W Input: 100 -240 V AC, 50/60 Hz universal
Dimensions	30.5 x 20.6 x 2.8 cm (WxDxH)
Weight	1.55 kg (with 3 cell battery)
Security	Kensington lock LoJack BIOS Booting User Password Protection HDD User Password Protection and Security Intel Anti-theft TPM (Trusted Platform Module) (Optional)
Certificates	UL, TUV, CE Marking Compliance, FCC Compliance, BSMI, CCC, CB, EPEAT, EU Flower, Energy star
Manufacturer Warranty	2-year limited International hardware warranty. *different by country On-line problem resolution through web interface (BIOS, Driver update) OS (Windows 7) install/uninstall consultation Bundled software install/uninstall consultation
Note	*¹ in selected territories

GM Reinvents Backseat Entertainment with Interactive Windows

jessica — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:55:40 +0000

Are "smart windows" in our future? GM challenged students from the FUTURE LAB at Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Israel to develop a new concept in backseat entertainment technology that…get this…uses the windows themselves!

GM's "Windows of Opportunity" (WOO) project gave researchers and students from FUTURE LAB free reign to design applications that will turn car windows into interactive displays for rear seat passengers. What they came up with is amazing!

The apps include:

Otto, an animated character projected over passing scenery that responds to real-time car performance, weather and landscape. With Otto, passengers can learn about their environment in fun, playful ways.
Foofu, an app that allows passengers to create, explore and discover through finger drawing on window steam.
Spindow, an app that provides its users a peek into other users’ windows around the globe in real time.
Pond, an app that allows passengers to stream and share music with other cars on the road, downloads favorite tracks, and share messages with other passengers on the road.

The students produced a functional prototype of a rear passenger seat and side window to demonstrate these apps. They used motion and optical sensor technology developed by EyeClick to turn standard window glass into a multi-touch and gesture sensitive surface.

Unfortunately, GM has no immediate plans to put interactive display windows into production vehicles, but if they were put into automotive production they would likely use electronically charged "smart glass" technology, which is sometimes used in architectural and display applications.

Check out the video and press release:

GM Explores Backseat Entertainment Using Windows GM Explores Windows of Opportunity

University project envisions smart interactive windows for rear passengers

DETROIT – Got backseat boredom? DVD players and Game Boys are so five years ago, but a new concept in rear seat entertainment technology that uses the windows themselves could replace squirminess and snoozing with interactive scribbling, sweeping and pinching.

General Motors Research and Development put that challenge before researchers and students from the FUTURE LAB at Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Israel. The task: Conceptualize new ways to help rear seat passengers, particularly children, have a richer experience on the road.

The Windows of Opportunity (WOO) Project was inspired by psychological studies indicating car passengers often feel disconnected from their environment, GM asked the Bezalel students to turn car windows into interactive displays capable of stimulating awareness, nurturing curiosity and encouraging a stronger connection with the world outside the vehicle.

"Traditionally, the use of interactive displays in cars has been limited to the driver and front passenger, but we see an opportunity to provide a technology interface designed specifically for rear seat passengers," said Tom Seder, GM R&D lab group manager for human-machine interface. "Advanced windows that are capable of responding to vehicle speed and location could augment real world views with interactive enhancements to provide entertainment and educational value."

Since GM has no immediate plans to put interactive display windows into production vehicles, the R&D team gave free reign to the Bezalel students to create applications without concern whether they could be mass produced. Bezalel is Israel’s oldest institute of higher education and one of the more prestigious schools of its kind in the world.

The apps include:

Otto, an animated character projected over passing scenery that responds to real-time car performance, weather and landscape. With Otto, passengers can learn about their environment in fun, playful ways.
Foofu, an app that allows passengers to create, explore and discover through finger drawing on window steam.
Spindow, an app that provides its users a peek into other users’ windows around the globe in real time.
Pond, an app that allows passengers to stream and share music with other cars on the road, downloads favorite tracks, and share messages with other passengers on the road.

To demonstrate these apps, the students produced a full scale functional prototype of a rear passenger seat and side window. The students used motion and optical sensor technology developed by EyeClick to turn standard window glass into a multi-touch and gesture sensitive surface.

