The Hi-Tech Runner

Early in January, I accompanied my husband to the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. It's a great show, giving you advance notice of what will be on the market in the coming year. The first year I went, they were announcing some strangely named product called Tivo, and there was something called satellite radio by two competing unknowns--XM and Sirius. I didn't give them much of a chance of succeeding; I mean, who's going to subscribe to a radio station? If I ever give you stock advice, just do the opposite of what I say!

Anyway, the show is huge and exhausting, but fun to go to. It's a trade show and there are lots of freebies if you sit through a presentation. While my husband met with customers, I went to the booths that were interesting to me.

First stop: Garmin. I've had the Forerunner 201 for a few years now and don't run without it, but have some frustrations with it, the biggest one being that the display tends to go blank at times in the middle of a run. One time it even happened in the middle of a half-marathon. Tech support said they would replace it for around $60, but before I did that, I wanted to see what new product they had. Although they're keeping the 201 and 301, they announced a 205 and 305. The design looks more like a watch, although still massive for a petite wrist such as mine, and there are more satellite receptors, ensuring better reception around trees and tall buildings. The 305, like the 301, contains a heart rate monitor, and I think my husband should by me that for Valentine's Day. Even though he doesn't believe in Valentine's Day because it's an artificial, "Hallmark" holiday.

Moving on, Google was offering goodies based on a quiz. You pick up a card and then go around to all the different demo's. Afterwards, you answer five questions on the card, by scratching the correct answer. Your award was based on the number of correct answers, t-shirts went to those who answered all five correctly. After listening to Google's plans to take over the world, I stood in line and handed my card to the Nazi who reviewed it. (Honestly, some people don't know how to handle a little power.) I got three right, so I got a notebook. I didn't want a stupid t-shirt anyway, so there! If I was dishonest, like all the people getting t-shirts, I would have just picked up two cards, scratched off all the correct answers on one, then marked the correct answers on the second card.

Before standing in line, I saw a guy carrying a hat with GOOGLE embroidered on the side. I asked if I could see it, because if it was decent I would claim one for my prize. It was made of polar fleece, which means I could run in it and it would keep my head warm and dry. As he watched me scrutinize the label, he must have figured I needed it more than him and gave me the hat! I wear it when I run on cold days.

While in the Google booth, I spoke with someone about Blogger. Until then, I didn't know Google had owned it. It was the impetus to get me to move my site to Blogger, not because it was run by Google, but because it made sense.

While we're on the subject of blogging, Creative Labs was partnering with Serious Magic, who has a software product called Vlog It. The V stands for video and the software lets you read your script, like a teleprompter, while you're recording. Creative Labs was showing their desktop camera. Thinking this could take me to a new level of podcasting, I tried it out. Big mistake! I had no idea I looked so bad, and that was with makeup. I'll stick to off-camera.

Finally, although this isn't about running, TacX was a cool product at the Intel booth. You hook up your bike to a stand, plop it in front of a 60-inch, high-definition, plasma home theatre system (this is CES, after all) and as you pedal the bike automatically adjusts to what's displayed on the monitor. For instance, I was watching a video on the Spanish countryside and as the camera goes uphill, the tension on the bike increases. It was the next best thing to being there! That's just what we need for spinning class.