I can tell you that I look towards the holiday with trepidation. I have been slowly chipping away the pounds throughout the year and am now looking down the barrel of some great "eating" opportunities.

I have my favorite side dishes for Thanksgiving and know some great breakfast spots that I like to hit over that long weekend. And then we enter the end of the year celebrations with Christmas and New Years. Again, there is tons of great snacking opportunities and big dinners with friends and family!

Did I mention that I love food?

So I will need every tool I can muster to help fight these pounds from building up. Sure, I will try to eat in moderation but lets look at some great tools and potential gift ideas for friends and family to help encourage a healthy lifestyle.

Probably my favorite tool for keeping me focused is my trusty Fitbit. And the crew at Fitbit has introduced a new version called the Fitbit One ($99). This device is a little thing you clip onto your belt or pocket and it monitors your activity level throughout the day. It will measure the number of steps, calories burned, distance traveled and the number of flights of stairs you climb. If you wear it at night, it will tell you number of hours you slept and will even measure the quality of your sleep.

The original version required you to dock to your computer to charge and transfer your data to Fitbit.com's data tracking site. This new version accomplishes this wirelessly and can even talk directly to your Bluetooth 4.0 enable device like the latest iPhone and iPads.

I really find this device is a motivator that helps you keep yourself active. But if you need extra encouragement, you can share and compete with your friends on your progress.

The Fitbit One has just begun shipping as I write this. You can order it on Amazon.

While I am talking about FitBit, they have also introduced their new Aria Smart WiFi body weight scale that can track your weight, body mass index (BMI) and percent of body fat. The scale allows you to track trends, set weight goals, earn badges online or via your smarthphone.

The Aria automatically recognizes up to 8 users and interfaces with the above mentioned FitBit.com website. The site can also help you log food, workouts and set weight goals with daily calorie planning.

Fitbit has also released a lower-cost version called the Fitbit Zip that comes in five fun colors and relies on a replaceable coin-type battery for $59.

There are other products in the category that track your activity that you could checkout such as the Nike Fuel Band and Jawbone UP (2.0) but neither of these have knocked my socks off from the quality of execution between the hardware features and software.

Some other great fitness product recommendations:

Polar FT Fitness Watch

Fitness Videogames

Dance Videogames

Larry Pacey, award-winning designer tracks the latest news on consumer products, electronics, appliances, smart devices, networking and the gadget lifestyle.

For the latest news follow me on: ------------------------------ OR ------------------------------- Follow me on Twitter @WouldntMindThis Please comment below and share your thoughts. If you have any feedback or questions, feel free to email me at wouldntmind@gmail.com. Just my 2-cents, Larry

When I stop and look back over the past several days, this has been an awesome week for slick new product announcements...it feels like Christmas is already here! Did everyone try to get their product introductions in time for my birthday to make it hard for me to choose? ;-)

The Kindle is on Fire!
Amazon has announced an update to their color tablet offering called the Kindle Fire HD. This new version is available in both Wi-Fi and 4G LTE configurations. And while Amazon plans to go head-to-head with the Apple offerings, their primary strategy on the original Fire was to compete on price but these new tablets also appear to be focused on technology, loads of content and advanced features. Comparisons between this new Fire HD and the iPad will constantly pop up and rightfully so. When you look at who can provide the full value proposition (content, distribution and platform)...it really lands on Apple's and Amazon's capabilities to deliver the broadest range of services.

From a hardware perspective, the first thing you will notice is the new HD tablet is smaller and lighter than an iPad with its smaller 8.9" display running at a resolution of 1920x1200 pixels or 254 pixels per inch. This display is an inch smaller than the Apple offering but essentially has the same pixel density for clearly rendered graphics and text. The Fire HD also has a very impressive array of processing and communications hardware to keep you on the leading-edge of tablet computing. At its heart, it is still an Android tablet but with Amazon's dedicated wrapper, app and content e-store.

But at the end of the day, Amazon still plans to compete on price. We are talking about a 16 gigabyte Wi-Fi version ($299) which is $200 cheaper than a similarly configured iPad 3. But the killer surprise is the $50 annual wireless carrier pricing on their fully-loaded Kindle Fire HD 4G LTE ($499 for the 32 giga-byte) edition.

