The More Powerful Nike+ Fuelband SE

By: Kristin Feisler

With so many fitness trackers to choose from, it's hard to know which device is right for you. Nike is hoping you'll choose their new Nike+ Fuelband SE. According to a Mashable article written by Samantha Murphy Kelly, Nike's new fitness tracker is a great option to look into. Kelly believes the SE - which stands for "second edition" - is Nike's smartest wristband tracker yet. Starting at $149, this device is more expensive than its competitors, but it may be worth the splurge.

The New Nike+ Fuelband SE in pink foil

The Nike+ Fuelband SE is a vast improvement from its previous version.  Research shows that you're supposed to move for about five minutes every hour, and the Fuelband will remind you to keep moving.The band is able to tell whether you've been inactive too long and "nudges" you. The new device also incorporates Bluetooth Smart Technology, which will make syncing data seamless. The Nike+ Fuelband SE is able to differentiate between low intensity and high intensity activity. This makes the fitness device more accurate overall.  Another awesome change to the Nike+ Fuelband is the color options. Now users can express their personality by wearing a crimson, pink foil or volt (yellow) band. This device was made to stand out.

The Nike+ Fuelband SE in its array of colors

I currently own a Fitbit One and have been looking to upgrade to a new fitness device. I am not fully convinced that the Nike+ Fuelband SE is the right band for me, but I am definitely keeping it as one of my options. As a Fitbit fan, I have been looking into the Fitbit Force (Fitbit's latest fitness tracker). I like how the Fitbit Force has a more comfortable design, but I may end up choosing the Nike+ Fuelband SE because of its improved accuracy. Which fitness device are you sporting? Check out my poll at the end of my blog, and tell me which device you think is best.

Print and E-book Fans Unite with Kindle Matchbook

By: Kristin Feisler

Ever regret purchasing a hard-cover book from Amazon now that there's a cheaper e-book version available? Now you don't have to. According to a Mashable article by Samantha Murphy Kelly, Amazon has released a program called Matchbook which allows you to purchase a discounted Kindle edition of any print book you've bought on the site. Just how discounted will these e-versions be? These e-books will cost up to $2.99, but some e-versions will be free. This includes any print books you've purchased since Amazon first launched its online bookstore in 1995.

Amazon Matchbook

Matchbook was announced on Sept. 3 and was officially released today, Oct. 29. Amazon came up with Matchbook after multiple customers asked for combined digital and print content. Amazon reached out to publishers and authors to enroll in Matchbook which would bring additional revenue to the platform and to the writers. The program offers over 70,000 books, which is a massive increase from the 10,000 available books it had in September.

Some of the available Kindle Matchbooks

I believe Amazon has hit the jackpot with this idea. I am one of those hard-cover lovers, but also like the idea of my books being mobile. Now I can purchase a print book, write all over it if I want, and use my e-version when I'm on the go. Matchbook is giving its customers the best of both worlds and will spark popularity with paper book fans. The only downfall I see is having to pay extra for the e-version. Even though the digital edition will be inexpensive, I hate to hand over additional money when I just purchased a print book. Maybe an Amazon Kindle competitor will pick up on this idea and allow customers to receive digital editions free with the purchase of a print edition. What are your thoughts on Amazon Matchbook?

PUSH Yourself

By: Kristin Feisler

You're working out at the gym and about to do your last set of deadlifts. You feel your arms and thighs quivering, but you push yourself anyway resulting in a torn muscle. The next time you work out and feel your muscles burning, you decide to skip your last set because you're afraid of another injury. How can we know when our body has reached its physical limit? According to a Mashable article by Dani Frankhauser, there is now a fitness device that will let us know whether its time to push ourselves or to take a break. This innovative device, created by Indiegogo, is called PUSH.

PUSH is a wearable fitness device that measures balance, tempo, force and strength. The device is meant to be worn only during a workout. For right now, PUSH can only track 10 exercises including squats, deadlifts, kettlebell lifts, pull ups, push ups and bench presses. The device is able to determine whether you should increase your weight load if you're not showing signs of fatigue after several sets. PUSH also comes with a free app for either Android or iPhone and a web portal.

Indiegogo is using crowdfunding in order to reach its fundraising goal. After only a few days live, PUSH is halfway to their goal. A beta version of PUSH will be released to over 1,000 users in December, but devices purchased through Indiegogo will be ready to ship by April 2014. The device will cost around $149.

