200 Medical Animations

The University of Pennsylvania Health System provides nearly 200 video animations and explanations of injuries, diseases, and body systems. The animations, like this one of a balloon angioplasty, are concise which makes them good for general reference purposes.

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A Back-of-the-Hand Touch Interface

The device was designed by Kei Nakatsuma, a PhD student at the University of Tokyo. Combining a series of infrared detectors and piezoelectric sensors, it can detect input on the back of your hand as well as sound input from your gestures. It's not without its limitations; it can handle pinch or rotate gestures just yet, and harsh sunlight makes it harder to see your fingers, but this promises to makes interacting remotely with your smartphone possible.

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August 2011 Podcast

Using Technology in Physical Education podcast for August is posted at http://www.pesoftware.com/podcast/index.html

Motorola Considering Nike+ Sport Watch Contender

It looks like Motorola might be prepping to give the Nike+ SportWatch a run for its money. An intrepid tipster sent along a screenshot from a recent survey showing off what looks like a tricked out nano watch. Described as an "all-in-one fitness and music personal fitness device" (redundant much?) that packs a GPS for "accurate performance tracking," the as of yet unnamed gadget also sports a "smart music player" that compiles a list of songs based on the tunes that help you sweat your best. It also lets you wirelessly sync to your PC for workout analysis, and apparently does the same for Android devices. Among the possible names listed in the survey is the MotoActive, hinting at, but certainly not pinning down, Motorola branding. Of course this is just an online survey, so we wouldn't get too excited about your new running mate just yet.

Take a look: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/27/motorola-considering-nike-sportwatch-contender/

Using Technology in Physical Education NEwsletter

Just posted Using Technology in Physical Education Newsletter - August edition at http://www.pesoftware.com/technews/news.html

MacBook Air

There comes a time when that giant, corporate-issued laptop stops fitting into your lifestyle. When dragging around a Kensington roller case just won't do. When you start to hear the siren lilt of something thinner, lighter, and maybe a bit more alluring. For years the MacBook Air has been that svelte temptress hollering your name, but it's always been a bit too slow -- all show and no go. It didn't have the power and the longevity to make it a serious contender for your serious affections.

Take a look: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/25/macbook-air-review-mid-2011/

Garmin Forerunn 610

Getting into shape is hard! A good gadget can distract you from the drudgery of exercise. Like the Forerunner 610, a shiny and impressive watch to make you forget about that aneurysm as you delve into its mighty feature set.
Why It Matters

Garmin's newest Forerunner is a great hybrid. It's a fitness tracker that clocks your speed and distance using GPS, as well as your heart rate, calories burned, elevation, and basically every major data point you need as a runner. But it's also svelte and stylish and could pass as a normal wristwatch.
Using It

The watch is largely idiot resistant, if not proof. It has three buttons on the edges, as well as a touchscreen. One button activates the start/stop, another checks off laps, the third turns it off. You can use the touchscreen to cycle through screens as you run, swapping from time, to speed, for example. You can turn the GPS off indoors to save the rechargeable battery (or it can do that automatically if it doesn't get a signal). When you get back inside from a run or a ride, it will automatically upload data to Garmin's Website, so you can crunch the numbers from your run.

Check it out:

http://gizmodo.com/5825377/garmin-forerunner-610-runs-fast-but-touched-me-in-a-bad-place