There is some new content/application support announced by several development organizations but the superior content library of apps is still on Apple's iTune.

Paperwhite Kindle
Amazon also announced this week the introduction of the most advanced e-reader in the marketplace. This new Paperwhite Kindle offers an entirely new high-resolution, bright white display that is also backlit for reading in darker environments.

For those simply looking for a lightweight e-reader for consuming your book and publication reading...this is a wonderful advancement and well worth a look. There is a Wi-Fi version available for as little at $119 and a no-cost 3G cellular version that starts at $179.

Note: There are two versions of each...the lower priced edition has "Special Offers" promotional advertising on it and for an additional $20 you can get rid of the on-screen ads.

Sony's New CyberShot DSC-RX1
I have regularly extolled the merits of larger camera sensors, especially full-frame sensors (an imaging chip the same size as the old 35mm film) and how most cameras except for the professional Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) cameras tend to have much smaller sensors. The camera marketing and product folks have regularly confused the consumer by announcing large 10+ mega-pixel statements about their cameras but fail to discuss how small each of those pixels really are and thus resulting in lower quality imagery. Don't get me wrong, a decent number of megapixels is important but the size of the sensor can really dictate the quality of the capture.

The big issue challenging the camera industry is that phones are able to take a "good enough" picture on most occasions. And thus it is proving hard to justify the need to purchase or carry another camera. Truth be told, I have been seeing more and more people toting around DSLR cameras as those at least offer a major step up from the camera in their phone. But the camera manufacturers are finally catching on. In the past they have held the full-frame sensor for their top-of-the-line cameras costing $1,000's of dollar. But we are starting to see those old-school walls begin to crack and the all-mighty full-frame and its slightly smaller cousin the APS-C sensor showing up in smaller and more convenient packaging.

The latest is Sony's "big" announcement of the DSC-RX1. The camera features a 24 mega-pixel full-frame sensor, a fixed 35mm F2 (equals very fast and bright) lens and a extremely fast focusing mechanism. Quite simply, this is the smallest full-frame camera that fits in the palm of your hand and not surprising...with all that tech in a small size...comes a very big price :-) This small, professional camera is clocking in at a suggested retail of $2,800!

Sony Alpha NEX-6
Okay, that last Sony threw you for a loop with sticker shock. Yeah, I can totally understand that. So let's look at another product Sony announced this week as the latest addition to their NEX small interchangeable lens cameras. The NEX-6 is a 16 mega-pixel (APS-C sensor) camera that features built-in Wi-Fi, in-camera apps and a 3-inch, ultra-bright OLED back-panel display.

While not pocketable, these cameras offer a good-sized APS-C sensor (next size down from a full-frame but still produces excellent image quality) and interchangeable lens in a much more compact package than a full DSLR. And this NEX-6 fits near the top of the product line with includes the NEX-F3, 5N and 7 with a price just shy of $1,000 with an included 16-50mm zoom lens.

Nikon D600
While still in the realm of cameras, Nikon announced its smallest DSLR that includes a full-frame sensor clearly targeting someone interested in high-quality pictures but not approaching professional or even semi-professional status. The D600 features a 24 mega-pixel resolution, 39-point auto-focusing system and the ability to record 1080p high-definition video at up to 30 frames a second.

This latest Nikon is an impressive camera and has the benefit of leveraging the substantial library of quality lens available for Nikon full-frame and APS-C systems. Expect to pay around $2,700 for the camera body and the 24-85mm zoom lens.

Apple iPhone 5 and new iPods
What would a week of cool new product introductions be without some nice new Apple gear to round things out? What about a bigger, badder and thinner iPhone? How does that sound? Well we are getting all that with the new iPhone 5. A 4-inch Retina display with 326 pixels per inch that provides 18% more pixels while maintaining the same width as the iPhone 4s to make it still easy to hold.