As a gym rat, I am ecstatic about this new technology. I believe there is a fine line between pushing yourself and overexerting yourself when working out. Instead of guessing when I should quit, PUSH will keep me alerted. PUSH is also planning on incorporating a heart rate monitor, which would increase the device's accuracy. I wish there were more exercises the device could track, but Indiegogo states PUSH will include more exercises in time.

Besides being useful to workout fanatics, I think PUSH would be valuable for fitness professionals. Personal trainers could use PUSH on their clients to know whether he or she is working at their full potential. If this technology works as Indiegogo has designed, numerous people could be kept from injuring themselves during exercise. I plan on splurging on PUSH as soon as it's available to consumers.

The Post-it Note Joins the Digital World

By: Kristin Feisler

Do you ever wish you could turn your hand written notes into a digital form that you could carry with you? You're in luck. According to a Mashable article, Evernote and 3M have entered into a partnership which will turn Post-it sticky-notes into digital notes. Emily Price explains that these Post-it notes become digitized through a feature in Evernote's iOS 7 app called "Post-it Note Camera". This new feature will work with any Post-it note, but 3M has created special packs of Post-it notes that come with a 30-day subscription to Evernote Premium. Now you can write down your grocery list on a sticky-note, digitize it, and share it with your spouse miles away.

Post-it Notes create a digital-looking Marilyn Monroe face

Although I find the idea of digitizing Post-it notes unique and interesting, I don't believe this app is extremely useful. If I want a note to be digitized, why would I go through two steps? I could save time by just typing it out on my smartphone and sending it directly. Those who are fans of Evernote already have the option to share their notes with anyone within the app. I believe this app will be used more for entertainment rather than efficiency. There is even an app called FastEver Share that allows you to share your Evernote notes simply by "bumping" two iPhones together.

On the plus side, the Post-it Note Camera feature will come in handy for those uncomfortable with typing out notes on their smartphone or computer. Using this feature may just be pure fun. The app is able to distinguish which color sticky-note you are writing on and helps to organize your notes within the app. I will have to try this app out for myself before I completely knock it. Do you think this new feature will be a home-run, or will you stick to typing out your notes? Check out the poll at the end of my page!

Are Celebrities and Twitter Headed for Divorce Court?

By: Kristin Feisler

The never ending war between Twitter and Facebook continues. Twitter has a popularity with users for its ability to follow celebrities like you would an old high school friend. According to a Mashable article, celebrities like Maria Sharapova are starting to use Facebook to reveal their breaking news. Sharapova used the hashtag #misstheopen on her Twitter page implying she would not be participating in this year's U.S. Open. In order to view the entire story, though, users had to view her Facebook page. Why the sudden move from Twitter to Facebook? Mashable author, Todd Wasserman suggests the change has a lot to do with Facebook now including trending topic lists and the ability to embed posts. Facebook is also wooing celebrities to try their improved platform. Wasserman still gives Twitter the upper hand as the best platform for breaking news because these additions to Facebook like embed posts are still new.

The battle continues

Even though I'm a Facebook girl, I am not convinced that celebrities will ditch their beloved Twitter pages and hop on the Facebook train. I used to mildly use Twitter, and one of the reasons I enjoyed it was because I could keep up with my favorite celebrities or news channels simultaneously. I felt like I was part of the action or an insider to breaking news when I scrolled through my Twitter feed. Facebook, on the other hand, was first invented to keep college students connected. It is meant to be more personal. I don't get on Facebook to see what Taylor Swift is up to. I get on Facebook to see what my cousin in Pennsylvania is doing.

Celebrity Twitter Birds

Wasserman made a great argument for both sides of this debate. It was genius for Facebook to copy Twitter's use of hashtags, Although some Facebook users are annoyed with this new feature, I believe it makes Twitter less of a threat to Facebook. A strong company is one that is able to humble themselves enough to know when their competition has a great idea and run with it. Another advantage for celebrities using Facebook is the ability to write a full story. Twitter posts are restricted to 140 characters. How much of a story can a celebrity give in 140 characters? Some users don't care to know the whole story, but those users who do care will be forced to go to Facebook. I am still convinced that celebrities will stick with Twitter when it comes to breaking news. Time will tell if these new "improvements" to Facebook will cause celebrities to divorce their Twitter accounts, or if Twitter's love spell is too strong for any platform to break.