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A series of Motorola patents recently made public reveal that the company has given some thought to incorporating biometric monitors into Bluetooth headsets and adding touch sensitive controls to the ROKR S9. Actually, there are two different versions of the biometric Bluetooth headset, both of which utilize a watch-like device to measure heart rate, temperature and other vital signs then transmit them to a cellphone and on to a distant server.

To be honest, I don’t think the world really needs a Bluetooth headset, heart rate monitor combo—but a modified S9 that would allow users to increase volume, change tracks or answer calls with touch sensitive panels seems promising. However, like any other patent application, there is no guarantee either of these products will ever see the light of day. [Cellpassion]

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Filed under: Gaming

From the get-go, Nintendo’s latest console was seen as a dream come true for folks who’d love to lose a few pounds, yet would rather log a few hours on the couch rather than the track. Shortly after the Wii Fit’s launch, we’re already seeing another wave of dedicated users reporting weight loss, and the trend is even bleeding into the medical field. According to Sue Stanley-Green, a professor of athletic training at Florida Southern College, the Wii Fit and other fitness-related games have “great potential for core strengthening and rehabilitation and may boost compliance with rehabilitation exercises.” She also noted that these games were “being used more and more in nursing homes,” and particularly with youngsters, titles such as Wii Fit are the only ones that stand a chance at getting them active. We can’t decide if that’s a positive thing or just downright depressing.

[Thanks, Juergen]

Read - Wii Fit in rehab
Read - Wii Fit weight loss

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Getting the low-down on your body fat percentages can involve a scale, calipers, calculator, spreadsheet, and lots of math. Enter the Tanita Ironman Segmental and Full Body Composition monitor. This torture device comes with retractable hand-grip electrodes that measure each body quadrant's water, muscle mass, bone mass, BMR, visceral fat, metabolic age, and physique rating. Engadget Fitness Club (EFC) public service note: keep in mind that electrodes of this sort can be a bit inaccurate based on your water weight. Most fitness experts consider calipers to be the most accurate way to get body composition data even though they're a bear to use. That said, this could be a great long-term monitoring tool if the $299 price tag doesn't scare you off and Wii Fit just isn't doing it for you.

[Via ChipChick]

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Did you see Lam sweating it out in his Wii Fit review? Did that cause you rush out to the store, hands trembling with anticipation, in an attempt to procure one for yourself? Of course it did, but you probably came home empty-handed because the thing was basically sold out weeks before it even launched. And now we know why: the US Dollar sucks, and it’s causing the notoriously conservative Nintendo to shift stock to places like Europe and Japan.

Now, before you go stringing up Nintendo, or do something really rash, like buy a PS3, consider the words of video game journalist go-to guy Michael Pachter.

“The shortage demonstrates one consequence of the weak dollar. We’re seeing companies ignore their largest market simply because they can make a greater profit elsewhere,” Pachter said.

Nintendo’s conservative shift is just good business. According to Pachter, Nintendo has shipped approximately 500,000 copies of Wii Fit to North America, and about 2 million units to Europe. By sending four times as many units to Europe, they are maximizing profits, which at the moment are pretty incredible.

Besides, it’s not as if those American waistlines are going anywhere anytime soon. “They know that Americans will be just as fat a few months from now when Nintendo will have more units available, Pacter said. [LA Times]

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Did you see Lam sweating it out in his Wii Fit review? Did that cause you rush out to the store, hands trembling with anticipation, in an attempt to procure one for yourself? Of course it did, but you probably came home empty-handed because the thing was basically sold out weeks before it even launched. And now we know why: the US Dollar sucks, and it’s causing the notoriously conservative Nintendo to shift stock to places like Europe and Japan.

Now, before you go stringing up Nintendo, or do something really rash, like buy a PS3, consider the words of video game journalist go-to guy Michael Pachter.

“The shortage demonstrates one consequence of the weak dollar. We’re seeing companies ignore their largest market simply because they can make a greater profit elsewhere,” Pachter said.

Nintendo’s conservative shift is just good business. According to Pachter, Nintendo has shipped approximately 500,000 copies of Wii Fit to North America, and about 2 million units to Europe. By sending four times as many units to Europe, they are maximizing profits, which at the moment are pretty incredible.

Besides, it’s not as if those American waistlines are going anywhere anytime soon. “They know that Americans will be just as fat a few months from now when Nintendo will have more units available, Pacter said. [LA Times]

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