The new iPhone is 18% thinner (7.6mm) and 20% lighter (112 grams) than the 4s. And the new iPhone is fast. It's new A6 CPU is twice as fast as the A5 which helps with launching apps, loading larger file attachments and even surfing the web. Even your network is faster...leveraging the latest 4G LTE cellular networks.

RANT WARNING: There has been a lot of "noise" out there in the media that the iPhone 5 was not an "innovation" and they start talking about how the Samsung Galaxy S3 is more innovative. I do agree that the iPhone has similar styling to the 4 and 4s and the S3 is an all-new slick design. But that is about where the "innovation" of the S3 stops. I know Samsung/Android fans will mention how the Near-Field Communications (NFC) aka: tapping to share capability is cool but it has very little support in the universe and I can understand why Apple didn't jump to support it...yet. Seriously, I use both Android and Apple devices and the focus should be on "great design" and this is where Apple has everyone beat. The eco-system of iTunes, AppStore, AirPlay, iCloud and iOS 6...let alone the introduction of the thinnest smartphone in the world is light-years ahead of any competitor. And it is evolving at an amazing pace with the largest active development and consumer marketplace for digital assets.

The biggest "gotcha" in the new iPhone is it's new Lightning connector that replaces the traditional iPod plug we have used for years. Apple needed to make this move to allow the iPhone to get thinner. Apple is offering adapters to allow you to still use most of your current peripherals.


Apple also updated their iPod line-up in time for the holidays. We have a colorful array including a new iPod Touch that takes advantage of the iPhone 5's 4-inch Retina display and iOS6 updates. Apple is sticking with the A5 processor. We also have a completely redesigned Nano that is roughly the same size as a credit card and just 5.4mm thick. It features a 2.5-inch multi-touch display and is available in seven different colors. The new Nano gains Bluetooth 4.0 as well as new EarPods which is Apple new earbuds that they claim rivals high-end headphones as a pack-in.

Nintendo Wii U
I've covered the introduction of the Wii U earlier this year at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). Well, Nintendo has come forth this week with launch details including pricing, configurations and game details.

The Wii U is a unique product that comes with the traditional console you hook up to your TV. You get a "second-screen" tablet-like controller (GamePad) and can use the original Wii's controllers. It is available in two models. A Black (Deluxe = $350) configuration with 32 gigabytes of storage, the GamePad and a copy of the NintendoLand videogame which is a set of 12 mini-games. The White (Standard - $300) version includes 8 gigabytes of storage, the GamePad but no game and no stands/cradles for the devices.

A novel capability is Nintendo TVii allowing you to find watch TV content on your GamePad. You can search across Wii U Video Entertainment (Netflix, YouTube and Hulu), TV channels and your own TiVo DVR. Now the storage on these devices does seem a bit anemic but Nintendo announced you can "add your own USB hard drive"! This is a positive direction and hopefully other console providers will follow suit.

Nintendo announced 50 titles at launch but here is where things get a bit off track. Yes, there is a slim few Nintendo first-party titles but Mario Bros. U looks promising, NintendoLand is pretty cool and Luigi's Mansion 2 was a welcome late announcement. Lego City should be a hit for the console also. But most of the other titles are already released on Xbox 360 or PS3. I am sure there is a large community of players that only had a Wii and this new platform seems to open up a world of opportunity (more action titles) for them but those of you with the latest Microsoft or Sony platform might not need to rush out and get this console...not just yet.

The Nintendo Wii U will launch on November 18th, 2012. The Black version preorders seems to be sold out from most of the online stores at this time. You'll have too keep an eye out if you want to pick one up.

Conclusion
Pretty exciting week...huh? I am jazzed. I already ordered my iPhone 5, didn't pull the trigger on the Wii U but will probably pick one up at some point and I really think the Paperwhite Kindle is pretty sweet. I didn't mention the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 because it was announce two weeks ago but I do think that it is a slick piece of hardware and bordered on warranting a mention :-)

New Samsung Galaxy Note available on AT&T Wireless

Okay, first of all I have to say is I love the saying "shake a stick at" even though it sounds very violent. But I have to tell you, there are were so many tablets at the show I probably could have used a stick to ward off all the people hawking their tablet offerings. And many people showing a tablet really couldn't tell me why I should choose their tablet over an iPad on depth and breath of content, Kindle Fire on price, the range of form-factors by Samsung or the Asus Transformer Prime on pure horsepower and potentially it's docking keyboard.

