Staying fit, the Big Brother way

This whole workstation fitness thing is getting out of hand. It's bad enough that some employers would have us working out at the desk, but now a monitoring equipment is being developed so that they can keep track of our physical state at all times.

Exmocare's BT2 system monitors heart rate, body temperature, and other vitals with Bluetooth devices strapped to the wrist that send regular reports wirelessly for supervisors to peruse, according to Gadget Venue. Although it's sure to be touted as a safety mechanism in workplaces where employee health might be compromised, it's about as high on the Orwellian scale as you can get.

What happens, for example, if a pulse rate soars when a worker views an unauthorized Web site? Not that we'd know anything about that, of course. But still.

Via Crave CNET

A device that adds hyperlinks to paper text

If this isn't an argument to ditch paper and read exclusively online, we don't know what is. The Korean-made Dixau is a gadget that scans text and then displays it on a computer screen, adding supplemental information provided by Google searches, Wikipedia references, and any dictionary of choice.

But if the only reason for using it is to get the definition of unfamiliar words, this is a depressing example of both laziness and illiteracy. It's not clear if the device works in English or other languages, according to Dvice, but it would make more sense if they included a built-in translator anyway.

Via Crave CNET

A high-stakes game of golf sim

The popular boys' game of golf has, not surprising, finally gone online along the lines of Microsoft Live and Sony's PlayStation Live. Which is great news for golf-mad players and Tiger Woods fanboys. All you need is to gut out a room measuring at least 13ft wide by 20ft long, with a ceiling 10.5ft high, and chump change of about US$55,000.

For that kind of green, Full Swing Golf's simulator will turn your bunker into a setting for 54 of the world's best courses, with options ranging from the Old Course at St. Andrews to Pebble Beach, all in photo-realistic 3D modelling. And as you tee off with your own clubs, two 360-degree infrared curtains record the flight, speed and direction of your golf ball to simulate flight and the final landing place.

But the highlight has to be the online mode which lets you compete in online tournaments if these are available, or play over the Web against your buddies. The ultimate golf sim? Well, if you can afford a rich man's game of golf, you can certainly afford this. The rest of you can just be spectators. Tough.

Via Ballerhouse

A loveseat for the romantic gamer

There are plenty of ways to enjoy game simulators that have more than one seat, but they're almost always of the bucket variety for one-on-one competition. Sometimes, however, there may be an occasion to share the experience on a bench.

Enter the vibrating RumbleSeat from BoomChair. It's kind of a loveseat for gamers that can provide, as Chip Chick says, either double the fun or double the queasiness. One convenient feature is that it can be hooked up wirelessly, which might avoid some equipment damage if things get out of hand. And for those of you who think two's a crowd, there's always the solitary BoomPod.

Via Crave CNET

Pimped-out motorized barstool racers

You can trust Extreme Toys for Boys to come up with the most ludricrous gizmos. Like this pimped-out Flying Barstool (US$2,250).

It's a bit of a misnomer since the only thing flying would be the former occupant of the barstool as he hurls (literally and figuratively) into orbit on collision with another inebriated racer. All in, a very bad idea making those barstools more mobile than plastered imbibers can handle. Collateral damages aside, this is way too much fun not to try out at least once. Pub hopping should also be easy-peasy since you only have to park yourself at the next bar counter. The only speed bump in the road would be getting the current occupant off so you can have a turn at it.

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