If such interactive windows were put into automotive production they likely would use electronically charged “smart glass” technology, which is capable of variable states of translucence and transparency, and can reflect projected images. Smart glass is increasingly used in architectural and display applications, but outside of movies like Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol is rarely seen in cars.

"Projects like WOO are invaluable, because working with designers and scholars from outside of the automotive industry brings fresh perspective to vehicle technology development," said Omer Tsimhoni, lab group manager for human-machine interface, GM Advanced Technical Center in Israel. "WOO is just one of many projects underway at GM that could reinvent the passenger experience in years to come."

General Motors Co. (NYSE:GM, TSX: GMM) and its partners produce vehicles in 30 countries, and the company has leadership positions in the world's largest and fastest-growing automotive markets. GM’s brands include Chevrolet and Cadillac, as well as Baojun, Buick, GMC, Holden, Isuzu, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety, security and information services, can be found at http://www.gm.com.

Epson Announces the MegaPlex Big Game Giveaway

jessica — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 10:00:00 +0000

Where will you be watching the Big Game? How would you like to view it using your very own Epson MegaPlex MG-850HD projector? Epson has announced a new giveaway on Facebook, with a chance to win the Epson MegaPlex MG-850HD Projector!

Whether you're a Giants or Patriots fan, you'll want to experience this year's Big Game like never before – on the big screen with the Epson MegaPlex MG-850HD Projector. Delivering crisp 720p high-definition resolution, football fans no longer have to worry about missing a field goal, tackle or interception by their favorite team.

The MegaPlex MG-850HD makes it easy than ever to watch movies, view presentations, share photos, or enjoy content saved on portable devices on a big screen. With a built-in digital dock, you can easily project, play and charge an iPod, iPhone, or iPad, or share high quality imagery from a variety of devices – from smartphones, PCs and tablets to gaming consoles and more. Equipped with two built-in 10W stereo speakers, MegaPlex also delivers great audio sound and can even be used separately as a speaker dock.

To enter, all you have to do is "like" Epson's Facebook page! The giveaway ends on January 31, 2012. Get full details at www.facebook.com/EpsonAmerica.

CES 2012 and Consumer Robotics: Informative yet confusing... and bad food!

jessica — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:11:09 +0000

by Frank Tobe, Editor, The Robot Report

CES 2012 was a mammoth display of the trend toward smart, connected devices for every form of consumer activity: toys, appliances, entertainment, health, mobility, etc. More than 20,000 new products were launched at this year’s CES and a large portion of them could be considered "smart."

"Smart" (robotic-like) products profess to add value, assure safety, and provide convenience through connectivity... claims that in many cases are true, particularly with in-car infotainment systems.

3,100 exhibitors, 1.86 million sq ft of exhibition space, 153,000 attendees of which 34,000 were international and only one good food stand (Nathan's hot dogs – you can't ruin a Nathan's hot dog). Massive crowding, slow moving, loud, extravagant and wonderful. Thin TVs – so thin they looked like they couldn't stand up by themselves without bending – 3D with and without glasses, projectors, smart appliances, and apps for everything from TVs to refrigerators to scales.

Consumer robotics represented a very small part of CES but had the same combination of glitz, glamour, marvelous stuff, misrepresentation, uninspiring products and hidden gems, just like the rest of CES. Robotics Trends hosted a Robotics Tech Zone but the action was well beyond their purview because many of the companies wanted to emphasize their consumer orientation instead of highlighting the robotic.

One of the most interesting areas was focused on Digital Health - where one could easily see benefits from sensors and smart apps providing data for the cloud to process and selectively inform doctors or users of the results, and progress over time. The highlight of the area was Life Technologies $150,000 Ion Proton Genetic Sequencer, which, by the end of the year, will be able to sequence an entire human genome for about $1,000 in a few hours. Digital Health was also the only area where research was shown and where the NSF/Carnegie Mellon University Quality of Life Technology booth was located, an area packed with healthcare inventions and eager young inventors. Few fell under the robotics umbrella (most were digital apps and devices) except these three:

Romibo, a do-it-yourself robot for therapy, education and play.
PerMMA, a personal mobility and manipulation appliance for power wheelchair users.
Myomo, rehabilitation robotics and interactive gaming systems for stroke victim rehab.