I guess it is nice to have a range of competitive offerings to keep pricing in check but for the most part there were way too many companies with tablets. The good news I guess as some of these people fall out with each new wave of introductions, they will probably be selling their excess inventories at below cost and there could be an opportunity there?

But let's just dive into my primer on CES 2012 from the tablets front...

First of all, I am still sticking with my BUY AN IPAD position featured in my "No idea why someone would buy any tablet other than an iPad" article from back in August 2011 for those of you looking to get a great tablet for your couch or late-night web-surfing. My only caveat is that I am expecting a new version of the iPad to be released in the March/April 2012 timeframe and you should wait for that one if possible.

Fujitsu Arrows Tab gets credit for having one thing their competition didn't have. The tablet is waterproof! They even recommend for use in the kitchen or while in the bath tub! Okay, this is not a game-changer but at least they did something. Otherwise, it is a 10.1" dual-core Android, features a fingerprint sensor for easy unlocking and Dolby front-facing speakers. The CPU is definitely under-powered at 1ghz and the Android operating system seems to need more power than that for smooth, everyday operation.

The Lenovo IdeaTab S2 10" tablet was an attractive tablet offering that stood out from many of its competitors. It runs Google's latest edition of Android, has a very robust 1.5Ghz dual core processor and features the easiest to use keyboard dock solution we have seen, similar to the current marketing leading Asus Transformer Prime but seems to snap into place a bit smoother. The IdeaTab S2 is one of the lightest tablets on the market at 1.27 lbs and measures only 8.69mm thick. The keyboard doubles the devices battery life to nearly 20 hours as well as adds a USB and SD card reader port. Overall a nice tablet and offers a range of configurations including 3G and up to 64Gb of memory.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 LTE is an update to one of the original Google Android tablets. The name helps you understand this is of the 7" variety that kinda falls between the larger 9"/10" category and smartphones with their 4"-ish sizes. The new Tab 7.7 has three things going for it. 1) The display is one of Samsung's Super AMOLEDs which are absolutely gorgeous to behold. Bright and vibrant is underselling how this screen glows. 2) It comes with Verizon's 4G LTE connectivity which is fast. 3) The 7" form-factor is more convient for hauling around if that is important to you. The size can also be a liability if you are looking for that extra real estate that the 10" tablets can provide.

Toshiba Excite X10 gets points for quickly changing direction on some key aspects of their tablet offerings from last year. I won't go into detail but last year's model was a beast. Way too thick and heavy. The Excite goes to the complete opposite end of the spectrum where Toshiba claims to have delivered the thinnest and lightest 10" tablet. After holding pretty much every version of tablet on the planet over the past week, I'm going to agree the 1.2 lbs., .3mm thick tablet is bordering on almost too thin. It almost disappear when held to the side. It is also amazing that such a device also includes some of the most physical port connectivity of any tablet on the market today including a USB, a micro-HDMI and a SD card slot! All in all...a very nice package. The tablet is currently sporting last year's Android operating system but Toshiba is indicating they may ship as is and offer an upgrade later. The technology inside the Excite X10 is only a dual-core but it can accomodate Google's Ice Cream Sandwich.

Asus Transformer Prime TF700 was probably the technological tablet marvel of the show. The new version features a 1920x1080 resolution Super IPS+ display versus the 1280x800 resolution of the one that just started shipping. The enhanced resolution is expected to provide for much cleaner and crisper text and smoother visuals overall. Obviously the new stunning display combined with already the leading tablet solution on the market including the Nvidia Tegra quad-core processor for lots of processing power makes for an extremely attractive offering later this year. The rear cover has been reworked to address issues with wi-fi and GPS that proved to be a problem with the original. We are assuming the new version keeps or improves upon the existing 8 mega-pixel rear-facing camera and understand the front facing cameras is updated to a 2 mp version. The Prime also features a MicroSD slot and Micro HDMI output. Other details are less clear but we'll keep our eyes peeled for information as we get closer to its launch. Rumor has it launching within the next 6 months. There is a far bit on consternation from those that already just bought a device and less than 6 months later it is being obsoleted by a much nicer version.

