The Fitbit is a slim gadget with OLED display that clips on to you anywhere, from jean pocket to shirt collar depending on what your comfort is. The motion sensors within the clip monitor the length and intensity of your daily physical activity, as well as distance, steps taken and calories burned. Even while you sleep the Fitbit counts how long it took to fall asleep, how many times you woke up in the night, and how long you were actually asleep for. 

So how does this help you? Coupled with PC/Mac compatible software, the Fitbit stores the information from your daily routine and allows you to see where your routine is good, and where it could improve. What’s more is the Fitbit website also helps you track calorie intake to help awareness at an even higher level, alongside family and friends. 

The complete kit comes with the Fitbit, related software, a dock for recharging, a sleep wristband and belt holster. The individual clip can last for at least 10 days without needing to be recharged while its wireless feature allows information to be easily uploaded to the computer when the clip is within 20-25 feet. On its own however, the Fitbit can store calorie burn and sleep data for up to 7 days and daily steps and distance for up to 30 days. 

The basic idea for the Fitbit is that of a high-tech pedometer, but with an accuracy of up to 97% and the technology to monitor sleep on the level of polysomnograms and energy measurement devices used in clinical research. While the Fitbit doesn’t do much for cycling or swimming, it is perfect for the person who just wants to know how they can modify their daily routine for a better life. Try taking the stairs or walking to the store. Little things like this can go a long way, and the Fitbit can help you get there. 

You can preorder the Fitbit on their website for just $99, but as a savvy consumer I’d rather take the time to see how the Fitbit does on the fitness market before making the investment. All in all, though, the Fitbit is a smart piece of fitness equipment.

With the recent jump into the pool, Speedo is just one of many companies that has taken the iPod a bit further.

The Aquabeat is just one of many MP3 player designed for the pool. Instead of purchasing a bulky waterproof case for your iPod, the Aquabeat lets swimmer’s hear their favorite tunes without the worry of destroying an expensive piece of equipment. With a 9-hour battery and a 1GB memory, the Aquabeat hardly reaches the iPod’s memory capacity, but is accommodated to a swimmer’s needs. With features like buoyancy for easy retrieval in the pool, additional waterproof headphones, and a shorter headphone wire, the Aquabeat is tailored for its target audience.

The Aquabeat is a Speedo-designed MP3 player, quite a stretch for a company more known for its swimwear and athletic clothing than its electronics. The player costs $150 and comes with headphones and a carrier case, but no apparatus for attaching the player during a swim.

Other rival players include the Freestyle, a 1GB player with up to 30 hours of battery power and both PC and Mac compatible. But the Freestyle is not just for swimming, but is an all-around athletic player, being shockproof with anti-skip technology. It also comes in two styles, on lanyard-based and another with an armband, giving it a bonus in comparison to Aquabeat.

But perhaps the most serious MP3 player is the NuTech Dolphin 1GB player. At roughly $100, the Dolphin is designed specifically for athletic swimming with a small cylindrical design and head-mounted feature. It only weighs 25g and provides up to 8 hours of playtime. The headphones are also designed to stay firmly in the ear during rigorous exercises.

Of course, actually wearing an MP3 player during competition is extreme, many athletes find music helps them get energized and psyched both during practice and before a race. Who knows what we’ll throw into the pool next?

Full comparisons of these models and others can be found at NextTag.com.

But salvation has come with the advent of wireless headphones. Wireless is everywhere these days, from your Wi-Fi to new wireless eclectic buses, why not put it where it really counts? Using a Bluetooth receiver that plugs into your iPod or MP3 player, these beauties are able to transfer your music without the tangles of a cord.

For someone as prone to tangled cords as myself, I was excited to try them. After a bit of research, I decided to invest in the Logitech FreePulse, which now runs about $100. I was looking for something small and sleek, as my primary activity when using headphones is exercise. The Free Pulse were about as sleek as I could find, a model that wraps around the back of the neck with on-ear speakers.

There were some real perks I was looking forward to, like integrated controls, which allowed me to change the volume or song without fishing my iPod from my bag. Unfortunately, this also meant keeping the hold button off, making it easy for my iPod to hit something in my bag and change songs. While jogging, this wasn’t much of an issue, but on the bus this drawback proved to be more of a nucence that I would have liked.

There were other small annoyances as well, such as the fact that with my iPod skin, the Bluetooth transmitter was not securely attached to by iPod, making it pop off and once again I would loose sound, or even the fact that the headphones and receiver need to be charged in order to transmit or receive a Bluetooth signal, making it almost a vampire electronic in comparison to regular no-charge headphones. It was simply extra energy, both to charge and to use.

But I have to admit, the sound quality was great, certainly not what my poor earbuds provided. For lounging around the house, or even working outside, it was easy to put down my iPod and walk off. With a range of up to 30 feet, I could roam my whole apartment without loosing sound or annoying my roommates.

In the end, it was a good experimental investment, but not quite for my taste. I think now I’ll just wait for the price on wireless earbuds to come down a bit.

Take the Nike+ SportBand, for instance. This watch-like device gets strapped to your wrist and monitors distance, pace, time, and the amount of calories burned. The SportBand accomplishes this feat by using a detachable LINK that is then placed in the Nike+ ready footwear. The LINK itself can be plugged directly into your PC via USB. The running data can then be uploaded to the Nike+ community where further options become available, such as progress tracking, either against oneself or others. The website offers dynamic graphs that depict runner’s stats and can display weekly and monthly totals. You can tell already that Nike really wants to become your digital coach and trainer. So it comes as no surprise that in conjunction with the release of Nike+ SportBand, Nike is also launching Nike+ Coach.

Nike+ Coach will offer a variety of tools for your disposal, for beginners to more advanced runners. For those just starting out, the coaching system provides training programs for 5km, 10km, half-marathon and full-marathon. For those looking beyond introductory training, the system also provides editable training programs that allow advanced runners to tweak settings to optimize results.

Other features of the online system include the ability to set virtual goals which other community members, friends or otherwise, can compete towards. Over the next few months Nike plans to introduce team-oriented programs that allow members to monitor the performance of others within their team as well as providing a system for competition between teams.

All in all, Nike is asserting itself as a powerful ally in any exercise routine and the SportBand further integrates itself into your running lifestyle. And while it won’t make running any easier, it will keep your goals in sight, giving you the motivation to work harder and run faster.

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