Certainly the most publicity went to Tosy Robotics, a Vietnamese manufacturer of robotic and high-tech toys, for the launch of their new mRobo, a transformer-type boom-box entertainment robot with a two-hour meet-and-greet by teen heartthrob Justin Bieber.

Tosy also showed their other robotic toys: DiscoRobo, a dance to the beat with lights toy, and Sket-Robo, a robot that draws.

Cubelets, $160, by Modular Robotics, had a small booth and a big hit for their educational robot construction kit. These magnetic blocks can be snapped together to make an endless variety of robots with no programming and no wires. Since each cube has unique functions, you can build robots that drive around on a tabletop and respond to light, sound and temperature.

Parrot, a French manufacturer of hands-free wireless devices for cars and phones, was the hit of CES 2010 with their AR.Drone, a quadcopter with two cameras that is driven from an iPhone or iTouch. This year they upgraded the camera to enable hi-def video, improved their software for still and video capture, and added a range of games and customization accessories... all shown at a huge outdoor booth at CES.

iRobot launched their Roomba, Scooba, Verro and Looj vacuums, floor washers, pool cleaners and gutter cleaning robots at previous CES's, but at this CES they only had office visits for demos and marketing where they were also showing off their AVA concept robot and promoting their partnership with InTouch Health, a provider of telepresence collaboration for doctors, nurses, paramedics and patients and a place where iRobot's lower cost AVA robots could be armed with InTouch Health's hospital experiences and enable the resulting systems to be available to a larger audience.

More than 7 million robot vacuum cleaners have been sold thus far with real competition for iRobot showing up recently with a flurry of similar cleaners - all displayed at CES:

Look-alikes: (from left to right): Techko Maid, Agait, Ecovacs, xRobot, iclebo and Ottoro

iRobot Roomba, LG RoboKing, Samsung Tango

The big news is that both Samsung and Ecovacs (above) offer a self-emptying dustbin option.

But LG and Samsung entered the arena, and, with their large consumer client base, vast manufacturing and marketing resources, and an array of add-on features, has been selling their vacuums in Asia and Europe; not yet in the US. iRobot should feel their presence very soon.

Another consumer products manufacturer (of home theater systems), South Korean Moneual, also sells a robot vacuum and a more interesting $1,000 home mobile air filter / security device. The mobile air filter is also designed as a safety system for the elderly, it connects with a wrist band that can detect a fall and can call for help if one occurs.

A skinless Pleo showing it's complex innards Pleo, the baby robotic dinosaur, was represented by both the seller (Innvo Labs) and the manufacturer (Jetta Co. Ltd.) that reincarnated the old bankrupt company, and was showing the new Pleo rb (reborn), with accessories and software enhancements.

Amongst the pseudo robotic products were three which act as a pedestal for the camera and video functions of iPhones and swivel or have wheels or tracks to move as wirelessly directed:

Xybotyx, a Colorado start-up, is launching a $111 wheeled platform and app for your iPhone that lets you drive your phone wirelessly.
Swivl by Satarii, is a $159 stationary platform for your iPhone camera or video. It swivels to follow you or can be remote controlled.
Romo by Romotive, is a $99 tracter-like iPhone holder which can stream video to your PC and also dance to music on your iPhone.

Karotz, by Violet (a subsidiary of Aldebaran, the builder of the Nao robot), announced the launch of their Karotz "intelligent internet companion" into the U.S. market with a $99 special price for the rabbit and 30% off all accessories. Ideal for learning how to develop apps with voice recognition and Internet connectivity, and now with Aldebaran stewardship, this interesting little device may hold a key to the future of human-robot communication.

Other vendors under the robotic umbrella included:

(from left to right): Windoro, Sphero, Ladybug, Mantarobot, Paro, Crawler

Windoro, from Ilshim Global, a window washing device.
Sphero, by Orbotix, a robotic ball controlled from your phone.
Ladybug, by JS-Robotics, a bug-like mobile device with collision avoidance sensors.
Mantaro telepresence robot, a mobile Skype platform using your own iPhone or iPad.
Paro [], the therapeutic furry seal-like bot for hospitals and eldercare.
Crawler, by Topy Industries, an experimental tractor-like base for search and rescue.