Samsung Galaxy Note was probably my favorite tablet-ish device at the show. I say "tablet-ish" because the Note is of a new 5.3 inch format. Noticeably bigger than a smartphone, can be held in one "big" hand and can be put in a coat pocket and the like. Another great addition is the included "S Pen" which looks like a traditional stylus except is offers 256 degrees of pressure sensitivity allowing for a whole new level of interaction with your device. Ink on your notes or drawings on the screen can change based on the pressure you apply. Push harder and get a bolder, thicker like for highlighting text or for marking up your documents. The device does run an older operating system (Gingerbread/Android 2.3) but all-in-all this was a really different product and nice based on my initial interactions with the device. The device also features the eye-candy HD Super AMOLED display technology from Samsung and AT&T's 4G LTE connectivity.

Apple's iPad 2 was not at the show in official form but it was VERY well represented by halls full of accessories across all different consumer electronic categories. If you walked around at CES you would understand why I am still strongly advocating the iPad. I am talking about Apple's AirPlay compatible devices like speakers, AV receivers, routers and televisions linked up to an AppleTV. Docks, stands, portable chargers with Apple's connector and don't get me started on cases! Now I am still advising that you wait until the rumored iPad 3 gets announced in the coming in roughly the next 60-90 days. But the iOS eco-system of peripherals and apps dwarves the competition and is the only viable solution in the tablet marketplace today unless you have a very specific application or use that one of the other tablet solutions provides. An example is the unique size form-factor of the Samsung Galaxy Note or if you want to take a shower with your Fujitsu Arrows Tab.

I should mention that there is a slew of new Ultrabook (very small and lightweight) laptops that are leveraging the innovations in the shrinking of electronic components for tablets and smartphones into a laptop form-factor. I will cover laptops and their innovations in another piece but there is this category that starts blurring the full PC operating system based solutions with these tablets while tablets move the other way with keyboards and the like. Both platforms have unique advantages and you'll need to evaluate based on your needs which route to go but it does get tricky here in the middle. I'll do a piece in the near future trying to describe this blurring in better detail.

The Microsoft 8 tablets will be coming out later this year and show a fair bit of promise. I'm holding my judgement until I can have some more time to play with one for a while. I am intrigued by the Metro interface and if Microsoft can get the hardware and application support, it might start bridging the gap from tablet to PC. More on this as they get closer to launch.

One last tablet just an FYI...

One-Tablet-Per-Child is the One-Laptop-Per-Child organization's latest effort to develop solutions for economically challenged countries. This solar powered tablet for children is in development but looks very promising for helping to get educational and informational solutions to the farthest reaches of the globe. While still in development, the goal of this extremely worthwhile product effort is to make each tablet for around $100. Quite a worthy cause and great concept!

For additional details, check out my 2012 Consumer Product Trends, some additional summaries like this one for other product categories at WouldntMind.com and specific key product details coming out of CES 2012 at WouldntMind.com News Page.

Larry Pacey, award-winning designer tracks the latest news on consumer products, electronics, appliances, smart devices, networking and the gadget lifestyle.

For the latest news follow me on: ------------------------------ OR ------------------------------- Follow me on Twitter @WouldntMindThis Please comment below and share your thoughts. If you have any feedback or questions, feel free to email me at wouldntmind@gmail.com. Just my 2-cents, Larry

What am I talking about? After sitting through all the big television manufacturers presentations at CES 2012, it is clear that there is a war waging like never before to provide the best solution for watching X-Factor, NCIS or Modern Family. The television manufacturers are really focused on transforming the television into the computing hub of your home.

If I had to dish out a score card for how I believe the different television manufacturers are lined up to provide the best TELEVISION product offerings for 2012, I think it would go something like this...