Not exactly robotic, but for prototyping and DIY'ers, there were three 3D printers of note: Makerbot announced their new $1,750 two-color 3D printer, Essential Dynamics showed their $3,000 Imagine Printer that prints with a whole host of materials, including food, chocolates, silicone, cheese, epoxy, organics, etc., and the Cube from Cubify which offers both a $1,300 3D printer and also a service for those that just want to send their designs in and get back the finished product.

So there you have it -- 25+ robot vendors focused on consumer products -- less than 1% of CES -- and perhaps only one or two to rave about. Maybe next year....

by Frank Tobe, Editor, The Robot Report

Nike+ FuelBand Preview

David Novak — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:24:10 +0000

Nike has announced the Nike+ FuelBand. The bracelet is similar to others you may have seen before which includes the Jawbone UP. Nike has a slightly different approach with this device and uses a calorie counter on a display. The device connects via Bluetooth to an iPhone or can be synced by USB and can be monitored online so that you can set goals and track those goals.

The +FuelBand is much in the vain of the original Nike+ SportBand, except boasts a more attractive 20 LED dot-matrix display and can measure activity in a new unit the company calls NikeFuel. That latter bit is a normalized score that, unlike calories, awards equal points for the same activity regardless of physical makeup.

The system uses an interesting method of telling you how you are progressing through the day. If you are not moving enough then the band lets you know with a series of lights. If they burn green then all is well, likewise if they drop to red then you need to get more active. On the technical side, the band tracks activity by what it calls Oxygen Kinetics, which looks at a mixture of signals to give an accurate reading of activity.

Nike looks to have done a good job with the +FuelBand. At the moment it costs $149.99 and is available in the US only, although Nike is taking email addresses for those interested out of the US.

Check out the video and full press release...

NIKE Announces New NIKE+ FuelBand –Measuring Movement to Make Life A Sport

New York, New York – NIKE, Inc. (NYSE:NKE) announced today the NIKE+ FuelBand, an innovative wristband that tracks and measures everyday movement to motivate and inspire people to be more active. Activities can now be measured through a new metric called NikeFuel: the more active you are, the more NikeFuel you earn.

NIKE, Inc. President & CEO Mark Parker unveiled NIKE+ FuelBand at an event in New York attended by seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong, Oklahoma City scoring champion and all-star Kevin Durant and 2011 IAAF women's 100-meter World Champion Carmelita Jeter.

"The NIKE+ FuelBand is a way for Nike to further evolve the exciting possibilities of merging the physical and digital worlds," said Parker. "Nike has always been about inspiring athletes, and the NIKE+ FuelBand will help motivate them in a simple, fun and intuitive way."

Designed to be worn throughout the day, the ergonomic, user-friendly NIKE+ FuelBand uses accelerometry to provide information about different activities through movement of the wrist via a LED dot matrix display. Four metrics are available: Time, Calories, Steps and NikeFuel. Unlike calorie counts, which vary based on someone's gender and body type, NikeFuel is a normalized score that awards equal points for the same activity regardless of physical makeup.

Users set a daily goal of how active they want to be, and how much NikeFuel they want to achieve. The NIKE+ FuelBand displays a series of 20 LED lights that go from red-to-green as the user gets closer to their goal. The FuelBand syncs with the Nike+ website through a built-in USB, or wirelessly through Bluetooth to a free iPhone app, to record activity and track progress every day. The app interface also provides encouragement and motivation as goals are achieved.

Armstrong said, "What's great about the idea of NikeFuel and the FuelBand is the way it provides real information and numbers to show how much people are doing all day, every day. That's what will get people challenging themselves to do more and better their own scores. It's a tool to get people more active."

"NikeFuel means everyone can get recognition for activities they do," said Durant. "It provides a scoreboard for your day and gets everyone moving."

Jeter said, "You don't have to be an elite athlete to appreciate how NikeFuel can motivate you. It's an easy way to get credit for activities and compare how you do with others, even if you take part in different sports.

The Nike+ Fuelband will be available for preorder starting January 19th in the US at Nikestore.com for a suggested retail price of $149 (US).

To use Nike+ FuelBand, the following is needed:

A Macintosh or PC with built-in USB. Mac OS v 10.4 or later, Windows 7 or Windows Vista (SP2) or Windows XP (SP2)
Internet access. Broadband is recommended.
Optional mobile app available in the iTunes App store; for updates on compatible mobile devices, visit Nikeplus.com