Panasonic - For some reason I really just get the feeling they are "phoning it in" this year. Someone reading this at Panasonic is going "what the"? I mean they really had a large array of products on display but overall they just didn't evolve as much as others. If you saw the 2011/2012 product comparison demos...you would scratch you head as to the minutiae they were pointing out. Panasonic has a solid staple of incremental improvements in their plasma and LCD products. It is clear they have stuff cooking but this really seems like an off year for them. So much competitive progress in bezels and depth. This pains me to say as I have been a big fan of the plasmas for years but other technology looks to steal the plasma's thunder in the coming year or so. Their connected/internet apps offerings just seem a bit behind the times as well.

Sharp - About the same as Panasonic. Their new LCD televisions are the biggest sized options overall but they really don't seem to be competing on the connected feature offerings. Even though Sharp is pushing the envelop on size, I would challenge that without raising the resolution beyond 1080p...you can really start to notice the pixels. While the content for resolutions beyond 1080 are years off and Sharp plans to pursue these large sizes, they will need to address this "somehow". Bigger is not alway better. Now they did demo a 8K display which is 8,000 pixels wide that would blew you away with its detail and overall clarity (like looking out a window)...but there will be no content at that resolution readily available for another decade!

Vizio - I've been a big fan of how Vizio has really shaken up the television industry and has really driven features and value with some of the best televisions for the dollar out there. But this year it seems that Vizio's eyes have been on getting into new segments and the 2012 line-up just feels a bit underwhelming. More of the same. Still attractive product offerings overall but no advancements like some product offerings you are about to read about.

Sony - Really seems to be addressing their past challenges regarding software and user interface design especially with solutions like the new Google TV offerings. They also demonstrated some new active 3D glasses that are much more lightweight. Sony has developed some new television technology that takes LCD's to 4K resolution but we will be waiting awhile for broadcasters to get to that level...heck we don't even have most channels on cable and satellite at 1080p!

LG - Eager to make strides versus the big Samsung, LG really upped their offering this year and showed an incredible line-up of attractively packaged new LCD products. They also demonstrated a wide range of SMART TV and Google TV offerings with a wide-range of user experiences. We also got a glimpse at a 55" OLED television that combined stunningly vibrant imagery and incredibly thin packaging. These OLEDs look great at the 1080 resolutions of today.

Samsung - This year Samsung raised the bar again. Not only to they have some of the most attractive bezel packages on their LCD televisions, they have really polished up their SMART TV interfaces with new gesture and voice controls. They also demonstrated a 55" OLED TV that looked absolutely amazing. I would argue the Samsung unit has better picture quality than the LG but of course I am not comparing comparable content to be sure. Samsung's marketing team might just make better demo clips. Other than that, this is probably my favorite television at the show and it will be on sale by the end of the year. Now pricing was not announced and I'm sure it is out of all of our price range but it is just nice to know that level of product is making it our way over the coming years.

I'll provide some more details from each of these manufacturers after I have more time to walk their booths and get some more details. I just thought you might be interested in a bit more insight considering that SMART TV's and OLED are hot topics coming out of this year's CES.

And to answer what all those buzz words mean in the headline? Click here for some light reading...OLED, IPS, 4K. Email me if you need more information about these technologies.

For additional details, check out my 2012 Consumer Product Trends, some additional summaries like this one for other product categories at WouldntMind.com and specific key product details coming out of CES 2012 at WouldntMind.com News Page.

Larry Pacey, award-winning designer tracks the latest news on consumer products, electronics, appliances, smart devices, networking and the gadget lifestyle.

For the latest news follow me on: ------------------------------ OR ------------------------------- Follow me on Twitter @WouldntMindThis Please comment below and share your thoughts. If you have any feedback or questions, feel free to email me at wouldntmind@gmail.com. Just my 2-cents, Larry

WouldntMind.com's 2011 High-Definition, 3D and Home Video Wish List

So much is happening in the world of high-definition, 3D and home video that it might just be a great area to look for some cool holiday gift ideas. And a gift of video is something that can be enjoyed by many. Getting the right item here can bring a lot of joy to people in your immediately circle!